Better Records vs MoFi


I’ve read about Better Records on the site. They listen to endless copies of records & separate out the amazing sounding pressings. I can understand because of many variables, some sound better than others. But, can a great sounding regular pressing sound better than a half speed master? Doesn’t a HSM have more music data on it?

I don’t want to go down a rabbit hole. If the BR premise holds up then there are certainly better pressings of Dark Side of the Moon etc. I’m not concerned with that. I’m also not interested in cost or “X sucks, I’d never buy one.”

tochsii

Their latest mailer had half a dozen White Hot Stampers $600-900. They were all SOLD. Within like a hour. So yeah we can't afford many, but someone sure can! 

Study the discogs info on the album you want.

It's all in the deadwax.

It's simply effort, luck and timing to find a good condition 1st/early press.

Some genres/artists are unobtanium now due to demand and age.

Nothing special about Better Records except the effort is done for you and you're gonna pay the price for it.

My local store has had Better Records scouts going thru the bins for years.

 

 

The Better Records process (shoot outs) is about a strong as one could use to find outstanding sounding copies of LP’s. One just has to read their blog consistently. They have the most valuable information advantage and historical knowledge of anybody in the world on LP’s that fit their model. 
 

I would argue that their best values are albums like Led Zep 2, Sticky Fingers, Ziggy Stardust, etc…. Generally even with the pressing (stampers) identified to likely win a shoot out you still need a number of clean copies to find the Hot Stamper, Nearly White Hot, and White Hot. 
 

There are plenty of great LP’s that don’t fit their model, Big Star’s LP’s as an example. 

Even though there are good, better, best, I can’t get into which pressing

but, after finding a performance of great musicians at the top of their game:

It’s the engineering, whether the people setting up the recording room, # and type and placement of mics; later decisions about imaging and volume levels,

’they sure knew what they were doing’ comes out of my brain/mouth when it’s great.

I’ve heard terrific musicians, great trios, different venues, awesome live recordings, some wandering imaging, some disappearing instruments, some drums right side then moved to center for solo.

The better your system ’images’ the better/worse is revealed.

When I inherited 4000 lps, I quickly divided them into two categories: sell/keep, blend with mine, pull more to sell.

If I saw Rudy Gelder’s name, KEEP!!!

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Other Opinions: Other great engineers (especially Jazz) ________?

 

 "They have the most valuable information advantage and historical knowledge of anybody in the world on LP’s that fit their model."

Good grief...nice plug. Lets all shill for Better Records!

There's nothing special about what Better Records does. Buy 20 copies Aja AB 1006 and listen for the best condition/sounding one.

No hate on the guy, he had a vision and it sells.

Some of the "sizzle" hype /superlatives is nonsense, but clearly, it's working for him.