Benefit to black vinyl vs colored?

[mikezing]

I like the look of colored vinyl, but if there is a serious difference in sound quality Ill refrain from buying colored for the most part. The only colored vinyl I have is a green transparent pressing and it plays better than a lot of my black vinyl.

I read up on this and understand that picture discs are going to be inferior, but the colored vs black debate was far from cut and dry. I understand that a good pressing vs a poor one will make a huge difference, but I'm interested in comparing a pressing from the same company. I also read that since the colored vinyl is usually a limited run they generally don't produce pressings that sound as good as the black pressings. Is this true??

Is there a difference between opaque colored vinyl and transparent colored vinyl in sound quality and durability?

If the colored pressing don't last very long or are generally poorer pressings, then Ill avoid color. If the difference is minor(ie a couple more plays out of a black) or mostly due to other factors (ie poorer pressing company), then Ill buy colored ones when I get the chance.

Let me know what you think! :scratch2:

 

[spartanmanor]

There is no benefit it all depends on the quality of the pressing and mastering.

 

[onepixel]

The only benefit of black vinyl is you can easily see the dust and crap.

 

[DeeCee]

Another benefit is you have a better chance of finding flaws in black as opposed to color. Fortunately, I’ve never had issues with any color vinyl I purchased (I probably just jinxed myself ).

 

[Johnno_Oz]

Another benefit is you have a better chance of finding flaws in black as opposed to color. Fortunately, I’ve never had issues with any color vinyl I purchased (I probably just jinxed myself ).

Clear ones are good too! Air bubble at 4 o' clock.

 

[Quadman2]

Read a long time ago that there might have been issues with the coloured records, but improvements in procedure/PVC leveled the field with the black ones. Some at the start inferred that maybe some "additives" might have made a difference. Today, there really is no difference other than thickness for the newer LP's.

Even carbon black is added to the make the regular discs.


Q

 

[tourmax]

If you use any of the Technics linear tracking programmable tables, they can't "read" the track breaks on anything but black vinyl.

The vinyl (PVC) is actually clear. The black is added. Usually a carbon product. There's lots of "debate" about the adding of carbon black and it's purpose as well....

 

[bashman]

The only benefit of black vinyl is you can easily see the dust and crap.

Just wondering if the last word in this sentence is a noun or a verb, guess it depends on the amount of dust.

 

[bluesky]

I don't think a stylus can tell the difference between black or green or red or clear or any other color LPs.

BUT... I did 'read somewhere' that picture disk LPs don't sound as good as the regular LPs.
My only picture disk, a 'Ronnie Wood' LP, sounds fine to me.

 

[Wolverine]

Black vinyl is Colored vinyl since the actual color of vinyl as someone pointed out earlier is clear. Purists cling to a belief that somehow “black” sounds fine and any other “color” of vinyl is gimmicky and has poorer sound quality. There is some truth that these various color versions do not sound as good as the original “black” versions but that is usually because these versions suffer from poorer mastering and pressing quality and not because of the “color” used. Several years ago there was a theory that the black carbon (because carbon has some metalic characteristics) used in vinyl attracted static electricity. There was a machine that could counteract the problems caused by the use of black carbon in records. If black carbon does attract static it would stand to reason that “colored” records would be less prone to static than black vinyl. Theories aside, I do think it is easier to see scratches on black vinyl compared to lighter varieties of colored vinyl.