On a different note, share the artists you own that DON'T sound good

@seymour-krelborn I can't argue with your logic.  I think that first pressings usually sound best, but not always.  Many of the AP remasters are superlative and are the definitive version.  Kind of Blue as an example. But the reality is most tape has lost its luster and original vinyl first presses are hard to find in great condition.  The other thing about remasters is they usually sound sonically different than the OG depending on who is pushing the faders.  Some are cleaner with more pronounced upper end details.  One might argue this isn't what the bands musical vision was, but most likely they were given the final product and didn't have a whole lot of input anyhow. So, remasters aren't all perfect, but there is a place for them.  And, by the way I'm referring to vinyl in my post, but the loudness wars in CD's also benefit from remastering IMHO.

@orthomead 

Many of the AP remasters are superlative

I am not familiar with that record label.

What popular bands / albums have they re-mastered.  What would your recommend?

You mentioned "Kind of Blue".  Is Jazz AP's focus?  I know nearly nothing about jazz.  I wish I knew more.

The other thing about remasters is they usually sound sonically different than the OG depending on who is pushing the faders.

You got that right.

The personnel in the studios tend to do "pay attention to me" mixes, where they have some instrument in-your-face (in a manner of speaking).  Rather than letting you hear the band, as if you have a front row seat, the studio's personnel do not let you forget that you are listening to a reproduction.

It kind of reminds me of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGezoUQbsA4

...that they want you to be in awe of what they did with the mix.  Like adding their signature to the mix.

My highest complement to those personnel is when they do such a good job, that I forget that they were a part of the process.

Sort of like a great stereo, that gets out of the way.  Whereas some stereos try to show off, and there is no mistaking that you are hearing an artificial creation.

For comparison, consider movies or shows that shake the camera, and zoom in and out repeatedly, and zoom in too close, and have angle changes every 2 seconds.  Those are produced by "Look what I can do" amateurs.

Watch this clip, from a 1942 movie, "Ship Ahoy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R8InADno6o

The camera work is so good, that you never notice that it is so good.  You just get a front row seat to an outstanding performance.  The action gets better at the 1:25 time mark.

That is how mixing and mastering music should be.

@seymour-krelborn AP was my short hand for Analogue Productions. Chad Kassam, the owner, is a huge fan of vinyl.  Almost 100% of their remasters are from the original analogue tapes and many are released in a 45 rpm format.  The vinyl is quiet and the all around packaging is superb.  They have remastered Jazz, Rock, Soul, and classical.  They are finishing up their "75 for 75" series which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Atlantic Record company. The best way to see what they have done is to go the the acoustic sounds webpage (acousticsounds.com) and do some browsing or search with AI for the titles.  What suits my taste musically may not be your cup of tea, but to be sure, these remasters have all exceeded the quality of my OG's. 

The best way to learn about jazz is to start listening to it.  Start with easy listening, as many jazz recordings can be challenging to digest initially.  The Crusaders, George Benson, Jeff Golub, and Bob James are reasonable starting points.  There a thousands of new sounds out there just waiting for you.  A safe way to audition new music is to subscribe to a streaming service, such as Apple music which is what I have on my computer.  I'll audition a new artist or album while I'm doing email, etc.  I'm listening to Cal Tjader Amazonas right now.  Have fun.  There are many forums on favorite Jazz discs on this site as well.  

@orthomead 

which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Atlantic Record company.

I used to work at Atlantic Records, on 51st street in Manhattan (New York City).

But I had nothing to do with the studio or artists.  Lots of the people in that building were looking for their break into the music business.  I was there to earn a living.

 Classical/Opera/Jazz/Fusion/New Age and even Folk/Current Americana will have a consensus of superior SQ than any decade of Pop/Rock. Fortunately many iconic Classic Rock albums are on Audiophile labels some are even 45rpm. The issue is do you want to pay >$40 for a modestly improved album already in your collection? My best advice is to expand your music genres and cherry pick the best SQ Classic Rock remasters if you want to increase your percentage of Audiophile recordings.