Carts that play well on reissues or newer pressings

leyenda

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2011
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Interested to hear fellow members' experience - do you find that some carts play well on reissues or newer pressings vinyls versus others? I find that some carts i.e. the SPU variants - Meister GE, AE and even the mono, just sound unnatural on most reissues or newer music pressed on vinyls. The performance gap between reissues and originals seem to diminish with other carts, even those of relatively the same vintage such as the FR7 or the Sony Pro. Is this your experience as well? Do you find some carts play well on reissues or newer pressing vinyl versus others? If you also share this experience, what do you think is the contributing factor?
 
just a thought:
the most of my reissues or newer records are 180g or even 200g.
the older original pressings have 100 to 130g.

I do not re adjust my Cartridge for the different hights of this records, so VTA is on many records incorrect .

Maybe the named SPU cartridges are more sensible to VTA than newer cart developments?

FR7 always had a sharp diamond, like actual carts, the classic SPU Carts never had such sharp diamonds.
 
Interested to hear fellow members' experience - do you find that some carts play well on reissues or newer pressings vinyls versus others? I find that some carts i.e. the SPU variants - Meister GE, AE and even the mono, just sound unnatural on most reissues or newer music pressed on vinyls. The performance gap between reissues and originals seem to diminish with other carts, even those of relatively the same vintage such as the FR7 or the Sony Pro. Is this your experience as well? Do you find some carts play well on reissues or newer pressing vinyl versus others? If you also share this experience, what do you think is the contributing factor?
My SPUs, whether spherical, elliptical or replicant styli, have no preference regarding originals or reissues, and sound magnificent on all.
 
Regretfully so many of the reissued records have gone trough some kind of digital manipulation i prefer these played back with a “beautifying“ cartridge like my Benz TR trough a SUT. Older all analog records sound better with my Benz LPS.
 
my guess is that many vintage pressings SPU's were voiced on had slightly tipped up balance, a little dryness. or maybe just less lower mid heft. so the slightly warm SPU voicing balanced that out.

many reissues are robust and more neutral and dynamic and that warmth of the SPU's gets in the way from that additional energy causing slight congestion from these more modern pressings.

i don't think this has anything to do with digital manipulation. it's that reissues are putting every bit of energy into the pressing to allow the best of today's cartridges to get the most out. early pressings had to be more cautious of less capable playback gear.
 
100 percent reissues I have tried compared to G's originals, are more compressed, and tweaked to show bass oomph with less highs. Dynamic range is poor compared to the originals. Tone, air, space between instruments, is far superior on the originals, and in various systems with various carts.
 
my guess is that many vintage pressings SPU's were voiced on had slightly tipped up balance, a little dryness. or maybe just less lower mid heft. so the slightly warm SPU voicing balanced that out.

many reissues are robust and more neutral and dynamic and that warmth of the SPU's gets in the way from that additional energy causing slight congestion from these more modern pressings.

i don't think this has anything to do with digital manipulation. it's that reissues are putting every bit of energy into the pressing to allow the best of today's cartridges to get the most out. early pressings had to be more cautious of less capable playback gear.
Do you often prefer the reissues to the originals Mike ? I prefer originals to MoFi or Analog Production reissues at an alarming rate with most cartridges. The beautifying cartridge just hide the warts a little better. Even 45 MoFi reissues like Bob Dylan’s catalog often sound less natural than the originals, more dynamic and detailed, but less natural. To my ears and all that if coarse ;)
 
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New originals D2D Lp’s i have purchased recently are horrible nothing like old originals ..

Bloated bass no top end nor jump .... Sad ..!
 
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Like many things in audio...quality depends on more than technology. Those old pressings were no doubt made with limited tech (and many sound quite poor) but the lasting ones are of an enduring quality. Some modern LPs sound great too. This is a product of the artist/producer/label dreams being met with sweat and determination.
 
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Like many things in audio...quality depends on more than technology. Those old pressings were no doubt made with limited tech (and many sound quite poor) but the lasting ones are of an enduring quality. Some modern LPs sound great too. This is a product of the artist/producer/label dreams being met with sweat and determination.
Some modern LP’s sound good too, but an amazing amount sound bad, and i’m surprised when i time after time pay high sums for MoFi box sets and receive slightly warped records. These are limited edition low volume pressings, and they can’t get a consistent quality ? And when those 180 or 200gr records are warped no suction or peripheral ring straightens them out, my Linear Tracker ends up dancing a jig when played :rolleyes:
 
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Low volume pressings actually have a higher incidence of bad ones than higher volume. I'm not speaking of the recording process but strictly the pressing. Makes sense no?
 
Low volume pressings actually have a higher incidence of bad ones than higher volume. I'm not speaking of the recording process but strictly the pressing. Makes sense no?
Not really, usage wears out the pressing plates, low quantity should give better records. But maybe the process of cooling down after the pressing, and the temperature during the pressing is not monitored sufficiently ? Automation and digital monitoring should make the process easier. Maybe the craft is getting lost to some degree ? Why do so much of the old vinyl sound better than the new stuff ?
 
There is always a curve on pressings...first few not so good last few not so good.

If I was trying to sell 300 perfect pressings I would def. press 1000 and pick from there...
 

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