Here's a list of best audios I found for films I like. This is inspired by blah-ray.blogspot.com, I agree with many conclusions by Moshrom, but I can only give short conclusions based on quick comparing.
I may or may not have captured these tracks, but you can ask me if you're interested. My LD track capture is not bit-perfect and may have glitches, but I'm sure it sounds good. For DVDs, I feel the version with best audio often has the best image too, no need to sync them to another release.
For some old tracks whose detail became muffled (but actually not lacking), I think restoration (even at its best, no strange EQ applied) often makes them sound worse. Because the original one may have a fuller vocal/timbre, a more confortable soundstage, and thus more musical and emotional.
I also found some new films with a better audio, often the optional 2.0 track in DVD/BD release, and they (if not a downmix) may sound better than 5.1 track. (I strongly recommend to watch all of them, they're the best films with best made audios in recent years.)
I've been thinking about why people (especially reviewers and specialists) always makes wrong choices: they only care about quality of "image" and "sound". But sound is not all about sound, it includes how voices are projected (from every object), how they're recorded (and being listened to), and even the "desire" (for listening) itself. A great orignal track often involves all of these, media now has full self reflexivity, and we have full conscious of what we're listening to. That's why flaws will not decrease (even add to) our listening experiences, as long as real informations are well kept.
L'Atalante (1934)
The best version of this film is a VHS recording of the 1990 restoration. Or you can find Artificial Eye DVD, better than the Criterion and Gaumont Bluray.
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953) & Playtime (1967)
For Mr. Hulot's Holiday, everything in the Theatrical Cut seems more original.
For Playtime, The Criterion 2001 DVD is the only correct version for me, though not good enough.
Ugetsu (1953)
The original audio in Criterion Laserdisc [CC1317L] (captured), and restoration in Kadokawa BD, both sound good and well balanced. I prefer the original one.
Johnny Guitar (1954)
Arthaus DVD track is a suprising find, should be original mono track and sounds great to me. It's remixed (to stereo?) in almost all other versions.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
MGM R1 is a bit tricky, it's less detailed than it seems. Laserdisc [ML101107] is better, which has more bass, more air, fuller vocal.
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
RCA/Columbia Laserdisc [30701] analog, I captured this too.
Hiroshima mon amour (1959)
Found a Filmax R2 DVD, it sounds amazing.
Psycho (1960)
The mono track in Warner DVD is more original than mono track in Bluray. (It sounds similar with the uncut German TV version.)
Ohayo (1959) & Late Autumn (1960)
The tracks restored by Shochiku is good but a little artificial, the tracks in old Shochiku Laserdiscs have a little more body and sound more natural (dynamic is less compressed!).
Pickpocket (1959) & Au hasard Balthazar (1966)
The old IVC DVDs have tracks better than latter DVDs/Blurays, though not perfect.
Naked Childhood (1968)
MOC DVD is better than the Criterion DVD and Gaumont Bluray.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The track in Warner 1999 DVD is great to me, although it's very lossy (64kbps per channel). I don't have the MGM 1998 DVD.
I may or may not have captured these tracks, but you can ask me if you're interested. My LD track capture is not bit-perfect and may have glitches, but I'm sure it sounds good. For DVDs, I feel the version with best audio often has the best image too, no need to sync them to another release.
For some old tracks whose detail became muffled (but actually not lacking), I think restoration (even at its best, no strange EQ applied) often makes them sound worse. Because the original one may have a fuller vocal/timbre, a more confortable soundstage, and thus more musical and emotional.
I also found some new films with a better audio, often the optional 2.0 track in DVD/BD release, and they (if not a downmix) may sound better than 5.1 track. (I strongly recommend to watch all of them, they're the best films with best made audios in recent years.)
I've been thinking about why people (especially reviewers and specialists) always makes wrong choices: they only care about quality of "image" and "sound". But sound is not all about sound, it includes how voices are projected (from every object), how they're recorded (and being listened to), and even the "desire" (for listening) itself. A great orignal track often involves all of these, media now has full self reflexivity, and we have full conscious of what we're listening to. That's why flaws will not decrease (even add to) our listening experiences, as long as real informations are well kept.
L'Atalante (1934)
The best version of this film is a VHS recording of the 1990 restoration. Or you can find Artificial Eye DVD, better than the Criterion and Gaumont Bluray.
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953) & Playtime (1967)
For Mr. Hulot's Holiday, everything in the Theatrical Cut seems more original.
For Playtime, The Criterion 2001 DVD is the only correct version for me, though not good enough.
Ugetsu (1953)
The original audio in Criterion Laserdisc [CC1317L] (captured), and restoration in Kadokawa BD, both sound good and well balanced. I prefer the original one.
Johnny Guitar (1954)
Arthaus DVD track is a suprising find, should be original mono track and sounds great to me. It's remixed (to stereo?) in almost all other versions.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
MGM R1 is a bit tricky, it's less detailed than it seems. Laserdisc [ML101107] is better, which has more bass, more air, fuller vocal.
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
RCA/Columbia Laserdisc [30701] analog, I captured this too.
Hiroshima mon amour (1959)
Found a Filmax R2 DVD, it sounds amazing.
Psycho (1960)
The mono track in Warner DVD is more original than mono track in Bluray. (It sounds similar with the uncut German TV version.)
Ohayo (1959) & Late Autumn (1960)
The tracks restored by Shochiku is good but a little artificial, the tracks in old Shochiku Laserdiscs have a little more body and sound more natural (dynamic is less compressed!).
Pickpocket (1959) & Au hasard Balthazar (1966)
The old IVC DVDs have tracks better than latter DVDs/Blurays, though not perfect.
Naked Childhood (1968)
MOC DVD is better than the Criterion DVD and Gaumont Bluray.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The track in Warner 1999 DVD is great to me, although it's very lossy (64kbps per channel). I don't have the MGM 1998 DVD.
