*We Get Letters

Do we ever! More than 430 as of last count. Please to enjoy.

Question: “Is your stance that all copies of that same pressing, if you had five brand new copies, would all sound the same and superior?:

What Exactly Are Hot Stamper Pressings?

Patrick wrote to ask us a series of questions recently:

Hello team.

You have vinyls that you consider some degree of a “hot stamp” and this correlates to a very specific pressing of an album, correct?

Is your stance that all copies in that same pressing, if you had five brand new copies, would all sound the same and superior?

Or is it that the one you have is just better than all the others in that same pressing?

Or is it that of the ten different pressings of this album we listened to, this is the best sound period.

Thanks in advance … I hope this makes sense, and any help is appreciated.

Regards,
Patrick L.

Dear Patrick,

Click on this link to see some examples of records with Shootout Winning stampers in which we found out that, after all was said and done, the best sounding stampers could also be the worse sounding stampers.

Knowing the right stampers helps us find good copies, but the most they can do is point the way to good sound.

The listening panel never knows what the stampers are for any of the records that are being evaluated.

We find out what the best stampers are after the records have been played, not before.

Who knows what a record sounds like until it’s been played? No one, not even self-described know-it-all experts such as us.

We run record experiments in order to get actual data that we can rely on to be truthful. We call them shootouts.

The stampers can’t tell us how good the sound of a record is. Only our ears can do that.

Put another way, critical listening doesn’t just play a part in our judgment of a particular pressing.

It is the sole source of that judgment.

Because nothing else counts for anything. (See the Feynman link below for more on that subject.)

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Letter of the Week – “I will close with my wife Jan’s words ringing in my ears – ‘worth every penny!'”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music Al Stewart Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about a Hot Stamper pressing he purchased recently:

Hi Tom,

Well, I said that I would report back to you when I had listened to “Past, Present and Future,” and listen to it I did on Saturday evening.

Now, I have been listening to my copy of this record since it was released in 1973 and, I would say, that it is one of those rare records that sounds better every time I make an upgrade to my audio system (currently this is all vacuum tube – phono amp, pre-amp and power amps) – unlike some seemingly great sounding records that actually sound worse.

So, how do these two records compare? Well, when I played the “new” record, with great trepidation I might add, I noticed that the opening twenty seconds or so that feature the guitars were ever so slightly leaner sounding than my original copy. But once the record got going, the sound of the “new” record opened up more that my original; the soundstage was bigger – slightly wider and deeper and, instrument and vocal placement were more tangible.

Dare I say that the dreaded compression was absent – something that even my original has a little of. Vocals on both were very strong but pretty inseparable.

I should state here and now, that I am a “soundqualityaholic” – I have records that I love to bits but don’t play because they sound so bad – “Silver Machine” by Hawkwind on a 12 inch single, springs to mind. And, Thomas by name, doubting by nature, although I understand and agree with your philosophy, I was very doubtful that the “new” copy of “Past, Present and Future” would better my original but, I was wrong. In fact, if I had to score these two records on sound quality, I would score my original at 90% and the “new” record at 95%.

Anyway, that’s about the size of it, as we say on this side if the “Pond”. So, I will close with my wife Jan’s words ringing in my ears – “worth every penny!” she said.

Best regards

Tom

Dear Tom,

The copy of Past Present you bought was $150 plus shipping. Can a five percent improvement in sound really be worth the roughly $200 you paid?

We love the idea that our pressing earned a 95% rating. It was a White Hot Shootout Winner, so 95 out of 100 seems to be about right. Could we find a copy that was 5% better than the best one we found last year? Of course we could.

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We Get Letters – “…the parallax on Autobahn that lets you feel like you are physically moving through space necessitates a full 3D soundstage.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of Art Rock Albums Available Now

Our good customer Aaron thought his Hot Stamper pressing of Autobahn was pretty special. He writes:

Good morning Tom,

I’m catching up on some work and sipping my coffee this Sunday morning, way too cold to go outside.

I’ve got my NWHS of Autobahn playing. The room is absolutely filling up with sweet sound. I had always thought of Kraftwerk’s music as cold and distant, intentionally, but this copy is bringing out a whole different character to the music. It is organic and warm and really humane.

Isn’t it funny to think that of all the bands, it is Kraftwerk who is done a particular disservice by digital formatting? On the surface, their music seems like it would be so amenable to digital, but it’s all the play and joy that’s less on the surface that really makes it music, and digital strips that right out.

I bought this one as part of pushing my envelope during the 12 days sale.

My other copy is the 1985 Parlophone repress. It’s not bad, but I’ve only played it a couple times before, which says everything you need to know.

Whereas the hot stamper is currently one of my go-to records to put on. The hot stamper fills my room with sound.

