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Hot Stamper Top 100 - Snake Oil?


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"No two copies of a record sound the same. That's the undeniable reality of the analog LP, as well as the driving force that turned what started out as a hobby into a full-fledged livelihood for us. We're happy that you've landed on our site and happier still to tell you about the very special pressings we have to offer. Many people find the ideas (and the prices!) on this website shocking. "

Source: https://www.better-records.com/

 

Their prices go up to $500 per LP. They have an interesting TOP 100: https://www.better-records.com/product.aspx?pf_id=top100

They do have a 30 days send back no questions asked policy.

 

They also have a section ' white hot stampers', where the sell The Beatles' White Album for $749 - I bought mine, re-mastered and new for €38.

https://www.better-records.com/product.aspx?pf_id=beatlwhite_1904

 

Question: is this 'snake oil' and/or a psychological trick? I mean, if I pay $500 for one LP, it surely will sound 'amazing' and unique... at least, that's what my primitive brain would tell me!

 

NOTE: when I visited a their website, Firefox gave me a security warning about their server clock. I don't think it is harmful.

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Hmmm....

 

Before spending $449 on Chuck E's in Love I'd want to hear a downloadable high rez file of both their Hot Stamper version and of the regular release  so I can compare them through my system and speakers, headphones, etc..

 

Not holding my breath however.  ..I'm sure they'll claim that the advantage of the Hot Stamper version would somehow disappear during the analog-to-digital process - that when digital files are made from analog LPs you'll lose all of that beautiful analog warmth and majesty.  ..This would  therefore make such a side-by-side comparison unrepresentative.  ..This of course would be a nonsense claim, but I'm pretty sure they'd make it.

 

So.... I'm going with "yes, snake oil."

 

 

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I agree that two copies of the same record can sound WAY different and I guess if you bought 500 copies and carefully play graded all of them and found the best copy it would be worth a few extra bucks to someone who didn’t want to spend the time and money doing that.

 

My experience has been that if you find the cleanest earliest pressing you will PROBABLY have the best sounding version. 

 

That said - this website looks like total BS to me. 

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1 minute ago, Allan Songer said:

I agree that two copies of the same record can sound WAY different

 

There were others, to be sure, but all the Zeppelin up to "In Through the Out Door" back in the day I got "cut corner" pressings from England at a discount from the regular $3.99 U.S. versions, and they most definitely had a superior sound quality over the U.S. stampings.  Oh, yeah, had AC/DC "High Voltage" from Australia, too, with a dog pissing on a transformer on the cover and a couple different tracks.  It was a thicker disc than "ours" and much better-sounding.  I miss the import cut-outs at Co-op Records (and head shop)...

 

Funny how less-expensive transformed to way over-the-top.

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This could mean anything....

 

"Our full time staff of eight devotes its time to finding, cleaning and playing as many pressings of an album as we can get our hands on. We take only the best sounding copies – we call them "Hot Stampers” – and make them available exclusively to those who appreciate (and can afford) the ultimate in analog sound."

 

This could mean they bought three and picked the 1 best.   So the best Chuck E's in Love pressing is $449??  ..It would help make the case if they showed on their website a three foot stack of these that they culled.   

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On second thought the AC/DC might've been thinner.

 

3 minutes ago, ODS123 said:

This could mean they bought three and picked the 1 best.   So the best Chuck E's in Love pressing is $449??  ..It would help make the case if they showed on their website a three foot stack of these that they culled.   

 

And what are they using to play / monitor, I wonder.  Certainly could make a difference in reaching a determination.  And whether the disc will ever sound as good again...

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24 minutes ago, glens said:

On second thought the AC/DC might've been thinner.

 

 

And what are they using to play / monitor, I wonder.  Certainly could make a difference in reaching a determination.  And whether the disc will ever sound as good again...

 

Exactly...

 

I'm pretty clear-eyed when it comes to vinyl.  I LOVE the format, I do.  But not b/c I think it sounds better than CD (it doesn't).  But it does sound more than good enough to be enjoyable and wayyy better than a rock being dragged along a plastic grove ought to.  

 

What I love about vinyl is the album cover, included lyric sheets, posters, etc..  And just as importantly, the fact that advancing to the next song or album side is inconvenient thereby forcing you to listen to the whole album as a continuous, connected piece of work, etc...  

