98 reissues vs original versions

MrKnickerbocker said:
Other than used sellers, is there any way to get ahold of these? As far as I know, I've only ever heard the remasters. My ears don't know the difference!!! :(
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No, unfortunately you'd have to get them used. Becoming harder (and more expensive) to get the past couple of years, people rarely part with them -- for example, the original U.S. Powerslave CD mastering is currently available on eBay for around $21 including shipping. Discogs (Foro supplied the link above) is also a great resource. The new vinyl reissues sound much better than the remastered CDs too, more like the original CDs (but different).
 
Cornfed Hick said:
No, unfortunately you'd have to get them used. Becoming harder (and more expensive) to get the past couple of years, people rarely part with them -- for example, the original U.S. Powerslave CD mastering is currently available on eBay for around $21 including shipping. Discogs (Foro supplied the link above) is also a great resource. The new vinyl reissues sound much better than the remastered CDs too, more like the original CDs (but different).
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Honestly, discogs can be a bit overpriced. if there are any local used media/music stores I'd say they're worth a shot. I picked up original master CD copies of NOTB, POM, Powerslave, SIT, NPFTD and ARL/DO at used CD places for around $5-8 US each. A lot of the less "audiophile" oriented stores automatically price the 98s higher for some reason. Might be the bonus videos included.
 
I found an original Fame/EMI Killers CD made in West Germany for release in the UK, on sale for under $6 at my local used record store (CD Trader). Quite a find. Naturally I bought it. Not a collectors' item or anything, but still, one rarely finds UK releases in the used bins out here. It uses the exact same mastering as the highly-sought-after "Black Triangles," for about $95+ less than one would pay for that. I was pleased, to say the least.
 
@nuno_c and everyone else interested, I have all Maiden Black Triangle releases in FLAC format.
 
I cannot compare those versions, since i was very lucky to get all their albums before 1998, except SIT and RLO (what a shame), and my remastered version of the first i think is scratched here and there since SIASL collapses somewhere in the middle and all of the sudden there's Deja Vu playing. :facepalm: Time to get a better (and original!) copy. Thanks for that link, Foro, now i can define much better my collection. There are now almost 150 versions of Beast lol. I know this is not related to the thread, but do you think there are people crazy enough to collect all Maiden versions of all of their official releases?!
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
Maybe I'm dumb, but what is the "Black Triangle"?
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It refers to very early 1980s CD manufactured by Toshiba, which had a large black triangle on the lettered face of the disc itself. Black Triangles aren't specific to Maiden. They are highly sought after by collectors, and expensive to buy now, but as my post to which Forostar linked points out, several early U.S. and European Maiden releases have exactly the same mastering. Some audiophiles believe that Toshiba's plant had the highest quality control at the time, and deduce from that they sound better. I think that's hooey. It's digital, not analog, so the difference in "pressing plant" is largely unimportant. As long as you don't have a defective burn from another manufacturer, assuming the mastering is the same, the music will sound exactly the same.

I would also add, for those who are interested, that many including myself believe that the original U.S. mastering of the debut Iron Maiden album actually sounds slightly better than the Japanese, and you also get Sanctuary as a bonus track (it was not included in the original Japanese or UK release).
 
Original CD masters are the shit. Although, the remastered Piece of Mind receives one point for making it sound less harsh (but also sounds rather low middy instead... That bass). The guitars are piercing in the original release.

Original Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son... :notworthy:
 
Cornfed Hick said:
It refers to very early 1980s CD manufactured by Toshiba, which had a large black triangle on the lettered face of the disc itself. Black Triangles aren't specific to Maiden. They are highly sought after by collectors, and expensive to buy now, but as my post to which Forostar linked points out, several early U.S. and European Maiden releases have exactly the same mastering. Some audiophiles believe that Toshiba's plant had the highest quality control at the time, and deduce from that they sound better. I think that's hooey. It's digital, not analog, so the difference in "pressing plant" is largely unimportant. As long as you don't have a defective burn from another manufacturer, assuming the mastering is the same, the music will sound exactly the same.

I would also add, for those who are interested, that many including myself believe that the original U.S. mastering of the debut Iron Maiden album actually sounds slightly better than the Japanese, and you also get Sanctuary as a bonus track (it was not included in the original Japanese or UK release).
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There are differences in both medium and devices itself when it comes to laser burning. Toshiba was using best available at the time. But that's not important compared to the fact that they didn't do any special mastering for Black Triangle CD's. As far as I know, they were transferred from master tapes as-is.

Edit : I should also point out that I cannot hear any significant difference between Black Triangle and original CD's. Having only remasters in physical possession, couple of years ago I went to download original high quality FLAC rips, and ran into black triangle versions on the site in question. Being aware of these black triangles via Pink Floyd, I just decided to download them instead.
 
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Rotam said:
do you think there are people crazy enough to collect all Maiden versions of all of their official releases?!
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Sure there are.
For a while there I was working on getting every version of the tapes.
But then the market started to get flooded with tons of stuff at outrageous prices from countries all over the place.
Turned me off, and I haven't even checked out anything in years now.
Still have what I did up to that point, including some nice rarities, but I don't know if I will ever get back into it, or sell of what I have.
 
Zare said:
Edit : I should also point out that I cannot hear any significant difference between Black Triangle and original CD's.
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Indeed, there aren't any sonic differences. At all.

I tested that myself once. I dragged two WAV files (converted from FLAC) inte Pro Tools, one Black Triangle, the other from the original CD release. Phase inverted one of them, made sure they were 100% in sync, to the last mm of a wavelength. Then adjusted the faders until they had the exact same amplitude (the Black Triangle was 0.2 dB lower in level or something like that). And they cancelled out completely = The exact same information.
 
Yax said:
Original CD masters are the shit. Although, the remastered Piece of Mind receives one point for making it sound less harsh (but also sounds rather low middy instead... That bass). The guitars are piercing in the original release.

Original Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son... :notworthy:
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original SIT is the best thing ever....
 
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Looking back on this now (and since i created this thread), i'm amazed at how dumb i was to think the remasters were better-sounding :facepalm:
 
I don't mind the 98 remasters though I do agree the originals are better. I have both the 98 remasters and the Castle reissues. I use the remastered version for my tablet and iphone and use the Castle reissues for the cd player.
 
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