Duped again


After several disappointing re-issue purchases I swore never again. But I was taken in again. This time, the re-issue of The Wall."You've never heard The Wall like this in any format" "Stunning", " Blows the CD away" read the pre-release reviews....Nuts... My 1979 original copy eats this re-issue for lunch and it's 32 years old. The differences in the mid and upper ranges are not subtle, it's downright glaring. The low end is there but much tighter on the original.

Perhaps I didn't do enough research beforehand, but is there something I should look for before I even consider another re-issue such as who's the engineer? The plant doing the pressing etc? Or are vinyl lovers just being taken advantage of?
mjm1124
Unless I am wrong, the re-issues start with the master tape.
Unless I am wrong, radio stations way back kept their tapes in a cooled room. This was to preserve the sound on the tape.
Unless I am wrong, the tiny metal pieces on the master tape, which hold a certain orientation, which in turn allows the tape head to read these variations, slowly change position over time.
Unless I am wrong, 32 years for a master tape to be sitting in a vault will allow some loss of definition.
If you ask my wife, I am always wrong.
A digital remaster still starts with a master tape, that's 32 years old.
Cousinbillyl is spot on, but I think, there is something more to add.
Not all are done from the Master Tape, it is good for marketing, but no one knows what is really going on. Some reissues are so bad, they can't be done from a Mastertape or the guy who did the job is totally deaf and blind.
Next, the best sounding reissues are those, where the originals are also superior from sound. Never listened to a Reissue which was definitely BETTER than its original. Maybe a bit different, but not better.
The major problem today is, beside lost know how, we don't have the old, strong vinyl anymore. Maybe there are a few exceptions (like always), the majority is sensitive to cooling process....tics...warps...damaged grooves.
No one writes about that from our beloved reviewers, I think, they can't hear it and they get them free anyway. But for 29.99$ ++ it is good for audiophiles, the other ones buy originals at ebay for 10$ (when it is not one of those super expensive originals from Blue Note and others, but Cat Stevens??????), they are silent, no tics, no pops. I made my decision 4 years ago.
Goatwuss,
Seriously? That's what started this entire thread - the OP "trying" the vinyl reissue of The Wall. C'mon man.