Do Picture Disc Vinyl Records REALLY Sound Worse?

[@glenwilcox5401]

I probably have greater than 100 picture discs in my collection. Since I was about 5 and got a disney parks exclusive Electric Water Pageant record in 1973 followed by discovering spooky stories on cereal box records, I've been in love with all manor of novelty press. I lost my entire collection to theft a decade ago but have built up roughly 500 records now... its at least 80 percent colored vinyl, picture discs, shaped discs, etc.

[@bigpoppa9451]

Sounds like a really unique collection. I would love to browse through them. Do you have your collection cataloged online?

[@glenwilcox5401]

@@bigpoppa9451 tried to share link but it won't post. Discogs username Docion

[@bigpoppa9451]

@@glenwilcox5401 dang, that's a sweet collection. So much variety. I've got the same picture disc of them and conspiracy by king diamond. I also added that enter the dragon picture disc to my want list. Thanks alot for sharing

[@derekburggraf4157]

I personally only collect the picture discs to have as part of an artist collection. I tend to not play them. I have a number of coloured vinyl though and I thoroughly enjoy playing these versions. But once again your comment about adding to the artist and the unique feel of the product is so true. Can’t get these perks when you stream an album. And if you are a true collector you want something physical. Feels like you have a part of the artist.

[@donaldjones2029]

Agree with you. Picture Discs are fun, and can enhance your collection. They do seem to vary in quality. I have one that seems fine, but another that is terrible. Unfortunately, we all suffer from the varying quality of all vinyl.

[@wumpus976]

Personally I see nothing wrong with them. If I wanted to have music in the best quality possible, I’d just listen to it digitally.

[@Queterra]

Problem with that is that is often times not the best listen. Mastering that hits vinyl is usually leagues better than the one made for digital.

[@brontar7258]

This is the correct answer. Vinyl isn’t about sound quality it’s about vibe quality. It’s just cool to have physical plastic disks with your favorite music on it

[@lsaideOK]

Julia Jacklin's Crushing is an excellent example of a nice sounding picture disc in my opinion. Gets a lot of plays on my system

[@staggerlee6794]

I have Janis Joplin's 'Pearl' album that I bought online not realising it was a picture disc until I took it out of the packaging upon delivery. Couldn't be bothered to send it back so gave it a listen with headphones on. And guess what. Sounds great. Put it this way, I have some regular vinyl records that aren't as good (see Pink Floyd's 'Animals 2018 Guthrie re-master). Although I personally think modern pressing has improved all round, I still avoid buying picture discs as a general rule.

[@penguinshoes6256]

In my collection I don't seek picture disc's. The only time I will buy picture discs is when it is the only option. I have picture discs that sound bad and also have picture discs that sound alright. My copy of Final Fantasy VII picture disc sounds alright

[@scottroberts7103]

I buy them as collectibles to just enhance my collection. To be honest, I've never played a picture disc so I couldn't offer an opinion on the sound. Thanks for this video.

[@soundmatters]

Great collectables :) - happy spinning

[@angharaddenby3389]

Regarding black vinyl against coloured vinyl. I have a question; given that the natural state of record vinyl is a cloudy-clear colour, then black vinyl has 'India black' added to the cloudy clear vinyl - just the same as for red, green, blue, yellow and any other colour and multi-colour. So are black vinyl records just the same as other colours?

[@soundmatters]

The theory is, graphite was traditionally added to black vinyl which acts as a kind of lubricant, adding to the performance

[@oharper26]

I much prefer coloured vinyls but i do have about 5 picture disks and haven't noticed any quality issues butnhavent been looking for it lately.

[@soundmatters]

Some are better than others. I like picture discs as artwork though 🙂🎶

[@markgriffiths9267]

In my 50 odd years of vinyl collecting and listening and in my humble opinion picture discs most definitely DO sound worse than black (and, indeed, coloured ) vinyl. The most recent example being the newly remastered version of The Beatles Abbey Road which was bought as a gift for me.... It was virtually unlistenable it was so noisy. The ungrateful me sent it back and I bought the box set instead which was totally silent by comparison. In my collection of nearly 600 lp's I do not own a single picture disc ...

[@slidetek]

Sounds identical to myself. I probably have 1200ish LP's, and my only picture disk is a copy of Barnes & Barnes Fish Heads, which is a fish-head shaped EP. Only version in print!

