Casiopea – Mint Jams

I have this 32XA-112, the 2002 DSD Remaster and the first release 38XA-5 - the best CD release is the 38XA-5.

The 38XA-5 runs a hair slower and is much quieter than the other two releases, so to accurately compare them all I reduced the volumes of the 32XA and 2002 to the same perceived loudness in Audacity as the 38XA (confirmed with the ReplayGain plugin) and slowed them down with the "Change Tempo" effect to both be in sync and also not adjust their pitch.

The 2002 DSD Remaster is the streaming version and is serviceable, but any pre-remaster CD release is better. As is, the 2002 is the loudest, has audible compression and fatiguing high frequencies. When adjusted to the 38XA-5 the drums do not have as much body and the bass is not as defined. The one strong positive of the 2002 however is the gaps between each track is significantly longer than the other releases and the extra breathing room is much appreciated.
A quick note: the ALCA-9202 from 1998 (labelled as a remaster) measures VERY similarly to the 2002 but I have not personally heard this release.

The 32XA-112 is more dynamic and has tamer high frequencies than the 2002, which makes it a pleasant & foot-tapping listen. The gaps between tracks are very short and are a little jarring at first but it is easy to get used to. It still has less defined articulation in the bass & drums when adjusted to the 38XA-5.

For my tastes the 38XA-5 is the best with nice depth in the low end and balance across the board; of note is the intelligibility of the bass lines, the stronger fronts of each note make it easy to latch onto and follow along. The slower speed whilst subtle helps songs like Take Me and Time Limit sit back and groove just that bit more.

A couple of considerations with the 38XA-5 - the gaps between songs are very short but the improvements elsewhere outweigh this downside. This release has pre-emphasis which is a high frequency boost found on early CDs. Most CD players will de-emphasis automatically but no PC disc drives can. The flag for pre-emphasis on the 38XA-5 is in the SUBQ which is not easily identified by ripping software, but the ripped files are easily de-emphasised manually.

My recommendation is to go with any pre-remaster release if you are a casual to moderate fan of this album. The improvement of the 32XA-112 to the 2002 is worth hunting a copy for but the best digital version is the 38XA-5 if you can find one.