Is remastered mainly just less jitter?

I agree that remasters are a crap shoot.  But I always seek to hear them as some are worlds better. 

The most recent Beatles is an excellent example - the 24/48 files from their USB key are the best I've heard by a large margin.

I think the 2009/2010 Japanese remasters of the Stones albums are probably the best Stones versions as a group.  YMMV with individual albums.

Any Steven Wilson remaster is an automatic improvement.  So good he has me buying albums I didn't even want before he remastered them.

If you really want a new and compelling way to listen to remastered music, seek out the DVD--Audio, SACD and Blu-Ray multichannel versions.  Some of those are pretty mind-blowing, again starting with the Steven Wilson ones (try King Crimson Discipline on DVDA).

Sorry for going a bit of topic but are there any websites that simply show which is the best lp or cd version to buy for the best recording/sound quality? I was listening to Depeche Mode Violator on CD last night which is easily in my top 10.  Discogs https://www.discogs.com/Depeche-Mode-Violator/master/18080 does a nice job of showing the different versions but is there a website detailing the best sound quality version?  Thanks for the help 

spoutmouzert8 posts04-14-2017 1:55amSorry for going a bit of topic but are there any websites that simply show which is the best lp or cd version to buy for the best recording/sound quality? I was listening to Depeche Mode Violator on CD last night which is easily in my top 10. Discogs https://www.discogs.com/Depeche-Mode-Violator/master/18080 does a nice job of showing the different versions but is there a website detailing the best sound quality version? Thanks for the help

http://dr.loudness-war.info/

As you can see the best is the earliest non remastered that are the least compressed, I buy all my cd this way s/h and it been right 100% just click on the one with the most green and find the cat no. and go ebaying.
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=Depeche+Mode&album=Violator

Cheers George

If you're interested in long, in depth discussions of which version is best, check out the Steve Hoffman Music Forums:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/forums/music-corner.2/

George,  IMHO, while dynamic range is important to sound quality and the loudness wars are a blight on music, dynamic range isn't the only factor to consider when choosing between different versions of an album.

dynamic range isn’t the only factor

No there are other factors, but to me it’s the most important to start with and you can do something about it now, and the DR website let’s you be the controller of what you buy today.

Cheers George