The quest for the hot stamper or is it a myth


I have looked at Better Records and their belief is  they have actually found the holy grail of vinyl geeks. The mysterious hot stamper. A record that has no outside evidence what actual number pressing it is. 1000 records can be pressed from a stamper before it degrades the sound. Some manufacturers go up to 1500. I have a DCC Van Halen # 778 on the record jacket and it sounds phenomenal and it should by DCC. Of course if you have Led Zep II and Bob Ludwig is in the dead wax you have a winner. I bought a Marvin Gaye "What's Going On" this year and its sounds really amazingly good. I have the 2 CD extended set and best of on record and SACD. The record not only slays them but cuts it
them up into little bits pieces and feeds it to the wolves. No contest. The sax is smooth and detailed as silk and the intro to "Inner City Blues" just makes me want to hear that over and over again. Ok I assume it was a well engineered album to begin with. Chime in on the engineering. Does anyone else believe in the hot stamper and do you think you have one in your collection???????
128x128blueranger
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.).


Tom Port's business is discussed here, Steven Hoffman and others.
Whether of not his copy of Steely Dan's Aja is worth $500, is up to the buyer. It's simplybusiness filling a demand. Does it sound "better?" Subjective, like the evaluating systems.

My neighborhood record store would get visits by his scouts for those pricey listings on his site.
I have plenty of "stamper" quality albums, purchased for a couple bucks. IMO, it just make sense to get as close to the source recording. Particularly, if you listen to music that
originally was released before 1980-90? Reissues and even period "greatest hits" have been off my radar for many years.

When I see a copy of VH's debut album listed for $200, I shake my head and roll my eyes. I have my $3.99 copy purchased in 1978, somewhere.