Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

[Vinyl/LP] Why are some vinyl records thicker?

I bought an Argon TT-4 (not the MK2, but the MK1 is no longer available) two years ago and while my taste in music is somewhat limited/one-sided, I love listening to records!

Now, sometimes, I come across records that are thicker and heavier than others, for instance two of my Nancy Sinatra albums and Madonna’s Immaculate Collection, if I remember correctly (=too lazy to reach down for it now…).

Why is this? Does it signify a change in the manufacturing process over the ages, as in, thinner records are newer simply because technology evolved? Or was it a conscious choice to make some thicker? I can’t quite distinguish any difference in sound quality, since I’m using a pretty high fidelity Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge with some sic Adam A5X monitors…

Please advise! 😊

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ohulancutash@feddit.uk ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Think of 180g as the Steelbook release. It’s just more vinyl, and the grooves are the same as with thinner records. Being thicker does mean they are more resistant to warping, and there’s more chance the mastering will be more considered to match the premium pricing.

But technically speaking the sound is not inherently different.

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vext01@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
The thicker ones are these 180 gram pressings that some people like. Some people say they sound better, or warp less. I dunno man. Im skeptical.

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vext01@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
By the way, join us: lemmy.world/c/vinyl

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daggermoon@piefed.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I think it’s a marketing gimmic. They can sound better in some situations on some equipment. If you use a record weight on all of your records you won’t notice a difference between them.

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joeljoelle@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
It’s mostly a matter of quality, vinyl records are weighted in grams, heavier being thicker records. The thicker vinyl allows the vinyl cutting lathe to cut deeper into the record so it is more durable and will last longer. Usually for things like special editions or that sort of thing, they will have heavier vinyl for collectors, where as a normal pop record you buy at a store will be a thinner, quicker cut record that is not as durable to more and more replays but is cheaper to produce. I’m sure someone has a more detailed explanation but that’s my understanding.

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- ohulancutash@feddit.uk ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  180g don’t have deeper grooves. The groove depth is set by the mastering engineer before pressing, and will be the same at any weight.
  
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- akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Thank you! Goes to show how little a know about the technical aspects of vinyl records… How interesting that they are weighed in grams!
  
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  - joeljoelle@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    I forgot to mention as well that the thicker/heavier vinyl is also less susceptible to warping, sounds like you have a lovely setup though :) and nice records!
    
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