Better Quality CD's

Look for "Remastered", in general they will be an improvement on the original CD release.

Thanks for all your help. It looks as though MSFL & DCC are the way to go. I will probably look into XRCD also since I am a Jazz fan.

skidman: don't overlook some of the smaller labels, whose sound is consistently higher than average. for example, oh boy!, 4ad, ryko, rhino (especially re-issues), secretly canadian, acoustic disc and redhouse, to name but a few. i would also look for sony 20-bit titles, that offer superior sound quality. most mfsl cd's are, IMO, greatly overrated and over-priced. (FWIW, i'm a mfsl vinyl collector, with several hundred titles on my shelves.) you should also take care in purchasing japanese pressings; many are stridently bright. good hunting. -kelly

freeze them. according to a brit audio magazine. (fairly recent issue; last month maybe) you can freeze them in a household freezer for a week. then place them in your frig for a week. then put them in a cool place for 3 more days. (no i am not making this up) it is supposed to improve the sound by removing stress from the plastic. i have yet to do it. i am on an analog kick and listening to 500 new (thrift shop albums)....cleaning them is a chore. i also have most of the labels listed above...very good quality. even un-frozen. my modest analog set up kills any cd i own. good luck

I have found the concord jazz lable to be exceptional. I pick up any that I happen to find. I believe that the group "The Three" is on that label. I would get all that I can find! Chris