Ah, the hot stamper, the one thing the record does not reveal. But there's nothing mysterious about it.
Most record companies have - sometimes elaborate - information on the dead wax that will tell you what cutting engineer, lacquer, mother and stamper you are dealing with. But for the 'position' of a particular copy within each production run from the same stamper there's no way to tell. Except by listening, which is what Better Records purports to do. This time consuming and therefore costly service should provide you with the better samples from each pressing run. Presumably the first few hundred copies pressed from a fresh stamper, before the first signs of stamper wear or overheating.
But I honestly think that the sonic difference between the first and last copy pressed from one stamper should not be overestimated. With previously owned records - which is what we are dealing with mostly - the playing history of the record is of much greater importance. This is another unknown factor, except of course for obvious signs of frequent play (lack of lustre, sleeve removal marks, spindle marks, etc.) or misuse (feelable needle marks, etc.).
Most record companies have - sometimes elaborate - information on the dead wax that will tell you what cutting engineer, lacquer, mother and stamper you are dealing with. But for the 'position' of a particular copy within each production run from the same stamper there's no way to tell. Except by listening, which is what Better Records purports to do. This time consuming and therefore costly service should provide you with the better samples from each pressing run. Presumably the first few hundred copies pressed from a fresh stamper, before the first signs of stamper wear or overheating.
But I honestly think that the sonic difference between the first and last copy pressed from one stamper should not be overestimated. With previously owned records - which is what we are dealing with mostly - the playing history of the record is of much greater importance. This is another unknown factor, except of course for obvious signs of frequent play (lack of lustre, sleeve removal marks, spindle marks, etc.) or misuse (feelable needle marks, etc.).