Unreleased Led Zeppelin, Stairway To Heaven 12" Clarity Test Pressing Single LP

Sold Date: August 25, 2016
Start Date: August 20, 2016
Final Price: $197.50 (USD)
Bid Count: 23
Seller Feedback: 1784
Buyer Feedback: 7


SS: Still Sealed
Label: Atlantic
Catalog Number:
SD 7208-12-45

This auction is for a STILL SEALED 12" 45rpm* single sided Test Pressing for optimal sound performance of the Classic Records 200gram reissue of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" pressed on CLARITY Vinyl, but never released as such. These highly collectible test pressings are from the first stamper and approximately less than 20 exist. Test pressings reflect the closest you can get to the lacquers and hence have a special collectible value and store of value.

*45 rpm records have long been recognized as providing a higher fidelity musical experience resulting purely from the cartridge being able to extract more of the nuance from the complex vertical and horizontal groove modulations in stereo LP’s. Further, Classic Records 45 rpm “single sided” pressings dramatically reduce the mechanical resonances created by the cartridge during playback by allowing these resonances to be more fully transmitted to and absorbed by the turntable platter.

Background on Clarity Vinyl Pressings
In 2008, Classic discovered that de-magnitizing black vinyl records leads to better sound in playback.  The engineers at Furutech in Japan, makers of a commercial record demag machine, explained that the carbon black that was added to PVC record pellets contained trace metal that became randomly magnetized and while spinning below an electro-mechanical transducer (phono cartridge) caused electrical distortion inside a cartridge during LP playback.  Hence, demagnetizing a black vinyl record dramatically reduces the electrical distortion and leads to more "Clarity" in playback.  Michael Hobson, founder of Classic Records reasoned that if the carbon black were removed then the result should be more Clarity in playback.  Working closely with the PVC manufacturer Kenan, Classic developed its own proprietary "Clarity Vinyl" devoid of the problems with trace magnetic particles contained in black vinyl formulas.  A Clarity vinyl pressing on a flat profile die is the absolute ultimate pressing possible and even a step above the JVC UHQR black vinyl pressings.  Not to be missed - you can hear the difference! 

ULTRA RARE -- Good luck!

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