What Does 180 Mean For Vinyl

You will notice that most pre 90 vinyl was about 140g and still sounds fantastic.

What does 180 mean for vinyl.

Are 180 gram vinyl records inherently better than standard pressings. It means nothing really. 180 gram vinyl has been the subject of much debate among record nerds. While some misconceptions exist there s nothing really noteworthy about heavyweight vinyl.

Everything depends on the mastering process. Sure 180g lps ride more smoothly on a turntable thanks to their weight but the benefits end there. The records themselves are often referred to by their speed. The quality of the sound derives from the vinyl compound as opposed to the weight of the disc.

Many new vinyl record releases tout their selling feature of being pressed on 180 gram vinyl. Are thicker and heavier records actually better and if so why. It has become a selling point for many new presses but ultimately it is meaningless. Warm analog sound gave way to a more sterile perfect aesthetic.

The main dominators whether a record sound good or bad are the quality of the source. What does 33 45 and 78 rpm mean. 180 gram is a heavier grade of vinyl that many believe coaxes a richer audio palate than lighter standard grades. We explain the benefits of 180 gram vinyl to see if they are worth the premium price.

Unnecessarily so i would say there is nothing magical about heavyweight vinyl and certainly some myths float over those shiny 180g stickers on the record covers but that doesn t mean there are no benefits from pressing 180g or even 200g vinyl lp s. These audiophile grade albums demand high prices at record stores. 180 200g does have the potential to sound just as great but it is mostly a cosmetic quality. 80 s vinyl is plentiful but still flimsy and rather bendy.

33 45 and 78 rpm is the speed at which the most common commercially available vinyl records spin at represented in revolutions per minute. There is no strong correlation between the weight and the sound quality of vinyl records. That doesn t mean there are no benefits to be gained from 180g or even 200 220g vinyl lp s. The introduction of digital methods of recording and mastering also changed the way it sounded.

As a result many 80 s vinyl lps tried to closely replicate the digital output of cds.