It is a superb live album by Eric Clapton recorded in 1992 during a live show on MTV Unplugged in the Bray Studios in London.
With over 26 million copies sold, it is the artist’s best selling album. The album won six Grammy Awards in 1993 at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards.
Initially, Eric Clapton did not want to release the live album because of some small mistakes, and he did not think that a live acoustic album would work in 1992.
It turned out to be just the opposite.
You can find the review of The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions (LP , Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon, Atmos, Binaural, Bluray) album here.
You can find the measurements of each edition and listen to the samples of these albums here.
Musicians:
- Eric Clapton (Guitar, Vocals)
- Andy Fairweather-Low (Guitar)
- Nathan East (Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals)
- Steve Ferrone (Drums)
- Chuck Leavell (Keyboards)
- Ray Cooper (Percussion)
- Katie Kissoon (Backing Vocals)
- Tessa Niles (Backing Vocals)
Technical:
- Recorded at Bray Film Studios on 16th January 1992 for MTV Unplugged TV series.
- Mixed by Steve Boyer, assisted by Victor Deyglio
- Mixed at Power Station
This album includes 14 tracks (see exception in review of the edition) :
- Signe
- Before You Accuse Me
- Hey Hey
- Tears In Heaven
- Lonely Stranger
- Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
- Layla
- Running On Faith
- Walkin’ Blues
- Alberta
- San Francisco Bay Blues
- Malted Milk
- Old Love
- Rollin’ And Tumblin’
We will review 10 editions ( 2 Vinyls, 2 CDs, Streaming Amazon Music HD, DVD stereo and 5.1, Cassette, MOFI vinyl One Step and MOFI SACD) of this album.
First we will analyze each edition in detail (technical and qualitative analysis) then we will compare the successive editions with their dynamics and assign a final score and you will be able to listen some samples.
The streaming versions may evolve over time, those presented here correspond to the version tested at the date of publication, or update of the review.
Summary
Review of the editions:
Ed1 : Vinyl ref 9362-45024-1 – 1992
Ed2 : Vinyl double ref 468412-1 – 2011
Ed3 : Cassette ref 9362-45024-4 – 1992
Ed4 : CD ref 9362-45024-2 – 1992
Ed5 : CD Deluxe Edition ref 8122796366 – 2013
Ed6 : DVD Stereo ref 7599-38311-2 – 1998
Ed7 : DVD 5.1 ref 7599-38311-2 – 1998
Ed8 : Streaming Amazon Music HD – 2021
Ed9 : Vinyl MOFI One Step ref UD1S 2-020 – 2022
Ed10 : SACD MOFI ref UDSACD 2224 – 2022
Go to analysis of the dynamic
Go to Resume/Notation/Rating/Samples
Review
Ed1 : Vinyl ref 9362-45024-1 – 1992
Presentation
This is the single vinyl of 1992 with only 13 tracks (without the song “Rollin’ And Tumblin'”).
| Label | Duck Records |
| Reference | 9362-45024-1 |
| Format (speed) | Vinyl 33 rpm 180g |
| Type | Vinyl LP, Gatefold |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered at Sterling Sound/Europe |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 1992 |
Waveform
The waveform represents all the tracks of the album.
This edition is very dynamic, we can see many attacks of the guitar that gives this dynamic rendering. As opposed to the Ed4 CD version which is a little compressed.
Spectrum
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 sample “Before You Accuse Me”.
The interesting features on this curve are the following:
- The two curves are superposed up to 10 kHz.
- The treble level (Ed1 Vinyl) above 10kHz is one or two db higher (purple area) than the Ed4 CD
- The high frequency cuts at 20kHz due to the digital master. This is noise (yellow area) on the Ed1 vinyl due to the analog noise of vinyl, as opposed to the cd version (green area).
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow reveals the limit around 20 kHz due to the mastering. Beyond 20 kHz (black arrow), there is noise or distortion due to the vinyl playback method.
