Culture Factory Legends CD remasters

Has anyone here had experience with the CD remasters issued by a company called the Culture Factory?

I stumbled on a cheap copy of their remastered “Dad Loves His Work” from James Taylor on Amazon and bought it, despite its cheesy “mini-LP” production and packaging. I don’t have a first-issue Warner Bros. CD to compare it to, but I have my own original LP, and this is night and day different from it. Even after compensating as best I can for level differences when comparing the two, the difference is quite large. The remaster seemed to leap from the speakers - much clearer, and with more bass presence, which put me in mind of the old “loudness” compensation from the days of the Fletcher-Munson curve, which in turn made me wonder if over time I would still like it, or if it would wear on my ears as unnatural, like a new set of too-bright speakers.

Before I dive into any other purchases, I thought I’d see if anyone else has broader experience with them and could offer an insight or two. I’ll say, looking through their website, their catalog reflects some unusual choices. A lot of Rare Earth, for example. A whole lot.

I have all the Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna and Quicksilver Messenger Service cds they put out as well as the two Blue Note titles they released recently.

They are nothing if not consistent. They all sound like that. . . with the exception of the Blue Note which sound a bit more subdued. . . a bit.

I actually enjoy them. . . this is material that I don’t play often but when I do play them I want them to leap out of my speakers and pound on me and they do. As you suspect as well I doubt I would want a steady diet of this type of mastering and compression but once in a while it’s a party in my ears!

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Thanks, that’s very helpful. I decided to go ahead and pick up three of them through Collector’s Choice Music so I could qualify for their 3-item, 20% off “SPRING” promotion. I ordered Toto IV, Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley and a solo Jim Messina album from the early '80s. We’ll see what they’re like.

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