It’s more somatic than auditory, you can feel it. That’s always true for white hot stampers, but it makes all the difference for this album – the parallax on Autobahn that lets you feel like you are physically moving through space necessitates a full 3D soundstage.

That effect of actually moving just does not happen when you’re playing the 1985 pressing.

So, I would say Autobahn is another one of those albums where it’s essential to have a hot stamper pressing to actually appreciate the music.

Digital won’t do it, and even a different good pressing doesn’t convey the magic – the organic nature and the three dimensional experience – that the hot stamper gives you.

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Letter of the Week – “They break so many conventions, and it all works. What planet did John and Paul come from?”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of The Beatles Available Now

One of our customers had this to say about some Hot Stamper pressings he purchased recently:

Hi Tom,

I just got The Beatles first album in the mail and put it on and it blew me away. I was thinking I didn’t need the first couple albums but this book I read, John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie, published in 2025. made me rethink all that.

I did not foresee reading ANOTHER Beatles book. It is getting over the top reviews but I looked at it because my friend from my college days recommended it. It covers many of the same events and anecdotes any real Beatles fan would know but that are given new context by viewing their history – fundamentally – through the prism of the relationship of these two friends.

You realize by the time they released their first album in 1963, they’d been preparing for it since 1958, egging each other on as performers and songwriters.

Paul had written songs actually predating 1958, but they made their union as songwriters soon after they met. They had learned so many great pop songs such that every song on those early albums is either an amazing cover they make their own (e.g. “Twist and Shout” “Boys” etc.) or one of their original compositions that demonstrates the depth of their skills.

They break so many conventions, and it all works. What planet did John and Paul come from?

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We Get Letters – “That is the only CD I have ever heard that had Hot Stamper sound quality.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of The Doors Available Now

A customer wrote the following to us not long ago:

Recently I fired up my CD circuit, which does not happen very often.

Once the system was warmed up I played some MoFi gold CDs.

Nothing special, but I did like the Yes Fragile CD. Actually enjoyed it.

Guns and Roses Appetite was nasty…

Supertramp Breakfast was nasty…

Enough of that. Then I read your blog on the Doors LA Woman DCC gold CD. Found I have it!

Played the whole thing and I wanted more of it. That is the only CD I have ever heard that had Hot Stamper sound quality.

Dear Sir,

Steve did a great job on L.A. Woman, let me be the first to say. Of course the real thing on vinyl is even better, but it’s a great way to test how good your front end is, assuming you have a killer copy of the vinyl, something that is very unlikely to be the case but something that cannot be ruled out entirely. (Tell me your stamper numbers and I will tell you if you are close.)

I worked through a lot of changes to my system in the 90s and 2000s partly because I had CDs that sounded better in some ways than my vinyl versions of them.

That never happens now, but it took me 20 years to get there!

For example, in the early 2000s this title did not sound as good as the CD until I got rid of all my tube equipment and discovered the life-changing sound of the EAR 324P, the Dynavector 17d and a lot more. The transient attack of the drums and cymbals went from “well recorded — it’s a direct to disc, what did you expect?” to suddenly sounding like real drums you might hear if you were sitting right in front of the kit in a small club.

(I recently took a trip to Nashville and had a chance to see and hear more than a dozen drum kits on the main boulevard. There seemed to be one in every club, facing inwards with the glass of the window removed to give the passers by a taste of what was in store for them inside. Standing three feet from a guy banging a drum kit is something that can teach you a lot about sound, mostly by showing you the enormous gulf that separates live sound from recorded sound in the most audiophile systems.)

That CD of The Three showed me what I had been missing — the presence, dynamics, and most importantly speed and complete freedom from smear of any kind on any instrument. It changed many of my ideas about audio in the most fundamental ways imaginable. Nothing in my audio world was the same after that.

Of the many audio breakthroughs I’ve undergone in the fifty years I’ve been pursuing audio , I might be inclined to put this one right at the top of the list.

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Letter of the Week – “I put on Boston’s first album and it was like having warm honey poured into my ears.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Boston Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about a Hot Stamper pressing he purchased recently of Boston’s Self-Titled debut.

Dear Sirs.

I just wanted to reach out as a customer and someone that has been reading your website for many years now. I wasn’t in the position to afford any of your albums in the past but things have changed for me financially and I finally had the opportunity to order some of your albums.

I cannot convey the sonic difference is absolutely remarkable in hot press albums compared to the standard issue pressing.

The soundstage is simply spectacular.

The clarity is unreal, and there’s a beautiful sweetness and warmth to every single note that’s very pleasing to hear.

I put on Boston’s first album and it was like having warm honey poured into my ears.

What a wonderful experience. Thank you Better Records for the work that you do.

I can only imagine the hundreds of hours I would have to spend rummaging through crates of vinyl to find anything that sounded anywhere near as good as your pressings do.

