Brothers In Arms is the 5th album of Dire Straits. It is the biggest success of the group with 30 million albums sold worldwide (about 2 million in France).

It was released in May 1985 and received a Grammy Award in 1986 for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

Brothers in Arms is one of the first albums recorded on the Sony 24-track digital tape recorder.
This album was the benchmark album for CD player promotion at its release by exploiting the high dynamic range available on the CD and its full digital production, with DDDs indicating full digital production during recording, mixing, and mastering.

 This album has another particularity, indeed, the duration of the tracks is not the same for the CD and the vinyl. Originally the vinyl was released as a single disc, so the songs have been reduced in length to fit on both sides of a vinyl, the CD itself being 55 minutes.
This point has been corrected on the double vinyls, which take up the initial duration of the songs.

June 2025: update with 40th anniversary CD, vinyl and Dolby Atmos Blu-ray versions, plus 2 SACD versions (SHM and 20th anniversary), choose your best edition from the 18 versions tested.

Find reviews of other Dire Straits albums:

The album includes the following tracks, duration depending on the media:

Technical:

• First Dire Straits album recorded in Digital.

This album includes 9 tracks : 

	CD	Simple Vinyl	Double Vinyl
So Far Away	5:12	3:59	5:12
Money for Nothing	8:26	7:04	8:26
Walk of Life	4:12	4:07	4:12
Your Latest Trick	6:33	4:38	6:33
Why Worry	8:31	5:22	8:31
Ride Across the River	6:58	6:55	6:58
The Man’s Too Strong	4:40	4:37	4:40
One World	3:40	3:36	3:40
Brothers in Arms	6:59	6:57	6:59

For this review, you will find 18 versions tested:

• Ed 1: Japanese Vinyl Vertigo ref 28PP-1005 – 1985
• Ed 2: Vinyl Vertigo Back To Black 3752907 remastered – 2014
• Ed 3: Vinyl MOFI MFSL 2-441 remastered – 2015
• Ed 4: SACD MOFI? UDSACD2099 remastered – 2013
• Ed 5: CD Vertigo 824 499-2 – 1985
• Ed 6: CD Warner Bros Records? 9 477732 USA Remastered SBM – 2000
• Ed 7: Vinyl Abbey Road Studio ARHSDLP004 – 2021
• Ed 8: Streaming Amazon HD – 1985
• Ed 9: Streaming Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2022
• Ed 10: Vinyl Record 40th anniversary – 2025
• Ed 11: CD 40th anniversary – 2025
• Ed 12: Blu-ray 1985 CD Version Stereo Mix – 2025
• Ed 13: Blu-ray 1985 Vinyl Version Stereo Mix – 2025
• Ed 14: Blu-ray 2005 5.1 Mix – 2025
• Ed 15: Blu-ray 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix – 2025
• Ed 16: SACD 20th anniversary – 2005
• Ed 17: SACD 20th anniversary 5.1 mix – 2005
• Ed 18: SACD SHM – 2014

Below you will find the description of the different editions, as well as the measurements of each edition in the following chapters.

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: Japanese Vinyl Vertigo ref 28PP-1005 – 1985

Presentation

This is the original japanese pressing of the album on one Vinyl disc.

Label	Vertigo
Reference	28PP-1005
State	single vinyl
Type	33.33 rpm
Master	Digital
Mastering/Pressing	Japan Pressing
Original recording	Digital
State	Japan
Year original	1985
Year production	1985

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

The waveform represent the first track  “So Far Away”:

 This edition is very dynamic, we can see many attacks of the instruments that gives this dynamic rendering. Compared to the Ed3 (Vinyl MOFI), we can see that the signal is inverted along the horizontal axis, the signal is in phase opposition for this disc.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Japanese Vinyl Vertigo ref 28PP-1005 – 1985.

The Spectrum allows to check the tonal balance of the music (balance between treble, medium and bass sounds) and to detect process that may have been carried out during the recording, the mixing, mastering or manufacturing phases. It is also possible to detect frequency interference issues.

 The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the entire first title “So Far Away”.

The interesting features on this curve are the following:

1. The high frequency cuts at 20kHz (Yellow) which is the maximum frequency of the digital master.
2. The treble level above 10kHz is higher (Green) than on the Ed2, this confirms what we saw on the signal representation, and results in a higher DR.

Synthesis and listening

Very nice Japanese pressing from 1985, with very good dynamics and very precise highs. The background noise is very good. Only one regress, the duration of the tracks is shorter than on the CD or double discs vinyls.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 2: Vinyl Vertigo Back To Black 3752907 remastered – 2014

Presentation

It s the two discs vinyl remastered in 2014.

