The LP medium was fundamentally incapable of reproducing master tape sound

Evidence

In parallel with the loudspeaker research, the performances of LPs, turntables and phono cartridges were investigated, as these defined the prevailing source of test music. The goal was to maximize the performance of the medium, but what was learned was that the technology was so fundamentally flawed that LPs were incapable of reproducing the sounds on master tapes, the original art. Rumble, wow, flutter, and surface noises of assorted kinds were familiar problems, but acoustical pickup from unsupported disc surfaces, and vibration feedthrough from inadequate turntable suspensions were less well known. Some styles of tone arms were prone to mechanical resonances (see OR Chapter 2). — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 152

Categorization

• XREF: This grounds the later, larger point that LPs were the weak link in the audio chain, setting up why digital source material became essential for controlled listening tests.