Lots of people talk and worry about vinyl records wearing out, but finally here is a controlled, long-term experiment to test how much audible wear actually happens to records played in real-world conditions on a variety of turntables. I highly suggest a quiet listening environment and good pair of speakers or headphones to observe the results.
However, the main takeaway from this test is something that experts have already known for the past 75 years: dust, dirt, scratches, fingerprints, improper storage, and a worn stylus are the real enemies of vinyl record life, not the kind of turntable you use. Do your best to avoid those perils, and your records will provide a lifetime of enjoyment, even when played on inexpensive equipment.
FYI: The records I tested are slightly transparent when held up to a bright light, indicating they were made with a vinyl formulation which used dye instead of carbon black; these records (marketed under various names such as "Super Vinyl", "Quiex", "UHQR", etc.) are known for their very low surface noise and anti-static properties, but sources differ on whether they last longer or actually wear out more quickly than conventional vinyl.
Unedited video of playing a portion of the record on the Quasar 50 more times, for a total of 100 plays at the end of the test: [ Ссылка ]
Lossless recordings of all four records used in the test (both the entire album side played with the Stanton 681EEE cartridge, and the brief samples I played using the Shure M75): [ Ссылка ]
(Yes, the unplayed record actually has more pops & clicks than the ones that were played 50 times. Maybe it has some dirt in the grooves, and/or was a noisier pressing than the others. None of the LPs came with inner sleeves -- they just put the record directly in the cardboard jacket.)
Time flow:
0:00 Introduction
1:17 The equipment
2:55 The records
5:35 How many times?
7:37 How often?
9:58 The test
13:34 The results
17:08 Analysis
22:31 Stress test
26:12 Conclusion
p.s. I found the obituary for the father of the group, which says the Marcus Family Singers were formed in 1974 and were active for seven years, and recorded two albums: [ Ссылка ]
Also I looked up the songs on the album in the copyright database and several of them were written in 1980, so the album is probably from 1980 or 1981.
You can listen to the full album here: [ Ссылка ]
#vinyl #turntable #RecordPlayer
