[Torontoraccoon]

I always have a problem with this - sometimes I look for reviews online, but it is beyond rare that the actually quality of the mastering is discussed (especially with the modern music). 
 
At times some of the CD's are available on torrents, such as PirateBay, but it is also rather rare (if it's not something from "Top 40") to find lossless, and more important the CD information (different releases, hell even the quality of "plastic" seems to differ).
 
Most stores don't have any sample CD's to listen too, or only have a very limited amount, and usually its rather hard to hook up your portable system (or even headphones at that) to the stores "rig".
 
So question to all those who buy CD's - do you have any ways of sampling? Or  do you just go and buy them and figure out later? 
 
Idk, but 20-30sh bucks for something poorly mastered doesn't seem like my cup of tea.
 
=(

 

[ChipnDalebowl]

If I'm looking for a specific (e.g. earlier) release to avoid recent mastering issues or whatever, I'll go to amazon and look for the older release page and buy there. Generally you get what you want...can't sample the cd properly, but I get what I want if I don't want a newer release.

If I go to a store, I go with the notion I get the latest release, for better or for worse. I never listen in the store because there's so many other noises its impractical.

 

[Radioking59]

Try the forums at stevehoffman.tv. There are tons of threads that revolve around masterings of cds. Here  One thing to realize thought is that the forum is heavily moderated and a lot of things get deleted.

 

[logwed]

Why do you need a lossless download to sample a CD? Why are you evaluating an album on the basis of how well it is mastered, not the quality of the music? Where in hell are you buying CDs that cost 30 dollars!?

 

[Nepenthe]

I always appreciate reviews that mention dynamic range and/or mastering quality. I do evaluate music based on the basis of its mastering as well as the music. I will avoid things that are really poorly mastered, regardless of the music. That said, I usually just go ahead and order the CD (it's been over a decade since any bricks and mortar record store carried anything I'd be interested in hearing). Amazon is usually in the $8 to $12 range (free shipping) new and the $3 to $9 range shipped used.
 
 
Usually I use EAC to do a quick looksee at the waveforms. Once in a while I will actually decline to listen to something I just bought if it's too horrendously brickwalled and flattened.

 

[Radioking59]

Quote:

Where in hell are you buying CDs that cost 30 dollars!?

Audiophile Cds MSRP at $25-30. Labels such as Mobile Fidelity and Audio Fidelity are the two big ones these days. Many of these releases blow away the regular issue. Some of the older OOP audiophile CDs routinely go for $50 - 100 online.

 

[logwed]

Quote:

Audiophile Cds MSRP at $25-30. Labels such as Mobile Fidelity and Audio Fidelity are the two big ones these days. Many of these releases blow away the regular issue. Some of the older OOP audiophile CDs routinely go for $50 - 100 online.

I'll find you some MFSL releases that were quite a bit more than that, bud. For luxe remasters, one can assume that the album was remastered with taste and skill, so I don't think that you generally need an evaluation copy for such products. 
 
Anyhow, what about these remasters blows away the regular issues? It's an incremental increase in 'sound quality' based on subtle volume and placement changes in the mix. Don't blow the importance of a luxury remastering out of proportion. The music is still the music. 

 

[Radioking59]

Quote:

 
Anyhow, what about these remasters blows away the regular issues? It's an incremental increase in 'sound quality' based on subtle volume and placement changes in the mix. Don't blow the importance of a luxury remastering out of proportion. The music is still the music. 

Do you own any MFSL cds or are you just making assumptions?  When music is brickwalled and compressed as most remasters are today the music might still be the music, but it sounds like crap.
 

 

[logwed]

Quote:

Do you own any MFSL cds or are you just making assumptions?  When music is brickwalled and compressed as most remasters are today the music might still be the music, but it sounds like crap.
 

I own 2 MFSL remasters (a Doors album and a Yes album), and I have downloaded many others. Sure, a lot of them sound good, but will I go so far as to say that the original masters (or other remasters) sound like crap? Hell no, the music is still there, and that's what is important.

 

[lilkoolaidman]

If you can find what/who you want at HDTracks, I would look there. It tells you the sample rate and bit depth of each album and you can sample the songs. I would guess when you click play it probably streams a 256-320 MP3 copy depending on your internet, but it should still give you an idea of the dynamic range in the recording. It also gives you the record label so you can research the label and who's apart of it and their credentials as a mastering artist.

 

[Feedback]

I'm with logwed on this one. MFSL and other "premium" remasters always sound great. I don't need to test them out. And if I really have to, I can find the album online from certain places that we aren't allowed to discuss here. It's not very hard.