A Conversation with TOM PORT from BETTER RECORDS. Find out why he feels his Records sound BETTER! 

Great Interview Steve, thx for doing this

Hi Steve. Before the Washington Post story I had never heard of your guest. I can't say that he left me desiring more. The hr wasn't very structured, I I found it basically to be him just speaking about what he wanted (which is fine). My impression though is, for me, that I seem to be turned off when someone constantly builds themselves up by knocking everyone and everything else- which is what I started to feel listening to Mr. Port talk. Thanks for taking the time to arrange this.

Great video Steve, I hadn’t even heard of Tom Port until his name came up in the recent live stream, so it was good to put a face and voice to the name. For good or for bad, and for wrong or for right, the impression that Tom leaves ME with, personally, is that he truly believes that he knows what’s best for everyone else. HE knows what a great sounding record is, not Bernie, not Kevin, not Chad, and not anyone else. And HE is the definitive voice when it comes to determining what sounds like crap, not anyone else. Now, that’s not to suggest that folks like Fremer are any better (not so convinced that he is), but for me, it’s enough to convince me that with Tom, it’s less about opinion and personal taste, and more about him being so wrapped up in his own ego and arrogance, that in his world, no one else’s opinion or taste has any relevance to the discussion, only his. And that’s a shame, because it only strips away that much more of any credibility that he might have otherwise had… in my humble opinion 🤷🏻‍♂️

There's times when I want to just go back in time and listen to the Beach Boys coming through the am radio in my old car. Man that sounded great.

God Job sir. Enjoyed the flow with letting him talk for the most part.

Good job Steve 👍. Interesting to “meet” the man - and cudos to you for letting him explain his business and view on records/vinyl (not many in the VC would have had the patience or respect to du that). After hearing him we can all draw our own conclusions. Thanks again!

Really enjoyed the interview and Tom Port's opinions on what to listen for in our recordings. I use his site as a guide and appreciate all he has written and posted on his site. It has helped me amass a large collection of very good sounding recordings,

Tom sells superb records, I have several. I don't regret a single purchase

One man’s Hot Stampers are another man’s Hot Steamy Pampers? Very insightful video, Steve! WOW! Deep intense thought provoking interview about the sound quality of vinyl! Tom is clearly a very discerning listener of vinyl. He’s invested a lot of time and money into carving out his niche and believes strongly in what he’s discovering. The ears are to vinyl what the palate is to wine. Taste and preferences differ from person to person. Audiophiles are the sommeliers of music, in both knowledge and personality lol! I think it’s cool and original that Tom is making some collectors very happy. Will I ever spend that much on his records? I might but it would have to be a grail record for me. I would never attempt to build an entire collection of Better Records pressings for the same reason I don’t fill my wine cellar with prized vintages of DRC and Château Pétrus. Nevertheless Better Records seem a great fit for those who can afford those luxurious investments. All the best to Tom Port in his continued quest for the best (according to him & his company) audio sound quality money can buy. Keep up the great work, Steve!

This was excellent and Mr. Port makes several important points. The most important one is that you have to listen to the records. You can triangulate with pressing plant IDs & mastering engineers but the true test is how the record sounds. 👍🏻

Steve - thank you for letting him talk/great interview! First time i have watched your channel as I have followed this Tom Ports site for many years and always curious and then noticed this interview. I will be back to your channel based on this.

Heard of Better Records - Tom Port, and thank you for this interview as it gives me a better idea of his thought process. Thank you Steve for this interview.

Enjoyed the video, Steve. I have to say that I was skeptical, but Tom made some good points. Overall, very interesting conversation.

Interesting interview, Thanks Steve.

Tom is spot on with vintage analog pressings and always has been. Most modern represses are trash

I like clean first pressings, but for different reason. Mainly for the vibe and fact that someone went out and bought that record from a record store (no online back then) and listened to it when the music was still fresh and new, then cared enough to keep it in good shape for decades. I remember my cousin taking me to the record store and he bought Ziggy Stardust when it first came out.

Nice interview, very Interesting.

Wow. Intense. Nice job Steve. Happy for you that you got first crack at that.

