Even records worth hundreds are arriving warped, scratched, and noisy straight out of the shrink wrap.
For years, new records were seen as the safer bet as they’re expected to be cleaner, flatter, and less hassle. Now, that assumption is slipping. Buyers are returning expensive albums for the same reasons they once avoided used ones, such as scratches, warps, and surface noise.
And it’s not just a few bad apples. Even trusted audiophile labels and premium reissues are getting called out.
What’s Wrong With New Vinyl Pressings
As vinyl keeps making a comeback, more buyers are running into the same frustrating problems: warped records, off-center pressings, and visible scratches, sometimes right out of the shrink wrap.
Collectors across online forums and YouTube have reported these defects for years, and the stories are piling up.
And it’s not just casual buyers noticing.
Audiophile reviewer Dave Denyer has also run into issues, even with high-end pressings. He pointed to problems in Deutsche Grammophon’s Original Source series, which normally sells for over $55 and is known for its top-tier sound.
Denyer described hearing “tiny little tick sort of all over the sound stage,” with clicks happening “every 15 seconds.”
After complaining, he got replacements that were a bit better. They’re still not perfect, but quiet enough to keep. So, while he praised Deutsche Grammophon’s customer service, he was clear about where the real issue lies: the pressing plant.
So far, no one seems immune, not even the premium labels. And when both collectors and reviewers say they’re returning a good chunk of what they buy, it’s a sign the problem goes beyond a few isolated cases.
The Ugly Truth About How Records Are Made Today
The problem with new vinyl often starts on the factory floor. Pressing plants are rushing to meet demand, and in the process, they’re cutting corners that directly affect sound quality.
One common issue is something called non-fill. This happens when the grooves on a record aren’t fully formed during pressing. You’ll hear it as a rough tearing or scraping sound, and under a light, you might see it as a silvery or grainy patch.
Another big issue is temperature control. After a record is pressed, it needs to stay in the stamper for a few minutes to cool down and set properly. If it comes out too soon, it can warp.
Charles Kirmuss, a record restoration expert, explained in a livestream how pressing plants often skip that cooldown time just to squeeze out a few extra records per hour.
“If I have a machine that can pop out a record every three minutes,” he said.
“If I now want to make an extra record an hour, what do I do? I’ll cut that time down. So those records don’t get to cool. They come out warped.”
These shortcuts might save time for manufacturers. But, they leave buyers dealing with noise, warping, and disappointment, especially when the problems are baked into brand-new, sealed records.
When Premium Prices Don’t Mean Premium Quality
The most troubling aspect of the vinyl quality crisis is that higher prices offer no protection from defects.
For instance, Dave Denyer bought both the blue vinyl special edition and the standard black version of a Tori Amos – B-Sides release. Both copies had non-fill defects. And, it took him three tries to find a copy that was just “acceptable.”
In another case shared by Charles Kirmuss, a customer brought in a $185 audiophile record that looked scratched even before it was played. The retailer sent a replacement, but when they opened it right there in the shop, it also had scratches and fingerprints.
The problem isn’t just the price, though. Sometimes, the materials themselves make things worse.
Colored and clear vinyl, for example, can hide defects like non-fill. Because the surface is see-through, it’s harder to spot pressing flaws until you actually play the record.
Even eco-friendly records aren’t off the hook.
Channel 33 RPM reviewed a Billie Eilish album made from 100% recycled vinyl that cost around CA$50 (~US$38). It sounded so noisy that he compared it to low-quality picture discs from the ’70s and ’80s.
A lot of buyers also assume that 180-gram records sound better just because they’re heavier. But that’s not true. The extra weight helps with handling and makes warping less likely, but it doesn’t affect sound.
Whether it’s fancy packaging, limited-edition colors, or eco-friendly branding, none of it guarantees a good pressing. And the higher price tag? That’s no guarantee either.
Collectors Are Losing Patience
The root causes trace back to an industry infrastructure that cannot handle current demand. Experienced workers are retiring without proper knowledge transfer, and pressing plants are often hiring undertrained staff to operate complex equipment with minimal oversight.
Certain pressing plants get mentioned more than others when buyers talk about poor quality. GZ Media in the Czech Republic, for example, comes up often in complaints about warping and non-fill issues.
