Does 180gram vinyl matter?

Spiritual_Chaos
Spiritual_Chaos Posts: 31,636
edited December 2021 in Other Music
With the decision by Mondo to stop releasing vinyl on 180 gram --

We’ll also switching to 140 Gram vinyl wherever possible. There are several reasons for this, but the main ones are that it uses less plastic (obviously), but also that the majority of the presses used to this day are still optimized for 140 Gram. The industry pivoted toward 180 Gram for collectability, when vinyl was struggling, and it stuck. But, after chatting with our production partners, we believe that good mastering is the basis for a solid record ... and not the weight of the vinyl it is pressed on. (Some us long-term collectors still have 100 Gram vinyl from the 80's that sounds great!)



-- Does the gram matter? 
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"

Does 180gram vinyl matter? 24 votes

Yes.
45%
ParksyYefaLukinFanpledgeagrievanceTim SimmonsZodAW124797dankindmrussel1tempo_n_grooveCropduster-80 11 votes
No.
54%
halvGibsonmookieblalockstatic111DC29940Abe FromanGern Blanstensteveddievedderjeff2040brianluxPJ_Souljerparker20ShawnGuy 13 votes
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Comments

  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    edited December 2021
    Yes.
    180 grams of matter, to be precise. 
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,462
    dankind said:
    180 grams of matter, to be precise. 
    Precisely. 
    www.cluthelee.com
  • static111
    static111 Posts: 5,198
    No.
    Meh I have some great sounding 60's and 70's records that are thin as hell.  I'm ok with 140.  I thinking mastering, pressing and QC are way more important
    Scio me nihil scire

    There are no kings inside the gates of eden
  • Cropduster-80
    Cropduster-80 Posts: 2,034
    Yes.
    To me it matters. Not in the audio quality because as far as I can tell there is zero difference. Grooves are grooves 

    Durability and less warping yes. If it’s not warped then I suppose you can make a sound quality argument 

    does it really use less plastic if I have to replace it more often?
  • MedozK
    MedozK Tennessee Posts: 9,212
    Sound quality - No

    Durability - Yes
    Decreasing Wow & Flutter - Yes
  • Loujoe
    Loujoe Posts: 11,944
    I have a primus 200g lp and it's a nice hunk of cheese. excessive. yes
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,734
    No.
    I say "no", but really would prefer an "It depends" option.  I have lots of flat-as-a-pancake great sounding 120 to 140 gram LPs from the 60's and 70's that sound terrific. 
    To me, what's more important is the source (preferably analog, of course), lacquer mastering vs direct metal mastering (DMM) (I prefer lacquer masterings), and quality of materials and production.  I've had 180 and 200 gram vinyl that sounds like crap.  My honest opinion is that weight is lower on the totem pole.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • AW124797
    AW124797 Posts: 763
    Yes.
    Less warping. Better heat resistance.
  • SJ224621
    SJ224621 Posts: 1
    I have my turntable set up for 180 gram vinyl and have to adjust VTA for thinner stock which is a PITA. There should be a 180 gram option for anal neurotics like me. 
  • Zod
    Zod Posts: 10,937
    Yes.
    Warping seems to be a much less issue with 180g vinyl than it does old vinyl from the 90s and earlier.  I have not yet had a 180g record that warped to the point it wouldn't play properly.

    Then again I've only ever had 1 records (original pressing of down on the upside) that warped to the point it would send the needle up inthe air.. lol.   So even with thin records it hasn't been that big an issue in my collection.
  • Cropduster-80
    Cropduster-80 Posts: 2,034
    edited January 2022
    Yes.
    Zod said:
    I have not yet had a 180g record that warped to the point it wouldn't play properly.


    You’ve lucked out then


    Isn’t PJ self titled reissue 180? I had several copies warped to the point of being unplayable (LP 2) then I figured out how to flatten them 

    the only downside to the increased durability is they are harder to flatten.  If they are packaged badly (with thick booklets/tight shrink) I’ve found it still happens.  Probably less frequently though 
    Post edited by Cropduster-80 on
  • 1ThoughtKnown
    1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    edited January 2022
    MedozK said:
    Sound quality - No

    Durability - Yes
    Decreasing Wow & Flutter - Yes
    I always though it was the quality of your turntable that reduced wow and flutter down to that .1% range (or even lower). I think I read once that the manufacturers of heavier vinyl say it provides reduced wow and flutter with a caveat you are playing on an inferior turntable the extra weight creates more friction with the platter, thus reducing wow and flutter. 