I just found this from some notes I kept from way back... The first issue was released as AB 1006. The AB signified an ABC LP with a list price of $6.98. AA meant an ABC LP with a list of $7.98. Every single copy of this album with catalog # AA 1006 was manufactured after AB 1006 went out of production...after the list price was raised. It was ABC's standard procedure to use the album's prefix and stock(plus other info) in the deadwax of their records. Therefore all original LP issues of AB 1006 will have AB 1006 in the deadwax. All later LP issues of AA 1006 will have AA 1006 in the deadwax. However, in order to avoid throwing out a bunch of perfectly good metalwork with AB 1006 already etched in it, some of the earliest pressings of stock # AA 1006 have the prefix changed in the deadwax. The B was crossed out, and an A was added in front to change AB to AA. Eventually all the metal parts made from the original AB 1006 lacquers were replaced with parts made from later cuttings with AA 1006 etched in them from the start.

You did great Steve but ... WOW! 🤯

I've collected 27 hot stampers from Better Records over the last 14 years. They are all the finest records I own.

Here we go

Tom is right about the Beatles mono box set.

Thanks Steve and Tom. Very informative. I've put Tom's money back guarantee to the test many times. I return a lot of what I buy - about 1/4 of them. He never objects. Try this - pick out a hot stamper on the better-records site. Choose something you know well, that you already have a few copies of. Maybe start off with a Super Hot Stamper, at least for your first purchase, since the prices are slightly less absurd for them. First, see how it compares to your other copies. If it's not as good, send it back, full refund, no questions asked. Next, look at the matrix number on the hot stamper, and buy three copies on discogs in NM or VG+ condition with the same matrix. Or, go hunt around your local shop for same. Then, once you get them, clean them to the best of your ability and then do another shootout against Tom's copy. You've got 30 days, so if you work fast, you can do it. If you prefer one you buy on discogs to your hot stamper, send back the hot stamper. No questions asked, and thanks Tom for the matrix number. I've done this a couple of times, and every time, I've kept the hot stamper. Wasted my time and money is all I did. That, and convinced myself Tom's records are worth what he charges, in that I can't get records that sound that good for less money. And for the dozen or so records I really love, I'm willing to bear the cost of a white hot stamper.

Good one Tom!

Hi Steve, thanks for your efforts providing the interview/video of Tom. Always enjoyed talking with Tom back in the 90s. He may not remember me after 30 yrs. I want my money back for those crap sounding MFSL lps you sold me Tom! (jk ;) ). Always was a nice guy on the phone to me as a youngin' back then. Let me say that I do believe there are "hot stampers". I think part of the issue with folks is they see the term as alot of flair (like the term "Super Vinyl" isnt flashy?...yeah right. Yet many buy into the idea of "Super Vinyl") Anyway, I think the term throws folks into a tissy because they really dont understand what the meaning is. It isnt really rocket science. Its alot of work and dedication to listening is what it is. Many of us that have been doing this for years and nerding out on deadwax info know some of the same info in the runout grooves Tom does. But the difference is that he gets the extra out of the sound by testing lp after lp. That is about it. Easier said than done however. It takes time, resources and dedication. Thanks again Steve and Tom for your time.

I have a box of Hot Stampers (they are separated from the chafe). They are better records, it's just a fact - not because I paid more for any individual record or told myself "this better because x, y, z" etc. I have played them for others without commenting on what they are. Invariably, people will say, "this sounds good." Case closed. Tom is a good businessperson too, true to his word for 10 yrs + I've been buying from him.

My favorite part of this interview was his wife chiming in constantly 🤣Something us married men can relate to, all too well.

Super interesting! 🤓🤓

Explosive at times but very entertainment. Nice one Steve. I have both the 1982 Mono & Stereo Pepper reissues from Parlophone. Both with the -1 on the dead wax. I'll have to revisit tonight next to my 1967 OG Mono (don't have an OG stereo but a 70s pressing)

Interesting! Everyone has an opinion. If I get enjoyment from whatever pressing I have of something, I'm happy. Being not too critical and persnickety actually adds to the pleasure of the experience, but that's just me. To each his own.

