NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
By the way, ‘Hello Operator’ sounds amazing on the 7’’ 45RPM single VMP exclusive! I’m definitely going to compare it when I receive De Stijl and see if I think there’s a big difference! 
Vinyl Me Please Essentials
- Thread starter Captainfog
- Start date
Bluecloud777
Well-Known Member
This is not good!
I hear some people saying it sounds really good, and even @JonnyH said he thinks this VMP pressing sounds good.....but does the Spotify version really sound better...
I see so a lot of people posting in the ‘What’s Spinning’ thread, their VMP copies of The White Stripes’ “De Stijl”. How do you all think it sounds!?!
Ericj32 - You think it doesn’t sound good (you said Spotify sounds more exciting)!
@Bluecloud777 - You think the pressing sounds great!
I want more opinions on this VMP pressing of De Stijl now!
Is this pressing, in terms of sounds quality a:
= sounds great
= sounds average/nothing special
= flat, boring sound/4MWB sound quality
Is your De Stijl on the way already or are you in the second batch, Nathan?
Bluecloud777
Well-Known Member
@NathanRicaud In the Whats spinning thread I've seen @Selaws saying it sounds great and @Ethos99 saying it sounds good as well. 
Might as well depend a bit on turntable/ cartridge possibly?
Might as well depend a bit on turntable/ cartridge possibly?
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
My De Stijl is on the way!
I can’t wait to spin it! I’ll definitely give my thoughts on the sound quality and like I said, will compare the Hello Operator on the VMP pressing of De Stijl, and Hello Operator on the VMP pressing of the 7” single!
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
So far then, we have majority of people saying the VMP sounds@NathanRicaud In the Whats spinning thread I've seen @Selaws saying it sounds great and @Ethos99 saying it sounds good as well.
! Wonder if any other vinyl nerds will come out to say they think the VMP pressing sounds or haha
Bluecloud777
Well-Known Member
So far then, we have majority of people saying the VMP sounds
I've just had a look at comments about the VMP pressing on discogs and most also say it's "fantastic", "excellent" "nicely", "much better soundstage and more definition in the lower end compared to the 2010 one". Just one complains about "high noise floor on my particular copy".
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Yeah mine sounds great to me. I haven't got another pressing to compare it to, but its better sounding that when I streamed it.@NathanRicaud In the Whats spinning thread I've seen @Selaws saying it sounds great and @Ethos99 saying it sounds good as well.
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
Ahhh that’s great to hear then! If everyone on Discogs is saying it sounds great, and if Selaws also thinks it sounds great, then I’m sure it will sound fantastic!
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Oh man, this is a lot of pressure for a Monday morning....if Selaws also thinks it sounds great, then I’m sure it will sound fantastic!
Ericj32
Well-Known Member
This is not good!
I hear some people saying it sounds really good, and even @JonnyH said he thinks this VMP pressing sounds good.....but does the Spotify version really sound better...
I see so a lot of people posting in the ‘What’s Spinning’ thread, their VMP copies of The White Stripes’ “De Stijl”. How do you all think it sounds!?!
Ericj32 - You think it doesn’t sound good (you said Spotify sounds more exciting)!
@Bluecloud777 - You think the pressing sounds great!
I want more opinions on this VMP pressing of De Stijl now!
Is this pressing, in terms of sounds quality a:
⚠ = sounds average/nothing special
Yeah, I'm not saying that it's aggressively bad, but it definitely fell flat for me.
This is how it was marketed in the 3 for 2 deal announcement back in late March: "And, finally, in June, the Essentials Record of the Month is the 20th-anniversary edition of the sophomore album from The White Stripes, De Stijl. We worked closely with the band and Third Man Records on this release, as they asked us to do this reissue to accompany their release of De Stijl rarities in Third Man Vault." The Stooges, Stevie Nicks, and The White Stripes Coming To VMP Essentials
I was thinking, based on that description, that it would be close to the best-sounding version of this album. But I wouldn't even put this release in the top tier of VMP releases, or even the top tier of the essentials releases. I listened to it back to back with the Loretta Lynn "Coal Miner's Daughter" release because they shipped at the same time (thanks everyone for the recommendations to pick that one up). I'd listened to them both on spotify beforehand, and I was much more excited for De Stijl, based on the actual music itself. Spinning the vinyl releases backk-to-back though, Coal Miner's Daughter sounded significantly more dynamic and aggressive on my setup, and it's a GZ press.
Ethos99
Well-Known Member
This is not good!
I hear some people saying it sounds really good, and even @JonnyH said he thinks this VMP pressing sounds good.....but does the Spotify version really sound better...
I see so a lot of people posting in the ‘What’s Spinning’ thread, their VMP copies of The White Stripes’ “De Stijl”. How do you all think it sounds!?!
Ericj32 - You think it doesn’t sound good (you said Spotify sounds more exciting)!
@Bluecloud777 - You think the pressing sounds great!
I want more opinions on this VMP pressing of De Stijl now!
Is this pressing, in terms of sounds quality a:
⚠ = sounds average/nothing special
I think it sounds great. I commented that if the 2017 version is better I don't see how.
It's clean, and full of range.
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
OMG! Can’t wait to spin this classic!I think it sounds great. I commented that if the 2017 version is better I don't see how.
It's clean, and full of range.
