Cymande – Cymande

my copy sounds fantastic, sounds very rich and full but I guess everyone listens differently. I can’t complain about this one on my end, sounds great!

A little bit of a warp on side 2, and a small amount of noise after a cleaning, but overall a great pressing. Neither of the previous listed issues affect the enjoyment.

an ok pressing. can't compare it to an original but GZ media is generally not a high quality press. as usual the vinyl is pretty dirty itself - even if it doesn't affect play. my copy arrived lightly warped. okay for its price but if you are into quality, shop another pressing.

Sounds really great, my copy is absolutely flawless in any way!!

I'm reviewing this in relation to the 2022 US/Canada Orange Pressing, which I had two copies and returned both due to defects.

This is almost the exact same pressing, however the matrix codes are a match with the 2023 European Orange Pressing. The US/Canada version was pressed at Precision, which is a subsidiary of GZ Media based in Canada. This version, and the 2023 version, were both pressed in Czech Republic by GZ's main plant. I find GZ's Precision pressings are lower quality than those pressed directly from GZ.

Due to this, the results on this are an immediate improvement. The disc is flat and centered, while my Canadian Orange pressings were both dish warped and off center. The mastering is identical - I assume the stampers are the same at Precision and GZ. I don't see any dimples, scratches, or pieces of the record missing (yes, you read that correctly - my second copy of the orange US/Canada version literally had a chunk of the run in grooves missing). GZ clearly has better quality control than Precision.

One of my gripes with the Canada/US Orange Press was that "Dove" had some light crackles on it - this one has that too, which is my third time encountering this. It would seem the stampers just have a defect on them, or perhaps the source material isn't in the best shape. That said, the mastering is quite good. I don't have a 70s pressing to compare to, but this is well done, imo.

The jacket is very thin and the art is scanned. It feels almost like a bootleg. The disc comes in a shitty paper sleeve.

This isn't a perfect pressing whatsoever, but for $36 CAD, it's a good option compared to the dreadful orange pressing at $45 CAD, or an original pressing which can run you over $100 CAD.

AT-VM95ML
Fluance RT80
Schiit Mani 2
Edifier R1700BT

Sleeve Looks like it might be scanned. Not horrible but could be a Little better. the sleeve has a little less detail in the artwork than the original but with more vibrant colors, overall not bad. My vinyl was pretty clean, has slight warp, though that's normal now days on lightweight vinyl. My guess that its in the 150g-160g range. I find the sounds pretty good and with no background noise. It's not a loud record and may sound a little flat for some folks, but the volume knob helps with that. It's definitely not an audiophile copy but still very enjoyable.

My copy has a piece of paper melted into the vinyl makin it pop.

Can someone comment on the sound quality ? The comments on the orange versions where mixed.