Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex

Considering some of the reviews Idk if I’m just one of the lucky ones or what. But last night I went to my local record store; They had the orange for a tad bit more and the black vinyl. I went for the black thinking all I care for is the sonics. I don’t know anything about what order what was pressed. My copy has a made in sticker on the back. Just got through listening to the album throughout this morning, And wow! It’s amazing, all I used was my static brush then played it and it was quiet, dynamic and awesome separation. I listen through a pair of Tannoy 611 Mk2 speakers and a vintage McIntosh, solid state amp and preamp; So my system is pretty revealing, zero pops. Steven Wilson has done a superb job. Making some coffee and about to give it another spin.

I'm not hearing any pops or clicks. However Side D last song sticks in one spot on the outro. Overall very good sound, warm rich soundstage. Although it won't be the mega seller that Dark Side of the Moon has been. There are several similarities.

Unfortunately, after a vacuum wet washing still has tons of surface noise clicks and pops, and periodic noise.

The music is fantastic. Great solo album by Steven Wilson. Absolutely love it.
The pressing is good and quiet. The records are absolutely flat.

The records have very faint traces/scratches from rubbing against the paper inner sleeves.
I guess that effect is enhanced by the stresses of postal transport when a record is ordered online or so.
Also there are some other undefineable traces that look like some smear, that cant be cleaned off and are only visible when held against a bright light. Maybe it’s in the vinyl and not an actual surface contamination.

Luckily all the issues above are not audible at all. As mentioned above, the sound is great.

Small stamped 5 digits and "made in " equals pressed at Pallas of . Should be an outstanding press

Music is out there with the best. As well is the recording quality. Pressing, not so much besides the paper inner sleeves, the amount of surface scuffs and noise and pops takes some of the enjoyment away especially in quiet ages. My guess is this has Optimal written all over it. Unlikely that this is a Pallas pressing but I’m happy to stand corrected.

My pressing is near perfect after cleaning with the Degritter MKII. Wow, the sound of this LP is amazing. It'll really make your system shine. The low end is incredible. Lots going on. Will take many listenings to hear it all... and that's a positive!

Both of my copies had very annoying crackling noises throughout all sides, which destroy the listening experiences in quiet sections. I dont know what happened there, Pallas usually does a great job!

I’m only going to review the pressing. As always, it’s mastered to perfection. However, I think this might be the first SW/PT vinyl to have pressing distortion. Or atleast my copy does. Not sure where this was pressed but I do think this is a new label for Steven. My copy did need a good cleaning right away, but the discs are in great condition. Just poor QC at the plant. Overall very happy for what I paid, but this album deserves a AAA release.

Amazing low end on this record. Very good pressing. Record was relatively clean for a change. As always, it improves with proper cleaning, though.