Label	Vertigo
Reference	3752907
State	double vinyl
Type	33.33 rpm
Master	Digital, remastered in 2014
Mastering/Pressing	Europe Pressing
Original recording	Digital
State	Europe
Year original	1985
Year production	2014

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

 The rendering is very different from the Ed1 edition, the overall sound level is higher and the small peaks of the instruments are less pronounced. Ed1 and Ed2 have the same scale  level. This difference will result in lower treble.

 The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the entire first title. The interesting features on this curve are the following:

1. Like all editions, the high frequency cuts to 20kHz (yellow)  which is the maximum frequency of the digital master.
2. The treble level above 10 kHz is decreasing (Green), this is the lowest level of the 6 editions. This results in a lower dynamic range than in the other editions. The trebles are less precise, less detailed when listening.

Synthesis and listening

Version remastered in 2014 on 2 disks. The tracks have the original CD length. The disc has more attenuated highs with less dynamics, which gives a slightly different balance with less detail at the top of the spectrum.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 3: Vinyl MOFI MFSL 2-441 remastered – 2015

Presentation

This is the MOFI pressing of the album on two Vinyl discs in 45 rpm.

Label	MOFI
Reference	MFSL 2-441
State	Double vinyl
Type	45 rpm, Half speed Mastered
Master	Digital clone of Sony 1630 U-Matic digital master
Mastering/Pressing	Half speed Mastered
Original recording	Digital
State	US
Year original	1985
Year production	2015

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

 We find here a very dynamic signal with the sharp peaks of the musical attacks as on the Ed1.

Spectrogram is another representation of frequency versus time of a track. For each channel (right and left), horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents frequency. The amplitude is represented by the intensity (brightness) of the color of each point in the image. The spectrogram, as for the spectrum (in Yellow), reveals the limit at 22 kHz due to the digital recording.

 The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the entire first title. The interesting features on this curve are the following:

1. The 20 kHz cut-off is clearly visible here (Yellow), with a very marked drop as on the digital versions (master is in 44.1 kHz).
2. Remastering makes the most of frequencies above 10 kHz (Green), making it the richest in treble.

Synthesis and listening

Version remastered by MOFI in 2015 on 2 disks in 45rpm. The tracks have the original CD length. The disc has the most precise highs of the 3 editions with a very high dynamic range. The pressing is very good, with a very low surface noise. The best vinyl edition for this album.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 4: SACD MOFI UDSACD2099 remastered – 2013

Presentation

This is the MOFI SACD remastered in 2013.

Label	MOFI
Reference	UDSACD2099
State	SACD
Type	DSD64
Master	Digital DSD, remastered in 2013
Mastering/Pressing	DSD64
Original recording	Digital
State	US
Year original	1985
Year production	2013

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

We find here all the dynamics of the signal remastered by MOFI, with a raised treble level as we will see on the spectrum.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the SACD MOFI? UDSACD2099 remastered – 2013.
The interesting features on this curve are the following:

1. The accuracy of the digital here clearly shows the maximum frequency of the original master. Nothing above 20 kHz (Yellow), the original master is in 44.1 kHz.
2. The curve is very close to the Ed3 which corresponds to the vinyl version of the remastering.
3. The level between 40 and 60 Hz is lower here than the vinyl version (Blue), which will give a slightly lower bass support compared to the Ed3 vinyl MFSL.

Synthesis and listening

The MOFI remastered SACD version is very similar to the 45rpm double vinyl version. It does not have the small 2dB increase of the vinyl between 40 and 60 Hz, which gives it an even more dynamic listening experience. Certainly the best digital version for this album with the original Vertigo CD edition of 1985.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●● (5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 5: CD Vertigo 824 499-2 – 1985

Presentation

This is the original CD of this Album recorded in 1985.

Label	Vertigo
Reference	824 499-2
State	CD
Type	PCM 16 bits 44.1 kHz
Master	Digital 16 bits 44.1 kHz
Mastering/Pressing	CD
Original recording	Digital
State	Germany
Year original	1985
Year production	1985

Waveform and Spectrum: DR16

This edition of the CD is here very dynamic, we will find an accentuation of the treble which can be due to the mastering of the CD by the application of the option of possible pre-emphasis in the standard of the CD.

To serve as a comparison with the Ed6 (CD remastered SMB), here is the signal of the whole CD of the Ed5.

This version is similar to the Ed4 SACD Mofi, with the same treble level (green).

Synthesis and listening

Original edition of the CD very well remastered. Very good sound rendering that exploits well the recording made in pure digital.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 6: CD Warner Bros Records 9 477732 USA Remastered SBM – 2000

Presentation

This is CD remastered SBM in 2000.

Label	Warner Bros. Records
Reference	9 47773-2
State	CD
Type	PCM 16 bits, 44.1 kHz
Master	Digital Super Bits Mapping remastred
Mastering/Pressing	PCM 16/44.1
Original recording	Digital
State	US
Year original	1985
Year production	2000

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

We find here a CD remastered in SMB (Super Bit Mapping), we find here a louder waveform, with reduced peaks on the attacks of the instruments in the treble. The difference of DR with the Ed2 results in more presence of the small peaks of the attacks which gives a DR14 for the song instead of the DR12 for the Ed2.

