I think it is tough to generalize about original v remaster or country of origin of record- it really comes down to the specific recordings, masterings and pressings. On the Boston record, my listening notes published from about a year ago- comparing a "Wally" mastered copy to one done by Zentz- indicate that I preferred the ballsiness of the Wally even though it was bright. (Both were top flight mastering engineers with long careers of many good sounding records). Although I "generally" search out early pressings over new remasters, I don’t think you can say all remasters suck or they don’t have a place. Yesterday, I listened to a re-do of The Human Beast, Vol 1. This is not a record that I would buy as an "original" pressing for a simple reason- the Decca is now astronomically priced. I was surprised by how decent the re-do (on Sunbeam, itself now out of print) sounded (granted, nothing to compare it with, but I took a wild stab, given that the alternatives on vinyl were "unofficial" or from sources like Akarma or Si-Wan).
I’ve also gradually changed my view about Japanese pressings- which are "generally" of very high quality manufacture, but in the past I often found too bright. Some are, but as I think I mentioned earlier in this thread, the 3d Japanese of Zep 1 is pretty nice sounding, as is a Japanese first of Bowie’s "Man Who Saved the World."
Quality of manufacture today- all over the place. The higher quality reissue houses, like Chad (Analogue Productions), the new MoFi, Speakers Corner all pretty good. Classic- a mixed bag given the QC problems with the switch from 180g to 200g and "flat profile"; others are harder to predict- most people shy away from MOV or GZ pressed records because the source is often a digital file, but the quality of the vinyl itself is pretty good, and for records that began life as digital recordings, can be OK. My experience with some of the limited run stuff pressed for RSD has been all over the lot- -from warps to non-fill. The Bowie 40th Ziggy is a very good sounding record, but there was a defect on the track "Star"- i had multiple copies that simply would not play, a problem that was apparently rectified on a later run. (I still prefer the UK 6E/4E, but finding a quiet unmolested copy isn’t easy or necessarily cheap).
I guess my point is that you’ve got to get down into the weeds to really make the assessments. The anecdotal comments of others (mine included) may be colored to a degree by listening bias and playback system. One reason that I think buyers opt for the remasters--at least from the "better" houses--is having a fresh copy that doesn’t require extensive research or the time, money and effort involved in making comparisons for oneself. (A reason why people rely on reviews too). And sometimes the re-do does better the "original." If you have the 45 rpm set of SRV-Texas Hurricane- and cue up Tin Pan Alley, you know what I mean. Good hunting!