“I bought two copies and there’s a 100% failure rate,” said Denyer.
The situation has led some long-time collectors to change their buying habits entirely. As a result, more collectors opt for the used vinyl market rather than new pressings.
Other collectors are just fed up.
One buyer summed it up plainly:
“Especially at the price vinyl albums are now selling for, I think we have a right to expect that our records are pressed flat and centered. But unfortunately, that’s far from the case.”
Vinyl remains a beloved format. That said, rising prices, declining quality, and widespread manufacturing issues are testing loyalty. Until pressing standards catch up with demand, even premium records may not be worth the gamble.
Fingerprints, dust, scuffs etc? Sounds like the quality control in the packaging departments is also a big part of the problem.
Furnace Records failed to get my band’s album past the test pressing phase. Since moving their plating in-house, the quality has gone downhill fast. Even their own QC person admitted the defects were unacceptable. After several failed test pressings, the CEO emailed me to say the issues were acceptable and that I was being too picky. I immediately demanded and received a $7,000 refund. That refund was the only thing they got right.
We’ve since moved our project to a different pressing plant. Furnace Records is doing real harm to the vinyl industry, and their CEO needs to step down. At this point, I’ve gone back to buying cassette tapes because they are more reliable than vinyl right now.
New vinyl is vinyl for the sake of being vinyl not for the sake of the excellent quality of sound it can deliver. They don’t make em like they used to
One of the most legendary mastering engineers alive (won’t name them) told me several times major labels sent MP3’s to master or remaster from. Assumed it was an accident, but sometimes they wouldn’t even send hi end files to them. They said one of the most egregious was a remaster of “one of the biggest classic rock records ever.” Folks are buying these things and the master source is low quality and then the pressing isn’t great. I’ve been putting out records forever, long gone are the days of watching your lacquers get cut, taking it to the plant and getting test presses that were made with love. These days I opt for short records at 45rom. Since often there’s no one to speak to, try to be diligent so it’s harder to mess up.
At the age of 16, I bought my first vinyl records. From the very beginning, I was endlessly annoyed by the crackling and popping of those fossil-based black discs. Thirty-four years ago, I got rid of them all for good.
I will never forget the moment in the 1980s when I bought my first CD player and my first CD and put on Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Man, oh man, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There was only music, and just a tiny bit of background hiss. The rainstorm of crackles and pops was gone.
The Harvest label on which Pink Floyd records were pressed was always of poor quality. Even when brand new and fresh out of the sleeve, those records would already crackle and pop like crazy on my Thorens turntable fitted with a very good cartridge.
These days, at the age of 67, I have been streaming for 13 years. I have a NAS containing all my CDs, and I stream through a high-quality streamer connected to my amplifier. I also use the best music service available, Qobuz, which offers sound quality beyond that of CDs, delivering highly detailed and dynamic audio at up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
Physical media are gradually disappearing. Just look at DVDs. People once thought CDs were finished too, yet vinyl suddenly came roaring back as a trend. Retailers have been more than happy to take advantage of that hype and sell them to consumers.
Finally, I no longer consider it responsible in an era where environmental concerns are supposed to be a priority. Plastic drinking straws are banned here in the Netherlands, yet it remains perfectly acceptable to press music onto a large black disc made of plastic.
My prediction is that in one more generation, vinyl records will be sitting in museums, and people will laugh at the idea that music was once stored on those black plastic discs. Period.
And please don’t attack me with the argument that the data centers used for streaming also cause pollution. I’m fully aware of that. Everything in our modern, comfortable world has an environmental impact. I could also sit on an orange crate in an empty living room, but I don’t think any of us would choose to live that way. Neither would I.
The countless billions of discs that have been pressed over the years will eventually end up in the environment one way or another, whether through incineration or by some other means. Sooner or later, they will all become waste.
Very true this article. GZ Media is one I come across again and again. Some of the Steely Dan remasters are awful. I’ve sent back The Royal Scam three times and the one I’ve got is still not perfect. Most of the problems are loud popping sounds either the first song or on the last track side A, for some unknown reason plus surface noise. Not good enough. I can see why people are going into the used market. However, remember heavy vinyl in the UK, in the 70s was only used for jazz and classical music so some of the original rock albums were hardly that good back in the day.