Vinyl Record Weights. What Is 180 Gram And Is It Important?

Records are offered in two weights. The standard 140gram, and 180gram. Do 180g records sound better? It depends who you ask. There is a lot of mythology floating around about the quality of 180g records vs the standard 140g. The short answer is, no they don’t sound any better.

• The stampers/plates used for 180g records are the same as Standard weight records.
• The groove depths are the same.
• On most turntables and for most recordings, they should sound identical.
• The extra mass of a 180g record dampens any micro-movements while the stylus is moving back and forth in the grooves during playback. The audible effect is more apparent on high-end systems.
• 180g records feel heavier in the hand, giving an impression of higher quality.

Standard weight for a 12” record averages around 140 grams, although the final weight is determined by your master content and vinyl color.
180 gram is available for 12” formats in black vinyl only.
The average weight for a 7” record is 40 grams.