The GoG version of Warcraft II is unbearable because it’s based on the Battle.net version of the game, which cut and down-sampled materials to reduce their quality in order to fit the entire base game plus the Beyond the Dark Portal expansion onto a single CD, because Blizzard was too cheap to give the game + expansion material on two CDs, like they were originally sold as.

As a result, the Bnet edition of Warcraft II’s music is cut: it just starts fading out partway through the tracks, and there’s sometimes an audible pop where it’s been cut short - which means that whoever did it didn’t know anything about audio editing, and didn’t cut it at the wave form’s zero crossing.

And the sound effect quality in the Bnet edition of Warcraft II is terrible, having been reduced in fidelity to lower the filesizes, to help fit the base game and expansion on a single CD.

I’ve also heard that the FMVs in the Bnet edition are lower quality. But I haven’t checked that, myself.

The Battle.net version of Warcraft II is a sorely-downgraded repackaging of the game, and I find it hard to imagine that GoG would’ve put the materials from the Bnet edition into their release if they were aware that the original releases of Warcraft II and Beyond the Dark Portal, on separate CDs, feature higher quality sound and longer music tracks. But I would’ve expected them to at least do some research into a game they’re making a special release of. Yet the GoG edition of Warcraft II is inferior to the original release - just like the Battle.net edition was.

So, please have some honour and fix the GoG release of Warcraft II, by giving it the proper sound and music files, and fixing anything else that was downgraded from the original release. It’s a travesty to have it in such a poor, undeserved condition. I emailed GoG support about it multiple time before, and all they gave was a canned response about being committed to delivering the best packages possible, when they literally didn’t do that here, and gave something I wouldn’t ever have a reason to play over my original copies in DOSBox, because the original is hands-down superior.

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BTW, I read this quote from Blizzard’s Warcraft RTS senior manager, Brad Chan, today:

“Throughout my career, I’ve stuck to a few guiding principles: When something is broken, you fix it. When something is wrong, you make it right. And if things aren’t good enough, you make them better.”

The GoG version of Warcraft II is definitely not good enough, it’s pointlessly use of sorely-downgraded music and sound materials are very wrong, and its presentation is broken. I hope Blizzard will live up to the admirable words of Brad Chan and make it better, make it right, and fix it.

its obvious you didnt see new remasters of warcraft

If something wasnt broken - don't fix it. If something working - stay away of changing it. THAT one are the rule.

There is no dramatical reduce of quality as tou wrote it here. Ofc it is lower cause it is lossy (although.cda not always mean real lossless, can he upconvert and after all game CDs are not the lossless source itself, it is still GameRip type where music fit onto CD as possible, not as quality).
As i know there is no known separate LOSSLESS soundtrack releases for Wc1 and Wc2, so games CDs can be consider such LOSSLESS ones. And that Apple Mac+DOS CD re-edition for Wc1 qnd original 2 CD editions on DOS for Wc2. They include .cda tracks aka AudioCD format.

If you want imroved Warcraft 2 - there is better version on Sega Saturn, released before Bnet Ed, having some controls improvements not appear even in Wc3 (and become standard before Wc3).

There is changed to worse one FMV. Quality duration and content logic/details on screen.

Also seems difficulty reduced for original campaigns. But it is not a bug its a feature. You sughest fixing something that wasnt broken, but designed to be.

Suggestion should be to players - play original DOS version of base game (with patch maybe, maybe ideally in-between one but only latest one easier to find). That's not the feature digital storefronts provide. Its not mandatory to provide alternate versions, esp older ones. GOG have more issues to fix - most of their DOS games. They orovide outdated DOS builds only.
And even Warcraft 1 always been PC-DOS have minor issue with it Launcher fixed only for Mac build (unavailable of some options).
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Btw Warcraft 3 TFT last version (1.27b) are more broken. And as always it would be better to play original campaigns in basic game version.
Issues are minor but they are. For ROC only.

oh yeah. and you, kid first time hearing about AudioCD on game discs. There another one younto hear. DOSBOX NEVER EVER provide higher quality experience because PC(DOS) NEVER EVER did provide higher quality experience. Including AudioCD quality.
It so much technical limitations there so fan made WinWar and Stratagus+Wa1gus/Wargus2 are better whatever alpha date they are or outdated build you find.

SMALL increase in music quality (at term of possibly to hear the difference during real action gameplay) is way not enough so much to jut go and install DOS version.

Moreover, you need Windows (and directx included ones) or Windows ME to able to hear AudioCD. In regular PC--DOS/MS-DOS and DoxBox/DosBox CS GOG build you cant hear .cda tracks. Only MIDI and only if hardware, drivers and game soundset tool properly set (a bit easier for DosBox than real DOS since steps and requirements/limitations reduced to one and tool and somethings precondigured)
You need not just DosBox but fork with Windows suppot. There is such.
But it is incomparable to native PC-Win/x32 executable app and improvements made in Bnet. Just port to Windows (9x) make game better than launch EVEN in "DOS mode" of Windows (9x). Real advantages is 1.x content that always better - one video fmv and AI difficulty. Not the music quality.

And as i poin that above, Bnet improved but not enough after Sega port. DOS Warcraft have even less features and kinda worse controls.