One of our good customers had this to say about a Hot Stamper pressing he purchased recently:
I just received the Super Hot Stamper copy of the Beatles Oldies and would like to thank you for selecting a very nice copy that is in the surprisingly good condition. On the first listen, the outstanding tracks are “She Loves You” (super sweet, crystal clear vocals), “Day Tripper” (incredibly soft, yet energetic sound), “Eleanor Rigby” (powerful voice and strings), “I Feel Fine” (crisp, powerful drums), and “A Hard Day’s Night” (oooh, those vocals and those chiming guitars bursting out of the speakers!)
The only somewhat disappointing track is “Help”. Hard sounding, even harsh, with boosted highs and insufficient bass.
Alex followed up in more depth with this:
Just wanted to send you compliments on picking a very good pressing of the The Beatles “A Collection of Beatles Oldies” (Super Hot Stamper). I am a massive Beatles fan and have a number of various copies of their LPs in my collection. I received your hot stamper yesterday, and spent some time doing side-by-side shootouts comparing the tracks on your hot stamper to the same tracks on my other LPs.
I’ll just quickly comment on “Ticket To Ride” (one of my all time favourite Beatles songs): I compared the hot stamper pressing with my original UK pressing of the LP “Help.” After playing “Ticket To Ride” (last track on side one of “Help”, I said to myself “hey, no way this track could ever sound better than it already does. The sound is big as a house, loads of energy, the guitars are cutting, shimmering. and leaping out the right speaker, Lennon’s voice is searing, Ringo’s drums are rocking!”
Then I played the hot stamper version. Wow! What a stunning difference. It’s as if someone pulled cotton wool out of my ears. Such presence, such clarity, such musicality. The sweetness, the razor sharp imaging and precision in the soundstage. I mean, I’m speechless.
I then dutifully went on to play “Ticket To Ride”, comparing the hot stamper with my Japanese pressing of “Help”, my Capitol pressing, etc. Of course, all those other pressings fared much worse than my original UK pressing.
I am kind of in disbelief now. How’s such a stunning difference even possible, given that they’re pretty much coming from the same (or similar) master tape. My 1965 UK pressing [1] was obviously cut from the fresh master tape, and yet it sounds muddled and blaring compared to the 1966 [2] pressing of the hot stamper.
Another interesting thing to note is that, prior to hearing the hot stamper, I honestly thought that the UK version on the “Help” LP sounded fantastic.
This experience sounds and feels like witchcraft. It took me a while to follow Robert’s advice [Robert Brook the man behind The Broken Record] and get to listen to a hot stamper, but here we are.
Whatever it is, I know I’m now in trouble because I will have to start selling some guitars in my collection to be able to afford your Beatles super white hot stampers.
Alex
I wrote back asking about Help.
Alex,
Thanks for writing. Did you have a change of heart on the song Help from the first letter you sent? Or does that track still sound bad and it’s the others that now sound good from Help, the album?
Best, TP
Alex replied:
Actually, on subsequent listening I changed my mind. “Help” does sound good. I had to listen to it side-by-side with a few other pressings to realize how much better it sounds on your hot stamper. I think I mistook white heat energy on that track for hard sounding, even harsh. My ears needed recalibrating.
In all fairness, the entire LP sounds stunning. So much so that it now breaks my heart to play any other Beatles LP. I now know how the Beatles ACTUALLY sound, and cannot bear to listen to any substandard versions.
So, you spoiled it for me. I now have to chase after other hot stampers of the Beatles LPs. Just when I was planning to prepare the budget for a tonearm upgrade…
He then added:
I must admit I’m incapable of understanding how it is even possible that this hot stamper sounds so good? It’s as if the Beatles came to life in my listening room. Playing any other of their records that I have in my collection now sounds as if I’m hearing them through some thick glass pane. All muffled and distorted.
Whatever the reason for such sonic brilliance, I am now over the moon to be given this opportunity to rediscover my favourite band. What still puzzles me is people who continue insisting that your hot stampers are a hoax, snake oil, etc. Have those people got ears? The difference in sound is literally day and night. Only a deaf person would not be able to hear it.
And to think that if you did not have this passion for good sound and a business acumen to offer good products to us, we’d be still sitting in Dark Ages and listening to substandard vinyl. And we’d be deluding ourselves thinking that it’s as good as it can get.
Thank you for opening our ears, Tom!
Alex
Alex,
We love it when our customers take the time and make the effort to do their own shootouts, especially when we win, which is what happens about 99% of the time.
It is not the least bit unusual for our customers to take another listen and become aware of the more correct sound of our Hot Stamper pressings the second time through. We’re glad to know that was the case with the song “Help.”
As for those who insist our Hot Stampers are a hoax, we simply encourage them to find their own, using the methods we have pioneered.
I would be surprised if anyone who actually starts doing serious shootouts remains skeptical of the dramatic differences to be found among seemingly similar pressings.
(more…)
