beatlrevol

Letter of the Week – “You might pay a lot more for an early Beatles pressing on Discogs but you’d still pay less and get a better pressing from your site.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of The Beatles Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased back in 2024:

Hey Tom,

I’m genuinely thrilled to have someone who figured out what’s going on with vinyl and how to make it sound best and what vinyl to buy. I’ve been posting in different places, like on Reddit, Discogs.com and other groups I belong to over the last year, telling them essentially two things: you figured out that the best pressings can only be found through shoot outs or your service. They’re not going to be the first pressing of a record necessarily or anything simple like that. It’s just not that easy.) And to stay away from recent remasters and half-speed remasters.

And I said that while some stuff on your site may not be in everyone’s budget, certain things are so worthwhile, like mid-career Beatles albums, to take one example. You’d be foolish to go anywhere else. To get a Hot Stamper or Super Hot Stamper of, say, Rubber Soul or Revolver from you is a great deal. You might pay a lot more for an early Beatles pressing on Discogs.com but you’d still pay less at better-records.com AND get a better pressing from your site. And I give other examples where it just makes more sense to buy from you and know you’ll get a guaranteed great record; money back guarantee – no questions.

And the other discovery is that you figured out how to clean the records better than anyone, and how important that is. You’ve heard me say it’s the clarity of a CD with the warmth of vinyl. (I can’t have been the first one to think up that analogy.) And that even brand new records need to be cleaned before you can truly judge them. So unless one buys from your company, or learns to clean the records using your system and learn to do shootouts (which will take a long time, but it’s a good skill if you have the interest), you’re going to be listening to mediocre stuff.

And when you hear the real deal for the first time, it will be so obvious that the previous stuff was crap. (My next purchase will be your cleaning system before I buy another record. I’ve just got to have this book off my plate.)

So I wanted you to know I was spreading the gospel and you’ve already given me a lot that I’m really grateful for. And I appreciate you answering all my early questions and my occasional questions in addition to redefining everything I know about vinyl.

Andrew

Andrew,
Thanks for the kind words, as usual!

It’s true that our Beatles pressings are going to beat practically any early pressing of any title you can find for yourself, for lots of reasons, the main one being that the early Beatles pressings of Revolver and Rubber Soul and most of their other titles are not especially good sounding.

Some will no doubt turn out to be better sounding than whatever pressing you happen to have, but the random copy you buy online is most likely to be at best mediocre. When it comes to The Beatles, the conventional wisdom in our experience is wildly off the mark.

How will you know for sure that what you have been listening to has been second rate?

The way that all our customers learned that somewhat inconvenient truth — by hearing a Hot Stamper pressing, on their own system, with their own two ears. What other way could their be?

We get far more letters about our Beatles albums than we do for any other band, or for any other kind of music for that matter, and the reason is obvious — our Hot Stamper pressings have dramatically better sound than any other Beatles records ever made.  If you were willing to pay the price, it’s doubtful you had any trouble hearing the difference and seeing the value.

Thanks for your letter,
TP

Further Reading

“There is nothing to be learned from the second kick of a mule.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of Revolver Available Now

In 2022 we finally reviewed the newly remixed Revolver.

As I was reading the newspaper today, I chanced upon Mark Twain’s famous quote and immediately recognized a way to put it to good use. I had been searching my brain for a good way to start a commentary detailing the multitudinous problems with the remixed, half-speed mastered Revolver LP. Kicked in the head was exactly what I needed.

In 2020 I had reviewed the Abbey Road remix and was astonished that anyone would release a record of such utter sonic worthlessness. A few choice lines:

The Half-Speed mastered remixed Abbey Road has to be one of the worst sounding Beatles records we have ever had the displeasure to play.

Hard to imagine you could make Abbey Road sound any worse. It’s absolutely disgraceful.

I will be writing more about its specific shortcomings down the road, but for now let this serve as a warning that you are throwing your money away if you buy this newly remixed LP.

Of course I never did write more about it. The thought of listening critically to the album in order to detail its manifold shortcomings was more than I could bear and onto the back burner the idea went, where it remains to this day.

In 2020 I warned the audiophile community not to go down this foolish half-speed mastered road, and now that they have been kicked in the head a second time, perhaps when they wake up they will come to their senses, although I doubt very much that they will.

Giles Martin is the guilty party here, and I hope it is clear by now that he simply has no clue as to how a Beatles record should sound. If he did have such a clue, this new Revolver would never have seen the light of day.

Getting Down to Brass Tacks

Here are the notes our crack listening panel (our very own Wrecking Crew) made as they listened to the new Revolver.

