Better Records White Hot Stampers: Now the Story Can Be Told!
I've heard plenty of Better Records' "White Hot Stampers." As MC says, they are simply amazing. When played back on a highly resolving system, there is nothing like them. These recordings go back a long way, back into the early 1940s mono era, to the great modern stereo recordings that we are all familiar with. Once you hear them, especially on a highly resolving system, you will be on the hunt for them yourself. Frank |
I tested the waters of Better Records and bought one of the lower priced offerings and was not really blown away but it does sound quite good. A fair assessment. The least expensive Hot Stampers (A+) are quite good. Probably better than most records you ever heard but I could easily imagine having ones in the collection that are every bit as good. Super Hot (A++) are quite a bit better than that. The ones I have are all head and shoulders above what I had before. The ones that really shine though are White Hot (A+++) these cost a small fortune and sometimes depending on the original source recording frankly may not be worth it. What something is worth depends entirely on your love for the music and the sound quality. What I mean is no matter how good the pressing you can only get to where the master tape was, and that will be that, and they are not all created equal. Where it really gets mind blowing is when it all comes together. Like Tom Petty Souther Accents, one I really liked the music but never really thought the recording quality was that great. Until I get a White Hot and oh my God this is one of the best records, EVER!!! Had no idea. None whatsoever. Shelley Youkas or whatever his name was, the recording engineer, man he got it dynamic, punchy, extended, and beyond spread out wide and deep this is a total tour de force demo disk! Or Nilsson Schmilsson, Coconut, holy crap! I defy anyone to bring me their copy of either of these and put them up against my White Hot Stampers and not be confessing, apologizing, and back-pedaling big time. We got so much snow here in Redmond UPS is not delivering and so I have to make do with writing about it. Arrgh! |
"Digitizing vinyl? Ugh...it defeats the whole purpose of buying vinyl." Many (most) people are not buying vinyl anymore. They are digitizing collections that they already have, often only records that are not commercially available in digital format. They want them digitized for all of the conveniences that mapman has mentioned. It is nice to have your whole collection of music on one little SD card in the car. If you listen to the music in the car, that is. Take it all with you on the plane, while jogging, leave a copy at work. And sound difference is much less than one would be led to believe. |
"Or Nilsson Schmilsson, Coconut, holy crap!"Coconut, Better Version, in digital... The Muppet Show: Put the Lime in the Coconut - YouTube |
oregonpapa- I’ve heard plenty of Better Records’ "White Hot Stampers." As MC says, they are simply amazing. When played back on a highly resolving system, there is nothing like them. These recordings go back a long way, back into the early 1940s mono era, to the great modern stereo recordings that we are all familiar with. Once you hear them, especially on a highly resolving system, you will be on the hunt for them yourself. That’s what happened with Mike when he came up from Portland the first time. Played his favorite tracks from Fleetwood Mac Rumours first on the 45 and then my White Hot Stamper. He was seriously impressed with the 45. "That’s gonna be hard to beat," he said. Before this I had been telling him how the Better-records.com experience has changed my point of view. I used to think the smart thing to do was put all the emphasis on making the system sound great, because then everything sounds better. Which is true. But listen to a few White Hot Stampers, it is a game changer. Now the question becomes, Why put all this time and effort into a great system only to play mediocre recordings? Why indeed. Now I feel like, why would I want to waste my time on crap when I can be listening to treasure? Of course it is one thing to talk, quite another to actually experience. After hearing his same two tracks on my White Hot Stamper he said, "Well, you were right. Definitely worth the money." It’s not just a better record. It’s a better system. More to the point, it’s a better musical experience. The one I got from your friend, Steve Miller Book of Dreams, it was supposed to be Hot Stamper quality level. I’m not complaining, it is a little better than my other random Steve Miller pressing. Once I cleaned it up real good. Put it in a proper sleeve. Then with a better cover it would be pretty close to Hot Stamper level. Like I said, not complaining. I didn’t pay Hot Stamper price either. Just giving a fair Assessment. Because until you hear one it is pretty much impossible to explain. Here we have a guy who lives for this kind of thing, has even sold some to Tom, so for sure he knows quality. Yet still there is a big gap between what he thinks is a Hot Stamper and what you actually get with the real deal. Besides off the charts sound quality they are also impeccably clean, in a new high end sleeve, with a cover that is at least mint (one of them was still in the original shrink wrap!) and the whole thing in a heavy vinyl sleeve, along with their business card with the A+++ ratings on it. For each side. That is another thing that blew my mind. I never dreamed the album covers would be so minty perfect! But of course as you said, a highly resolving system helps. As we both know, thanks to Krissy neither of us has any problem there! 😉😍 |
