"Hot stamper" madness

Fascinating write up.

One enterprising guy trying his luck and succeeding with a few gullible rich guys with more money to burn than they know what to do with. 

There are so many variables involved, particularly where s/h vinyl is concerned, why shouldn't there be huge variance between one example to another.  I've come across this on a number of occasions.  Yes, I'm one of those maniacs who has often found himself with 10 or more copies of the same LP, none of which sound exactly the same.  And there are those stand out LPs that seem to transcend all others, even other examples of the same album.  You begin to learn the "hot cuts" and from there you then discover that within that group there's a creme de la creme.  I see this guy as offering a service.  The LPs are expensive because his time in sourcing, listening, grading and judging costs money.  I have done something similar in the past, but in a more amateur fashion, and with just a handful of enthusiasts who had the money and the desire to hear the best of the best.  I had the time, the knowledge and the many thousands of LPs plus access to other amazing collections.  They trusted me and had the money and the desire to have and hear the best.

I don't get this fascination about owning the same album multiple times. For me their is one best version of all albums and that is what will have to be the one I keep.

but then I only can enjoy the analogue sound of vinyl at audio shows, while not enought to make other investments in that again......, and with cats owning a player is a bit of a challenge....

btw, CDs are the same if it came from a different lot with the same mastering and source.

They shouldn't be but there we are...

I also found that the computer based files are bad as records in sample variance depending on how they are ripped and what hardware are used to make the rip.

Naim nServe is like a 'Hot Stamper' detecting service rolled in since they've spent the time to come up with the rip that sounds like their ideal keep it consistent at the source end. 

It is a service if you are willing to pay for it. On the other hand I find the dissing of almost all reissues a negative for this site. 

Matt,

But most reissues I bought were poorer compared to the original. 

Good god, I've learnt a hard way spending $$ on poor reissues.

I must say I feel like a chump but gotta play the game to win ( sometimes ) I suppose. :/

Kuma,

As I said (well inferred maybe), Port is providing a service and charges for the time and effort in culling the records down to the better sounding ones. More power to him and his customers for that.  I do find his editorializing about the folly of "audiophile" records and heavy vinyl reissues to be a tad self-serving and overly stated. And sometimes a decent reissue which is not quite 100% on a par with the original allows many more people to enjoy the music. The recent Beatles vinyl mono LPs come to mind. 

Peace,

Matt

As soon as I saw the thread title hot stampers, I thought of that bloke Port, who used to be on the Hoffman Forum. No idea if he still is. 

Problem with that guy was (still is?) that he was wrong on so many occasions, it was laughable. He used to like certain Simply Vinyl releases, which were truly awful. I'm pretty sure he believes in what he does, but he's just so bad at it.

There are pressings with certain stampers that shine above others. You've just got to know who to ask. 

count.d

Some of the Simply Vinyl are not bad and some do fair pretty good against the US original. But I also have a few really bad titles.

matt,

Yes there are a few good reissues out there like Music Matters reissues, too.

Speaking of self serving, sometimes, record reviewers also are too gun-ho pandering newest releases as if they are working for reissue companies or retail outlets.

Indeed Kuma. The cheerleader reviews are not really doing a service for anyone. Personally I didn't have much luck with the Simply Vinyl titles I purchased and haven't purchased any in years. I had one experience with Mr. Port which led me to searching elsewhere for used vinyl. Nothing to do with the service he provides or the price.

Kuma, it was a few specific Simply Vinyl titles that Port was referring to and I remember him comparing them to UK versions. There were EMI centenary titles too that he liked as best and they were far from good. I actually already had some titles and stampers he was referring to and found them awful.

I remember him distinctly about 12-14 years ago on the SF forum. He got upset with everyone and stopped posting. Still, if he can sell records for $500, good luck to him.

matt & count.d,

The problem with an outfit like Hot Stamper is that I don't trust anyone's ears but my own so I definitely have a problem paying anyone for this service even if I could afford it!

But it's perfect for well to do folks which they usually hire people to do ordinary chores. ( Personal Assistant they call it )

Personal Assistant, hmmmm. They could clean my records too. Great idea.