[bontrager]

Will the faster speed afforded by 45 rpm vs 33/13 give greater fidelity to the sound?

I just invested in Holst: The Planets by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This is a double album, 180 gm vinyl, 45 rpm as opposed to the same album on 33&1/3 (single album) and costs about $20.00 more. Funny, I thought that I would be getting 45's with the big hole in the middle.

All things bring equal, does the faster speed equal greater fidelity?

Thank you; my first post in the audio section

 

[bluewizard]

If the record spins faster, you get less content for a given size. But as the record spins fast, that content is less cramped together on the vinyl. There is more room for more detail.

Everything in audio compromises something in favor of something else. 45rpm provided better fidelity, assuming they haven't compromised it in the production chain along the way, but you get less content per disk. 33-1/3 provides very good fidelity and a considerable amount of content per disk.

So, as far as which you should buy, it depends on how satisfied you are with the quality and quantity of content on a typical 33-1/3 disk. Most are very satisfied with both aspects.

There are more trade-offs to each choice, you just have to determine what you are willing to give up to get what you want.

Steve/bluewizard

 

[99XJ]

I have not heard the difference myself yet but will be picking this up soon to find out.

 

[audio2xs]

Will the faster speed afforded by 45 rpm vs 33/13 give greater fidelity to the sound?

I just invested in Holst: The Planets by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This is a double album, 180 gm vinyl, 45 rpm as opposed to the same album on 33&1/3 (single album) and costs about $20.00 more. Funny, I thought that I would be getting 45's with the big hole in the middle.

All things bring equal, does the faster speed equal greater fidelity?

Theoretically the faster speed would increase the maximum frequency that could be recorded and reproduced, and increase the maximum level at which a high frequency signal could be recorded without hitting the geometric limit of groove modulation velocity. The spectrum of the surface noise would also be raised, which may or may not be an advantage in an apparent increase in dynamic range.

But all things are never equal, and the above represent relatively minor changes that may not be even taken advantage of depending on the music and mastering. Even if you had both 33&1/3 and 45 rpm copies of the same recording things may not be equal in the mastering process. Trying to discern the speed advantage through auditioning would likely be impossible as the comparison process lacks the necessary scientific control.

 

[A9X-308]

^^ What 2xs wrote is what I would have If I'd seen the thread before him.

 

[kucharsk]

In short, yes.

I've yet to find a 45 RPM pressing of an LP that does not sound substantially better than the 33 1/3 version, though I'm sure it's completely possible for it to happen as there are a multitude of other factors involved.

However, all other factors being equal, 45 will sound better just as reel-to-reel tape always sounded better at 7.5 IPS than 3.75 IPS.