Is remastered mainly just less jitter?

The Stones remasters in hybrid cb/sacd were excellent and much better than prior releases. Those remasters provided the greatest improvement over original redbook in the rock domain that I have ever heard. Remasters in general are a crapshoot.

I concur w/ The Rolling Stones on SACD (remastered), as well as, The Police on SACD, Van Halen (CD) and Rod Stweart (CD).  Otherwise, it is a crap-shoot.  Happy Listening!

The Small Faces Decca deluxe reissues have also been well remastered. I agree it is a crap shoot.

georgehifi
Most of the re-masters I’ve heard are just louder and more compressed.

+1
not only are many if not most remastered overly compressed, sometimes to the point that all the numbers are in the RED on the Dynamic Range Database, but many original issues are overly compressed, examples include the last few Rolling Stones, Dylan, almost all Radiohead, the list goes on.

Five pages of The Rolling Stones releases, again early stuff was the least compressed, SACD is not so good, and DSD lovers will get a reality check here.

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/1?artist=Rolling+Stones

Cheers George