Ed2 : Vinyl double ref 468412-1 – 2011
Presentation
This is the double vinyl reissue of the album with all the tracks. This is the 180g release pressed at Pallas version.
| Label | Reprise Records |
| Reference | 468412-1 |
| Format (speed) | Vinyl x2, 33 rpm, 180 |
| Type | Vinyl LP x 2, Gatefold |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered at Sterling Sound, Pressed at Pallas |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 2011 |
Waveform
The waveform represents all the tracks of the album.
Like the Ed6 DVD stereo version, this is one of the most dynamic versions. You can notice fine peaks representing the guitar attacks. A very nice pressing work has been done for this vinyl.
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample “Before You Accuse Me”.
The interesting features on this curve are the following:
- The two curves are globally superposed up to 20 kHz, but the yellow arrows indicate 2 very narrow attenuations of 10 dB above 15 kHz. The width of these zones being very small, the difference is almost inaudible at these frequencies.
- The high frequency cuts at 20kHz due to the master. This is noise (green area) on the Ed2 vinyl due to the analog noise of vinyl, it is smaller than on the Ed1 vinyl.
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow reveals the limit around 20 kHz due to the master. Beyond 20 kHz (green arrow), there is noise or distortion due to the vinyl playback method.
Ed3 : Cassette ref 9362-45024-4 – 1992
Presentation
This is the cassette release of this album. This tape has been recorded with Dolby HX Pro technology which allows it to have a good dynamic range and a lower background noise. Dolby B is also used to reduce the noise of the tape, but not activated here during the playback.
| Label | Reprise Records |
| Reference | 9362-45024-4 |
| Format (speed) | Cassette Dolby HX PRO, Dolby B NR |
| Type | Cassette |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Digital, US |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 1992 |
Waveform
The waveform represents all the Tracks of the album.
We notice that the tape is very dynamic, but less than the Ed2 Vinyl double, we do not find all the blue peaks representing the dynamics of the guitar.
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample ” Before You Accuse Me “.
The interesting features on this curve are the following:
- The green area shows that the bass is a few dB higher on the cassette (white) than on the Ed1 vinyl (blue).
- The yellow area shows an overall level up to 6 dB higher in the highs of the cassette compared to the Ed1 vinyl. But, the cassette is not as continuous in the highs which attenuate beyond 18 kHz.
- The red area clearly shows the difference in background noise between the cassette and the Ed1 vinyl. Above 20 kHz, it is also related to the cassette deck used, here a Nakamichi LX3.
Spectrogram
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 blue arrow represents the normal collapse at 20 kHz (sampling frequency of the master). The black arrow indicates the area of noise above 20 kHz.
Ed4 : CD ref 9362-45024-2 – 1992
Presentation
This is the CD version of the unplugged concert.
| Label | Reprise Records |
| Reference | 9362-45024-2 |
| Format (speed) | CD 16 bits 44.1 kHz |
| Type | CD |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered at Sterling Sound / Europe |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 1992 |
Waveform
The waveform shows the little compression of the dynamics compared to vinyls and streaming in some yellow area. But the CD maintains a very good dynamic with a DR13!
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample ” Before You Accuse Me”. This curve is is identical between Ed4 CD 1992 and the Ed5 CD Deluxe 2013. The white area shows the limit arround 20 kHz due to ths master in 44.1 kHz.
Spectrogram
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 blue arrow represents the normal collapse around 20 kHz (sampling frequency at 44.1 kHz) of the CD. The green arrow shows no signal above 20kHz.
Ed5 : CD Deluxe Edition ref 8122796366 – 2013
Presentation
This is the cd of the deluxe edition containing 2 CD and 1 DVD. For this test, we analyze only the first CD.
The second CD contains Outtakes & Alternates (6 tracks) and the DVD contains a bonus track “Unplugged Rehearsal”.
| Label | Reprise Records |
| Reference | 8122796366 |
| Format (speed) | CD 16 bits 44.1 kHz |
| Type | CD |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering / Europe |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 2013 |
Waveform
Like the Ed4 CD 1992, the curve shows the little compression of the dynamics compared to vinyls and streaming. But the CD Deluxe maintains also a very good dynamic with a DR13!
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample “Before You Accuse Me”. This curve is is identical between Ed5 CD Deluxe and the Ed8 Streaming. The yellow area shows the limit arround 20 kHz due to ths master in 44.1 kHz.
