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180g Vinyl LPS - do they sound any better
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Another novice vinyl question :-P
I have seen many *new press* LPs come in 120g as well as 180g versions
(later being dearer) of the same recording.
I was wondering if the 180g version was any better sounding than the
'lighter' one.
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They are less likely to warp.
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Any inputs will be greatly appreciated.
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The biggest problem is the extra electricity and the greater wear and tear
on the turntable. Calculated at 5 plays a day (both sides), 5 days a week
for 50 weeks a year for 5 years:-
Electricity at today's prices: 120g = £4.82p per year = £24.10p. 180g =
£4.97p per year = £24.85p
Wear and tear is slightly harder to calculate. Say the turntable including
stylus and cartridge cost £300 including VAT, you can safely assume that
over the same 5 years the wear and tear differential will be approximately:
120g = 0.67% of £300 = £2.01p. 180g = 0.71% of £300 = £2.13p.
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Pardon? On what engineering basis did you work out the above figures? You
haven't given any physical or engineering explanation, and I've never seen
such a 'calculation' in the past.
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Mr Scrooge is probably one of those (fictitious) accountants who
you claimed were running the vinyl presses, Jim:-)
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I hope this will be of use to you.
Mr S.
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I would be interested to know why a 180gm LP would use 3% more
electricity than a 120gm LP. The inertia will be greater, and so the
energy required to get it up to speed will indeed be greater, but once
it is up to speed, the energy input required to keep it spinning and
overcoming the frictional drag of the stylus will be the same. The extra
weight on the turntable will have a small increase in the friction on
the turntable main bearing, but the combined effect of increased startup
inertia and increased friction would be an infinitesimal amount, I
suggest much lower than the 3% here calculated. What's the basis for
these figures?
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Not to mention the 50% extra shelf space that will be needed for the 180 gm
discs....
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The recorded sound won't be different, but there is a better chance
they will be flat, and your cartridge won't be going up and down like
a carousel horse while it is playing.
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