i've heard that some people say that the purple rain vinyl with the image on it is relatively low quality sounding, but i've also hear that it's fine. i have it ordered from the local wrecka stow record store, and i was wondering, how do y'all find the sound quality of it?

jennalynn said:

i've heard that some people say that the purple rain vinyl with the image on it is relatively low quality sounding, but i've also hear that it's fine. i have it ordered from the local wrecka stow record store, and i was wondering, how do y'all find the sound quality of it?

Haven't heard that specific one but generally speaking picture discs usually sound awful. They're not for playing, they're for collecting and/or displaying.

thank you!!! i might have to display it now instead of play it, since i already have pr on CD too ^-^

To be clear, there are exceptions to the rule, sometimes they sound fine. Colored or clear vinyl usually sound good, but picture discs, not usually.

thanks!!!!

I own the Lovesexy pic disc:

Side A sound "okay"


Side B, the sound is in a much lower volume-level.. (damn)...



Never heard any bad sounding "coloured" vinyls,


But Picture discs are usually to avoid, (imo)

[Edited 9/8/18 3:38am]

Picture disks use a different kind of acetate so the quality of the sound can vary greatly. Sometimes the same argument is made for colored vinyl.

TrivialPursuit said:

Picture disks use a different kind of acetate so the quality of the sound can vary greatly. Sometimes the same argument is made for colored vinyl.

When done with high standards, colored vinyl, clear vinyl and black vinyl should all sound fine.

That said, much of the standard black vinyl being produced today sounds like garbage. A friend of mine buys new vinyl regularly. He often brings over a stack of brand new records and asks me to do needle drop to digital transfers for him while they're new. Some sound perfect and some are as noisy as a well-played decades old original. All new, same turntable, same needle, back to back, about 25% of what he brings me sounds horrible.

I've seen a lot of audiophile vinyl collectors make similar complaints. Some say the standards of some of the pressing plants are to blame and some speculate that the "hipster collectors" that are currently driving the market are listening on substandard equipment and can't tell the difference so the labels don't care.

I dunno. I don't buy a lot of new vinyl myself, most of my stuff is vintage. I've had a lot of vintage colored and clear vinyl and they all sounded great. The new stuff that my friend has brought that was colored had about the same ratio of quality as his black vinyl purchases.

Picture discs (as opposed of colour vinyls) historically sounded a lot worse than regular presses. Essentially, a picture was pressed on top of the traditional surface, creating much more background noise and reduction in clarity.

I'm not sure if modern day prints use a different process, but unless the picture is created as part of the initial vinyl creation, or an applied picture is so fluid it can map the grooves exactly, its always going to reduce the quality of the original sound.

I have a lot of picture discs, and they aren't all bad. It varies a great deal, no idea why.

The most recent reissue of PR on picture disc is okay, no real problems with it. It's not the one I listen to, but it isn't as completely useless as a recent RSD 1999 7" single

SquirrelMeat said:

If you're after a really nice vinyl release to listen to, then Rhino's 180g reissue from 2009 is my personal go-to.

embmmusic said:

If you're after a really nice vinyl release to listen to, then Rhino's 180g reissue from 2009 is my personal go-to.

^ ok is the Purple Rain-2009 edition better, Purple Rain was re-released in 2017, "remastered", I own this but haven't compared them soundwise..

Ok I love the silver cover-art to the 2017 version, love it a lot this was excellent......

TrivialPursuit said:

Picture disks use a different kind of acetate so the quality of the sound can vary greatly. Sometimes the same argument is made for colored vinyl.

There's no technical reason why colored vinyl would sound worse, as 'regular' vinyl is colored black.

I avoid picture disks, as in general they're indeed made as a novelty and not to play.

jenst said:

There's no technical reason why colored vinyl would sound worse, as 'regular' vinyl is colored black.

I avoid picture disks, as in general they're indeed made as a novelty and not to play.

You can press a record in tin foil and it would sound different than pressed on LP quality vinyl. Using a cheaper substance, one that doesn't hold up to regular play etc will absolutely affect how the record sounds. All that said, if colored vinyl is a cheaper quality medium to press with than what is typically used, then yes it could affect sound quality.

However, I totally agree with you that it is a schtick, not for any sort of audiophile. In the case of PR, it's a collection item at best, or a party favor, not something you put on with $500 headphones to enjoy.

thedance said:

embmmusic said:

If you're after a really nice vinyl release to listen to, then Rhino's 180g reissue from 2009 is my personal go-to.

