The enthusiasm for vinyl seems to continue unabated, and I certainly never could have predicted, when we threw away our last turntable, that anyone but a few die-hard fans would care about these PVC records again. Yet here we are.
We have covered some of the Central myths behind vinyl beforeBut that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Just like him supposed mythical sound quality of vinyl audioyou will never hear the end of the things people make up about this medium.
Myth: Colored vinyl sounds worse than black vinyl
Color me without surprising me
Why is vinyl black? All vinyl records today are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is transparent. To make the disc black, it is necessary to add black carbon. The idea is that the carbon improves the durability of the vinyl, and it is what people consider the standard for vinyl.
In the 1970s and 1980s we saw the introduction of colored vinyl, which had a reputation for sounding bad, and the lack of carbon and the addition of colored dyes was blamed. The thing is, these were novelty records back then, so there were other factors that affected the quality of these novelty records. The mastering, recording and pressing of the albums were not the best, but people only focused on the color.
Today, according to VictrolaThere is no reason to expect a color record to sound worse than a black one. There are some exceptions, but the quality of the pressing, mastering and recording are much more important. Record manufacturers have simply improved their methods enough to make color records sound as good as anything else. Especially in the case of the expensive collector’s editions, the color discs have been carefully crafted to the highest standards.
Myth: Heavier vinyl (180g) sounds better
“Heavy metal” is just a metaphorical name
We tend to think that heavier objects are of higher quality, so there is the idea that a 180g record will sound better than a 120g one. These discs are marketed as “audiophile“quality, but a heavier disc does not sound better than ones that are thinner and lighter.
The audio information is in the grooves and the grooves are the same. Thick, heavy discs resist warping better than standard discs. That’s all.
Myth: Expensive turntables automatically sound better.
More money, more problems
Years ago, I spent quite a bit of time ghostwriting for a website (no longer online) that sold record players. This was before the current vinyl resurgence, so it really was for the vinyl weirdos who held out over the years. You know, the true believers.
As such, I wrote ads for some really expensive turntables. We’re talking thousands of dollars to buy a record player with a solid marble carved plinth and gold-plated tips for no apparent reason. Listening to your record on one of these should result in best-case scenario for vinyl audio, but the truth is that if you put one of these expensive turntables in a bad audio chain, they will sound terrible, while a mid-range turntable that has been carefully and correctly set up can sound amazing.
There’s also a point of diminishing returns, where you need those legendary audiophile “golden ears” to tell the difference between a $1,000 turntable and a $4,000 model.
Myth: A record clamp or weight always improves the sound
More weight!
First we had heavier records. Now we have a big weight that you put on top of your records. The idea is that these heavy clamping weights can reduce vibration and keep slightly warped vinyl flatter so it plays properly.
If your discs are flat and your setup is solid, a clamp may not change anything at all.
Myth: Records sound the same in every way.
They have their ups and downs
Something that people rarely mention when it comes to the audio quality of vinyl is that it is not consistent from start to finish. If you think about it, how could it be? The outer grooves of a record move faster under the stylus than the inner grooves, allowing for better detail and less distortion.
As the arm moves inward, the available space reduces and distortion increases. This is known as internal rhythm distortion and is an inherent limitation of the format.
This can even affect where record producers decide to place tracks, with more dynamic tracks that need more detail placed on the edges where fidelity is best.
So if your vinyl sounds less crisp at the end than it did at the beginning, it’s not just your imagination!
