It should be said that most audiophiles, at least the ones I know well, do not have the patience to critically analyze ten different copies of the same record for hours on end. For me (and everybody else who sits in the listening chair) it's all in a day's work.
I learned to critically listen for extended periods of time back in the early '80s. I got heavily into -- obsessed with might be more accurate -- tweaking my table setup, system components, wires, vibration controlling devices and the like.
Listening for differences in interconnects and listening for differences in pressings calls upon precisely the same set of skills. If you can do it all day, if you actually like tweaking and analyzing the sound of your stereo for hours and hours, you will undoubtedly end up with a much better sounding system, as well as one helluva high quality collection of records (not to mention very finely honed listening skills). Here's a good way to chart your progress.
Further Reading
...along these lines can be found below.
The most important advice on the site can be found under the heading
The Four Pillars of Success.
Here are some commentaries on a subject near and dear to all of us, namely Record Collecting.
Our Thinking About Hot Stampers links may help you gain a better understanding of the issues surrounding these very special pressings.
Record shootouts are the fastest and easiest way to hone your listening skills, a subject we discuss often on the site and directly address in this commentary from way back in 2005.
