Question about styrene cracks

[chas_kit]

I've come across a few styrene records that have a very faint line in the same spot on both sides of the record. These look more like very fine scratches than a crack, but there's no depth to them, and the record's edge doesn't show any separation like it would with an obvious crack. If the lines weren't in the same spot on each side, I wouldn't even think this was a crack.

Are these actually cracked records, or is this some other phenomenon? Will these develop into cracks?

 

[chas_kit]

found a good response to my question at this site:

http://www.goldminemag.com/article/sound-advice-when-are-record-flaws-not-really-flaws

but I'd still like forum members' input.

 

[bosshoss]

Good answer to your question, although I don't agree with Goldmine's assertion that there's no audible difference between a mint styrene and a mint vinyl 45. The styrene will generally have lower surface noise and lower resonance/rumble. But only if it has no groove wear. I always choose styrene for remastering if I have a nice copy. Some mint styrene 45s seem to have almost no surface noise whatsoever. And as far as I can tell, no styrene was ever recycled, unlike some mint vinyl.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

Apart from the higher susceptibility to needle wear, styrene records are also a lot more susceptible to fogging from the wrong type of plastic sleeve than vinyl.

 

[chas_kit]

Since these lines are fairly common, and since many of them seem very superficial and would probably not ever develop into a deeper crack, would forum members say these copies are defective or substantially lower in value than a similar grade that didn't have a stress line?

 

[MopTopMike]

I wouldn't place any difference in value.
The line is a flaw in the injection moulding process, and is merely cosmetic.

 

[Mr.Segment]

But isn't there a difference here? Those that only have a lighter color in the form of a narrow sine wave type of pattern and those styrene pressings which seem to have almost a narrow shiny line from center to outer rim? Like all those red label Seeds "Out of the question" 45s with hairline cracks? I've owned/own 3 of them, all with identical cracks and otherwise VG++ to M-. They may all be flawed due to a fault in the injection moulding process, but for some pressings this made them more susceptible to developing cracks?