I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THIS MAN. Many decades ago.(before white hot stampers) I had a record guy over and was going to sell him a record for $15. I excused myself, went into the other room and called Better Records and asked if they have this record and their price on it. I came back in the room and told him, "That'll be $200". He was halfway out the door, then I noticed some hesitation & I thought maybe he realizes how far he'd driven, and I told him, how about $110? He bought it ! I totally believe what this man is saying,. It makes sense and jibes with everything I know about audio; and I bet he's telling us right. Each record is different and unique unto itself. Theories are great; but there is nothing like actually trying something out and listening to it with open ears & with an open mind. I hope he continues to do well. If I ever get richer I will be one of his customers occasionally. Great video!

Wonderful interview, thank you for this. I’ve been on the BR email list for many years and have learned so much from him.

Great interview. Thanks. He has his strong taste. Not mine. Great business model. Room for all. Met him many times at stores and record shows. People who know it all.

Thank you for this interview, it is great. While listening to it I get the impression, this man (Tom Port) really knows, what he is talking about, he knows his stuff. And it is no wonder, because he has done the work! There is a lot more to good sound than just buying/owning the latest audiophile pressing, or an original pressing in great condition (Mint or Near mint).

The one thing that he is doing that many others are not is doing a blind test between pressings. This is key. Be aware If reviewers are not doing blind tests.

I wish he had said what he uses to clean records. Great interview regardless. Thanks for this.

I must own 50 White Hots. Maybe more. They are, in fact, great. Just to be clear about where I'm coming from. In some cases, they are definitely not demo LPs, but they sound better than other specimens of the same recording. Good for TP for owning up to that.

Here’s what doesn’t make sense to me, in many cases the engineers that cut these “hot stampers” are still around and working today. What is the hidden variable that makes it impossible to produce good sounding records/reissues nowadays? It’s not the engineers, nor the vinyl quality (better now when it comes to US pressings), it’s not the presses (mostly the same). If it really is just pressing variation, why does that apply to old reissues and not new ones? the only difference is scale really. I have no doubt Tom’s records sound good, but I have a lot of doubt about his other claims.

I like Tom port very much and have followed him for years but I’ve never purchased one of his Pink Floyd hot stampers… very tempted…

Hi, I am not trying to be controversial.John Lennon was quoted as saying that "You haven't heard 'Pepper' until you've heard the Mono Version".This leaves Me a little confused.Does Tom not like the Mono? .

The UK mono 1st press Sgt Pepper is a visceral and exciting listening experience . Definitely the best version I've heard . And I've heard many .

Excellent interview which could have been very difficult if not handled as well as you did my friend, excellent job! 👍 Also too, I found it quite fascinating that you actually bought a copy of Help from Tom Port! *AND*, you liked it better. Not many people in this community would have been in that position. That adds a whole other dimension to this interesting discussion.

Good interview. An interesting character. A combination of a business man, audiophile and troll.

Although i have an equal amount of cd and vinylv(2,000 + 2,000), this somewhat monologue convinced me to stay mainly on the path of CD. Just ordered a brand new copy of the 6-disc + book of The Beatles sgt. Pepper for a little over $100. No hassle with listesting tests, production nbrs., wax signatures, etcetera… Thanks for doing this, Steve. You did well.

I bought records in the 80's as a teenager, and didn't know shit about it other than it plays music! When I jumped back in (fully) in 2017 I was learning from the internet and RU-vid videos (be careful, a lot of folks don't know what they talking about "present company excluded of course")! I know sooo much more since but I'm always up for learning more!

Amazing things about ears, we all hear differently just as we all see differently. Now if 51 people listen and do a review and 42 say the same thing...well ya got a better chance it being what they say and you can decide if you want to buy it. Good Video

Tom has perfect pitch. Good job on Scheherazade 😊

There's no better sound for value than the 1976 Harry moss/htm (both sides) stereo Sgt peppers

Great interview...it's funny how this stuff comes full circle. Tom Port was a huge topic in the VC about 8 years ago...then nothing until this article. Same arguments, different year. Not my cup of tea, but I've always thought it was an interesting concept.