 

Music has never sounded better than it does today b/c of digital.  ...But it was never more fun than vinyl.  

 

So none of my reasons for enjoying vinyl have much to do with finding the 1-in-100 best sounding pressings.  ..But has everything to do with what vinyl represents.  So a website like this does relatively little for me.  ...But if they're being honest about their process, then I wish them success..

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13 minutes ago, ODS123 said:

 

What I love about vinyl is the album cover, included lyric sheets, posters, etc..  The fact that advancing to the next song or album side is inconvenient thereby forcing you to listen to the whole album as a continuous, connected piece of work, etc...  

 

 

For me, also the hunt and the find itself of the record is part of the fun. I recently found a jazz album in a thrift store for €0.50 It turned out to sound really well, and it has some classic jazz songs on it in versions that I cannot find on Spotify. Gives a kick...

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26 minutes ago, ODS123 said:

What I love about vinyl is the album cover, included lyric sheets, posters, etc.

 

I've got a copy of "Street Survivors" with the band engulfed in flames on the cover and a tour schedule insert, which tour was tragically cut short and the remaining stock of albums pulled to be reissued sans flames.  Can't get that on CD!

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Who says 2 "identical" LPs sound different?!  I only bought 2 of a very few and never found a noticeable difference.  In fact, the Sheffield Labs "I've Got The Music In Me" did not sound different, one to the other. 

 

At the time, I had an AT OC-9 moving coil on a Decca London arm on a TD-125, feeding an Aragon 47K preamp feeding my Acurus ACT-3 and Parasound or Acurus power amps and my La Scalas. 

 

P.T. Barnum Record Company.  And entirely subjective.

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3 hours ago, glens said:

 

I've got a copy of "Street Survivors" with the band engulfed in flames on the cover and a tour schedule insert, which tour was tragically cut short and the remaining stock of albums pulled to be reissued sans flames.  Can't get that on CD!

I have the same one in a box somewhere.  I don't think that there are many of those out there.  It was pulled right after the crash.

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The truth is it really does not matter what THEY hear, Every one's hearing is different. Just because they deam it superior according to there predisposition of what they consider superior sound quality does not make it a fact for anyone else. They are riding the vinyl surge with idiotic claims aimed at the person that buys into all the snake oil out there. Imagine if you will how many LP would they really HAVE to sell at there over the top pricing to make a profit. They buy an lp for 3-5.00 and because they decide it sounds better its now worth many times what they paid.  Comical and sad anyone is gullible enough to buy into any of this type crap. 

 

It hurts the hobbyist because many nit wits who see there crap now thinks a 3-5.00 lp is magically worth much more. Deal with them all the time now days :(

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2 hours ago, joessportster said:

It hurts the hobbyist because many nit wits who see there crap now thinks a 3-5.00 lp is magically worth much more. Deal with them all the time now days :(

 

I bought Neil Young's 'This note's for you' album many years ago, when it first came out. I liked it somewhat, though I never really was a big fan. That is, until I bought my Klipsch speakers and a small tube amp. With this new gear, I went through my small LP collection, and I re-discovered Young's album. It is the best sounding album I have... I still don't like his nasal, nagging voice, but the sound of that album, the bass etc. all comes together so fine, even on my low budget system. So I thought I had a winner here: an album of this quality must be worth something, right? So, with no intention of selling it, of course, I was curious about the asking price of my best album.  Pffft... I soon discovered it can be bought in mint condition for less than €20 on fleabay. Oh well, let it be. Better Records doesn't have it listed. So for them, it's worth nothing, I guess?

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On 5/1/2019 at 7:45 AM, ODS123 said:

This could mean anything....

 

"Our full time staff of eight devotes its time to finding, cleaning and playing as many pressings of an album as we can get our hands on. 

 

Sounds like a fun job.  Hard to believe someone actually gets paid to do that. 

 

I’m wondering if that site is an elaborate prank. 

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I wouldn't doubt they're making at least some money.  Look at all the folks "working from home" accosting people via telephone for extended auto warranties and such.  Tell them you want to be put on their "don't call" list and you get another call for the same thing within minutes.  I usually answer the phone but don't say anything.  After several seconds it hangs up - I figure at least I'm tying up their line so they can't auto-dial someone else in the mean time.

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