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow represents the normal collapse at 20 kHz (sampling frequency at 44.1 kHz) of the CD. The black part shows no signal above 20kHz.
Ed6 : DVD Stereo ref 7599-38311-2 – 1998
Presentation
This is the first DVD version of the Unplugged concert. It’s a double sided disc, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track on one side and a PCM Stereo track on the other side that we test here.
| Label | Warner Music Vision |
| Reference | 7599-38311-2 |
| Format (speed) | DVD PCM Stereo |
| Type | Stereo Digital |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Digital |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 1998 |
Waveform
Like the Ed2 Vinyl double , this edition has a very good dynamic with DR15. You can notice fine peaks representing the guitar attacks as for the Ed2 vinyl double.
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample “Before You Accuse Me”.
The two curves are superimposed except in the green zone where the bass is lower by one db, and in the yellow zone above 10 khz where the treble is a little lower. The purple area shows the conversion from 44.1 kHz master to 48 kHz.
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow represents the normal collapse arround 20 kHz (sampling frequency at 44.1 kHz of the master). The green arrow shows the limit at 24 kHz due to the 44.1 to 48 kHz conversion. The white arrow shows no signal above 24kHz (black lines).
Ed7 : DVD 5.1 ref 7599-38311-2 – 1998
Presentation
This is the first DVD version of the Unplugged concert. It’s a double sided disc, with a PCM Stereo track on one side and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track on the other side that we test here. Dolby Digital is a lossy format.
| Label | Warner Music Vision |
| Reference | 7599-38311-2 |
| Format (speed) | DVD Dolby Digital 5.1 448 kBits/s |
| Type | 5.1 |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Digital |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 1998 |
Waveform
This edition is very dynamic, we can see many attacks of the guitar that give this dynamic rendering. We can also notice that the reinforcement of the subwoofer (LFE channel) is not present on all the tracks.
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample ” Before You Accuse Me “. The 6 curves represent the 5.1 signal (Right, Left, Center, LFE, Surround Right, Surrounf Left). The yellow area shows the lower level in the low frequencies of the surround channels below 500 Hz. The Green area shows the limit à 20 kHz for Right, Left, Center, Surround Right, Surrounf Left. It can be observed that there is no signal for the LFE channel in this sample.
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow represents the normal collapse arround 20 kHz (sampling frequency of the master at 44.1 kHz). Above 20 kHz , there is no signal (black area).
The green arrow represents the limit of the LFE channel arround 120 Hz.
Ed8 : Streaming Amazon Music HD – 2021
Presentation
This is the lossless streaming version of the Unplugged album offered in HD (16 bits 44.1 kHz) on Amazon Music HD.
| Label | Warner Music |
| Reference | Amazon Music HD Streaming |
| Format (speed) | Digital 16 bits 44.1 kHz |
| Type | Digital |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Digital |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 2013 |
Waveform
This edition is dynamic, we can see many attacks of the guitar that give this dynamic rendering. As opposed to the Ed4 CD and Ed5 CD Deluxe version which is a little compressed.
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample “Before You Accuse Me”. The Yellowarea shows the limit à 20 kHz due of the digital master. The green area shows a slightly lower level above 10 kHz for the streaming version compared to the Ed4 CD.
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow represents the normal collapse arround 20 kHz (sampling frequency of the master at 44.1 kHz). Above 20 kHz , there is no signal (black area).
Ed9 : Vinyl MOFI One Step ref UD1S 2-020 – 2022
Presentation
MOFI UltraDisc One-Step Edition, Original Master Recording with 2 LPs in 45 rpm, presented in a very nice box. For this vinyl, there is no ambiguity about the origin of the master which is indeed digital (as shown by the response curves).
| Label | Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab |
| Reference | UD1S 2-020 |
| Format (speed) | 2 x Vinyl 45 rpm |
| Type | UltraDisc One-Step, Original Master Recording |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 2022 |
Waveform
The waveform represents all the tracks of the album.
This edition is very dynamic, we can see many attacks of the guitar that gives this dynamic rendering. As opposed to the Ed4 CD version which is a little compressed.
