HiFi-Do E-mail Newsletter

Hello, this is a report by Asai from Hi-Fi Do Record Shop.
Thanks to you customers, the settlement sale was over and we took inventory as usual.
As is usual every year, taking inventory was a painstaking work but it brought us an unexpected finding.

Look at these two records.
The serial numbers are the same and the jackets are the same.
Of course, both were made in Japan.
At first sight, both seem to be the same.
In fact, the left one was a record for sale, while the right one was a sample record for marketing use.

If you look at the label, the difference is clear.
This is the label of the record for sale.

This one is the label of the sample record.
Not only this sample record, but almost all sample records have a white label on which it reads "Sample Record".
(Why are they white?)
The biggest difference between a record for sale and a sample record is that a sample record is made by fast stamping.
They make a stamper from the original panel, and then make records one after another. Since they need to advertise the new record as early as possible to radio stations, community broadcasting systems and publishers before marketing, the sample record is sent to them of a top priority.
Therefore, a sample record is usually made by fast stamping.

Then, how different is the sound?
The difference of sound is evident, though (maybe because?) both are made by a direct cutting method.
The record for sale has straight and sensitive tones typical in a record by a direct cutting method, but such characteristics are much weaker than in case of the sample record.
Just as I felt when I compared an imported record with its domestic version before, this time again I felt in an instant as if the tempo had changed from one record to the other. The impression was different that much between the record for sale and the sample record.
More specifically, the sound of the sample record was more mature and smoother and simultaneously more powerful.
The sound of the sample record is farther-reaching surprisingly.

On the sample records:
For many reasons, sample records are rarely sold. But if a sample record of your favorite one is being sold, I recommend you to buy it immediately.

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