More of the Music of The Grateful Dead
Hot Stamper Pressings of Stephen Barncard’s Recordings
Sonic Grade: B+
This is a Mobile Fidelity LP with SURPRISINGLY GOOD SOUND. The transparency and presence in the midrange is outstanding for a MoFi. This copy does not have the usual midrange suckout that ruins so many of their records.
The bass actually sounds mostly in control on this copy — there’s much less of the typically bloated MoFi bass to be found here.
This is the best sounding Mobile Fidelity American Beauty we have ever heard. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s hugely better than we expected.
Any original Green Label domestic pressing is sure to be better, but sure to be noisier too, so if you must have quiet vinyl, you can do a lot worse than this MoFi.
Which means it belongs on our list of The Best Sounding Mobile Fidelity Records We’ve Ever Played.
FURTHER READING on the subject of Half-Speed Mastering
People sometimes ask us:
How come you guys don’t like Half-Speed Mastered records?
To learn more about records that sound dramatically better than any Half-Speed ever made (with one rare exception, John Klemmer’s Touch), please consult our FAQs:
More Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below you will find our breakdown of the best and worst Half-Speed mastered records we have auditioned over the years.
Half-Speed Mastered Mediocrities
Half-Speed Masters – The Complete List
New to the site? Start here.