^ ok is the Purple Rain-2009 edition better, Purple Rain was re-released in 2017, "remastered", I own this but haven't compared them soundwise..

Ok I love the silver cover-art to the 2017 version, love it a lot this was excellent......

I don't like the way the 2017 release was remastered personally so I use my 2009 one when I want to listen to it. I guess it's down to personal preference

thedance said:

embmmusic said:

If you're after a really nice vinyl release to listen to, then Rhino's 180g reissue from 2009 is my personal go-to.

^ ok is the Purple Rain-2009 edition better, Purple Rain was re-released in 2017, "remastered", I own this but haven't compared them soundwise..

Ok I love the silver cover-art to the 2017 version, love it a lot this was excellent......

I wouldn't even bother putting the 2017 one on a turntable. I'd rather listen to a picture disc than a vinyl copy of the "remaster". It sounded horrible on CD, has to sound even worse on vinyl.

djThunderfunk said:

thedance said:

^ ok is the Purple Rain-2009 edition better, Purple Rain was re-released in 2017, "remastered", I own this but haven't compared them soundwise..

Ok I love the silver cover-art to the 2017 version, love it a lot this was excellent......

I wouldn't even bother putting the 2017 one on a turntable. I'd rather listen to a picture disc than a vinyl copy of the "remaster". It sounded horrible on CD, has to sound even worse on vinyl.

it's a good thing i ordered the picture disc then. i thnk the only other one the store was willing to order in was the remaster, and it was even more expensive than the picture disc!!

jennalynn said:

djThunderfunk said:

I wouldn't even bother putting the 2017 one on a turntable. I'd rather listen to a picture disc than a vinyl copy of the "remaster". It sounded horrible on CD, has to sound even worse on vinyl.

it's a good thing i ordered the picture disc then. i thnk the only other one the store was willing to order in was the remaster, and it was even more expensive than the picture disc!!

If you want to listen to Purple Rain on vinyl, go for an original pressing or the 2009 reissue. Both are great.

djThunderfunk said:

jennalynn said:

it's a good thing i ordered the picture disc then. i thnk the only other one the store was willing to order in was the remaster, and it was even more expensive than the picture disc!!

If you want to listen to Purple Rain on vinyl, go for an original pressing or the 2009 reissue. Both are great.

I'd like to, but there's only one record store in my area and my family won't let me order things from online, so the picture disc and the remaster (the only ones that the store is willing to order) are my only options at this time. thank you, though!! I'll probably buy the original or 2009 when i can either order things from online or find somewhere to buy them if i move to somewhere where there's a shop that will sell them ^-^

jennalynn said:

djThunderfunk said:

If you want to listen to Purple Rain on vinyl, go for an original pressing or the 2009 reissue. Both are great.

I'd like to, but there's only one record store in my area and my family won't let me order things from online, so the picture disc and the remaster (the only ones that the store is willing to order) are my only options at this time. thank you, though!! I'll probably buy the original or 2009 when i can either order things from online or find somewhere to buy them if i move to somewhere where there's a shop that will sell them ^-^

I've seen the 2009 at best buy and walmart, even since the 2017 one came out. Might be worth a look.

djThunderfunk said:

jennalynn said:

I'd like to, but there's only one record store in my area and my family won't let me order things from online, so the picture disc and the remaster (the only ones that the store is willing to order) are my only options at this time. thank you, though!! I'll probably buy the original or 2009 when i can either order things from online or find somewhere to buy them if i move to somewhere where there's a shop that will sell them ^-^

I've seen the 2009 at best buy and walmart, even since the 2017 one came out. Might be worth a look.

best buy and walmart sell records??? gosh i wish they did here. my walmart's been expanding to mostly groceries over here and best buy's shelves don't carry most things anymore that aren't from super recently. i don't think i've seen vinyls at either unfortunately.

the only places (besides thrift stores which mostly have Very Very old records that used to be owned by Very Very old people and doesn't include anything from probably the last who knows how long) that i can get them at are a little shop in the mall, which will order in only the picture or the remaster, and this place downtown that i don't live close enough to for someone to take me there (and downtown's too sketchy for me to go there on my own tbh)

Maybe you have a friend or family member, you could give cash to, and they could order what you want off the internet, then give it to you.

If that's out, then so am I... Good luck!

djThunderfunk said:

Maybe you have a friend or family member, you could give cash to, and they could order what you want off the internet, then give it to you.

If that's out, then so am I... Good luck!

i'll try!! thank you so much for your help!!! ^-^