[@JamBurglar]

While all of my picture discs from the 80s are full of noise, the newer ones sound good. I've heard rumors that the clear sleeves break down the vinyl and that's why the older discs sound bad. Not sure I buy that but I store my picture discs in regular sleeves now.

[@soundmatters]

I definitely think the newer ones are better, and many people will say the same. Regarding the sleeves, it's probably the thick PVC sleeves that typically come with picture discs that they're referring to. It's definitely good advice to remove them from these and store them in safer poly sleeves, as those thick PVC things are notorious for shedding a "mist" onto records if stored for long periods of time. Happy spinning

[@jameshogg11]

We've only got one in our family and that's Peter Andre's album 'Natural' (notice I didn't claim it was mine!) 😉 but I can confirm it's a noisy record compared to normal vinyl. Wouldn't stop me buying more in the future though.

[@chrisshelley3027]

And let's be honest, Peter Andre is someone who you would like to be as quiet as possible, silent is even better 😉

[@sarcomakaposi2054]

I bought Michael Jackson Thriller on picture vinyl at bestbuy. I knew i should expect it to sound uninteresting but when I compared it to the 130 grams black i got at Zia records in Tucson, i instantly knew picture discs were trash. It had a cool look so i gave it away to a person who doesn't have an ear for things and we're both happy.

[@Vince_Tasciotti]

I have a few picture discs in my collection. They do have reasonable sound. My question is about the pickup cartridge. An eighties cartridge is not like an Ortofon, of course the picture discs would sound lifeless. The current manufacturing of picture discs has newer playback equipment in mind. So the mastering and pressing must have been tweaked accordingly.

[@scottroberts3011]

Honestly, I've never played one of my picture discs. I generally bought them as a novelty.

[@dansharkey5218]

I love them for display purposes, what are your thoughts on cleaning them would you use the same process as a non picture disc

[@soundmatters]

Yes: I use Twelve Inch record adaptors to display them. The only issue I can see with picture disc cleaning is if somehow any fluid gets in between the layers, it could be an issue. But unlikely if it's all properly intact. Proceed carefully I'd say

[@toniputin1096]

I think generally picture discs do sound bad, certainly worse than black or even coloured vinyl. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the RSD 2018 release of The Cure Mixed Up, which sounds very dynamic and punchy.

[@soundmatters]

Indeed. Over all I agree. Some can be surprisingly good though as you say. Enjoy the music and thanks for watching

[@l.salisbury1253]

I have noticed since vinyl's return c.2009 that the new "novelty" LPs (picture discs, clear vinyl, etc) does sound better than the novelty pressings of the 70s & 80s...

[@soundmatters]

Yea, a lot of people say this. Picture discs are noticeably better. Happy spinning

[@rickjett6538]

I have many picture disks they sound really excellent I say if you enjoy them get it most people don't like them because they need a better quality stereo or stylus etc.. I will continue to enjoy pic disks

[@lylahale5284]

im a sucker for picture discs, when a favourite artist bring out a new album, im the first to search for a picture disc version..Revolver and Power Up sound amazing on picture disc...there is a bit more "swoosh" sometime, but hey, they are fun.

[@soundmatters]

They do look cool :) - "swoosh" is a great way to describe the additional surface noise

[@barnowl97]

I've got an older picture disk of Sting with some cheesy photos of him on there and it sounds just fine. Also have an MCR - Three Cheers picture disc that sounds rubbish 😆 must depend on how it's been made or something

[@soundmatters]

Some sound better than others, for sure. Nice when displayed on the wall though :)

[@gregtapevideo1464]

I have only one picture disc in my collection. FZ - goblin girl. It's a different mix.👍and it sounds fine.

[@MaterLacrymarum]

Wow, watching the picture disc spinning on a hexagonal platter mat is a visual nightmare. 😁

[@misterquantum7767]

I have a Sublime 40 oz To Freedom picture disc that is extremely cool looking and sounds pretty good because it's a 45 rpm.

[@basiledaudet5774]

Waw ! A love supreme ! My favourite jazz album !

[@TechCrazy]

In my experience buying a few picture discs, they sound worse. No more.

[@ResellChamp]

Anyone know if the Def Leppard Hysteria picture disc from 1987 is any good

[@Skywolf370]

My copy has a fair bit of crackle to it (which is more noticable on quieter parts) also has a bit of the woosh sound but you only realy hear that in the silent parts between songs.

