Best Remaster CD of Holy Diver?

ogogre-

I have not found one. I was fortunate enough to be a teenager in the 80's and really racked/stacked all of those great CDs in the Metal genre'.

These were never really meant to be 'audiophile' grade, not even on vinyl.
Still, I love those early pressing CDs. It is a great album as is, IMO.

I meant 2013 version.  Presumably by 2103 music will be downloaded directed into cerebral cortex a la Johnny Mnemonic, LOL.

I saw RJD on twice on the Heaven and Hell tour in '80 or so and then again on the Holy Diver tour in '83 or '84 (when I watched the sound check and met Jimmy Bain, Vinnie Appice, and Vivian Cambell -- Ronnie stayed at the hotel and didn't usually soundcheck anymore).  Great singer, great songwriter, great showman, but tin-eared when he acted as producer during the EQ'ing. Lots of compression and lots and lots of, I'm guessing, 500-1500 hz.  Holy Diver in particular sounds like it was re-amped through a small transistor radio, which is too bad, because IMO it is among RJD's very best work, along with Heaven and Hell, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, and Rainbow Rising.  Those last three were quite well recorded and mixed, I think.

OGOgre

I just looked at my copy, it is dated 1985.  No remastering mentioned.  I picked it up new maybe 6 months ago.  By no means a masterpiece, but not bad either. Rock on!!

Your '85 version would be the first or second CD pressing, but the original mix. 

OGOgre

ogogre-

for CD or SACD you might want to look into the SHM series. I have a fellow audiophile that collects these discs and remarks that they are better than the 80's pressings.