Radiohead – In Rainbows

The vocals are often not loud enough and sound muffled/distorted. Disappointed.

I decided to cave in and give this one a go since I wanted a vinyl copy of this album and I can’t justify the price of the 45rpm version for myself at the moment. Some noise on side A and less noise on side B but overall, it’s alright. I’ll try cleaning it a few more times but eventually I’ll probably get a different copy of this one.

Bought brand new sealed from an independent seller. Record is quite warped but is well centered. Some annoying and constant surface noise all over side A (it's easily noticeable on quiet ages) out of the sleeve. A bit better on side B. We'll see if it still stands after a good cleaning. Not the most dynamic and deep mix, unfortunately (no deep rumble on "House of Cards"). Separation is not bad and it has generally enough air. As reported, the vocals and especially the drums are a bit laidback on most tracks (less so on "Reckoner", but Meh in general)... Overall, I'm not that impressed by this pressing to be honest, I was expecting a bit more from this amazing album. It sounds better/more lively from my CD. Unfortunately, no major improvement after several cleanings. 3.75 / 5

My copy sounds really good. I definitely enjoy it more than the streaming version. I got no pops or clicks. No major complaints for me.

I owned the TBD press, the 45 rpm double LP and recently purchased this one.

TBD press: More dynamic and larger soundstage. However, there was a very weird muffled sound on the drums and vocals. The ambient/background music which makes this album so beautiful was more upfront and filled up the room. The guitar was also much more warm and open.

This XL press: I bought two records. First one was extremely warped. When I returned it, the owner was kind enough to open all his stocks and his entire batch was badly warped. I had to go to a different store to buy a copy. This one is close to perfect. No warp, surface noise or pops/clicks.

45 RPM Double LP: What more can I say? It’s simply one of the best, if not the best, sounding record I own.

I collect vinyl for its different mastering compared to digital counterparts. This press sounds exactly like what you would hear on Spotify. Compressed and small soundstage. However, everything is much clearer than the TBD press.

If you want to buy this record, my suggestion will be to buy it knowing that it will either be for collectible purpose/showcasing it as part of your collection. This will for sure not offer any enhanced sonic experience. I say this because

A) The chances of getting a clean good quality record from XL is 50/50 chance. If you do buy it, check the record in store so that you can return it easily if it’s a poor quality press (i.e warped)

B) There are no advantages over the digital counterpart in of sound (there is audible distortion in tracks like All I need when it gets loud which is not an issue on digital).

I will probably keep this record because I love it but this record will be the first one to go if I have to trade.

My copy came with some QC issues. Pitting in the record and a few spots that pop and at least on skip, which is a heartbreaker because this is no doubt, a hands down known best album from Radiohead. The content aside from the quality of this pressing isn’t even questionable. If you like Radiohead, then it’s a must have, but I would suggest skipping this pressing and opting for a better pressing.

Guess I got a bad copy? Thom's voice was crazy with distortion throughout both sides. Lots of surface noise present in the quiet parts too.

Upon comparing this to my CD, this press is lacking high frequencies. The drums especially sound pretty muffled in comparison. It’s still a pretty solid press but if you play CDs too I would definitely recommend it on CD over the vinyl.

Bought two copies to make sure at least one was an adequate play copy. First one opened had bowl/dish warp toward center of vinyl. Sadly, that was not the worst I found. Playback revealed wooshing sound to begin side A, and there was yet again another repetetive cycling, but different wooshing sound to begin side B. The record sounds OK at decent volume after those problems lapse, but there remains a significant amount of surface noise in the quiet ages throughout the rest of the vinyl LP. I imagine this amounts to poor quality control, rushed vinyl production, or some similar problem. The packaging is OK, but the cardboard liners do not help keep the vinyl from more damage with shipping, storage, etc. Sad, since the original EU pressings sounds vastly superior and provide a great way to enjoy the great songs on this wonderful record. The second copy I bought looks fine (no warp) and has better play back, but there is still a wooshing at the beginning of side A, though not on side B for this copy. So, I guess it is sort of luck of the draw with this pressing.

My copy has a sticker on it saying pressed on virgin vinyl...180 gram. The same sticker you see on more classic albums. I thought I would pick it up for the 15th Anniversary. I have the discbox and original TBD vinyl. I played this LP, while at the same time playing the original TBD. I just toggled back and forth. I noticed a lot of differences. Notably, the bass and bottom end were way better on THIS pressing. Faust Arp sounds way better on here. However, the background noises and sounds were more up front on the TBD version. In fact, sometimes when I was toggling back and forth. Some sounds more prevalent on the right speaker were suddenly in the left on THIS pressing. I thought that was freaky at first, but then noticed it again and again. I will be spinning this one a lot more to check out more differences.