Note that they listened to side two first, playing a Super Hot stamper ’70s UK pressing head to head with the new release, so we have listed our notes for side two above those for side one.

They listened to the first two tracks on side two in this order:

Good Day Sunshine, And Your Bird Can Sing.

On side one they played the first three tracks and listened to them in this order:

I’m Only Sleeping, Taxman, Eleanor Rigby.

Some of the highlights from side two:

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Apparently, “…no one is sitting in a perfect stereo field…”

Hot Stamper Pressings of Revolver Available Now

A letter and some commentary about Revolver in mono follows the comment that was left by a Mr. Doodah defending The Beatles in mono. My reply then follows.

First up, Mr. Doodah.

“you have absolutely no clue what you’re talking about. That’s exactly the point why the mono sounds good because no one is sitting in a perfect stereo field listening to music these days.

“They are either listening on Headphones or undoubtedly hundreds of degrees off access in another room or whatever they’re doing in their car or whatever so the stereo mixes will not stand up under those kinds of conditions.

“It’s only for nuts, so it’s like you sit down with a supposedly perfect acoustically design [sic] room and perfectly aligned speakers. Not exactly real world for the masses.

“I always tell people I teach engineering to… First thing… And learn how to do a great mono mix. Then you can start with all the fakery.

“You are way out of your league even pretending to know what you’re talking about”

Dear Mr. Doodah,

I would think that anyone reading this blog would see that we are not the least bit concerned with anything the masses are up to.

The masses seem to like streaming. Why should anyone waste his time taking what they like seriously? I suppose if you’re teaching those looking for work in an industry providing music to the masses, what you are telling them may be of some value.

It is surely of no value to those of us who aspire to high quality sound. Yes, the experience we are after does indeed require special rooms and speakers and, most especially, high quality stereo records to play.

If you’ve never heard The Beatles’s music reproduced at the highest levels on a big system in a dedicated room, why would you pretend to know anything about it?

Our customers can easily access the mono mixes and the modern digital releases. They have chosen instead to spend a great deal of money on our vintage records. The abundant evidence — sales figures, letters, etc. — should make it clear that our stereo Hot Stamper pressings do in fact deliver the superior sound we promised them.

Hondas and Ferraris

Some people drive Hondas and some people drive Ferraris. You can try telling people who drive a Ferrari that nobody needs such a car in this day and age, that they should get real and just switch to a Honda, but do you really think Ferrari drivers care what other people are driving in this day and age?

We have nothing against people who choose to listen to The Beatles’ music with the lowest possible fidelity imaginable. I grew up doing exactly that, hearing them for the first time in 1964, in mono, on an AM car radio. That low-fidelity mono sound worked for me and millions of others. As a matter of fact, 1964 was the very year I became a lifelong fan.

Perhaps this is the kind of sound you are teaching your students to strive for. I certainly hope not.

Some of us have moved on from car radios and mono mixes. With all the latest playback technology, and the right stereo pressings, The Beatles’ recordings, more so than for those of any other band, can now come alive in ways unimaginable to my younger self.

I hope your students get the chance someday to hear The Beatles’ music in all its glory, on a truly high-fidelity system, in stereo.

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Letter of the Week – “All four records exceeded my expectations and in my opinion are the best copies I’ve ever heard.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of The Beatles Available Now

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

Just wanted to say Thank You.

All four records exceeded my expectations and in my opinion are the best copies I’ve ever heard.

I will continue to follow your site and be a future customer as well.
Whit

Dear Whit,

We should be thanking you! That was a chunk of change you spent with us, but it seems you are quite happy with your purchases, so that’s a win-win, right?

Four truly great albums, all personal favorites and Desert Island Discs, albums that I have listened to from beginning to end hundreds of times over the last 40+ years and still play to this day.

Now you can hear and enjoy them the way I have, and you can do so for as long as you live. Hope you are young enough to spend the next forty years of your life playing this wonderful music.

You now own the pressings that show just how well-recorded these albums were. If you want to hear the magic of analog, your best bet is to go back to 1966, 1967, 1969 or 1973. That’s when they knew what they what they were doing.

Three of the titles below are reissues, and none of the four pressings you bought were mastered after the decade of the 70s.

Why the 70s was the peak decade for mastering quality is a question no one can answer, not to my satisfaction anyway, but after playing tens of thousands of records, I long ago learned to accept it as a fact, one that is supported by mountains of evidence.

Thanks for writing,

Best, TP

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The Mono Recut of Revolver from 1981 Is a Ripoff

Hot Stamper Pressings of Revolver Available Now

A great sounding record in stereo, potentially anyway, but this later reissue in mono is so awful it deserves a special place in our hall of shame.

