What CD sound is the best?

Foe Moody Blues, the more recent CD remaster with the bonus tracks is quite good, much superior to the initial release on CD from many years prior. The bonus tracks on this CD are particularly good. Two similar versions of "A Simple Game", which one of my favorites, and is quite hard to find otherwise. One version the one released to single with Pinder doing the vocals and the other quite similar except with Justin Hayward doing the vocals, which is a similarly strong version that I had never heard before.

I also have a standard issue CD copy of ITCOTCK also remastered within the last 10 years or so (date not at my fingertips) with no bonus tracks but also with good sound, as is true with most KC remasters I have heard (and Moodby Blues) from recent years. GDon't know if tehse are "the best" whatever that might entail, but they are quite good, as good sounding as most anything I have heard for these over the years or even better, and should satisfy most I would expect.

Good Luck. I am on my third version of the King Crimson disc, and I really don't see much improvement over the original. Sadly, although the music is great, I don't think they have been able to clear up the original murky recording.
That's not always the case though. The most recent remaster of Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs was a very big improvement over the original, which also sounded like there was a blanket thrown over the speakers.

If I may interrupt the thread, do recent remasters of classic rock and prog rock suffer from over-compression in the way POP ROCK and recent commercial bands do? In other words, is a King Crimson or Moody Blues CD remastered LOUD?

Remember how shockingly bad these original CDs sounded in the 80s when we were scammed into switching from vinyl to CD?

"In other words, is a King Crimson or Moody Blues CD remastered LOUD?"

I have read that most CDs since mid 90's are "louder" overall compared to prior as I understand it due to advancements in the mastering technology and I think equalization curves applied, as I recall. Do not recall the details but I observe this to be the case in general with CDs I own (many).

That includes KC and MB remasters I have heard as well, however these are done well and not overly loud nor is waveform clipping or other forms of overt dynamic compression obvious. These are VERY good remasters/recordings overall that compare favorably to original vinyl I own in good quality and much superior to any similar CD issues of these I owned prior from the 80's, mainly the entire MB catalog.

Granted some louder mastered CDs in more recent years can approach ear bleed territory, but the vast majority I hear range from on par with most overall to some of the best sounding CD recordings I own.

See my agon reviews for a couple reviews I have done of MB CDs including some comparisons to vinyl. My ISOTLC remaster is newer though than the ones I have reviewed, and is at least as good or perhaps even better.