How to find the good CD recordings?


I'm new to high end audio but have a decent system. One of the things I've noticed with this new (old) system, is that some of my CDs which I used to think sounded fine just don't sound all that good anymore while some of them sound great. A lot of these CDs are 30 years old and came from CD clubs (remember those?) and typical record stores.

I've noticed in particular that some of my Led Zep CDs just sound a little flat and a little shallow while some of the Pink Floyd and Rush CDs sound quite good. 

Is this just a matter of Floyd and Rush having higher production quality from the beginning? 

Would later "remastered" Zep CDs sound better? Is "remastered" always an indication of better or superior quality? Is it just marketing hype sometimes?

Anyway, with this new system I am inclined to buy the best quality recordings of any newer music I buy and possible replace some of my old favorites.

So is there a place on the internet where one can go to get reviews of the actual recording quality and not just the music itself. I don't see iTunes or Amazon as particularly useful here. At this point I am not interested in pursuing vinyl or high end audio files. I'm still just getting my feet wet and CDs seem like a cheap way to do that.

Any assistance much appreciated,

George
n80

Showing 1 response by nephilim_1981

Original CD pressings from the 1980's are a real sonic joy and Remasters, unfortunately or at least 9 times out of 10 sound like absolute rubbish. In the event of remastering, the recordings themselves are just made 'louder' which follows suit to the so called 'loudness Wars'. The decimation of the cd's warm character was destroyed around 1997 when music mastering for the cd in general took on a whole new persona. Above all, It is really quite sad really. 
Long story short. Stick with original cd pressings. Most of the comments are on here that I've read are absolutely right on the money. 
My advice. If you plan to buy a cd that was recorded after 1997 go to drloundnesswarinfo.com
it is a pretty good database of info that tells you the DR value of the piece of music you are interested in. 
Lastly. I must share one remaster that is actually far superior than that of the original and that is Metallica's 2017 remaster of Master of puppets. It wasn't made 'louder' it is an actual proper remaster. Fixed the bloated low end of the guitars that really took over. The sharp treble from the cymbal crashes lost its heavy bite and the vocals were smoothed out slightly. Everything a great mastering job should do! Check it out and happy cd hunting! 

If there is one thing I know. It is great recordings so if you wish for me to give some suggestions to you, especially in Prog rock I'm so happy to help. 

-nicholas