 To get a better idea of the impact of the compression that increases the overall level, here is the signal of all the songs on the CD. Compare it with the signal of the whole CD of the Ed5 to understand that by increasing the level we remove the peaks of dynamics to have a maximum straight line (red) on some songs.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the CD Warner Bros Records 9 477732 USA Remastered SBM – 2000.
 This version is similar to the Ed4 SACD Mofi, with the same treble level (green), but with a higher level of recording.

Synthesis and listening

This remastered version has been worked very well. In spite of a lower dynamic range, the sound level is higher and the treble is still present. The listening remains pleasant but less detailed than the two other digital supports.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) Dolby Atmos :

Ed 7: Vinyl Abbey Road Studio ARHSDLP004 – 2021

Presentation

Universal Music will reissue half-speed mastered double vinyls pressings at 45 rmp remastered at Abbey Road Studio by Miles Showell.

Label	Universal Music Compagny
Reference	ARHSDLP004
State	Double vinyls
Type	45 rpm Limited Edition Half-Speed Master
Master	Digital 88.2 kHz
Mastering/Pressing	Mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, Half-Speed Mastered
Original recording	Digital
State	US
Year original	1985
Year production	2020

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

We find here all the dynamics of the signal remastered by Abbey Road Studio, with a raised treble level as we will see on the spectrum.

Spectrogram is another representation of frequency versus time of a track. For each channel (right and left), horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents frequency. The amplitude is represented by the intensity (brightness) of the color of each point in the image.

The spectrogram, as for the spectrum (in Yellow), reveals the limit at 22 kHz due to the digital recording. Surface Noise Above 1 kHz, the noise level is very low, with an advantage to the Abbey Road Studio version. Below 1 kHz, the situation is reversed and it is the MOFI release that has a lower surface noise than the Abbey Road release. The pressing quality is therefore a bit better on the MOFI version which is also a more expensive edition than the Abbey Road version.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl Abbey Road Studio ARHSDLP004 – 2021 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Vinyl MOFI MFSL 2-441 remastered – 2015 (blue curve).

The interesting features on this curve are the following:

• The accuracy of the digital here clearly shows the maximum frequency of the original master. Nothing above 20 kHz (Yellow), the original master is in 44.1 kHz.
• Bellow 10 kHz, the curve in blue (Vinyl MOFi Ed3) is a few dB higher than the Abbey Road Studio vinyl (White).
• The level between 40 and 60 Hz ( for Ed7 in white) is lower here than the Ed3 vinyl MOFI vinyl version (Blue), which will give a slightly lower bass support.
• Otherwise, the curves are very similar.

Surface Noise

Above 1 kHz, the noise level is very low, with an advantage to the Abbey Road Studio version.
Below 1 kHz, the situation is reversed and it is the MOFI release that has a lower surface noise than the Abbey Road release.
The pressing quality is therefore a bit better on the MOFI version which is also a more expensive edition than the Abbey Road version.

Synthesis and listening

Version remastered by Abbey road Studio in 2021 on 2 disks in 45rpm. The tracks have the original CD length. The disc has a very high dynamic range like MOFI. The discs are of very high quality, with a balance and sound precision a little different from the MOFI version. The rendering is a bit warmer, less digital. The pressing quality is nearly perfect but with little more surface noise than the MOFI version.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 8: Streaming Amazon HD – 1985

Presentation

This is the Amazon HD Streaming

Label	Vertigo
Reference	Amazon Music HD 16/44.1
State	HD Streaming 16/44.1
Type	HD Streaming
Master	Digital 16/44.1kHz
Mastering/Pressing	Streaming HD
Original recording	Digital
State	US
Year original	1985
Year production	1985

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The graph clearly shows the differences in levels and thus in dynamics for this track. You can clearly see the differences in volume and musical instruments impact. No compression like the Ed6.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Streaming Amazon HD – 1985.

The interesting features on this curve are the following:

The accuracy of the digital here clearly shows the maximum frequency of the original master. Nothing above 20 kHz , the original master is in 44.1 kHz.

The two curves are similar but with a small difference above 3 KHz.

Synthesis and listening

The streaming version is dynamic, precise with finesse of the voice and instruments. It overcomes the CD (Ed6) in terms of quality, but it does not rival the MOFI versions in quality. It is difficult to know precisely the origin of this edition and master.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 9: Streaming Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2022

Presentation

This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby AC-4.

