luckybaer

But not the toilet

Toilet is right up against a wall. Except the outhouse... although, there are 4 walls and a door on the outhouse. So...

Splashback can ruin the listening experience.

@Merrick @Thad E Ginathom A well-mastered CD/SACD over a well-mastered LP is my preference! Sergio Mendes LP arrives today (used).

"well-mastered."

That's what I meant, but I typed "well-mixed."

Edited. Thanks

Primo example of remastering fucking things up regardless of format: the Yep Roc 2010/11 CD/LP remaster of The Soft Boys' "Underwater Moonlight" vs ANY preceding version/medium. Even leaving aside that the YR one is in mono, it's LOL bad.

@Qildail @Merrick @JK47 Also: certain sounds trigger Puffin. I have original pressings of New Order's "Blue Monday" and "Confusion" & new pressings. Both pressings scored poorly yet sounded fine!

I imagine I have a few records that would trigger false positives. :D

@JK47 @Merrick Another Puffin grading quirk - since it punishes quiet passages (I can live with that), dead wax between songs can negatively impact the grade.

Ahh, I misread - I thought everyone that ordered got the wrong color! I'd definitely prefer purple to baby pink too. ;)

@Soups the wrong color snafu was widespread - lots of teeth-gnashing posts at Discogs. Lol… At least Warner is trying to make it right!

There's no way that baby pink can ever be made right. For anything.

Sadly, my pressing is mediocre on S2. Worse than any of my other Gorillaz LPs, IIRC. Some cracking mid-record. :-(

How does the Puffin grading work?

@Merrick i think it counts the number of perceived imperfections, divides by time, and assigns a grade. Big pop = little click, so still need the ears.

I know it’s not on Pleased to Meet Me, but Lorde’s cover of “Swingin Party” isn’t half bad

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1wavwT7paPs

Hell, look at the prices of known BOOTLEG releases of Aenima on vinyl!

Wild, I bought this brand new 4-5 years ago.

holy fucking shit. this is now the most expensive LP I own. edit: aenima, i mean. tool-bros need to chill the fuck out.

@Wilson "Lifeless" is the best adjective I've heard of to describe that CD. I think Cultosaurus Erectus is similarly "lifeless." Spectres is just weird sounding on CD.

Yeah Fire of Unknown Origin was flat on the original Columbia 80s CDs. Still like it for what it is, must be more 80s Sci-Fi fun on LP.

@Wilson @YMO The highs are cleaner on the CD, but the mids are somewhat sterile. The mids on the LP seem to have more texture. The upper bass and lower mids add a bit more meat. The CD is ok, but on speakers, I prefer the LP.

WHY?

And do you have a column for "Went to sleep with the stylus going click..click..click... Y/N"

@Thad E Ginathom Will add.

@Thad E Ginathom Missed the “WHY?” Started to track the grade, then realized more practical use - cart/stylus hours.

I love the Super OM40 cartridge on the Dual 701. It’s a wonderfully balanced cartridge. It can retrieve a lot of detail, but it’s never shouty. The bass can also dig deep, but it’s not overblown or bleeding into the midrange.

@luckybaer do you use any alignment tools when installing cartridges on your Technics turntable? Eventually, I want to get one of the new Technics models. I’m just curious if you’ve found a tool that works well.

@MellowVelo I have an Accutrak - it has a variety of alignment grids. I also printed one from VinylEngine. I use the overhang jig from Technics to start, then I usually align to Technics' standard per Accutrak.

Rumor has been you should purchase multiples of the same album than sell the bad ones on discogs

Visually mint, plays like VG-... joys of vinyl collecting. Sometimes a few plays or a few passes through an ultrasonic cleaner can help.

But, yeah, if it's crackles, I'd say VG minus.

Just when I'm thinking of dipping my toes back into vinyl....

Not sure how much longer I can take the 2M Red.

Perhaps the brightness or airiness is not an improvement but rather coloration. I would expect boron to be the more truthful material for a cantilever. It is stiffer with less mass.

@Merrick @shotgunshane I think the issue is I was listening to two different pressings.

The only time I’d opt for a ruby or sapphire cantilever is if the original cantilever was also ruby or sapphire, to best preserve the original sound.

Degritter has worked great, and their support is also top notch fwiw. But yeah it’s a lot for a dishwasher… love the automation, means I can listen more and wash records less.

I have one Humminguru (in storage with the rest of my stuff for a while), and I plan on adding a second for a rinse and dry cycle. Still way cheaper than the Degritter (which does look awesome).

I also have, insanely, two Spin Cleans and a Pro-Ject VCS vacuum cleaner. I've found that it's useful to have multiple ways of cleaning records that have ground-in crud in the grooves. And that some of them really improve with multiple/many cleans. New records are much quicker.

In other words, for me LP cleaning is sometimes a process for me, so the Degritter automation wouldn't be super helpful.

I really need to hear that amp at some point, seems to make lots of cans really sing. A steal at the price by most accounts.

@Inoculator I use it with all but my sensitive IEMs. Which are all of them except for the Oracle MkII. Only the Oracle is OK w/ big mean tube amp.