Citizen Kane (1941)

The Warner blu-ray recycles the audio transfer used for the Warner DVD and has a bit more high-frequency attenuation. Both sound muffled.

The first Image LaserDisc from 1985 was evidently transferred from inferior elements -- it's much dupier sounding than the others and much hissier.

But the later 1992 Image LaserDisc (and presumably the Criterion LD, although I haven't confirmed this) sounds better than the Warner blu-ray and DVD. Its digital track (labelled on the packaging as 'enhanced') sounds poor -- high-end sharply rolled off -- but its analog track sounds good. Nothing amazing, but it sounds like the blu-ray/DVD without any filtering. I hear nothing that suggests it was transferred from inferior elements -- it's consistently better.

The typewriter sounds reveal the differences best, I think:

Update (1/5/2019): Added the Criterion LaserDisc. It sounds dull and rolled off, like the DVD and blu-ray. The analogue track on the Image LD is still the best of the bunch.

Update (12/7/2021): New post, which supersedes everything on this page.