Vinyl Me Please Essentials
- Thread starter Captainfog
- Start date
Mather
Unknown Member
I agree on that front, if multiple copies are skipping it's almost certainly the setup. I've had every single issue known to mankind but over 650 albums I've not had a single skipping issue. Not one.Not to defend Reddit, but when I saw that post, my first question would definitely be "what set-up do you have?" because the issues described were about frequent skipping on multiple copies, not the widely-reported surface noise issues.
A couple of weeks ago someone else made a similar thread complaining of skips on a VMP record and then the video showed it being played on a Crosley. It's always a good first question to ask.
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
Yeah, the only time I have had a skip is if there is a legit scratch (one you could see and feel) or that the record was dirty AF and I didn’t properly wipe it down before spinning it. Never had an issue with skipping beyond that.
DJSJ
Well-Known Member
I feel for the new users who are considering the service and see the echo-chamber bullshit going on in there and get sucked in. Theres some good people in there. They're just outnumbered by the VMP stans, and the "I got mine, fuck yours" crowd.
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DJSJ
Well-Known Member
Now you have users basiclly saying even if you have a mid-entry level table like a U-Turn and you're having problems, that is has to be the table, and whole slew of people agreeing with his bullshit.
They're just going down the list of ways we can excuse the problem by throwing other members under the proverbial bus.
They're just going down the list of ways we can excuse the problem by throwing other members under the proverbial bus.
displayname
Well-Known Member
I kind of forgot about their reddit for a minute. Decided to venture back in. One of the first posts was about Wu defects. I guess I need to give that one a spin soon to see if it's alright.
Mather
Unknown Member
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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.
DJSJ
Well-Known Member
Just to be clear, no ones saying that a Crosley will play an audiophile album well without issues, that's not the problem (of course those suitcase players with non adjustable tracking force will occasionally have tracking problems). It's the fact that VMP and it's stans seem to use that as a dismissal for increasing problems. "Having a problem? Probably just your shitty system".
Oh of course, I agree. It's pure blind fandom to knee-jerk blame a set-up when there's a well known quality issue.
With that said, I'm not hyper sympathetic to the argument that Crosleys or like devices invalidate the complaints either. Obviously, the limitations of these players will make problems that others tables don't have but these also represent a lot of their buyers and the issue is real anyway so, oh well.
There's also this advert so...they know who they're marketing to which makes this blaming kind of suspect to me.
DJSJ
Well-Known Member
Oh yea. I havent watched one in awhile, but their AOTM announcement videos always used to be someone taking their bluetooth speakers and battery powered turntable to the beach/forest/meadow or some shit to listen to the record. They're definitely trying to market to that type.There's also this advert so...they know who they're marketing to which makes this blaming kind of suspect to me.
jamieanderson1968
ninniest jackaninny
FIFY
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.
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Chris V
Active Member
Wow, I emailed in for a second Wu-Tang replacement due to the scratching defect and heard about this new VMP policy. 
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...
I have to admit that I agree with everyone in here asking "why do we put up with this?" Good question, very good question...
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...I have to admit that I agree with everyone in here asking "why do we put up with this?" Good question, very good question...
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Wicked Dreamer
Well-Known Member
I finally got my Enter the Wu-Tang today… it has the scratching sound at the beginning of the first side. It’s kinda annoying during the Shaolin and Wu-Tang intro, thankfully the music’s mastered loud enough to drown it out afterward.
Rip_City
Well-Known Member
Assuming this is universal, then if this doesn't motivate current members having monthly frustrations to leave...
Hold on, they won’t replace it AND they won’t refund you?Wow, I emailed in for a second Wu-Tang replacement due to the scratching defect and heard about this new VMP policy.
I have to admit that I agree with everyone in here asking "why do we put up with this?" Good question, very good question...
To say something upfront, as far as I am aware, VMP themselves have never gone vinyljerk Crosley bad, that’s more my commentary on the VMP loyalists on the subreddit. So I’m not putting that on the company at all.
My issue is more with people blaming the table automatically when there are documented, repeated quality issues that are pressing issues. Like this isn’t new for VMP and GZ, we have Mars Volta, Atliens, PU, and Wu Tang complaints recently.
I have hundreds of modern records, many of which touched the garbo needle of my Crosley knock off, and they played. Not gonna say it sounded great at all but in terms of defects, it wasn’t that common that it would make defects appear that didn’t exist on my next step up. Some for sure (skips, poor tracking, and static mostly), but whooshes and other noise less commonly. The defect rate on these GZ/ VMP items recently is much higher than I’ve seen from other clubs or even standard retail stock and I buy some real bargain bin new stuff.
A year VMP sub over a table upgrade is a bad investment, totally agree there. I have to consider the Crosley and Clonesleys are easily the best selling and readily available tables out there right now and balance these realities with that. They know they are selling to a lot of people with low end tables and I think that a $40 record still needs to play on these without widespread defects even if they don’t sound good, if that makes sense.
Remember, at that point, the subscriber has received THREE copies of the record, not had to send one back, and in far, far too many cases has flipped two copies on Discogs. At some point, VMP can, and should, say 'let's move on'.