Taming edge from remastered CDs?

Many remastered CDs are just louder. If highs are really "redone" to be emphasized and you hear them, then don't listen to the remaster, stick with the old. If a different DAC makes them go away, then it's not a very good DAC is it? At least from the standpoint of reproducing what's on the disc. Before going off the deep end, try a dB level matched blind test between the two versions and see what's what.

Also, room reflections do not help in this regard and it may have nothing to do with a remastered album. Maybe that's where some effort is needed?

Lowrider57,
In my system, I have found that cleaning the AC takes the harshness away. When "the AC problem" is dealt with the edge comes off those too-bright CDs.

It is often just bad remastering. Many engineers when they do a remaster will re-equalize to try to create more detail. That makes it seem that there is better resolution but really they are most often making the remaster brighter. This brightness can cause the edginess and hardness you are hearing. If it is a minor issue I would not spend a lot of effort or money in trying to fix it
Alan

You need to clean your AC. It's not the CDs.

It's not the CDs.

The OP describes a property that many, such as Lowrider and Arh, have also attributed to "remastered" CDs. IMO, the source material itself -- see ELH's remastered "Luxury Liner" -- has much to do with this perceived edginess.

While I'd not expect to make a silk purse of a sow's ear, an upgrade to your DAC might help, and perhaps room treatments or AC. Before doing anything, I'd try some ABs of remastered and original recordings, as Larry suggests. I'd also compare a couple of CDs that you know to be reference recordings (e.g., Valerie Joyce, New York Blue, from Chesky). I'm betting a lot of the trouble is on the silver discs. The difference between a good recording and a bad one can swamp large differences in gear.