First, I am not an LP collector but listener and my goal is to find the best sounding copy of a title that I really, really like. While I agree with most of the above comments I cannot say all the reissues do not stack up to good, early pressings.
For instance, I have a pristine original copy of Alan Parson Turn of a Friendly Card that I bought in 1980 and have played on what was then a pretty good table and a Shure V15 Type III tracked at 1 gram. I kept the record safely stored all these years and it is still clean, both sonically and relatively free of annoying surface noise. Then I bought the Classic Records, 200 Gram reissue of this album and heard what excellence on vinyl truly is. Quiet as a CD but with all the warmth and dynamics that we embrace vinyl for. Same with Supetramps Crime of the Century. I have an original pressing, MOFI Original Master and both are quite good. Until I heard the Speakers Corner 180 gram reissue of this record and this is now my ultimate, go to disc for this classic album.
Of course, APP and Supertramp were always known for meticulous engineering in the first place so that helps. Now I have heard some of the Back to Black reissues that were less than desirable too. I just point the above out to not readily dismiss all reissues.
For instance, I have a pristine original copy of Alan Parson Turn of a Friendly Card that I bought in 1980 and have played on what was then a pretty good table and a Shure V15 Type III tracked at 1 gram. I kept the record safely stored all these years and it is still clean, both sonically and relatively free of annoying surface noise. Then I bought the Classic Records, 200 Gram reissue of this album and heard what excellence on vinyl truly is. Quiet as a CD but with all the warmth and dynamics that we embrace vinyl for. Same with Supetramps Crime of the Century. I have an original pressing, MOFI Original Master and both are quite good. Until I heard the Speakers Corner 180 gram reissue of this record and this is now my ultimate, go to disc for this classic album.
Of course, APP and Supertramp were always known for meticulous engineering in the first place so that helps. Now I have heard some of the Back to Black reissues that were less than desirable too. I just point the above out to not readily dismiss all reissues.