Well, I decided to conduct some research and as for these 'factory-pressed CDs', the term is rather misleading.
They are not, in fact, 'pressed' (as in the days of vinyl) the process is 'injection moulding' and then retail copies
are made at high speed from one of several versions of the original.

Now, to address Mr Cronin's latest comments:
I smiled at the idea of returning in 20 years to find Rachmaninov performed by some short-skirted glamour-puss.
Where have you been?? This is already happening. And the thought that Hyperion would still exist in 20 years...
the way things are going, that is wishful thinking.

Also, the consensus appears to be: just forget about CD-Rs and take a lossless download. The choice is yours.

Regarding Nick's concern for durability & sound quality - I don't think SQ is an issue, but durability could be.
I have always understood from the very early days of making CDs at home to only burn them at a slow speed
to ensure the best possible reproduction, but that won't happen in a commercial environment.


regards