Pink Floyd best CDs soundwise


Hello Goners. I have a nearly complete collection of Pink Floyd on vinyl, mostly regular pressing, mostly old pressings, and they sound really good. Recently I decided to get them on CDs to use in my car and to preserve my vinyl a bit. I was surprised to hear really crappy sound. These are regular versions. "Dark Side" is mediocre, "The Wall" is barely OK, so is "Final Cut", "Wish YOU Were Here" is plain unlistenable - dark, un-transparent with barely a hint on highs, "Animals" is the same way. Then I picked up a couple of either bootlegs or copies, probably made in Russia or somewhere near (:-)))). One is something called "Animals" with a slightly different cover, and it contains original "Animals", and it sounds like somebody tried to bring some life into it, but still "no cigar", BUT - it also contains original "Saucer full of Secrets" - and WOW! that sounds great! The other is something called "Complete Zabriski Point sessions" and it is a KILLER! I used to work in a studio, and this is by far the closest I have heard anything, whether on CD or LP, to studio masters. Now, music there is not really nuch to talk about, but the sound!

So I have two questions:

1) the latter shows that master tapes exist of excellent quality, then why production Pink Floyd CDs suck?

2) please somebody tell me which CDs or SACDs of Pink Floyd I should be looking for, if something of good sound qaulity does exist?

(I am not looking for anything they made after "Final Cut")

Thanks
markshvarts

Showing 1 response by knownothing

Very late to this party. Shadorne, your essays on topic are excellent! Priceless insights.

I just received an unopened copy of the 30th Anniversary version of DSOTM in heavy vinyl from EMI as a gift, and it sounds a bit "recessed" with significant congestion in the busier parts. The disk itself feels hefty like a late 50s pressing, the surface is super clean and it is dead quiet, but the mix sounds completely different than I remember. Kind of disappointed compared to my best vinyl versions of other favorites. Since this is my only copy, will look for the Harvest version of the DSOTM CD as you recommend.