Label	Mercury Records Limited
Reference	Tidal Dolby Atmos
State	Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby AC-4
Type	Streaming Atmos
Master	Dolby Atmos
Mastering/Pressing	Dolby Atmos
Original recording	Digital
State	US
Year original	1985
Year production	2022

Spatialization

Spatialization allows you to define the sound distribution of the music on all the channels. The spatialization indicator and the description of the graph are described here.

We find an Atmos mix which will privilege a widening of the front sound scene until the side surround speakers and front top speakers. This brings a more important opening than the stereo version and widens the sound scene. It is a tendency to the Atmos mixing that we find more and more often (it is also the case for the album Midnights of Taylor Swift). This suits Dire Straits’ music very well, while maintaining a certain presence on the rear channels using more or less reverb.

Below the spatialization for the 9 tracks of Tidal Dolby Atmos version. Click on the images to zoom in.

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

The graph clearly shows the differences in levels and thus in dynamics for this track. You can clearly see the differences in volume and musical instruments impact. No compression like the Ed6.

Spectrogram is another representation of frequency versus time of a track. For each channel (right, left, center, LFE, surrounds), horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents frequency. The amplitude is represented by the intensity (brightness) of the color of each point in the image.

The spectrogram, as for the spectrum (in Yellow), reveals the limit at 20 kHz due to the Dolby Digital Plus encoding.The Dolby Digital Plus encoding seeks to optimize the size and can limit the maximum frequency lower as shown by the red arrow. There is no signal above 20 kHz (white arrow). Encoding in Dolby TrueHD which is lossless would have kept the bandwidth of the original tracks at 22 kHz.

The bass channel is filtered at 120 Hz (green arrow) as can also be seen on the spectrum curve.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Streaming Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2022.
The interesting features on this curve are the following:

The maximum frequency is limited to 20 kHz (yellow arrow) due to the Dolby Digital Plus encoding.

In Atmos version decoded in 5.1, the audio signal is more important on front stereo channels (blue arrow).

The bass channel is filtered at 120 Hz (green arrow).

Synthesis and listening

The Atmos mix brings more openness and separation in the instruments, it is very visible in 7.1.4 listening where we have a sound image that is really 180 degrees in width, but also in height.

This album shows the importance of a configuration in 7.1.4 and not 5.1.4 for listening in Dolby Atmos.this sound space is created by a redistribution of sounds and a little reverberation depending on the tracks.

This Atmos version is successful and deserves to be listened to to discover Dire Straits in a different way. Concerning the finesse of the sound restitution, the Dolby Atmos version available is in Dolby Digital Plus 768 kBits/s, it is a lossless encoding, a Dolby Digital TrueHD version (lossless encoding) on Bluray would allow to find completely the finesse of the versions

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (7.1)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 5.1 Dolby Atmos (Downmixed in 5.1) :

The sample is in 5.1 wav format, if you can not play the sample in your navigator, you can save it, right button menu and Save Audio As and play it with an external player.

Ed 10: Vinyl Record 40th anniversary – 2025

Presentation

This is the vinyl version of the album from the 40th anniversary boxed set, featuring for the first time on double vinyl record the San Antonio Live in 85 . This live album will be the subject of a dedicated review.

Label	Vertigo
Reference	7565040
State	double vinyl, Box Set, 40th Anniversary
Type	33.33 rpm
Master	Digital remastered. Cutting at Abbey Road Studios.
Mastering/Pressing	Europe Pressing
Original recording	Digital
State	Europe Pressing
Year original	1985
Year production	2025

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the Vinyl Record 40th anniversary – 2025 shows a very high range confirmed with DR14.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz (yellow arrow) with signal above this frequency (white arrow) containing musical information and distortion due to the vinyl record s operating principle.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl Abbey Road Studio ARHSDLP004 – 2021 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Vinyl Record 40th anniversary – 2025 (blue curve).The two spectra are very similar, with a slight emphasis on the high frequencies (+5 dB at 20 kHz) on the half-speed mastered Abbey Road version. As a result, the overall tonal balance remains comparable between the two versions.

Synthesis and listening

This new vinyl edition shares the same sound balance as the 40th anniversary CD. Although it was also mastered at Abbey Road Studios, it lacks the dynamics and high-frequency detail found in the half-speed mastered Abbey Road version. While the tonal balance is appealing, it falls short of the energy delivered by other vinyl editions.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 192 kHz:

Ed 11: CD 40th anniversary – 2025

Presentation

This is the CD version of the album from the 40th anniversaryCD boxed set, featuring for the first time on double CD remastered of the San Antonio Live in 85 . This live album will be the subject of a dedicated review.

Label	Vertigo
Reference	602475650898
State	Box Set, Special Edition, 40th Anniversary
Type	PCM 16/44.1
Master	Digital, remastered in 2025
Mastering/Pressing	PCM 16/44.1
Original recording	Digital
State	Europe
Year original	1985
Year production	2025

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform of the CD 40th anniversary – 2025 version shows a low dynamic range for this album as confirmed by the curve of the waveform.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.

