Burmester, long synonymous with audiophile excess (and let’s be honest, German engineering with some bling), just took things to another level with the launch of PURE SOUND – Master Recordings. This isn’t your average wax—each record is a one-of-one piece of lacquer-cut music history, sliced in real-time straight from a 1:1 master tape. No filters, no edits, no digital nonsense—just pure analog glory the way Oscar Peterson and the jazz gods intended.
Unlike certain other audiophile labels that got caught with their hand in the not-so-analog cookie jar—peddling “all-analog” pressings cooked up from hi-res digital files—Burmester actually means it when they say no edits, no filters, and no digital detours. We hope that’s clear for the audiophiles in the back row of the tavern in Munich.
Keine Schnitzengruben für euch – Lilli Von Schtup hat längst das Weite gesucht.
And betcha didn’t know our real last name was Weisshaus, did ya? Yeah, analog runs in the bloodline—no DSD detours, no shady transfers, just lacquer, tape, and tears.
The debut release? We Get Requests by the Oscar Peterson Trio, a 1964 jazz classic recorded in NYC. It’s being resurrected in a ridiculously exclusive run of 333 lacquer records, a not-so-subtle nod to the 33⅓ RPM format that vinyl nerds cling to like gospel. And because Burmester doesn’t do “budget,” each copy will set you back $900. That’s $90 per track—because who needs rent when you can own a slab of analog immortality?
We Get Requests wasn’t just another jazz record—it was Oscar Peterson showing up to the 1964 New York sessions in a three-piece suit and leaving with the genre in his back pocket. Bossa nova? Check. Swing? Like a wrecking ball in wingtips. The trio didn’t play nice—they played like they had something to prove. Every note cuts clean, every rhythm lands like a German train: on time, no excuses.
Handcrafted packaging? Check. Premium acetate lacquer? Check. Artist print for your wall so you can pretend you’re cultured? Double check.
The Bottom Line
This is not for the casual listener. This is for the die-hard, deep-pocketed audiophile who thinks “limited edition” means fewer than the number of people invited to a Mar-a-Lago wedding.
Authentic. Pure. Uncompromising. And very, very expensive.
Want it? Better move fast—there are only 333 chances to tell your friends you own a $900 jazz record you’re too scared to play.
Long live the lacquer.
For more information: Burmester Pure Sound Master Recordings
Where to buy: $900 at Burmester
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Anton Van Beethoven
May 7, 2025 at 6:17 pm
April 1st was like a month ago.
“Keine Schnitzengruben für euch – Lilli Von Schtup hat längst das Weite gesucht.”
I put gang into Google translate and I think the humour might be too high brow for some.
Why the F would anyone pay $900 for this nonsense?!?!!
ORT has it right. Audiofools…
Ian White
May 7, 2025 at 6:33 pm
So…I know more than a few audiophiles (shuffles feet) who have spent $500 on R2R releases that sound rather amazing. Not saying I would spend that kind of money on an R2R machine for myself, but I know people (a very close family friend) with over 500 recordings. And he didn’t buy the copy of the copy of the copy.
In regard to these lacquers…they sound very different than the typical audiophile pressing that you might spend $50 on. They are also a lot more fragile and you need to take extremely good care of them. They degrade (like every other record) with each play, so folks need to be aware of that. Listen #1 won’t be the same as listen #30.
But yes…I think spending $900 on a single record is ridiculous.
IW
Anton
May 7, 2025 at 7:28 pm
How many Blue Note Tone Poet releases can you buy for the price of one of these?
People who spend $900 on this don’t give a crap about the music. Same person who would justify dropping $9K on a cartridge or $1,000 on an Ethernet cable.
Ian White
May 7, 2025 at 9:52 pm
Anton,
Close to 20. And I know which option I would pick.
IW
Jay Millar
May 9, 2025 at 11:48 am
Laquers have a limited shelf life, it tends to contract over time which is why you often find old lacquers with large pieces flaked off. It also means you’ll gain more surface noise over time. This to me is silly, if you want to make perishable records at least make them ice or chocolate.
Ian White
May 9, 2025 at 2:17 pm
Jay,
Exactly. I have some very old lacquers that I inherited from my grandfather that he brought over from Europe after the war and they were either never played or only once. I have them in a very heavy album on a shelf. Where it will sit until I’m dead.
IW