I was a professional musician before switching to academia. Lots of experience in the studio and very familiar with the production and mastering processes. It certainly does make a difference - you’re right.

My question about original masters was partly about sounds quality, but it’s also about the perception of “authenticity.” I’ve seen a lot of vinyl collectors spend bundles for original pressings based on the idea that they’re getting a more authentic experience (relative to the time of the recording), but this says very little about objective quality (to the extent that it’s quantifiable). Seems like there are cases where it crosses the threshold into fetishism.

Not making any judgments about you, personally. Just making some conversation.

Sure, but when you see the mastering engineer’s name on a hype sticker, you have certain expectations that it will be somehow better than an anonymous engineer. When the guy is listed as a feature of the recording, I think it’s fair to assume that you’re buying a more audiophile-oriented master. Perhaps this isn’t always the case.

That said, I tend to think a lot of remasters are pointless exercises in loudness or simply a marketing gimmick to get people to buy the recording again. I especially don’t understand remastering recordings after the advent of the loudness war, unless you’re going to provide more dynamics.

Do you tend to like original masters better?

I buy a lot of CDs and vinyl every year. I trust scientists when they describe the limits of human hearing, so no point in hi-res digital sources. As they say, it’s the mastering and recording that make the difference. That said, I do trade vinyl rips with friends who have quality turntables for the convenience of digital, and I rip my CDs in ALAC format.

Streaming isn’t for me. I want to own it, if I like it.

I’d say Rossini’s Barber of Seville. It has some of the most famous arias, and you’ll probably recognize a bunch of the melodies.

Verdi is tough to beat. La Traviata and Rigoletto are both reasonable points of entry.

Sometimes it can be nice to start with an orchestral suite based on the opera so you can get familiar with the basic themes first.

Lots of good points here, but Andrew Lloyd Weber is a magical theater guy, not an opera composer. Musical theater can be a good stepping stone to opera though. So much more accessible, especially because most are in English.

Realistically, there’s nothing you can do that will make a meaningful difference other than turning down the volume. Headphones are your friend. Foam pads, rugs, etc will make very little meaningful difference.

I bet the Jonas Bros have never sounded better.