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How to find the good CD recordings?

I'm new to high end audio but have a decent system. One of the things I've noticed with this new (old) system, is that some of my CDs which I used to think sounded fine just don't sound all that good anymore while some of them sound great. A lot of these CDs are 30 years old and came from CD clubs (remember those?) and typical record stores.

I've noticed in particular that some of my Led Zep CDs just sound a little flat and a little shallow while some of the Pink Floyd and Rush CDs sound quite good. 

Is this just a matter of Floyd and Rush having higher production quality from the beginning? 

Would later "remastered" Zep CDs sound better? Is "remastered" always an indication of better or superior quality? Is it just marketing hype sometimes?

Anyway, with this new system I am inclined to buy the best quality recordings of any newer music I buy and possible replace some of my old favorites.

So is there a place on the internet where one can go to get reviews of the actual recording quality and not just the music itself. I don't see iTunes or Amazon as particularly useful here. At this point I am not interested in pursuing vinyl or high end audio files. I'm still just getting my feet wet and CDs seem like a cheap way to do that.

Any assistance much appreciated,

George
n80
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
Agree with you about Sting's use of his bass. I may be wrong about this but I never thought Sting was a standout bass player. He is certainly a world class singer and writer but I always felt his bass playing was good but not amazing. Certainly Soul Cages could have benefited from more up front bass playing, like with the Police, but I do get the impression that he wanted it more subdued.

As for the timpani drum, I just meant it sounded boomy in a good way, the way a timpani is supposed to sound. The emphasis in that song is 'boom-boom" . With my system it sounds like someone is hitting it right there in the room right in front of you.
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
I'm in my apartement now and can't play very loud but will pump up volume in the weekend to find that tympani in my room :-)
jkingtut's avatar
jkingtut
28 posts
 
N80 King Biscuit up the road from Clarksdale in Helena Ark. really good blues festival in Oct. every year right on the levee. One of the best CD collections I own is the last remaster of Robert Johnson (every song he recorded). It was a box set with also a bunch of 10" vinyl as the originals would have been and some other music recorded at the same time. The 2 Robert Johnson CD's are spooky good, like he is in the room. Especially with a little firewater.........
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
Thanks jkingtut, we've been thinking about going back in the fall and that would be a great reason to do it. We drove through Helena several times on our previous trips. The last time we were there the river had flooded levee to levee and parts of Helena were under water.

I will look into the RJ set.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
@gosta

Check out Weekend in LA On Broadway by George Benson for really dynamic  great live music
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