I have purchased dozens of Hot Stamper albums from Tom Port/Better Records. They are far and away the best sounding vinyl in my collection. You can like Tom's style or not (I happen to find him fascinating.) But it's easy to test the veracity of his claims by trying one of his records (you can easily get a full refund if you're not convinced.) Or, you can even do the work of doing big shootouts yourself. I've done this, though not on the scale of BR, and have managed to find some well-above-average pressings this way. Plus, Tom's always been generous with audio advice for my stereo, and I've made huge leaps in its quality thanks to him. Keep on being a rabble rouser, Tom! The audiophile community is better for it.

Interesting discussion. Thanks! Mr. Pete---------> aging hippie

This interview inspired me to grab an early 80’s UK Parlophone Harry Moss Revolver off Discogs for $30.

So Port doesn't care for Bernie Grundman's mastering... but Bernie mastered Aja. Oh wait... only Ports "stamper" of Aja is the one to have. Which I assume, has nothing to do with Bernie's mastering... only the Stamper Port has to sell you... the "Stamper" is why it sounds good. Port's customers "wouldn't even bother themselves with the Beatles Mono box... its horrible " Jesus.

The disc in the REVOLVER CD set that has the mono version of the original album sounds really good. I'm not a fan of the new mix, and overall I prefer the mono vs the original stereo mix, so take all that into account.

There's a ton of great information in this video, but the backstory might make more sense if you watch this one first: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JYSuhxGtw5U.html I think that conversation is what led Steve to invite Tom Port on, and I'm really glad he did. But, I think a lot of what they are saying makes more sense in the context of that other video. Like, when Tom calls his wife a "mail order bride" and she's obviously sitting right there in the room with him, it's like wtf? But if you hear what Chad says in that first video (just jump to the 14:38 mark in it) you can see what he's referring to. Welcome to the rabbit hole of audiophile vinyl...

Great interview Steve. And Tom, too bad you don't like The Beatles in mono, a lot of us do. Personally I don't think you quite know what your missing. Oh well.

Aja's original catalogue number in Canada was 9022-1006. It was in the United States that the original catalogue number was either AA-1006 or AB-1006. Depending on what pressing plant it came from.

Hi Steve thank you for doing this interview I really think the credibility of Toms opinions takes a nose dive when he states Analog do not make any good records because as we all know a hell of a lot of what they do is terrific . Tom even states his hearing is no good anymore but he is not the one that listens to what he sells when it comes to testing . Is he also relying on someone else’s opinion on Analog Productions product or does he say that because it is personal . Steve I think you should of picked him up on when stated Analog don’t do anything good because you know that’s not true cheers Carl .

These debates and rivalries between Chad Kassam, Tom Port and Michael Fremer remind me of Qanon members arguing about flat earth theory.

Beatles "Help" stereo German 70's Apple pressing with Horzu stampers is excellent Steve.

I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL and usually check the JAZZ things you do ..... if you know my questions just because you know .... would be great to get an info on : ...... any idea if the DEEP GROOVE version is the FIRST PRESS STEREO of the 2 "early" existing versions ? the both seem exactly the same. exept DG and non-DG. MOTION by lee konitz on VERVE V6-8399 ( i have deep groove + D cogs not have deep groove, only non-deep groove, but popsike has deep groove ) FUSION The Jimmy Giuffre 3 V6-8397 ( discogs + popsike have deep groove and non-deep groove )

An interesting video would be for an unbiased audiophile RU-vidr to compare one of Chad's releases vs a white hot stamper. Perhaps Chad's new release of Stand Up would be a good place to start.

AB-1006 is the original Aja. It's a pricing code. When the price went up, they changed to AA. Look it up.

Judy Judy Judy

Do they put some sort of official Better Records stamp or sticker on the cover/label to show that it's been through their hands?

Thank you! Tom doesn’t seem so crazy as Chad, Fremer said. I think they are cutting into their biz that is what they don’t like. On the topic of Born In The USA. Yes…the sound was highly processed. But that album is classic. I thought it was kinda funny Chad was knocking it. Not all albums were recorded audiophile. That album was designed for radio and it is a classic. I would consider buying the best sounding copy of this. You are only as good of the actual recording. Tom is pricey but if gets the wheat from the chaff he is worth every penny.

