It's not uncommon for early DVDs to just recycle LD transfers. Surprised because I thought since Columbia did their own LD afterwards that they wouldn't have just licensed the Criterion transfer. LDDB lists the Columbia LD at 1.75:1 instead of 1.85:1, but that could either be a re-crop or submission error.

The mono track is probably untouched which is why it would seem softer. The later releases will be highly equalized, scrubbed, compressed and tinny. Thus they seem louder at first listen. The former is how Get Carter is on DVD, an original mono track @ 192 kbp/s unfutzed with and in a very low 1.0 track.

Kubrick's films never stop being fascinating...even their ratios...I refuse to see Strangelove at a flat 1.66:1, though it looked fine theatrically this way. I just got used to the alternating 1.33/1.66 ratios. He also used this on the Criterion Lolita LD, but I've yet to see that. The Criterion 1.66:1 framings of The Killing and Paths of Glory are fantastic looking after years of worn VHS and undefined MGM DVDs. But both framings work, like Night of the Hunter.

The Shining I think looks fine in any matte, but the 1.85 works best overall. And 2001 was still 2.21:1 on all 35mm prints.

Barry Lyndon is the only one I can't decide on. 1.66 or 1.75? I think 1.66:1 is what it was really composed for, but Kubrick wrote letters proclaiming the intended ratio of 1.75. In any case, the Blu-ray is still cropped form the intended image.