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Question for those with “Golden ears”, and a frustration! (The Loudness Wars)

Hello! My first text! My user name, is short for my Companies name.
  Anyway, I ALWAYS wondered, which sounds better to you with $$$$ equipment? The Led Zeppelin Rhino Black box of Japanese made, mini copies of the record album sleeves CD’s of ALL the albums? Or, the large sized four CD disk boxset with the crop circle picture on the front(1990 release?), and the later small box, that had the songs missing from the four box “crop circles” box? The mini-album Japanese CD’s sound pretty damn good to me!  Any thoughts? Which sounds better to you? Those with CD based systems I can only dream of owning?  As to my rant, I went to the Wiki article of: The Sound Wars! And there was a link where you can put in your CD or album title and artist, and it tells you if it’s been compressed(LOUD!), or, not. Specifically: CD’s, (if it’s compressed, the VU meters will stay locked in the red) My favorite Fleetwood Mac CD, The Dance, all in the RED, BAD! 😢 U2’s Joshua Tree (special boxed edt.) All in the GREEN (GOOD). But I swear, the drums/cymbals, IMO, sound awful on that CD! Especially the cymbals! NEVER could find a good sounding Joshua Tree CD that the drums and cymbals sounded good. 🙁 That was my FAVORITE concert!!! 4’th. row seats!! AWESOME! Other albums, NIN CD’s all in the red, Van Halen as well. And the worst, totally unlistenable, got it for Christmas many years ago, Led Zep., The Mothership CD’s. 🤮

Thank you all!!!
savroof9849
jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 
I still think the first pressings of the Zeppelin LPs are the best, followed by the first CD issues. There is a raw elemental energy on those LPs that is diminished by digital transfers! Using increasingly expensive DACs and streamers does not restore the "magic" missing!
jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 
The same thing applies to the first LP pressings of Black Sabbath compared to the first CD issues. The later remastered CDs again come in at third place. I expect streamed versions to be in last place! Those who have never heard the first versions of the Sabbath LPs and CDs may not know what they are missing!
jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 
 Of course the finest LPs with realistic dynamic range are those made by Doug Sax of The Mastering Lab - Sheffield Labs Direct-to-Disc! Unfortunately there are so few of them! Next place goes to Telarc for their LPs made from the Soundstream masters. Dynamic range in abundance - even if the top end isn't quite as smooth as a 30 IPS Studer!
bluemoodriver
193 posts
 
Consensus of music critics (Q, Allmusic, etc) seems to be that the 2014 remasters overseen by Page are the ones to go for. Back to the proper master tapes, and a format choice (96/24) which can capture absolutely everything on the tape.
I’ve listened to LZ’s albums in every format for 40 years, and the 2014 versions streamed from Qobuz sound the best to me.

lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,393 posts
 
I have all the 2014 remasters on vinyl. They’re as good as it gets for remastering.

I don’t have the CD boxed sets, but I own multiple early and first release CDs. In most cases, the German pressings have the best SQ; very analogue-like with well-defined bass and kick drum which later pressings and remasters lack. There’s very good imaging and soundstaging. These original flat transfers are the reason the original issue LPs are so coveted.
All CDs were first pressed in the UK and Germany since the US did not have facilities yet. Japanese LZ issues have excellent sonics, although they tend to sound more detailed and analytical.

You’re spot on about Mothership. I have the LP and it’s compressed crap.
I learned my lesson about buying rock remasters and now only buy used original releases. There were some rock albums that were such poor quality that remastering was able to create a better version. But that was way before The Loudness Wars started.


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