Ultimately, I think there's some wiggle room to argue that with entry level players. I know my Jensen (knockoff all-in-one Crosley) had play issues on several records with imperfections my Fluance doesn't,. With that said there is nothing special about a VMP record that would make the set-up an issue when it isn't an issue for any other vintage/modern record. And if it was? That's a VMP problem in my view too.
If you need a perfectly pressed record to play well on some players...for $40 they better be delivering that. IMO.
The problem with that is that perfectly pressed records - as most were back in the day - are just not as possible anymore given that the equipment is 40 to 60 years old, requires contstant maintenance, is largely manual, and rather more labor intensive than, say, a CD. Defects are, and will always be, more common.
Add to that vinyl formulations are not exactly the same as in the golden vinyl era. We have an declining environment to worry about now.
And then take that vinyl, in that golden era, was not pressed at 180 or 200g, it was much lighter/thinner. Pressing at 180g simply causes more problems, as not only does the vinyl need longer to cool, the format itself is more prone to dishing. The equipment they are pressing on today was actually never intended for 180 or 200g. But the market seems to demand it.
Certainly, some plants do it more consistently than others. RTI for example rarely disappoint. But they are a small, family owned business with limited capacity.
Having said that, I rarely received what I would consider a defective record. I rarely send one back. And I buy way too many. My turntable is certainly at the lower end of 'audiophile' decks.
Back in the day, records were cut specifically for shitty closet players, which were common. But that caused sonic compromises. Today, records, particularly well mastered ones, are cut for wider dynamic range and extended bass and highs. A Crossley - and even many somewhat higher priced, but still crap, players simply can't handle that. Add in that those with cheap players will not have much of a stylus and no possibility of decent alignment, or even levelling, and the formula for issues is all dialed in.
So VMP does have a point, notwithstanding the obvious disconnect with the children doing their social marketing. And it is not a VMP issue, it is an issue - or more correctly, an attribute of modern records.
A perfectly pressed record will not play well on those players. $40, $15, $50 - doesn't matter. One is perfectly entitled to say
better damn well deliver perfection for MY $40 but the reality is, 100% perfection 100% of the time is simply unattainable. If one is not getting enough out of their $40, put it elsewhere. Free market. Anyone who wants their $40 record to be sonically compromised to play on a cheap record player is playing in the wrong park and asking the vast majority of others to accept the compromises to suit themselves.
And it seems to me to make little sense to subscribe to a service where the three months subscription price exceeds the value of the playback equipment.
After two replacements, VMP says they are done. They will not allow additional replacements and they will not give a refund at that point, even if the defects persist. I sent a pretty angry email back...
