LOL! “First soiled diaper” got a good chuckle on that one.

Agree many remasters seem to be just a money grab. I especially abhor remastering that compresses the dynamic range, just criminal.

But then there are others that put in the effort to improve on the original to make things right and those are worth getting. And when I say remaster, not just the re EQ, but also the expert disc cutting to take full advantage of tech we have now, so for example more of the original bass can be cut into the groove. We’re as before it was limited by choice or whatever to accommodate the masses or radio.

I don’t think any hard rules can be applied to this.

Steve Wilson’s 2011 remix of Jethro Tull - Aqualung is a vast improvement on the original mix. That album is a favourite of mine, but never sounded right to me. So I was very thankful for Mr Wilson’s work on it as it is a pure delight.

Another one is 2008 Shelby Lynne - Just A Little Lovin’. The original sounded pretty good. But then it was redone in 2014 by Analogue Productions and it COMPLETELY blows the original away. Just jaw dropping good. Makes the original sound dead and flat.

This indeed is correct.

Panning changes would need to be done in a remix, not remaster. So perhaps the OP is perceiving harder panning because of headphones.

The issue is also that Japanese pressing plants do a very good job of pressing the records and that is why they are sort after. BUT!

However the mastering etc used is often unknown and that is where it all falls down. Many use some really shit masters, but the the record pressing is immaculate. I know I own a few and agree, light on the bass end.

I have the 2012 remaster pressed at RTI. No surface noise, pressings are flat. Nice sound, nothing to complain about, but I don’t have any other pressings to compare it to.

Discogs listing of it