What Does 180 Mean For Vinyl

Warm analog sound gave way to a more sterile perfect aesthetic.

What does 180 mean for vinyl.

The introduction of digital methods of recording and mastering also changed the way it sounded. Many new vinyl record releases tout their selling feature of being pressed on 180 gram vinyl. It has become a selling point for many new presses but ultimately it is meaningless. Sure 180g lps ride more smoothly on a turntable thanks to their weight but the benefits end there.

Everything depends on the mastering process. The size and depth of the grooves are exactly the same on light and heavy records. It means nothing really. 180 gram is a heavier grade of vinyl that many believe coaxes a richer audio palate than lighter standard grades.

The words 180 gram vinyl have been the cause for many misunderstandings and debate among the audiophile and vinyl records community. The main dominators whether a record sound good or bad are the quality of the source. We explain the benefits of 180 gram vinyl to see if they are worth the premium price. That doesn t mean there are no benefits to be gained from 180g or even 200 220g vinyl lp s.

You will notice that most pre 90 vinyl was about 140g and still sounds fantastic. Are 180 gram vinyl records inherently better than standard pressings. 80 s vinyl is plentiful but still flimsy and rather bendy. 180 gram vinyl has been the subject of much debate among record nerds.

Are thicker and heavier records actually better and if so why. The records themselves are often referred to by their speed. But does 180 gram heavyweight vinyl sound better than standard 140 gram records. While some misconceptions exist there s nothing really noteworthy about heavyweight vinyl.

As a result many 80 s vinyl lps tried to closely replicate the digital output of cds. 180 200g does have the potential to sound just as great but it is mostly a cosmetic quality. There is no strong correlation between the weight and the sound quality of vinyl records. 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.