New Album, Your Preference Options

[Hoodstock]

If Live were to release a new album and a digital version for less, which would you purchase and why?

[Alex]

I think you're getting a bit mixed up with the concept of compression.. CDs always have a sampling rate of 44.1khz 16bit, regardless of the amount of tracks on it. The number of tracks has no impact on the sound of the cd (well, none that is going to affect commercially pressed cds anyway).

I'm not sure if Awake has been remastered (though from memory it hasn't) so you wouldn't hear any difference between the original CDs and the compilation. Different pressings of CDs (except in bootleg or extremely poor production line cases) definitely wouldn't result in audibly different sound; I'm guessing the different versions were different masters or transfers. It's not like vinyl where each copy from the same master can sound different. CD is just data.

What you were hearing from the Live cds was pretty much due to their production (specifically, but not limited to mastering). This is probably partly due to his setup- from what you've said I'm guessing this guy listens to a lot of music originally recorded in analog settings; and probably gets pressings which still have a lot of headroom intact.