My notes for side one: hard, sour, no bass.

Side two: dumbass small mono, so unclear.

Is it the worst version of the album ever made? That’s hard to say. There is no shortage of competition, that’s for sure.

But it may be the worst sounding version of the album we’ve ever played, and that should be good enough for any audiophile contemplating spending money on this kind of rubbish.

We love the mono mix of For No One, but not when it sounds like this.

The only Beatles vinyl we offer on our site are stereo pressings. Our reasons for doing this are straightforward enough.

The Beatles records in mono, contrary to the opinion of audiophiles and music lovers alike, virtually never have the presence, energy and resolution found on the best stereo copies. If your stereo cannot resolve all the information on the tape, sure, Twin Track Stereo (used on the first two albums, hard-panned multi-track afterwards) ends up sounding like some of the instruments are stuck in the speakers, hard left and hard right, with nothing but a hole in the middle.

But there is a great deal of information spreading into the middle when we play those records here, and nothing feels stuck in the speakers that doesn’t sound like it was supposed to be heard coming directly from one of the speakers.

It is our contention that the best audio equipment, properly tweaked, can show you a world of musical information that exists only on the stereo pressings, information that the mono mixes mostly obscure.

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The Beatles – Revolver

Hot Stamper Pressings of Revolver Available Now

  • Both sides of this British stereo pressing were doing most everything right, earning outstanding Double Plus (A++) grades
  • Here is the space, energy, presence, clarity and massive bottom end you had no idea were even possible on Revolver – what a record!
  • 14 amazing tracks including “Taxman,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Good Day Sunshine,” “Got To Get You Into My Life,” and “Tomorrow Never Knows”
  • 5 stars: “Even after Sgt. Pepper, Revolver stands as the ultimate modern pop album and it’s still as emulated as it was upon its original release.”

Want to be blown away by Beatles sound you never imagined you would ever be able to experience? Drop the needle on Taxman on this very side one — that’s your ticket to ride, baby! We were knocked out by it and we guarantee you will be too.

This Is How Good It Can Get

This superb pressing has all the qualities we look for on Revolver: vocal presence, Tubey Magic, huge weight to the bottom end, and, most importantly of all, energy. It’s also exceptionally smooth, sweet and above all analog-sounding — the upper-midrange grit and grain that compromise most pressings are nowhere to be found here.

It’s as BIG and SOLID as a rock record can sound. The best copies have practically zero coloration. They let us think we are sitting in the control room enjoying the playback with Geoff and George.

Unlike so many copies of the album, the band here is enthusiastic and rockin’ like crazy. This copy brings the music to LIFE in a way that few others can. That’s our definition of Hot Stamper sound in a nutshell.

Listen to how grungy and smooth the guitars are on And Your Bird Can Sing — they are close to perfection.

The trumpet on For No One has rarely sounded as good as it does here — you can really hear air and spit being pushed through the horn. That’s not phony detail, that’s what a real horn sounds like if you are close to it.

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Letter of the Week – “…you sell a product that is singular and unique. And completely worth every penny.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of Sgt. Peppers Available Now

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

Hey Tom,   

I never thought, not even for a second, that in my life I’d EVER buy a record for $300. Never Ever!

But here I am. Most records I’d come across in my life were from used/antique stores, and so they were warped, brittle, noisy, or out of tune (a fact I didn’t notice until I graduated from a music college).

But your Beatles “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper” – music I’ve known my ENTIRE LIFE – sound like new as Hot Stampers.

I appreciate the fact these records, although expensive, are sold simply on the basis of quality.

In an increasingly fake, plastic “if this one doesn’t work just return it for another broken one” world, you sell a product that is singular and unique. And completely worth every penny.

I appreciate the fact you evaluate the record’s sound (i.e. mastering) as a musician would – focusing on tonal correctness – prizing the record’s ability to accurately reproduce a recording of how instruments actually sound in real life. On its face, it seems so simple, yet it is of utmost importance. Thanks!

Kyle M.

Kyle,

Thanks for writing. Glad you think our Hot Stamper pressings were worth what you paid for them. They are indeed expensive, but as you now know firsthand, they deliver the sound they promise.

On the best pressings, Sgt. Pepper is nothing less than a Demo Disc for Tubey Magic.

If you’re looking for Hot Stamper pressings of Tubey Magical rock and pop recordings, we usually have a good supply. They are not cheap, but truly great sounding records rarely are.

We’ve also created a Top Ten for the most Tubey Magical rock and pop albums we’ve ever played.  What follows is the complete list, in alphabetical order, limited to one album per artist or group.