I absolutely love De Stijl! I love its minimalistic and simple sound, particularly the drumming
and also love the fun, confident, romantic, raw, youthful, explosive sounds of the album! ♣♦
It’s such an original, flirty, vibrant, charismatic album and I know this one is going to get a lot of spins in the springtime!
This is just a brilliant ROTM selection! ♥
TheThinWhiteDuke
Well-Known Member
This stuff is so, so subjective ranging everywhere from the differences in gear and setup to downright just the listener's preference for a more open range of sound to a more aggressive up front mastering. Mine sounds fantastic- I also think comparing the WS mastering when they were still a very indie tier band versus a Loretta album that was recorded by Owen Bradley is just a disservice to both.
wmeugene
Well-Known Member
I'd say somewhere betweenThis is not good!
I hear some people saying it sounds really good, and even @JonnyH said he thinks this VMP pressing sounds good.....but does the Spotify version really sound better...
I see so a lot of people posting in the ‘What’s Spinning’ thread, their VMP copies of The White Stripes’ “De Stijl”. How do you all think it sounds!?!
Ericj32 - You think it doesn’t sound good (you said Spotify sounds more exciting)!
@Bluecloud777 - You think the pressing sounds great!
I want more opinions on this VMP pressing of De Stijl now!
Is this pressing, in terms of sounds quality a:
⚠ = sounds average/nothing special
and ⚠, perhaps a 
.
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
Mmmmmm I definitely feel you on spinning albums back-to-back and getting disappointed and underwhelmed whenever you play a record that doesn’t as impressive as the record you played beforehand!
You know what I think you might need to do Eric!?!? BLAST THAT WHITE STRIPES ALBUM! Like, just go for it and play De Stijl really loud on your turntable!
I’ve got this crazy feeling that you need to play it loud. As a result, you will immerse yourself in that punk, explosive, fun, raw, charismatic energy of De Stijl and then the pressing will just sound
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
Mmmmm so you would rate the pressing like 7/10 or an 8/10 in terms of sound quality?!I'd say somewhere between
Mmmmm so you would rate the pressing like 7/10 or an 8/10 in terms of sound quality?!
Wouldnt 7/8 be good, if we’re saying a one step or a very special OG is a 10 then 7.5 is probably as high as VMP would ever have gotten. Maybe pushing an 8 for Call Me, maybe.
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
Omg Joe, that’s so strict/harsh!
I mean, I have some One-Step pressings but I have some other releases, like some Analogue Productions and some of those VMP Classics and Blue Note Tone Poet and Speakers Corner and even Friday Music pressings and some of them are a 10/10 for me! And some of the VMP Essentials and Rap & Hip-Hop releases are a 9/10 or 10/10 for me. That Salt-N-Pepa ROTM is a 10/10 in terms of sound quality for me! Same with the Jorge Ben! They sounds just so “mmmmmmm freaking good!”
Also, if the best VMP pressing is like a 7.5/10 for you, that Laura Marling you just got, that I’ll also be receiving, must sound like 3/10 in comparison! Because boy, you play the Isley Brothers Classics ROTM, and then play Nulifer Yanya or Michael Kiwanuka afterwards for example, it’s like...disappointing! So all those new releases you and I are getting are all 3/10-4/10 if you are going by that metric!
Omg Joe, that’s so strict/harsh!
I mean, I have some One-Step pressings but I have some other releases, like some Analogue Productions and some of those VMP Classics and Blue Note Tone Poet and Speakers Corner and even Friday Music pressings and some of them are a 10/10 for me! And some of the VMP Essentials and Rap & Hip-Hop releases are a 9/10 or 10/10 for me. That Salt-N-Pepa ROTM is a 10/10 in terms of sound quality for me! Same with the Jorge Ben! They sounds just so “mmmmmmm freaking good!”
Also, if the best VMP pressing is like a 7.5/10 for you, that Laura Marling you just got, that I’ll also be receiving, must sound like 3/10 in comparison! Because boy, you play the Isley Brothers Classics ROTM, and then play Nulifer Yanya or Michael Kiwanuka afterwards for example, it’s like...disappointing! So all those new releases you and I are getting are all 3/10-4/10 if you are going by that metric!
Its not strict! It’s realistic! You’re saying that you rate a VMP classic as being close to a one step? I can no longer trust any reviews of pressings that you give. My one step is so far ahead of any other pressing that I own that if it’s the benchmark then you have to mark everything else accordingly. 9 for AP and MoFi 45s. 8 for MoFi and AP 33s, speakers corner, pure pleasure, 1 or 2 VMP classics and downwards accordingly. Of new pressings yes indie pressings from the secretly crew are mostly 4-5. Grae is an outlilier approaching a 7, makes the shit ones even more frustrating though. Maybe the rhino AAA or Neil Young or the recent Dylan might be between a 7 and an 8.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Yea--I gotta say...I didn't really buy into the One-Steps being that much better than other records I own, but the Blood On The Tracks One Step is far and away the best sounding record out of 1,000+ records I own. If that's the new standard of 10/10, then I agree with your other ratings. Call Me is probably the best sounding VMP record I own. Some of the Blue Notes come close to Call Me and are up there as well. VMP is still ahead of most general releases, but if One Step is a 10/10, VMP is around a 7/8 for me most of the time.