OG Dark side of the Moon Canadian pressings are actually pretty good, according to a few reviewers...

This is all such hogwash IMO. But I’d love to see what he has to say in a direct conversation with Fremer, Kassem, Mazzy and the rest. You should do a moderated round table.

He is right for example the Doors LA Woman from Analogue productions sounds dull. Also Jeff Beck Blow by Blow from AP.

this here my guys is the rabbit of the rabbit holes, the darkest of the very darkest paths of this hobby - this audiophile kinda of approach guaranteed will drive you crazy (i've been there)

Allow me to respond to a comment from Ian Malone. "Quite happy for you to promote your business Tom,. but surely you are a better person than doing it in this way. I know that other people in the industry have said unkind things about you but you can rise above these insults." I never say that the people making these modern records, as well as those reviewing them, are malicious or evil. I say they make or review bad sounding records and are simply misguided and incompetent. Am I being unkind? If Michael Bay makes one bad movie after another, are we unkind to point it out, even though many people enjoy his movies. He is not a bad person, he is a bad filmmaker, and gets called out regularly for putting out a bad product. Everyone understands that this is a matter of taste. If you always wished The Beatles albums had more bass, more compression and a smoother tonal balance overall, you can buy the new Heavy Vinyl pressings and get that sound on every title they ever released. Those of us who do not like our Beatles album to have those qualities should not be buying these newly remastered versions. We offer the consumer an alternative sound, and, since our Beatles Hot Stampers are far and away our best sellers, it seems our customers agree with us that they actually do sound better. Some come back, sure, but not many, and I don't think anyone has ever said they liked the new pressings better, although that possibility exists. In some ways we operate like Consumer Reports. Blender X is terrible at making margaritas and blender Y is good at making them. The company that makes bad blenders should be called to account. If there is a name attached to that company, then I guess we can say that that person who runs that company should learn how to make better blenders or find something else to do with his time. I am not impressed with the quality of the records being made today, and it follows that those who make them are responsible for the poor quality of the modern remastered LPs they make. Is there a kind way to say that Pete Hutchison makes some of the worst sounding records I have ever played in my life? Should I pretend he doesn't? If you play me one of his awful records, and don't tell me who made it, I can judge the record on its merits, the way we judge all records. We test records blindly for precisely this reason. We let the record tell us how well it was made, what it does right and wrong relative to other pressings of the same album, apples to apples. His records tell me he loves the sound of the murkiest, muddiest vintage tube equipment ever made, and wants every record he makes to have that sound. In my book that is an egregious case of My-Fi, not Hi-Fi. We wrote about it here: ontherecord.co/tag/hi-fi-beats-my-fi/ Is there a kinder way to point that out? It's astonishing to me that anyone takes this guy seriously. This is the sound audiophiles want? Here's a question for those who want to defend this man's approach to mastering. Did Bernie Grundman make all his records sound the same? Layer his sonic signature over the top of everything he did? Does Aja sound like Blue sound like Heart Like a Wheel sound like Thriller sound like Tapestry? On my stereo they sure don't. I built a stereo to get out of the way of the records I play, and it lets all these records sound markedly different from one another. But Hutchison takes exactly the opposite approach. He wants the same heavy tube sound on every record he makes. Is it mean to