Yes; I see what you mean. The big bonuses in the Pristine remastering are the complete absence of hiss and a richer, rounder sound which somehow has more "air" around the aural perspective - but there is element of "boominess" about the bass which is absent in the Sony transfer. Andrew Rose has this to say about his treatment of it for the Pristine issue: "I would point the listener first to the brass to hear what dramatic sound improvements have been made. Gone is the dim, veiled sound of even the most recent "official" Sony CD issues, to be replaced by an openness and clarity that lets these instruments shine through as never before. Suddenly the whole sound of the original recordings sounds cluttered and constricted by comparison.

Listen next to the very low end, the depths of bass which underpin the orchestra, the growling rumbled of double basses and low percussion that seem almost absent in the original - they were there all along, just waiting to be found and returned to audibility. A monumental work such as the Ninth requires a monumental sound - and now this monumental recording has it."

In the end, I guess this is a question of taste. I think they are all very listenable but I prefer the additional depth and presence in the bass the Pristine remastering offers.