The mono tracks on the MGM LaserDisc and the early non-anamorphic MGM DVD sound similar (I'm pleased to report that the LDDB entry for the former is incorrect - it's mono, not stereo! I've corrected it.), but the high end on the DVD is more rolled off.
There's no way to prove this, but the Criterion mono looks suspiciously like someone took the 192 kbps AC-3 file from the SE DVD and tried to roll off everything before 20 kHz to mask the hard lossy cut off. Either way, they sound basically the same -- more muffled with noise reduction compared to the two earlier editions.
This film apparently had a 4-track mix that's been lost and some online reviewers say the 5.1 is surely an attempt to recreate it. I think it sounds poor, as if it was made from a single mono dialogue/effects track and combined with a stereo music track, with some generic ambient sound added to some scenes. There's no real separation and it's as murky as the SE DVD and the Criterion mono.
The Criterion LaserDisc is clearly sourced from the same audio transfer as the MGM LaserDisc, but it has additional mastering work: it's EQed to be warmer and its treble sounds a bit recessed, probably to disguise hiss. Strangely, there's a ~2-minute segment at about 00:55:41 (equivalent blu-ray timecode) that's considerably more muffled than the rest of the film.
Kino's UHD blu-ray sounds the same as the Criterion blu-ray.
Update (2/6/2022): Added Kino UHD
I didn't notice a difference between the kino 4k and the mgm LD
ReplyDeleteSame with the kino release of the train
Kino did admit they used the LD for good bad and the ugly 4k though.