Vinyl vs Styrene

[Outside_Lookin_in]

This is the best styrene ID site I've come across. Worth a look if you're not sure how to identify a styrene pressing:

http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=62462

 

[bosshoss]

I actually quite like styrene, if it's a mint copy. The surface is quieter than vinyl, and as long as you don't play it with a poor quality stylus, it will stay quiet. I've noticed less hiss and less rumble on styrene pressings. Vinyl seems to resonate more than styrene.

I don't know what might happen after a few hundred spins, but I won't ever find out anyway.

 

[Frantic]

I actually quite like styrene, if it's a mint copy. The surface is quieter than vinyl, and as long as you don't play it with a poor quality stylus, it will stay quiet. I've noticed less hiss and less rumble on styrene pressings. Vinyl seems to resonate more than styrene.

I don't know what might happen after a few hundred spins, but I won't ever find out anyway.

Also, styrene doesn't scratch as easy. Especially finger nails scuffs.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

How about cleaning styrene: is it okay to use alcohol based cleaners?

 

[bosshoss]

Don't use anything too strong. I've used diluted alcohol on lots of styrene pressings with good results. But once I tested a (reject) styrene 45 with mineral turpentine, and it melted. Vinyl is not affected by mineral turpentine, unless there's some microscopic effect.

In case you're wondering why I would even think about using turps on a 45 - it was a very valuable one, The Barracudas "Baby Get Lost", which was in mint condition but lightly sprayed with spray adhesive glue, and obviously very noisy as a result. Pure alcohol would not budge the glue, but turps completely restored it, with no ill effects. Of course I vacuumed the disc with the VPI immediately after removing the glue and turps. But that would have been disastrous on a styrene pressing.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

Thanks for advice! Interesting story about he Barracudas 45.

 

[mr. splendid]

This is the cleaning fluid that I use , it contains no alcohol !
http://www.needledoctor.com/LArt-du-Son-Record-Cleaning-Fluid

 

[MopTopMike]

It's really easy to discern the difference visually; I don't understand why there are even long time collectors who have trouble. A retired collector pal could never tell until he figured out flicking his index finger from off his thumb against a 45 emitted a tell-tale sound; styrene sounded hollow and cheap.

I always opt for vinyl over styrene, if obtainable. Vinyl is more forgiving during playback for lesser condition discs. Styrene suffers from distortion in the high end unless the disc was never played. Evident with cruder recordings, like the Hotbeats 45. I had to reject two very clean looking copies for distortion in the vocals, until I obtained a never played copy. Result - no distortion.

Styrene is easily ruined by playing on a cheap portable. so many dealers try to sell rare 45s that are styrene, they will play the 45 through the guitar break, then remove the portable player tonearm. If you listen on a decent system with a better than mediocre cartridge, you cab hear the distortion caused by the portable and after the break, the distortion completely disappears!
I don't mind clicks and pops if they aren't too loud and too numerous, But I cannot deal with needle burn / groove distortion. Vinyl can suffer from the same problem, but not as often.

Some of those comments are bollocks too, like being able to identify styrene by looking at the typeface. It's not a guarantee that block print fonts = styrene. What dorks.

 

[jerry dickens]

Mike has provided a pretty definitive answer to the styrene v vinyl debate. Columbia 45s from the 50s are a classic case. The stock issues look wonderful with that dark red and gold label; but 95% of the ones I found outwith unplayed store stock, had the dreaded needle burn. On the other hand, the DJ issues on vinyl are very hard wearing. However, an unplayed stock styrene copy does sound superior, with the music jumping out of the grooves. The problem is finding them.

 

[Lewis]

I have never heard anyone favour styrene over vinyl and I have always avoided if at all possible as they always seem to have distortion and don't seem durable. Interesting to hear people's comments about styrene sounding superior as long as they are previously unplayed, wasn't aware of that at all.

 

[chas_kit]

Something very styrene in the compressed, chugging sound of the Dantes 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love'. don't think it would be the same on vinyl.

 

[MopTopMike]

The Dantes 45 on Jamie were all vinyl pressings. In the mid '60s, Frankford Wayne pressed the bulk of their singles, as did Specialty (in PA).
I've never seen a Monarch/west coast pressing, perhaps that could be styrene. But Monarch pressings are either vinyl or styrene.

 

[chas_kit]

The Dantes 45 on Jamie were all vinyl pressings. In the mid '60s, Frankford Wayne pressed the bulk of their singles, as did Specialty (in PA).
I've never seen a Monarch/west coast pressing, perhaps that could be styrene. But Monarch pressings are either vinyl or styrene.

You're probably right Mike, I may have mistook the 'hot' mastering for what I associate with a styrene sound - loud and brittle.

 

[soundog III]

Mike has provided a pretty definitive answer to the styrene v vinyl debate. Columbia 45s from the 50s are a classic case. The stock issues look wonderful with that dark red and gold label; but 95% of the ones I found outwith unplayed store stock, had the dreaded needle burn. On the other hand, the DJ issues on vinyl are very hard wearing. However, an unplayed stock styrene copy does sound superior, with the music jumping out of the grooves. The problem is finding them.

I agree 100%.

The styrene stock copy of "Have You Seen Her Face" is nothing less than a Hi-Fi demonstration disc IMO. Talk about guitars biting & crackling !

 

[bosshoss]

The superior sound of mint styrene is largely due to the deadness of the styrene material, as Mike noted. When you tap a styrene 45 with your finger, it sounds different. Mike says "hollow and cheap", I say "dead". Dead is good when it comes to unwanted resonance caused by contact with the stylus and turntable platter.

 

[Monster Mike]

The superior sound of mint styrene is largely due to the deadness of the styrene material, as Mike noted. When you tap a styrene 45 with your finger, it sounds different. Mike says "hollow and cheap", I say "dead". Dead is good when it comes to unwanted resonance caused by contact with the stylus and turntable platter.

I always thought the opposite and that styrene was more conductive, therefore louder.
Also, I don't think they recycled styrene unlike vinyl that came in different "grades".

 

[MopTopMike]

I don't think it is possible to recycle styrene to make it worth the effort.
Styrene (injection molding) was a lot cheaper in those days. CBS / Columbia was the first to opt for styrene in the early mid '50s. RCA notably rejected styrene as a cheap product.

I personally find vinyl to be loudest across the entire sound spectrum. Styrene pressings sound more compressed / midrange-y, emitting a booming quality, rather than a natural resonance in the low end, like you often find on most digital transfers that have been tweaked.