How many times have you ...

Speaking of which, I was at a show with Chad Kassem demoing Acoustic Sounds' remastered records. Tony Bennett, Hendrix etc. if memory serves me correctly. While the new versions were noise-free and sounded good, the originals, to my ears, were actually blacker, clearer, more transparent, and more enjoyable if not somewhat noisier due to age.

The reissue thing seems to be  hit or miss. Gave up on them.
Always a miss to my ears. Or, perhaps it's just nostalgia. My teen years caught the end of R&R-mid 70s?

I've mentioned in other threads that R&R albums sound as if the bass is punched up.

I have a few record stores in my neighborhood. One of them used to be a source(may still be,but the scouts work on the down low)for Tom Port(Mr Hot Stamper)

I get my stampers for 6-8 bucks.I have the $500 SD Pretzel Logic "WHITE HOT STAMPER" and $300 Yes- Close to the Edge. 

Ha!  I just bought a box of records on ebay and I told the nice man to take out all the "Direct Metal Mastering" ones and throw them out.

There have been 78s that are more interesting to listen to than new reissues.

It is indeed hit-or-miss.  Except Rhino.  Every disc I ever bought from Rhino sounded awful.

If I buy a reissue, it's to acquire a recording I didn't have in my collection or to replace one that was damaged through the years.  

That said, I did get one of the early reissues of the RCA Reiner "Scheherazade" a few years ago.  A friend had an original 1S and a 5S pressing.  We compared them and felt that the reissue was cleaner and more detailed than the original.  The difference was not subtle   His 5S sounded better than his 1S.  This example is the exception rather than the rule in my limited experience.

I also have a couple of original EMI City of Birmingham "Le Cid" that easily outperform the Klavier reissue.  I had the Klavier first and was gifted the originals.  

Just like a many manufacturing of environments back in the day, vinyl stampers were used well beyond their lifespan. Stamping machines were not properly adjusted, maintained at required intervals. It was all about pushing product out the door and not slowing production. Close to shift change? "Keep the presses moving along...I’m not taking the changeover hit on my shift". People talk about unmotivated and downright lazy practices by US automotive employees back in the day? Same thing at record pressing plants (and other industries). The 70’s (well into 80’s and 90’s) was an all time low for quality work practices in all of US manufacturing. Vinyl record production was no different. Mastering is a major part of an LP's sound, however, poor manufacturing practices and materials can kill any sonic advantages of vinyl. First pressings done closest to release date are probably the best you will find (outside of some audiophile version) IMO.