Better Records vs MoFi

I bought a copy of The Band's Music from Big Pink from Better Records and it blew away my MFSL version. I have purchased several other titles from them that had no half-speed master version that were likewise much better than I could find otherwise.

It was particularly difficult for me to find Fleetwood Mac's Future Games in either LP or CD format that didn't sound muddy and veiled. I found one on Better Records which was much better than my three LPs and two CD's of the title.

I couldn't afford their prices for everything, but they definitely do what they say they do.

@bdp24 

I bought my MFSL copy of MFBP back in the mid-80's so it was definitely the 1-039 version. Not being very knowledgeable about MFSL, I thought all of their stuff was half-speed mastered.

The copy I got from Better Records is an EMI/Capitol (ST 2955), made in UK. I didn't find much info about it.

Now ya got me going on that box set. I'll probably have to get that one!

@chrisoshea 

If Better Records was merely looking for the quietest pressings they could find and cleaning them, I could partially agree with you. Over the last several years, I purchased four copies of Jethro Tull's Stand Up and finally found one quiet enough to suit me. But BR goes through the extra step of listening carefully to all of the quiet ones in the hopes of finding exceptional sound quality.

The process of starting with a tape and ending with the final LP product is fraught with numerous potential mechanical problems along the way from cutting the original acetate, making the stamper, properly heating the stampers before pressing and on and on. Sometimes one side of an LP has much better sound quality than the other so BR will pair it up with another copy on which the other side is the better sounding one.

Over the years, I bought three LP copies (two of them were sealed) and one CD copy of Fleetwood Mac's Future Games and they all sounded murky and veiled. I had resigned myself to the fact that it was just recorded that way and there was nothing to be done about it. When I saw a copy on Better Records, I figured I would take a chance and purchased it. It is a white-label promo copy that actually has an extra level of high frequency detail that is missing from my other copies. I still think the original recording is compromised, but this LP copy stood out from the rest. It sounds better.

How many copies are you prepared to buy and how much time are you willing to spend carefully comparing the sound quality? I was happy to pay the $129.99 for Better Records to do it.

@chrisoshea

I’m speaking from personal experience and you’re speaking from....?