MOBILE FIDELITY ONE STEP VINYL

Better Records are reviewing records and picking the best sounding...but here’s a couple of ??’s...The records that they pick are best sounding to them based on their criteria, does that mean it will be the best based on the consumer’s criteria? Do we know what gear they are using to do the determination? Does that gear allow them to truly hear what is the best sounding pressing?

I think what is most important is knowing the pressing plant, the engineer, 1st press etc.  It makes big difference.  But I tend to agree with the fact that many reissues and even Japanese pressings may not sound very good.  Unless you know what you are looking for, many japanese pressings can sound very thin, almost anemic.  Many reissues are remastered and sound completely different than they did on the first pressing probably mainly because of tape deterioration or no useable master tape.

The records that they pick are best sounding to them based on their criteria, does that mean it will be the best based on the consumer’s criteria?

No. But here's a question for you: can you think of anything where that would be the case? No. So same as usual.

Do we know what gear they are using to do the determination?

Yes. They play records on a turntable, listening through speakers.

Does that gear allow them to truly hear what is the best sounding pressing?

It's not the gear that allows anyone to hear Daveyf. It's our own ears and listening skills. All it's ever been, all it ever will be.

Unless you know what you are looking for, many japanese pressings can sound very thin, almost anemic

Even the pressings from the 70's and early 80's?

It depends. You have to know what you are looking for. Yes, even the pressings from 70’s and 80’s.  Even reissue US pressings can sound thin as well.  

Many from this period were not pressed on virgin vinyl so they can have some surface noise but they still can sound very good.