point that out? Bernie Grundman has mastered many of my favorite recordings of all time. Doug Sax actually mastered both of my two favorite recordings of all time, Ambrosia's first album on vinyl and Jellyfish's Spilt Milk on CD. But when these superbly talented engineers master bad sounding audiophile pressings for the likes of Chad Kassem and others, who deserves the blame? Maybe Kassem told them what sound he wanted and they gave it to him. That's their job, to deliver a product that the customer will pay for. The customer here is Chad, not the audiophile consumer. Chad apparently likes the sound of the records he produces. I do not and I take the time to describe precisely the sound I object to. My review of both of his Tea for the Tillerman releases goes on for days. I recommend you check it out if you want to know more about the failings of his albums in detail. ontherecord.co/tag/steveteafo-200-45-1/ Opinion? Mere subjectivity? We back up everything we say about our offerings with an actual physical record that you can buy, risk free, to demonstrate the superiority of a properly mastered, properly pressed LP, one we cleaned, auditioned and stand behind 100%. Some of the very same engineers I criticize made the record I might sell you. Lots of TMLs and BGs can be found in the dead wax of our Hot Stamper pressings. Why wouldn't they be found there? They are often found -- after the fact, mind you -- on the best sounding pressings of the albums we play in our shootouts. These vintage pressings seem to have very little in common with the work these men are doing now. Is there a kinder, gentler way to point that out? Should I just shut up about it? I guess we could say the companies producing records today mean well. They produce a product at a price for the market they are trying to reach. Chad thinks he can get $150 for his records and therefore he prices them at $150. They used to sell for less, now they sell for more. That's how markets work. We do the same. The records Chad and his competitors make are suitable, in my opinion, for those who set lower standards, or don't know any better, or have modest systems, or just aren't very serious about records and audio. Fine by me. It's no skin off our noses. We mostly appeal to a different group. A group that typically has heard those Heavy Vinyl pressings and wants something better. Something with zero Collector value, but 100% Top Quality Music and Sound value. Is it unkind to say we set higher standards and price our products accordingly? That would imply these Heavy Vinyl labels and their customers set lower standards and price their records accordingly. All we are doing is pointing this out, using, I freely admit, stronger language than some might like. I have always favored plain speaking over the kind of bush beating, special pleading and excuse making so many audiophiles and those who write for them seem to prefer. If your feelings are easily hurt, I am definitely not the guy you should be reading. I find bad sounding records infuriating and I am not averse to saying so. Best to avoid my blog if you don't like reading somebody who is gets pissed off and feels ripped off every time he drops a needle on one of these lousy remasters. We love to write passionately about good records, the ones we sell, but there is really no need to read what we say about them either. Our records speak for themselves, and we believe they deliver on their promises. Try some, compare them with what you own and see if you still feel kindly toward the modern pressings you've no doubt been buying. There is a good chance you might not feel so kindly, once you can clearly hear what is missing from them. And if not, no harm done, return shipping is on us, and a full refund will be posted to your card. To paraphrase the great one, if you never hear one of our Hot Stamper pressings, most likely you go your way and I'll go mine. But if you do hear one, and like it, the milk of human kindness you show these modern record makers may turn as sour in your mouth as it has in mine. Best, TP