  • mrussel1
    mrussel1 Posts: 30,963
    Yes.
    MedozK said:
    Sound quality - No

    Durability - Yes
    Decreasing Wow & Flutter - Yes
    Yes and these are very important to the vinyl experience.  
  • Spiritual_Chaos
    Spiritual_Chaos Posts: 31,636
    Read somewhere that 180g are more durable longrun. But more prone to be warped out of the press than e.g. 140g. Don't know if that is true.
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • JeBurkhardt
    JeBurkhardt Posts: 5,362
    Cropduster-80 said:
    Zod said:
    I have not yet had a 180g record that warped to the point it wouldn't play properly.


    You’ve lucked out then


    Isn’t PJ self titled reissue 180? I had several copies warped to the point of being unplayable (LP 2) then I figured out how to flatten them 

    the only downside to the increased durability is they are harder to flatten.  If they are packaged badly (with thick booklets/tight shrink) I’ve found it still happens.  Probably less frequently though 
    My self titled reissue has a warped second LP, to the point that my tone arm looks like a carousel going up and down, but it plays fine, so I haven't tried to flatten it. I have an older JVC TT that seems to be pretty forgiving on warped or scratched records.
  • Cropduster-80
    Cropduster-80 Posts: 2,034
    Yes.
    JeBurkhardt said:
    Cropduster-80 said:
    Zod said:
    I have not yet had a 180g record that warped to the point it wouldn't play properly.


    You’ve lucked out then


    Isn’t PJ self titled reissue 180? I had several copies warped to the point of being unplayable (LP 2) then I figured out how to flatten them 

    the only downside to the increased durability is they are harder to flatten.  If they are packaged badly (with thick booklets/tight shrink) I’ve found it still happens.  Probably less frequently though 
    My self titled reissue has a warped second LP, to the point that my tone arm looks like a carousel going up and down, but it plays fine, so I haven't tried to flatten it. I have an older JVC TT that seems to be pretty forgiving on warped or scratched records.
    I think it could have played had I increased the tracking pressure. I have mine pretty light so wobbles seem to be an issue with skipping on warps.  

    Not a vinyl expert by any means but I think the wobbles lead to surface noise too even when they don’t skip. For example I just flattened my Radiohead Best of LP 3 last night which had a slight warp and the playback sound is better now. It wasn’t skipping before, but I can definitely see an auditory improvement 

    I usually just flatten anything that isn’t perfectly flat now 
  • Spiritual_Chaos
    Spiritual_Chaos Posts: 31,636
    I'm bumping this to ask another question --

    -- is 180 gram or not a factor when you decide to buy a LP? Or isn't that a factor in the end o f you picking it up?
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • mrussel1
    mrussel1 Posts: 30,963
    Yes.
    Spiritual_Chaos said:
    I'm bumping this to ask another question --

    -- is 180 gram or not a factor when you decide to buy a LP? Or isn't that a factor in the end o f you picking it up?
    Not a real factor.  If something is avail in 180, great.  But if it's only in 140, that doesn't dissuade me.  The lineage, mastering, engineer and pressing plant are all way more important to the quality.  If you are worried about warping, get a record clamp.  They solve all sorts of problems. 
  • 1ThoughtKnown
    1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    mrussel1 said:
    Spiritual_Chaos said:
    I'm bumping this to ask another question --

    -- is 180 gram or not a factor when you decide to buy a LP? Or isn't that a factor in the end o f you picking it up?
    Not a real factor.  If something is avail in 180, great.  But if it's only in 140, that doesn't dissuade me.  The lineage, mastering, engineer and pressing plant are all way more important to the quality.  If you are worried about warping, get a record clamp.  They solve all sorts of problems. 
    I am getting frustrated with the consistent warping of new 180g vinyl. It is actually dissuading me from purchasing them and looking for lower weight vinyl which is easier to flatten using my vinyl flat. 
    Flattening 180g vinyl is time consuming and quite frankly, not often successful. I ended up creating some (what sounds like) homemade nonfill on my copy of Pharoah Sanders Karma. Only noticeable in between songs. Paid $50 CDN for that record, and it comes warped. Tired of paying top dollar for a defective product. 

    The most confusing part, 180g vinyl was supposed to eliminate the warping issues. 
  • Spiritual_Chaos
    Spiritual_Chaos Posts: 31,636
    I only know of Neil Young using 200g. But don’t own any. Would love to feel the weight. 
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"

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