[@greyhoundude6112]

Yeah, they sound WAY worse, IMO. The only pic discs I have are hanging on a wall as art. They do look kinda cool, though.

[@soundmatters]

Yea. I like them as collector's items. It's all part of the joy of a physical format like vinyl :)

[@ViewbobTrue]

I've never strictly collected records for sound clarity. Sure, I have some amazing sounding records that are joys to experience, but I'm also into lots of lower-fi recordings. Sample-heavy hip-hop, home tapings, stuff that's often fuzzy and thin, it's the tactility that makes me enjoy it. Picture discs are like that for me, and I dare say the increased surface noise adds to the experience, in those cases!

[@garrypeak4277]

I don’t think anybody buys a picture disc for the sound quality. I certainly don’t. It’s purely for the “cool” factor. They are a lot better than what they used to be tho. I got a few from the last few years that are as noisy as hell. But also have a few that sound no different than the black vinyl version.

[@Peterrdee]

I have chromatica by lady gaga, it sounds great, and I also have Madonna’s first album Japanese picture disc and it sounds horrible so it really has to do with the quality of the manufacturers and mastering

[@markfoster4332]

I don't play my picture disc albums. I keep them in their sealed packages.

[@soundmatters]

Nice collectables! :)

[@andrewlaroye]

Got Florence + the machine’s Dance Fever picture disc and it sounds kinda bad, noisy.

[@soundmatters]

Increased surface noise from the way it's manufactured - most likely. Common with picture discs. Nice to look at though :)

[@slidetek]

I go out of my way to avoid colored vinyl in any form. Sadly, that's getting harder and harder as almost every remaster/re-release is on some sort of colored vinyl. My recent German pressed Kraftwerk in bright yellow has a lot of surface noise even compared to my original 1977 pressing. Yes, they've come a long way in the past decades with vinyl lubricants, but I'll stick with the black/semi-translucent or UHQ vinyl. I have no problem with picture disks as a collector piece.

[@thomaslytle5519]

Yes!! They Absolutely sound worse than standard vinyl! I’ve never heard anyone argue that. They are Definitely noisier! This has Always been blatantly obvious. This fact is Unanimous for a reason. Cuz it’s True

[@williamr3840]

As long as they're not warped or punched off centre (90% of all new releases), then they might be OK?

[@soundmatters]

They tend to have more surface noise. But saying that, the quality of many picture discs has improved a fair bit over the years.

[@Earlyterrorhead]

Liking that velvet underground p'disc,,🤔

[@soundmatters]

Looks cool on the wall. I don’t play it. Got a black vinyl copy for that

[@Earlyterrorhead]

@@soundmatters nice,,,venus in furs my fave track,,🤘the whole album is amazing,,

[@aaronornelas5863]

Put your hands down!

[@Exivaliant]

bruh audiophiles are weird no joke

[@fizzlebomber674]

sounds like you fell for the old banana in the tailpipe gag?

[@luton_gmanrock]

waste of time, I beg any music lover to NEVER buy picture discs. They have 4 layers and lose details and have a muddy sound. Just don't.

[@beachcomber3036]

Only a Fool Would Play a Picture Disc. I Bought All Mine 4 The Rarity & Value Until 1983.

[@soundmatters]

I display mine on the wall. Agree they’re not the best for audio fidelity 🎶🎧

[@denyelmandap1455]

for my opinion i luv the picture disc and also picture disc collectible value and picture disc is very limited edition the sound of picture disc and the sound of boring black vinyl still the same for me tnx and god bless sir chucky winnipeg manitoba canada

[@universellesradio]

your video is laggy

[@carlrudd1858]

My gosh, stop waving your hands.

[@AhDollar]

he's just directing traffic

[@carlrudd1858]

@@AhDollar very hard to watch... oh well.

[@AhDollar]

@@carlrudd1858 there's no evidence they're his hands because his elbows aren't visible, those hands could be from a mate of his and we wouldn't know

[@PopPop_2]

Not sure why you wave your arms so much. Please stop, it's very annoying!

[@soundmatters]

Don’t bother watching then. Simple.😂

[@PopPop_2]

@@soundmatters done!

[@MaterLacrymarum]

@@soundmatters Tbf, you do have a problem with the arms. It's a distraction, that's all. You seem a little triggered by it being brought up............

[@gerardfletcher1203]

if makes u happy. just do it music snobs. audio know it all its about the music great topic