Paul McCartney (and/or any other concert performing stars for that matter) is not a good source in determining the sound quality of any record. Wouldn’t one think that all the years of LOUD music have damaged his hearing beyond being a credible source for audiophile sound quality? Of course he’s going to approve. I’m sure there’s money involved.

How does he think he knows better which ones sound best to me? He thinks Chad's records only sound "passable"? I don't trust this guys listening at all. He's just found a way to exploit rich audiophiles...why can't he just admit that?

shouldn't your electrical source be a pure sine wave? Otherwise, you are starting with distortion no matter how good your setup.

I missed asking how many versions of the same stamper he uses for testing, to be able to say that this version is his "hot stamper" AND I don't want to see a Tom Port monologue - he's a salesman and that they can talk fast and a lot is well known. We couldn't find out much about his stereo setup, although that would have been extremely important - in any case, he should invest a few dollars in a separate power line, then he wouldn't have to look for the "quiet" line.

Tom ASC boards are available to clean your sound

About 31 minutes into the video I lose track of what I was saying after mentioning Malcolm Gladwell. Here is what I was going to talk about, his book on Outliers: Measuring the Record Malcolm Gladwell has a bestselling and highly entertaining book about outliers out now which I recommend to all. Last year I read The Black Swan (or as much of it as I could stand given how poorly written it is) which talks about some of these same issues. Hot Stampers can be understood to a large degree by understanding statistical distributions. Why statistics you ask? Simple. We can’t tell what a record is going to sound like until we play it. For all practical purposes we are buying them randomly and “measuring” them to see where they fall on the curve. We may be measuring them using a turntable and registering the data aurally, but it’s still very much measurement and it’s still very much data that we are recording. No Theory, Just Data Many of these ideas were addressed in the recent shootout we did for BS&T’s second album. We played a large number of copies (the data), we found a few amazing ones (the outliers), and we tried to determine how many copies it really takes to find those records that sound so amazing they defy not only conventional wisdom, but understanding itself. We don’t know what causes these records to sound so good. We know ’em when we hear ’em and that’s pretty much all we can say we really know. Everything else is speculation and guesswork. We have data. What we don’t have is a theory that explains that data. And it simply won’t do to ignore the data because we can’t explain it. Hot Stamper Deniers are those members of the audiophile community who, when faced with something they don’t want to be true, simply manufacture reasons why it can’t or shouldn’t be true. That’s not science. Practicing science means following the data wherever it leads. The truth is found in the record’s grooves and nowhere else. If you don’t think record collecting is a science, you’re not doing it right. Ignoring Outliers Wikipedia has a good line about ignoring outliers. Under the heading of Caution they write: “… it is ill-advised to ignore the presence of outliers. Outliers that cannot be readily explained demand special attention.” Here here. The complete commentary with a graph and a picture of 40-something copies of the same album can be found here: ontherecord.co/2021/09/01/outliers-out-of-this-world-sound-3/ TP

If he had any credibility at All, was lost it when he said. He can tell the difference in sound, depending on what socket in the same circuit he is plugged into

So he just picks a run for preference and then play test as many copies as he can find. I don’t see how that has anything to do about the stamper. Also to note, what he is saying about records being “dull” seems to be very common with people who start to lose high frequency hearing. I think if he used different language / was not so combative people wouldn’t really find him controversial. Interesting interview. Now people can make their own opinions and I have made mine.

the infamous, elusive tom port! i can understand why folks feel strongly about their opinions, their music, their investments. and i think it's good to remember it's not an all or nothing proposition. in the same way Port blows off an entire album after 30 seconds of listening, so do people dismiss all of what port has to say on account of him trash-talking AP. but we'd do well to parse out truth when we hear truth and bs when we hear bs without wholesale condemnation. for me, port seems on point when he's talking about the naturalness of a sound, or the sound of a band in a room. sometimes audiophile records can be so clean and separated, it doesn't feel right (to me). where he seems off is saying that he listened to one record for 30 seconds and decided an entire set of LPs was garbage, ha.

I think Tom is sincere, but I really wish you would have asked him what *specifically* (whether the mastering, sound signature, etc.) he thinks makes modern audiophile reissues sound worse than his “hot stamper” cuts. And another thing Tom Port should recognize is that only a few people have the privilege of listening to hundreds of older pressings to determine the best sounding one. For everyone else, we have modern audiophile reissues.

Analogue productions is fantastic! He got a right to his opinions, but it's not "be all, end all"! Sound is subjective and most people (including me) love AP! His opinion however DOES NOT make this man a loser, that's going too far! You have to respect each other's opinions!

Watched the whole video and all I can say is Chad Kassem was right!

Steve you let someone control your interview without addressing the why one record with the same matrix would sound hundreds of dollars more since this is subjective to the listener. Where was the questioning of the top mastering engineerings today that also worked on original series that he most likely sells are run of the mill. He offered no specifics other than securing multiple copies, cleaning then listening for the best sounding determined by an individuals ears, equipment, room. You never confirmed why his records sound better, is he able to clean them better, find better copies, we all know every copy may sound different, but crate digging compared to manufacturing some of the best records, no comparison. Something that I always thought was smoke & mirrors overpriced records, interview confirmed my thoughts.

I found Tom surprisingly likable compared with the impression the tone of his website gives, but- he seems to want to teache us that we can't simply enjoy records- we have to put their sonic qualities through the ringer! Mmmm-hmmm.

I know Tom likes the LZ 2 RL Hot mix the best based on what he said. Are there certain varieties of that pressing that stand out? How about the Beatles German Magical Mystery Tour 2 nd pressing onwards. Parlogram Andrew says it’s the best sounding Beatles album ever.

