We put the new pocket-size vinyl format to the test—with mixed results

Summary

Some releases really take advantage of the extra real estate of the gatefold jacket and printed inner sleeve, Chris Foresman Some releases really take advantage of the extra real estate of the gatefold jacket and printed inner sleeve, Chris Foresman while others have barely any additional information beyond song titles. Chris Foresman while others have barely any additional information beyond song titles. Chris Foresman A few of our samples had this hard-to-remove flaw, which seems like an artifact of the manufacturing process. It required liquid cleaner to remove. Chris Foresman A few of our samples had this hard-to-remove flaw, which seems like an artifact of the manufacturing process. It required liquid cleaner to remove. Chris Foresman while others have barely any additional information beyond song titles. Chris Foresman A few of our samples had this hard-to-remove flaw, which seems like an artifact of the manufacturing process. It required liquid cleaner to remove. Chris Foresman Additionally, I compared the classic track “Linus and Lucy” from A Charlie Brown Christmas with a 2012 pressing of the full album, as well as the 2019 3-inch version using an adapter, all on the LP-120, to give readers the best comparison across formats. Again, the LP version of the seminal soundtrack from A Charlie Brown Christmas sounded bright and noticeably louder than its 4-inch counterpart. No major surprises here. And of course, the LP includes the entire soundtrack, so if you’re a big fan of the film or the kind of contemplative, piano-based jazz that Vince Guaraldi is famous for, you’ll probably spring for the full album. The 3-inch version of “Linus and Lucy” unsurprisingly sounds fairly comparable to the Tiny Vinyl version, with a much quieter playback at the same amplifier settings. But it also sounds a lot noisier, likely due to the differences in materials used in manufacturing. Though 3-inch records can play on standard turntables, as I did here, they’re designed to go h...