The two spectra align almost perfectly up to 21 kHz, which corresponds to the limit imposed by the original digital recording. Beyond this frequency, some parasitic peaks appear on the Blu-ray version, due to its higher sampling rate of 96 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

Just like the 20th anniversary SACD edition, this 40th anniversary CD edition also features a compressed dynamic range. One would have hoped this new release wouldn t repeat the same mistake, especially for an album that was meant to be highly dynamic. As a result, the 40th anniversary CD edition holds little interest for this album. The only real appeal lies in the second disc included in the box set, “San Antonio Live in 85”, which has been remixed specifically for this release and will be reviewed soon.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 12: Blu-ray 1985 CD Version Stereo Mix – 2025

Presentation

This is the 1985 CD Stereo Mix version of the limited edition blu-ray released for the 40th anniversary by SDE Surround Series. This blu-ray contains the following tracks: 1985 CD Stereo Mix, 1985 Vinyl Stereo Mix, 2005 DTS-HD 5.1 Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Musical Mix (ref: 602475711346)

Label	Vertigo/SDE Surround Series
Reference	602475711346
State	Blu-ray
Type	PCM 24/96
Master	Digital remastered
Mastering/Pressing	Digital, remastered in 2025
Original recording	Digital
State	Europe
Year original	1985
Year production	2025

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

The waveform of the Blu-ray 1985 CD Version Stereo Mix – 2025 shows a very high range confirmed with DR15.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 20 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no musical signal above this frequency (white arrow), despite the 96 kHz sampling frequency used.

The two spectra align almost perfectly up to 21 kHz (yellow arrow), a limit inherent to the original digital recording. This overlap between the curves also highlights the high quality of the vinyl cutting performed by Abbey Road Studios.

Synthesis and listening

The stereo CD mix included on the Blu-ray has a sound balance similar to the 40th anniversary CD edition, but with greater finesse and subtlety in the high frequencies. It stands apart from the MoFi SACD and the original release by offering more presence in the low end and the vocals.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 13: Blu-ray 1985 Vinyl Version Stereo Mix – 2025

Presentation

This is the 1985 Vinyl Stereo Mix version of the limited edition blu-ray released for the 40th anniversary by SDE Surround Series. This blu-ray contains the following tracks: 1985 CD Stereo Mix, 1985 Vinyl Stereo Mix, 2005 DTS-HD 5.1 Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Musical Mix (ref: 602475711346)

Label	Vertigo/SDE Surround Series
Reference	602475711346
State	Blu-ray
Type	PCM 24/96
Master	Digital remastered
Mastering/Pressing	Digital, remastered in 2025
Original recording	Digital
State	Europe
Year original	1985
Year production	2025

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

The waveform of the Blu-ray 1985 Vinyl Version Stereo Mix – 2025 shows a very high range confirmed with DR15.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 20 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no musical signal above this frequency (white arrow), despite the 96 kHz sampling frequency used.

The two spectra are generally similar, but the stereo vinyl mix shows a boost in the high frequencies above 2 kHz, reaching up to +3 dB (yellow zone). In the low frequencies, below 200 Hz (green zone), the vinyl mix exhibits a slight attenuation of 2 to 3 dB. Additionally, the cutoff around 21 kHz (yellow arrow) is present in both versions, due to the original digital recording with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. These differences in the curves result in a slight variation in the overall tonal balance.

Synthesis and listening

The vinyl mix on the Blu-ray is the closest to the original version, offering more brightness in the high frequencies compared to the Blu-ray s CD mix. It delivers a sound balance that closely resembles the album s early vinyl pressings.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 14: Blu-ray 2005 5.1 Mix – 2025

Presentation

This is the 2005 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix of the limited edition blu-ray released for the 40th anniversary by SDE Surround Series. This blu-ray contains the following tracks: 1985 CD Stereo Mix, 1985 Vinyl Stereo Mix, 2005 DTS-HD 5.1 Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Musical Mix (ref: 602475711346)

Label	Vertigo/SDE Surround Series
Reference	602475711346
State	Blu-ray
Type	DTS-HD Master Audio
Master	5.1 Remixed in 2005
Mastering/Pressing	DSD64
Original recording	Digital
State	Europe
Year original	1985
Year production	2025

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the Blu-ray 2005 5.1 Mix – 2025 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 20 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no musical signal above this frequency (white arrow), despite the 96 kHz sampling frequency used. The green arrow shows the 120Hz filtering of the bass channel (LFE).

The Blu-ray 5.1 version is very similar to the SACD 5.1 version. The same frequency limitation around 21 kHz is still observed for the stereo channels (yellow arrow). The low-frequency effects (LFE) channel is filtered at approximately 120 Hz (green arrow). Additionally, a noticeable parasitic peak appears below 30 kHz (red arrow) on the Blu-ray, whereas it is almost completely masked by the background noise on the SACD, which uses the DSD64 format.