In the WAPO video, while listening to a copy of Quiet Kenny that I had never heard before, I said something along the lines of "It's the best record Chad ever made, because it's not terrible." True, it wasn't terrible, but I didn't think it was very good either. It had the kind of sound Kevin Gray can be relied on to deliver. I didn't know who cut it until after I'd looked it up, but knowing The Reliable KPG (his rapper name, mine is The Notorious TTP) was involved fit perfectly with my opinion of his work in general, which can be summed up in one word: workmanlike. There's nothing wrong with that, and Kevin is a nice guy. I'm sure he means well. The off-the-cuff remark quoted above seems to be a sticking point with many of those who watched the video from the WAPO piece, as well as those who watched the interview. With the above in mind, allow me to make a formal request of those of you taking me to task for saying that Chad has never made a good record in his life. Although I have never been able to name one, apparently many of the followers of this blog think they can. Funny how not a single title has been offered. At least I have not seen one. I looked really hard too. Be that as it may, let us get down to brass tacks. Please post a short -- the shorter the better -- list of the best sounding records Analogue Productions has produced to date. I expect we can all agree it would be worth knowing what our fellow audiophiles and fellow Heavy Vinyl aficionados think are the best of the best that our friend Chad has to offer, since this channel appears to be devoted mostly to these kinds of pressings. I have reviewed about two dozen of his analog productions to date, and tried to be as specific as I could about their shortcomings. My reviews can be found here: ontherecord.co/category/labels-with-shortcomings/labels-with-shortcomings-analogue-productions/ On the list you submit, you may want to include information about the other pressings you've played against the AP titles so that we can all gain a better understanding of the process you used to determine the superiority of his releases, and of course feel free to add what you like most about the records you mention. I hope to learn something! And I may even get a few of his records in and give them to my crew to spin. If I do, you can be sure I will post the findings on my blog. This should be fun. And educational. Let the games begin! TP

Hi Tom, you said some interesting things to consider when it comes to vinyl. Unfortunately, your ranting about other people in the VC took away what could have been my (and probably others’ who will view this video) good faith in you. There are much milder ways to say you don’t like such or so, that i would expect from a professional as yourself.

He always says “We” who is we Tom?

If Tom is even partially correct, where does that leave the vinyl lovers who don’t have $400 to spend on a single record. Things are getting bad enough between the crazy prices for OG’s and crazy prices for audiophile pressings. Oh, and don’t forget the endless anniversary editions and deluxe box sets. As someone who cares very much about the sound quality this is hard news to take. I guess if I never hear a hot stamper I will not know what I’m missing.

I’m surprised by the positive comments. Tom has no choice but to disparage audiophile releases. He has to say they sound horrible, without exception. If he didn’t, if said they were in any way reasonable, there would no remaining rationale for his business model. No one would pay the truly insane prices on his site to purchase “super hot stampers” that were deemed extraordinary by his nameless two-person listening panel.

Did he learn that Chad has made a good record or two? So far, going very easy on him @ 7 minutes in.

This bloke could outdo Ron L Hubbard. To say Kevin Gray only masters passable records is the biggest load of BS I've ever heard

Great score with getting Tom Port. I'm still have a lot of questions and I wish you had as interviewer kept him a little more focused and on track. Why no originals? What is it about later pressings? Does country of origin really matter? Once they find a stamper that is gold, how many pressings of that stamper turn out to be hot? What do they do with the records that don't make the cut? How does a $30 - 40 copy of Back In Black become $1000? How many copies were discarded in that search? How rare is it? I could buy 25 copies of that album for $1000. What are my chances of find a hot stamper? Would he ever sell the info on the knowledge he has gained?

Kevin Gray is just passable LOL 🤣

He is a bit shyer than I thought he would be. Could have expanded on his thoughts a little more , tell some more stories....speak up Tom come on man ..

Tom Port the Oligarch's vinyl record pressing curator 😂

I also want to apologize for that crack about Richard Metzger of Dangerous Minds. Of course he has money. He just chooses to spend it on other things. Nothing wrong with that. Our records are expensive and not everyone sees the value in them, even those who have heard one and have plenty of money to spend had they desired to spend it that way. A comment, now that I read it back, might just qualify as the understatement of the year. Especially on this channel.

Tom thinking ERC is overpriced 😂