I love how my well mastered CDs sound on my friend's custom built speakers so much that I'm dying to have a pair, especially since we have the same amplifiers. But the problem with so many of my favorite CD tracks is that for one reason or another they were engineered with too much added compression. Of course, the lovely dynamics which once existed on the master tape were quashed, so much of these tracks sound flat.

But even worse than the lack of dynamics, many of these same overcompressed recordings (60s and 70s pop, r&b, soundtracks) sound congested, especially when orchestras or vocals get busier. Perhaps this is an artifact from the added compression?

The Beach Boys' all too brief but delightful version of Bacharach's "Walk on By" was one of the tracks which also sounded compressed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20/20_...ach_Boys_album)

I thought that maybe "messy acoustics" and/or poor miking/baffling techniques were primarily responsible. But this version of Bacharach's "Look of Love" also sounded congested during Grusin's orchestrations. https://www.discogs.com/master/11184...66-Look-Around

Henry Lewy was the same who engineered for Joni Mitchell and many other highly reputable artists. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lewy

Hard to believe that Lewy could be this inept at ensuring the proper acoustic and mic setups before recording.

Restoration software like https://www.izotope.com/en/products/rx.html can't remove any amount of compression, so it certainly can't fix either problem. When might we see such AI-driven software which can make these repairs, and do so to please most discerning ears?

Given the pace that AI is reshaping all aspects of technology, this kind of Rx upgrade is long overdue.

BUT then there’s this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RIX1pGkFq8 How……?????