Here we go.... While there definitely is a big grain of truth to that, the bigger truth with vinyl is you just never know. There is a strong tendency for original early pressings to be better, but its really more like its the later and reissue pressings that are worse. In other words buying new original is no guarantee of exceptional sound quality.
If all you want to do is avoid the really bad stuff then you are on the right track. But if what you really want is the exceptionally good stuff then it is just the beginning. Because if you buy 20 identical copies and play them you will find no two sound exactly the same. Most will be very close (average), a few will have pretty obvious problems (sibilance, weak bass, etch, etc), and may be one will sound quite a bit better than any of the others.
I have records just like this. Never realized it until I started buying Better-records.com and compared their Hot Stampers with my identical copies. They look exactly the same, identical hot wax and everything, but they do not sound anything like the same. Hot Stampers are in a league of their own.
So you can filter like you’re talking. That all by itself is better than most ever figure out. Then you can compare copies and keep the best. Knowing its all down to random chance and you might do this with 10 or 20 or more to find a really good one. Or if you really just want the to die for sound and its worth it to you then buy a White Hot Stamper. Only then will you know what I’m talking about.
Then if you do please come back and let us know, as there are still a lot of skeptics who think I’m blowing smoke.
If all you want to do is avoid the really bad stuff then you are on the right track. But if what you really want is the exceptionally good stuff then it is just the beginning. Because if you buy 20 identical copies and play them you will find no two sound exactly the same. Most will be very close (average), a few will have pretty obvious problems (sibilance, weak bass, etch, etc), and may be one will sound quite a bit better than any of the others.
I have records just like this. Never realized it until I started buying Better-records.com and compared their Hot Stampers with my identical copies. They look exactly the same, identical hot wax and everything, but they do not sound anything like the same. Hot Stampers are in a league of their own.
So you can filter like you’re talking. That all by itself is better than most ever figure out. Then you can compare copies and keep the best. Knowing its all down to random chance and you might do this with 10 or 20 or more to find a really good one. Or if you really just want the to die for sound and its worth it to you then buy a White Hot Stamper. Only then will you know what I’m talking about.
Then if you do please come back and let us know, as there are still a lot of skeptics who think I’m blowing smoke.