What do people think of Sundazed vinyl pressings?
Posted by: Hot Rats on 17 March 2011
I recently ordered a copy of the first album by Spirit on Sundazed vinyl. I wanted the original mono mix of the album ... I doubt that I would have bothered had it not been mono.
The first side played well with only one small click on the second track. The second side of the album is riddled with minor but irritating crackle. I noticed that Sundazed are linked with Sony so maybe their vinyl is mass produced without the attention to detail required to achieve a really low noise pressing.
I also have the Sundazed pressing of 'Super Session' by Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Steve Stills. It's not perfect but it's much better than the Spirit album.
I think I'll send it back for replacement but I wondered what other people's experience was of Sundazed pressings.
I also bought a Classic Records 180g pressing of 'Hot Rats' by Frank Zappa. The pressing quality of that is also poor. My original copy on Reprise has less clicks ... It sounds better too!
Posted on: 18 March 2011 by graham halliwell
I have about 6 (Cohen and Dylan) and I'm not too impressed. Acceptable at best, but I'm not inclined to rush out and buy as many as I would like.
Vinyl looks grey, with swirls and scuffs. Surface noise between tracks is acceptable but not as quiet as say ECM/Nimbus/Sony.
FWIW, I had the opportunity to compare mono Dylans on Sundazed and Sony/Columbia recently.
Columbia looked and sounded better, with a fuller, smoother sound. The Sundazed are good, but sound a bit ragged by comparison.
I wish Sundazed would take a bit more care with the actual pressing and vinyl QC. I have difficulty believing this is the best they can do. Pointless advertising 180g vinyl if it is not premier quality. There are plenty of disgusting things I cab think of that possibly weigh 180g.......
Posted on: 18 March 2011 by Hot Rats
Thanks for the reply Graham and the confirmation that Sundazed are not the best pressings around.
I phone the dealer who sold me the Spirit album and he is fine about replacing it. It will take him 3-4 weeks to get another copy. In the meantime, I did record it 24/96 so I can listen through my nDAC!
Posted on: 18 March 2011 by Big Al
I have been very disappointed with the 180g repressings I have bought: ELP's first album on Earmark is terribly sibilant, and Teenage Kicks by Stone the Crows on Akarma is very muffled.
I would very wary of buying any more of this type of thing,as they really don't seem to be much cop. I may have bought others, but can't recall any at the moment.
I realise two albums is hardly a summary of the entire market, but I just looked at the price sticker on the ELP album, and it was £16.99...and sounds worse than my friends' original Island pressing, complete with its' period pops and clicks. The 180g weight is irrelevant if the whatever generation master/pressing method used is not up to scratch, no pun intended.
To some extent, I feel this is the "music biz" selling people the same stuff over and over again at premium prices, but without premium quality, sadly.
Posted on: 18 March 2011 by Berlinants
Sadly, i have had the same experience with 180gr pressings claimed to be "special "
I talked to a local turntable specialist who advised that the best LP's can be found for 1 euro at a bootsale. Save on the vinyl and invest in a decent LP vac cleaner.
A real pity, I would love to get decent pressings of modern music but this seems to be a lost cause. Todays stuff is mixed for MP3 players, dumping this on a LP still doesn't change this fact.
BTW, recently got an original 1968 pressing of Genesis to Revelation, total bliss..
Ah, good old days...
Posted on: 18 March 2011 by Andy1912
Well, I'm afraid I have to disagree - I have all the Dylan monos; all the Cohen LPs (and I have the originals that I can compare them to and in some instances other recent pressings too), and a couple of others including Love Forever Changes, and all are fabulous.....
Posted on: 18 March 2011 by graham halliwell
- so, I wonder what is going on? I'm not imagining what I'm experiencing with Sundazed, and I'm sure others aren't either. Maybe quality is variable, and they use the stampers for too long a run, or they used recycled vinyl. Interesting to see if HR's Spirit replacement copy is any better.
Anybody out there know how much of the process Sundazed control? I know they do their own remastering and cutting, but what about plate preparation and pressing plants?
Come back Nimbus, all is forgiven!
