If you're not familiar with the term "loudness compression", go to Wikipedia and search "loudness wars". In that article, there is also a link to an excellent You Tube audio/video demonstration of this reprehensible practice, which is being propagated by bean-counter record company executives.

The technical explanation of loudness compression is the application of an increasingly high ratio of compression to the dynamic range of a particular recording, and then increasing the gain of the recording, until the peaks have reached maximum. In layman's terms, what this means is there are no longer any quiet or loud passages in the recording, EVERYTHING is at the same volume.

Basically, the iPod is responsible for the proliferation of this practice. When music is played back thru iPod earbuds in any environment where there is ambient noise present, by having the volume artificially jacked across the entire music spectrum, you can hear the content more clearly. However, when you listen to the same recording thru a home audio system, it sounds like the music is coming thru a megaphone.

This "remaster" is a classic example of this insidious process. The original dynamic range of this record has been totally obliterated. When you cue up the beginning of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", the drums and piano are actually louder than the vocals. Universal should have titled this set "The Funk Brothers Featuring the Temptations", because the legendary Motown house band can certainly be heard more clearly than on any other Temptations compilation.

If you're only listening to your music thru earbuds, then maybe this approach will work for you (50 years since the advent of stereo, with thousands of companies spending billions of dollars to improve audio quality, and millions listen to music thru a medium that reduces the sound to the quality of an AM radio. And, since most people use their earbuds for more than the recommended maximum of 1 hour per day, the entire generation is going deaf in the process. See "irony".). Also, all of this material would have fit on 2 CD's; so much for "eco-friendly".

Stick with the excellent

box, or, if you need to spend less money, the 2001

. At least on those two sets, you'll be able to appreciate the fantastic vocals as they were originally intended to be heard. If you've been listening to the Temptations for as long as I have, you are NOT going to enjoy this set.

I understand what the "purist" is saying - but most of the remastered CD's sound good to me. I liked these 3 CD's. I love the Temptations.

I'm so glad I found this CD set! Initially only looking for one song, but this set is a great treasure!

Ordered this for a birthday present for my fiance. Awesome price for three CDs. More importantly, she loves it. Now I hear it every day.

The Master sounds fantastic. even though its obvious compression was used it creates a more balanced recording. The bass sounds more centered and the recordings are more clear in general. While it may have lost some of the original warmth from the classic recordings ( and muddiness) these sound much more clear,focused and alive.

It really is a question of personal preference but these cuts sound really good in my opinion and the collection is well worth it especially for a casual listener.