Synthesis and listening

No surprises with this 5.1 version, which features the same mix as the SACD released for the 20th anniversary. The sound quality will largely depend on how the DAC processes the PCM and DSD64 formats. This is the main reason for the audible differences, with the SACD version sounding slightly smoother in the high frequencies.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●o (3.9)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 5.1 24 bits 96 kHz:

The sample is in 5.1 wav format, if you can not play the sample correctly in your navigator, you can save it, right button menu and Save Audio As and play it with an external player.

Ed 15: Blu-ray 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix – 2025

Presentation

This is the 2022 Dolby Atmos version of the limited edition blu-ray released for the 40th anniversary by SDE Surround Series. This blu-ray contains the following tracks: 1985 CD Stereo Mix, 1985 Vinyl Stereo Mix, 2005 DTS-HD 5.1 Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix, 2022 Dolby Atmos Musical Mix (ref: 602475711346)

Label	Vertigo/SDE Surround Series
Reference	602475711346
State	Blu-ray
Type	Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos
Master	Dolby Atmos 2022 remix
Mastering/Pressing	Dolby Atmos
Original recording	Digital
State	Europe
Year original	1985
Year production	2025

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Below the spatialization for all tracks in 9.1.6. Click on the images to zoom in.

Below the video of the spatialization : So Far Away

Below the video of the spatialization : Brothers In Arms

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

The waveform of the Blu-ray 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix – 2025 shows a very high range confirmed with DR15.

The spectrogram of the Atmos downmixed in 7.1 version of blu-ray shows that the signal goes down to 24 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency used with Dolby Digital TrueHD encoding (lossless). The green arrow shows the 120Hz filtering of the bass channel (LFE).

The Dolby Atmos remix, downmixed to 7.1, uses a sampling rate of 48 kHz, which limits the bandwidth to 24 kHz (yellow arrow). The LFE channel is lightly filtered, as shown by the green arrow.

Synthesis and listening

When the Dolby Atmos version was first released for streaming over two years ago, the conclusion was clear: only a lossless Dolby TrueHD version on Blu-ray could truly capture the full finesse of this album in Atmos. That has now been achieved, and this Blu-ray edition in Dolby Atmos delivers on all fronts. The mix is the same, but it now benefits from the full richness and detail that Dolby TrueHD offers. The improvement is also noticeable in the spatialization, which is more precise than in the lossy Dolby Digital Plus version. This is the real highlight of the 40th anniversary release unfortunately available only as a limited edition through SDE!

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (7)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 7.1 Dolby Atmos (Downmixed in 7.1) :

The sample is in 7.1 wav format, if you can not play the sample in your navigator, you can save it, right button menu and Save Audio As and play it with an external player.

Ed 16: SACD 20th anniversary – 2005

Presentation

This is the SACD remastered in 2005 for the album’s 20th anniversary. This SACD also contains the 5.1 mix (ref:60249871498)

Label	Mercury Records Limited
Reference	60249871498
State	SACD
Type	DSD64
Master	Digital DSD, remastered in 2005
Mastering/Pressing	DSD64
Original recording	Digital
State
Year original	1985
Year production	2005

Waveform and Spectrum: DR9

The waveform of the SACD 20th anniversary – 2005 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR9.

The spectrogram below represents the SACD. The yellow arrow shows that the signal rises well above 20 kHz. We also find the characteristic noise of DSD64 beyond 30 kHz (white arrow).

The spectra of the two SACD versions are similar, although more noticeable mastering differences can be seen below 1 kHz (green zone) and also between 2 and 3 kHz. Below 100 Hz, the MoFi SACD version shows greater attenuation, reaching up to 4 dB. The yellow arrow highlights the noise increase above 20 kHz on the SACD. This effect is less noticeable on the MoFi SACD because a filter was applied during playback to reduce these frequencies.

Synthesis and listening

This 20th anniversary edition has fallen victim to the loudness war, with reduced dynamic range compared to the original release. It’s especially unfortunate for such a dynamically rich album. Both the stereo and 5.1 versions are affected. Other SACD editions remain more faithful to the original dynamics.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 17: SACD 20th anniversary 5.1 mix – 2005

Presentation

This is the 5.1 SACD remastered in 2005 for the album’s 20th anniversary. This SACD also contains the stereo mix (ref:60249871498)

Label	Mercury Records Limited
Reference	60249871498
State	SACD
Type	DSD64
Master	Digital 5.1 DSD, remastered in 2005
Mastering/Pressing	DSD64
Original recording	Digital
State
Year original	1985
Year production	2005

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the SACD 20th anniversary 5.1 mix – 2005 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

The spectrogram below represents the SACD in 5.1. The yellow arrow shows that the signal rises well above 20 kHz. We also find the characteristic noise of DSD64 beyond 30 kHz (white arrow).