We picked Sgt. Pepper for this list even though there are many Tubey Magical titles in their catalog.

Note also that we rarely have more than a couple of these titles in stock at any time. Tubey Magical sound is what analog is all about, so naturally the titles on this list are in very high demand.

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Letter of the Week – “I needed a day to fully pick up my jaw from the floor after hearing Revolver and Dark Side…”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Pink Floyd Available Now

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

Hey Tom, 

I needed a day to fully pick up my jaw from the floor after hearing Revolver and Dark Side of the Moon.

Now that I‘ve given them both a few listens to fully absorb how revealing these recordings I thought I knew so well really are, I just have so many questions. 

How much better sounding can the respective White Hots really be?????

As far as Dark Side, I’m finding out for myself. Just ordered the white hot stamper. Most likely will be returning one of them, but I hope that after this, I will finally be able to stop looking for “the better sound” on this one….

Regarding Revolver, will the A++ side of my Revolver Super hot sound the same as the A++ side of the WHS? Or is the A++ grade on the WHS relative to its A+++ side, and still better than the SHS? What I am getting at is, will both sides blow me away in comparison to my SHS, or is it better to be patient and hold out for a two-sided A+++? Btw, regardless of your answer, you cannot have this copy back, it is simply fantastic!

I know these kinds of questions are quite relative to a number of variables, but any enlightenment you can provide is welcome…. I appreciate what you do, you have gained a very happy customer. (more…)

Should We Follow George Martin’s Expert Advice?

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of The Beatles Available Now

Scroll down to the bottom and click on the lighter text for “2 Comments” to read someone’s defense of the mono mixes, followed by our reply.

One of our good customers had this to say about the new Revolver pressing and The Beatles in mono:

Hey Tom,

I think the Revolver new thing doesn’t sound terrible. It’s just what you’re comparing it with. Most people are going off original pressings maybe and the acclaimed mono and stereo box stuff that came out in the last 10 years. IF you don’t try one of those Harry Moss records or a 1970s pressing, you probably think the new Revolver is fine or even good. That’s my theory. Who knows.

And as far as mono vs. stereo… you know the answer to this but I’m not sure. Were those earliest records meant to be mono or recorded as if they would be put out as mono and later records – maybe Rubber Soul on – meant to be stereo? I don’t know the answer to that. But maybe that’s why people are so loyal to mono. They feel like “this is how it was meant to be heard by the artist.”

George Martin was very clear about that, the first two albums for sure and really, the first four are, for him, better heard in mono than stereo.

Dear Sir,

I disagree. I think George heard the playback on studio monitors stuck on a wall five feet from his head. Who cares what that sounds like?  Nobody who isn’t mixing a record would ever listen to music that way, certainly not in this day and age.

More importantly, who are you going to believe, your lying ears or George Martin?

This is fundamental to understanding everything to do with audio and records.

Richard Feynman summed it up beautifully:

Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.

Watch the Let It Be documentary produced by Peter Jackson, especially the last part where they play the album back for everyone who was involved in the making of it.

With four monitor speakers lined up left to right and shoved up against a wall.

This is how they listened to the album in order to approve Glyn Johns’ mix and the takes he chose to use?

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One of Our Best Sounding Pressings of Revolver Lacked Space on Side One

Hot Stamper Pressings of Revolver Available Now

On side one we played I’m Only Sleeping first, followed by Taxman.

On side two we started with And Your Bird Can Sing, followed by Good Day Sunshine.

You may notice that there seems to be a pattern in the way we pick which songs of each side to do first.

As you can see from the notes, side two of our most recent White Hot stamper Shootout Winner was doing everything right.

The second track was very tubey and present. Good Day Sunshine, the first track, was super rich and weighty, with lots of room around the vox. (I hope you can read our writing. If you can’t, just email me and I will try to find the time to transcribe the rest of the text.)

However, we had a side one that was slightly better than the side one you see here.

The Second Round

When we played the two best copies back to back, side two of this copy came out on top, earning a grade of 3+, but the side one of another pressing showed us there was even more space in the recording than we noticed the first time around.

As a consequence, we dropped side one’s grade a half plus, from 3 to 2.5+.

This is exactly why we do shootouts. If you really want to be able to recognize subtle (and sometimes not so subtle!) differences between pressings, you must learn to do them too.

And make sure to take notes about what you are hearing, good and bad.

One side falling short of the full Three Pluses happens more often than not. One out of five records that has one shootout winning side will have a matching shootout winning other side.

The math works like this. 3+/3+ records go in this section, which currently holds 22 titles as of 1/2025. Records with at least one 3+ side go in this section, and there are 120 of those as of the same date, more than five times as many.

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