You have a fan for life.

Sincerely yours,

Rob H

Rob,

We could not be happier about your newfound enjoyment of vinyl. You hit the nail right on the head with everything you say.

And rummaging through the bins only works if you have lots of time on your hands and good cleaning systems, and who wants to clean records all day when you can just listen to them sound as awesine as ours sound?

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Letter of the Week – “The sound is incredible. Neil’s voice is right in the room.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Neil Young Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased recently, including After the Goldrush and Beatles For Sale: 

Hey Tom, 

Just wanted to write and tell you how much I love that Neil Young After The Gold Rush White Hot Stamper I picked up last week. Really awesome. This ranks up with the best I’ve bought from you guys.

The sound is incredible. Neil’s voice is right in the room. The guitar sounds real and that harmonica is super. I love when he performs, just him and nobody else. I’m really stuck on Neil’s albums. The sound is just soooo good. I’m working on my system to get more out of these records.

Oh yeah, I picked up one of your “Beatles for Sale” albums for $65. [This must be an old letter!] Really nice for the money. Those Beatles albums can really be awesome. Have to get a White Hot Stamper Beatles album someday. (more…)

Letter of the Week – “You guys aren’t kidding… blew me away.”

Hot Stamper Pressing of the Music of The Rolling Stones Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about a Hot Stamper pressing of Their Satanic Majesties Request he purchased recently:

Hey Tom, 

Just played Their Satanic Majesties Request that I received from you. You guys aren’t kidding. The copy is excellent – blew me away. It replaces my original copy (with the 3D photo). I have a pretty good system, and it really stood out – lots of detail and quite a few surprises.

Thanks for curating such great vinyl.

Rodney

Rodney,

Thanks for your letter. The originals we’ve played are simply not competitive with the best sounding reissues, which is why we sell the best sounding reissues for more money than the originals.

Anybody can buy an original. Only somebody who does rigorous shootouts of multiple pressings from different eras can know which are the best sounding pressings of any given album (keeping in mind that the results from any given shootout, like any scientific finding, are provisional.)

You came to the right place for the best sound and you got it.

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Letter of the Week – “…just never dreamed the sound quality was there to match the music.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Tom Petty Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased recently:

Hey Tom,   

[referring to the coronavirus] But then, with luck, we will pull through and you can get back to finding us those gems.

The last one, Tom Petty Southern Accents, was so astoundingly good you have forced me to rethink my whole approach to him as well.

I mean the music has always been great, just never dreamed the sound quality was there to match the music.

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Letter of the Week – “When the sound field is this huge, lots of things click into place.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Fleetwood Mac Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about a comparison he did between a Super Hot and a White Hot pressing of Rumours.

Dear Tom and Fred,

White Hot Stampers are very special records. I know you know this already, but it still astonishes me every time. It’s been a pleasure to compare the WHS of Rumours to my SHS [Super Hot Stamper].

Tom, I hear you talk about the size of the acoustic space a lot on your blog, but it was hard for me to picture what you meant until I heard it myself.

The WHS sounds bigger than the SHS. It is like I’m sitting a few rows back at a show. It’s such a palpable difference, I feel like I can measure the increased size of the sound field for the WHS. I’d say it’s about two feet more forward, up, and out compared to the SHS.

When the sound field is this huge, lots of things click into place. The instruments have their own space, and that seems to make it easier to follow each of them, and to notice all the details in someone’s playing. It’s really exhilarating.

Vinyl amazes me. It’s just so remarkable that two pressings can differ in terms of the size of the soundstage. What parameter of the pressing gives you that? I’d love to know, but even without understanding the physics of it, the effect is unmistakably real.

I imagine that picking out the white hot stampers is the easiest part of your job. I’m guessing that all it takes is a couple notes of music to know when a particular copy has THAT sound. Finding good candidates, I’m certain, can be tedium, then disappointment when they don’t pan out. But, spotting a 3+ is probably a cinch.

When I first got the SHS of Rumours, I shot it out against all the other copies I had, and it bested them all. It took me a whole afternoon (a delightful afternoon, but still.)

The WHS is simply in a different league. I went back and forth between it and the SHS, track after track, amazed by how easy it was to hear the differences, particularly in the size of the acoustic space. It’s really no wonder your white hots seem to sell faster than your super hots, even at 3-4x the price.

Aaron

Aaron,

The size and space that any given pressing reproduces is one of the most important aspects of the sound that we listen for. Bigger and bolder, without being hyped-up in any way — that is our sound.

This brings to mind a milestone event in the history of Better Records. We did a huge shootout for Blood, Sweat and Tears’ second album many years ago, all the way back in 2010. We found two copies with sides that went far beyond any we had ever played. They reproduced the brass from wall to wall and floor to ceiling in a way that we had no idea was possible. We described it this way:

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