Does Vinyl Weight Make A Difference
Does the weight of a record 180 grams make any difference to the overall quality of the product.
Does vinyl weight make a difference. Therefore any lacquer that has been cut at normal speed and then pressed to a heavier vinyl stock does not make it audiophile. Record weight has very little to do with the sound quality of the musical data engraved in the grooves. U discosanddragons hah yep 180 gram is more of a sales pitch than a tried and true practice. In the end there are some benefits however the weight alone does not inherently make a better vinyl pressing.
Old bbc decks used thick felt to wick away plastic vibrations caused by the heavier vtf s then. Both items make a repro change and work in combo with the substrate mat material which should be considered together with the clamp weight. The standard weight for our vinyl records is 40 grams for 7 inch records 110 grams for 10 inch records and 150 grams for 12 inch records. I think what you mentioned earlier about inexperienced people pressing the records is really the main thing here.
Does 180 gram vinyl sound better. Standard vinyl also offers heavy weight vinyl records that are audiophile grade. The depth of the grooves that are cut into the record surface are exactly the same regardless of vinyl thickness or weight grade. Absorption of any vibe present in the vinyl that s not the music needs control imo.
Heavier vinyl provides a more stable platform for both stylus and cantilever suspension providing extra protection from unwanted vibration that can cause sound degradation at the micro level. That said both will find a clamp or weight to be a sound investment. During the heyday of vinyl the weight of the vinyl made zero difference because we could trust it would be pressed well. Manufactured for durability and heavy use commercial or contract grade vinyl upholstery is about 1 16 to 1 8 inch thick and is more of a foam like material.
Go commercial for heavy use furniture. Inevitably the requirements of a vinyl dj will differ from those of a hi fi enthusiast. This article hopes to answer some questions concerning vinyl weight.