If you are looking for any kind of definitive answer, you won't get one, as reported results have been all over the map. There have even been some some very recent comparisons (including one posted last night) of 45s to the new SRX 33s. You may want to check out the long threads on the MM 33 series, where you can see the various reports and shifts in consensus over time. There seems to be a fairly common consensus that the 33s tend to have a more forward upper midrange that's a bit more in line with the original RVG approach, and whether that's a good or bad thing will depend on one's equipment balance and personal preference. Over time, though, the consensus seems to have shifted in the other direction to the point where even many who prefer the 33s for convenience reasons tend to acknowledge that the 45s may be better in certain ways, like soundstaging, air, and bass presence. When the 33s were initially introduced, most posters were claiming that they were in fact better than the 45s due to the wiring upgrades at Kevin's Cohearent studios (and some also hinted at a dislike for our host's mastering style, as he was no longer involved). On recent songs pressed with modern techniques, a 45 RPM record will definitely sound better than a 33 RPM.Click to expand.You may want to check out the long threads on the MM 33 series, where you can see the various reports and shifts in consensus over time. In short, a 45 RPM record sounds better than a 33 RPM 80% of the time, but not 100%. For this reason, it is not uncommon to hear a 45 RPM reissued after the original 33 RPM sounds worse. Indeed, even if the physics says otherwise, there are other factors to consider: the mastering, access to the original tape, quality of the pressing factory, etc. However, a 45 RPM may not always sound better than a 33 RPM. That’s the reason why 12″ 45 RPM is not the most common but is still used, especially for promoting songs.Ī 45 RPM record sounds better than a 33 RPM 80% of the time. Eventually, that’s multiplying the mastering cost, plating cost, pressing cost, labels, and jackets. An LP or an album would need more disks to store everything. Therefore, if the songs are too long, you can only put one title, maybe 2, per face. Because of that, you engrave less music on a 12″ 45 RPM than a 12″ 33 RPM record. Indeed, 45 RPM is faster than 33 RPM by 36%. Then, why aren’t all records 12″ 45 RPM? The reason goes down to cost. It can therefore store more audio information per second and sounds better. Indeed, the outer edge of the 12″ is bigger than the outer edge of the 7″. Therefore, a 45 RPM record will also have a better sound quality in the central grooves.įor the same reason, a 12″ 45 RPM record sound quality is better than a 7″ 45 RPM. Increasing the rotational speed – the RPM – will increase the distance traveled per second, thus increasing the audio quality. In the table above, I only focused on the most common sizes when someone mentions 33, 45, and 78 RPM records. As the 33 and 45 RPMs are the most common speeds on turntables, some music labels like to make odd sizes from time to time for special occasions. Indeed, you may find records as small as 3″ in Japan or old 16″ from the 30s. The same as any size records can be made 33 or 45. In fact, 10″ can also be made in 33 or 45 RPM real vinyl. They came from an ancient time when styli needed to be changed very often and were not made from diamonds. They are usually thicker and not flexible as vinyl. The 10″ 78 RPM records are not really vinyl since they are made of shellac. I focus more on the difference in sound quality later in this post. They can be used for promotion on the radio for instance. They are mostly used for singles and for their higher sound quality. They are easy to differentiate thanks to their size.Īfter that, the most common records are the 12″ 45 RPM vinyl.
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