what's the differenc between the original master recording (gold) cd's and the regular cd's? is it better sound quality or is it just a pretty gold disc. the only thing i do know is they're more expensive. any help would be most appreceated.

The gold CDs are usually remastered from the original master studio recording (i.e. 2" tape masters). There are a few of these types of companies that do these ultra disc remasters. One of the biggest is Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs. While some of the MFSL remasters are very good and noticably better than the normal CD, most are not, and not worth the price. Back when these were not collectors items they were not that much more than the average CD and I have a few like Blow By Blow, Dark Side Of The Moon, etc.

Sometimes on the remasters there are new parts mixed in like different guitar solos, instruments, etc...because they have all the takes and such on the master tapes. Can't Buy A Thrill is a good example where a couple of the songs have different guitar parts and solos.

Gold CDs also last longer and are also less prone to degradation from the elements, such as hot and cold (which affects aluminum CDs far more easily, but only if there are extreme temperature fluctuations). Gold discs are aimed at audiophiles more than anything else. Back in their heyday, MFSL used a half-speed mastering process for vinyl albums, which gave a highly noticable increase in fidelity and little or no surface noise. (They used a higher grade of material to make their records.)

thanks for the info palebluedot and Eplicon. that pretty much clears it up. thanks again