The SACD 5.1 version is very similar to the Blu-ray 5.1 version. The same frequency limit around 21 kHz is present for the stereo tracks (yellow arrow). The low-frequency effects (LFE) channel is filtered around 120 Hz (green arrow). However, while a parasitic peak below 30 kHz is clearly visible on the Blu-ray 5.1 version, it is almost completely masked by background noise on the SACD due to the way DSD64 operates.

Synthesis and listening

This 20th anniversary edition has fallen victim to the loudness war, with reduced dynamic range compared to the original release. It’s especially unfortunate for such a dynamically rich album. Both the stereo and 5.1 versions are affected. Other SACD editions remain more faithful to the original dynamics.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●o (3.9)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 5.1 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

The sample is in 5.1 wav format, if you can not play correctly the sample in your navigator, you can save it, right button menu and Save Audio As and play it with an external player.

Ed 18: SACD SHM – 2014

Presentation

This is the SACD SHM () remastered in 2014 (ref:4988005811783).

Label	Mercury Records Limited
Reference	4988005811783
State	SACD
Type	DSD64
Master	Digital DSD, remastered in 2014
Mastering/Pressing	PCM 24 bits 176 kHz
Original recording	Digital
State
Year original	1985
Year production	2014

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the SACD SHM – 2014 shows a high range confirmed with DR14.

The spectrogram below represents the SACD. The yellow arrow shows that the signal rises well above 20 kHz. We also find the characteristic noise of DSD64 beyond 30 kHz (white arrow).

The spectra of the two SACD versions are similar, but the SHM SACD shows a slight attenuation below 450 Hz (green zone), reaching a maximum of 3 dB below 200 Hz.

Synthesis and listening

This SACD edition stands out for delivering a sound that s more faithful to the original release. It presents a more neutral balance, with less emphasis on the low end compared to the 40th anniversary editions or the 20th anniversary SACD. This mastering approach offers a more natural listening experience, staying closer to the album s original sonic intent without overstating the bass frequencies.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : SO Far Away (Sample1) and The Man s Too Strong (Sample 2) 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

The choice between the 8 (updated below to 18) versions will depend on what you are looking for (Update with the vinyl remastered by Abbey road). If you are looking for an original version the Japanese vinyl (Ed1) and the CD Vertigo (Ed5) are the best choices.
If you are looking for a remastered version that makes the most of the rendering and dynamics, in digital format, the MOFI SACD (SACD Ed4) is for you. The Streaming version gives a better result than the Ed6 CD. But does not have the same mastering quality as the MOFI version.
Now, if you are looking for the best remastered vinyl, you have the choice between the MOFI or Abbey Road Studio release.They are both very nice versions, with the Abbey Road Studio Release (Ed7) being a little warmer and cheaper, and the MOFI release (Ed3) being a little more detailed in the high and low frequencies, with less surface noise.
The album being entirely digital, the choice of a digital version is very relevant to find the closest possible the original rendering.

April 2023 : Update of the review with the Dolby Atmos version: after years of listening to Dire Straits in stereo, the switch to Atmos was a bit confusing at first, the 180 degrees sound opening is not usual, nor even the exploitation of the surrounds like The Man s Too Strong . But, after listening to the album in Dolby Atmos in 7.1.4, when we come back to stereo, we lose this sound space, there is then like a lack.
This Atmos version is successful and deserves to be listened to to discover Dire Straits in another way. The Dolby Atmos version would equal the finesse of the stereo version with a Dolby TrueHD encoding (without loss) on a blu-ray instead of the Dolby Digital Plus used in streaming.

Update jun 2025: The previous update to the article expressed the wish for a Dolby Atmos TrueHD version. That wish has now been granted for the album s 40th anniversary, thanks to SDE s limited edition Blu-ray release. This edition also includes stereo versions featuring the vinyl and CD mixes. The Dolby Atmos track stands out for its finesse and precision, qualities missing from the streaming edition, making this Blu-ray the real highlight of the anniversary celebration.
In addition, two box sets have been released on CD and vinyl, with their main appeal being the excellent remix of San Antonio Live in 85, available on both formats and set to be reviewed soon.
This update is also an opportunity to mention two SACD editions, including the one released for the 20th anniversary, which is a technical disappointment and falls short compared to the SHM SACD version.

Dynamic Range measurements are shown below.

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Measurements

Dynamic Range comparaisons

Dynamic represents the ability to reproduce a wide range of sounds from the softest to the loudest. The target is to compare the dynamics of the music and not of the media (CD, digital files or vinyl).

