Best audio quality CDs for J5 and Jacksons?

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

Maybe redirect this to the other audio quality threads but it bares asking. I would like to know.

 

[Mark Shaw]

Wow. Well, okay. I guess

 

[R1chard]

Same story as most other artists. Pretty good sound quality up until the early 90s, then absolute garbage after that. Never buy any release dated after 1995.

https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/1/year/asc?artist=Jackson 5

 

[MJbr2]

Any 80s Japanese CD pressings of Triumph and Victory take the cake for me, you should check them
(JP-for-US or JP-for-EU will also do it)

 

[Mister_Jay_Tee]

Any 80s Japanese CD pressings of Triumph and Victory take the cake for me, you should check them
(JP-for-US or JP-for-EU will also do it)

I heard the Vinyl of Victory sounds really good, Like three-dimensional versus two-dimensional essentially?

 

[NeoGardiV8]

I heard the Vinyl of Victory sounds really good, Luke three-dimensional versus two-dimensional essentially?

i'd just go with the first pressing CD, i always go for CD unless it's mastered terribly, which isn't the case for Victory.

 

[Maxym]

https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/1/year/asc?artist=Jackson 5

Dynamic Range is one thing, but it does not translate quality on its own. And if you take some old CDs from J5 albums, yes they sound less "remastered"... but at the same time they may contain some more background noise. On the other hand, the J5/Jacksons remasters are among the most acceptable in my opinion... So I would say it's a case by case thing and depends on one's taste.

Best audio quality CDs for J5 and Jacksons?

I collected some J5 and Jacksons early CD pressings, not so long ago.
Some things I can remember right now, only considering the versions I own (in example, I rarely compared with vinyl). No direct answers, mostly various and unordered info (sorry I'll be away for some time and don't have time to organise this or check better right now ) :

• Jackson 5 - Complete Album Collection (2013) - Masterings are random, sometimes you get an old mastering, sometimes you get the 2000+ mastering.
• Dear Michael - The Motown collection (Japan, 2011): Is consistent regarding mastering, all 2.000+ mastering. (And yes, they're remastered but they're not bad, as already mentionned.)
• Farewell My Summer Love : I prefer the CD from the 1989 (UK/EU) over 2000+ versions.
• Get It Together - The only option I found to have "non-glitched" CD version of this album is in Dear Michael - The Motown collection (because the version in Complete album collection (2013) is out of phase, and at least some Skywriter/Get It Together CDs from the 2.000+ release have a stuttering glitch in the GIT title track.) Note that no GIT CD apparently contains the actual original version of the GIT title track (only very early vinyls do, and if I'm not mistaking Anthology from 1986 (US or DE) but there are so many version of that song I get confused.)
• Christmas Album - I think I prefer the version from Dear Michael - The Motown collection (Japan, 2011) which has better dynamic range than 2009 The Ultimate Christmas Collection . And if I remember well has less noise than the 1986/1987 CD (US). (Note: It is probably similar to the 2.000+ Christmas Album + Little Christmas Tree release which I don't own.)
• Live/In Japan - I have a super old MP3 rip that has better dynamic range than more recent releases, but sound is extremely low. I have no clue where it came from now, but it may be from one of the early CDs.
• ABC (CD, US, 1991) - I found this one somewhat too noisy (background noise) (But if I remember well it's got the unedited versions of La La (Means I love you) and I'll Bet You )
• Looking Back to Yesterday I prefer the CD from 1991 (US).
• Boogie : I prefer the original vinyl over any CD (though I never finish restoring it), and some tracks sounds weird/weak in any releases ( Penny Arcade ). Music On CD release sounds the same as 2000+ and Complete album collection (2013) releases, I suppose all Boogie CDs sound the same.
• Moving Violation : Absolutely avoid the 1995 "Lucky Sounds" CD, it's just so loud.
• On the other hand, I was told that the "Lucky Sounds" J5 compilation has one of the best masterings for the track Get It Together (Haven't compared it all in details)
• Victory I think I prefer the 1984 CD (I think it's JP-for-US or JP-for-EU).
• Triumph I think I prefer the 1984 CD (JP-for-EU), but it comes really close to 90s releases.
• Victory or Triumph : At least on of them required de-emph.
• Goin' Places : I have 3 of this ... they all sound the same ... but I don't remember the details right now.
• 2300 Jackson Street : I think the 1989 CD is very similar to the 2023 expanded-remaster (for the album part) (which I got from Qobuz). Though I can see that the waveform and spectral view seem a bit cleaner in the 2021 (24 bit digital version), I don't see any significant difference.

And something I would like to know: Is the recent Joyful Jukebox Music remaster by Music On CD any different from previous ones (that are all similar) (I know some people have it but they don't want to unseal it or they don't have other version to compare...) And what about the other Music On CD releases such as Live/In Japan.

 

[MJbr2]

I heard the Vinyl of Victory sounds really good, Like three-dimensional versus two-dimensional essentially?

Bollocks. Most of the first Japanese CDs were made using digital masters which were 1:1 copies of the original masters (of course there's some sort of loss in the process as there is now when you rip a vinyl, for instance, but it should be minimal and your ears can't perceive it).
However, it's up to taste. If you have a turntable and prefer vinyl, go for it!