For our 18 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

Japanese Vinyl Vertigo ref 28PP-1005 – 1985

Vinyl Vertigo Back To Black 3752907 remastered – 2014

Vinyl MOFI MFSL 2-441 remastered – 2015

SACD MOFI? UDSACD2099 remastered – 2013

CD Vertigo 824 499-2 – 1985

CD Warner Bros Records? 9 477732 USA Remastered SBM – 2000

Vinyl Abbey Road Studio ARHSDLP004 – 2021

Streaming Amazon HD – 1985

Streaming Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2022

Vinyl Record 40th anniversary – 2025

CD 40th anniversary – 2025

Blu-ray 1985 CD Version Stereo Mix – 2025

Blu-ray 1985 Vinyl Version Stereo Mix – 2025

Blu-ray 2005 5.1 Mix – 2025

Blu-ray 2022 Dolby Atmos Mix – 2025

SACD 20th anniversary – 2005

SACD 20th anniversary 5.1 mix – 2005

SACD SHM – 2014

Global

DR15

DR12

DR15

DR15

DR16

DR12

DR15

DR14

DR15

DR14

DR10

DR15

DR15

DR12

DR15

DR9

DR12

DR14

Min

DR12

DR10

DR13

DR12

DR13

DR12

DR12

DR12

DR13

DR12

DR9

DR12

DR11

DR10

DR13

DR6

DR10

DR13

Max

DR18

DR13

DR18

DR19

DR20

DR14

DR18

DR19

DR19

DR18

DR12

DR17

DR17

DR13

DR18

DR11

DR14

DR18

So Far Away

DR18

DR12

DR18

DR19

DR20

DR14

DR18

DR19

DR16

DR18

DR12

DR17

DR17

DR13

DR15

DR10

DR13

DR14

Money For Nothing

DR17

DR12

DR16

DR16

DR18

DR11

DR17

DR16

DR19

DR16

DR10

DR16

DR16

DR12

DR18

DR8

DR12

DR15

Walk Of Life

DR13

DR10

DR13

DR12

DR13

DR10

DR12

DR13

DR13

DR12

DR9

DR12

DR13

DR10

DR13

DR6

DR10

DR13

Your Latest Trick

DR14

DR11

DR15

DR14

DR14

DR13

DR14

DR14

DR15

DR13

DR11

DR14

DR15

DR11

DR15

DR9

DR11

DR18

Why Worry

DR12

DR12

DR13

DR13

DR13

DR12

DR12

DR12

DR15

DR12

DR12

DR12

DR13

DR13

DR15

DR11

DR13

DR13

Ride Across The River

DR16

DR13

DR15

DR16

DR17

DR12

DR15

DR15

DR15

DR14

DR9

DR15

DR17

DR13

DR15

DR10

DR14

DR13

The Man’s Too Strong

DR14

DR11

DR14

DR14

DR14

DR12

DR14

DR14

DR15

DR13

DR9

DR14

DR14

DR11

DR15

DR9

DR11

DR13

One World

DR17

DR12

DR16

DR17

DR18

DR12

DR17

DR14

DR15

DR15

DR11

DR16

DR16

DR11

DR15

DR10

DR11

DR13

Brothers In Arms

DR14

DR11

DR14

DR14

DR15

DR12

DR14

DR14

DR15

DR13

DR9

DR14

DR15

DR11

DR16

DR8

DR12

DR13

As a reminder, the scale goes from 0 to more 20, but the dynamics are considered good from 12, quite good between 10 and 11, and deteriorate below 10.

Detail of the ratings :

• Dynamic :
  1. Significant dynamic compression, DR less than 7
  2. Compression of the present dynamics, DR between 7 and 9.
  3. Correct piece DR >=10
  4. No dynamic compression (DR >12), dynamic rendering
  5. No dynamic compression, high DR and very dynamic sound rendering
• Spectrum :
  1. Spectrum cut and less than 15 khz
  2. Spectrum cut at 15 khz
  3. Spectrum not conforming to the original and cut (not HD) or original but limited bandwidth (but less than 20 kHz)
  4. Spectrum conforming to the original (but not HD)
  5. Spectrum conforming to the original with HD resolution (higher than 24kHz)
• Surface noise (only for vinyl):
  1. Continuous audible noise
  2. Audible surface noise except on passages with a high level of noise
  3. Reduced surface noise, barely audible on low level crossings
  4. Low surface noise, very good quality
  5. Very low surface noise, no defects, almost inaudible on the quiet passages (exceptional disc)
• Spatialization :
  • Between 0 and 5 for 5.1 or 7.1 channels configuration
  • Between 0 and 10 for Atmos configuration (7.1.4)
  • For more information on spatialization, you can read the article describing this parameter here.
• Restitution :
  1. Low quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
  2. Average quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
  3. Quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Good record.
  4. High quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Very high level disc.
  5. Maximum quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Exceptional disc.

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