Spectrum
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 sample “Before You Accuse Me”.
The mastering of the MOFI vinyl version is different from the other vinyl versions, with an attenuation above 10 kHz followed by a rise towards 20 kHz (yellow zone).
The bass is also raised a few dB below 400 Hz (green zone). The original digital master is cut off at 22 kHz (yellow arrow). This mastering will have an impact on the sound balance, especially on the guitar.
The mastering between the MOFI vinyl version and the Mofi SACD version is a bit different. There is a bump of more than 5 dB between 15 kHz and 20 bHz for the vinyl compared to the SACD (yellow area). There is also a small difference in the bass (green zone).
For both versions, we find the 22 kHz limit of the original digital master ( with a 44.1 kHz sample rate).
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow reveals the limit around 22 kHz due to the original master. Beyond 22 kHz (black arrow), there is noise or distortion due to the vinyl playback method.
Ed10 : SACD MOFI ref UDSACD 2224 – 2022
Presentation
MOFI Original Master Recording, Ultradisc UHR with and Hybrid SACD (stereo), presented in a nice little box. For this SACD there is no ambiguity about the origin of the master which is indeed digital (as shown by the response curves) with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz.
| Label | Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab |
| Reference | UDSACD 2224 |
| Format (speed) | Hybrid SACD (stereo) |
| Type | Original Master Recording, Ultradisc UHR |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | US |
| Year original | 1992 |
| Year production | 2022 |
Waveform
The waveform represents all the tracks of the album.
This edition is very dynamic, we can see many attacks of the guitar that gives this dynamic rendering. Unlike the CD version of the Ed4 which is a bit compressed in comparison. This is one of the qualities of this MOFI SACD.
Spectrum
The curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample “Before You Accuse Me”.
The mastering of the SACD MOFI version is different from the other digital versions, with an attenuation above 10 kHz of up to 5 dB (yellow zone).
The bass is also different by a few dB below 400 Hz (green zone). The original digital master is cut at 22 kHz (yellow arrow). This mastering will have an impact on the sound balance, especially on the guitar and voice. The frequency response capability of the SACD is not exploited here because of the original digital master (certainly a 44.1 kHz sampling rate). The SACD can encode the 24 bits of the master (if it is 24 bits).
Spectrogram
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 yellow arrow reveals the limit around 22 kHz due to the original master (yellow arrow). Beyond 20 kHz (black arrow), there is noise from the SACD principle (green arrow).
Dynamic
We start this test by measuring the dynamic. Dynamic represents the ability to reproduce a wide range of sounds from the softest to the loudest.
For our 10 editions we have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR):
| Ed1: Vinyl | Ed2: Vinyl double | Ed3: Cassette | Ed4: CD | Ed5: CD Deluxe | Ed6: DVD Stereo | Ed7: DVD 5.1 | Ed8: Streaming | Ed9: MOFI Vinyl | Ed10: MOFI SACD | |
| GLOBAL | DR14 | DR16 | DR13 | DR13 | DR13 | DR15 | DR14 | DR14 | DR15 | DR14 |
| Min | DR13 | DR14 | DR11 | DR11 | DR10 | DR12 | DR12 | DR13 | DR13 | DR13 |
| Max | DR16 | DR17 | DR14 | DR17 | DR15 | DR19 | DR17 | DR16 | DR17 | DR16 |
| Intro | DR12 | DR12 | ||||||||
| Signe | DR14* | DR16* | DR13* | DR14* | DR14* | DR15 | DR15 | DR14* | DR15 | DR15 |
| Before You Accuse Me | DR14 | DR14 | DR13 | DR14 | DR14 | DR15 | DR14 | DR15 | DR14 | DR14 |
| Hey Hey | DR16 | DR17 | DR13 | DR15 | DR15 | DR17 | DR15 | DR15 | DR17 | DR16 |
| Tears In Heaven | DR14 | DR14 | DR12 | DR12 | DR12 | DR13 | DR16 | DR14 | DR13 | DR13 |
| Lonely Stranger | DR14 | DR16 | DR13 | DR13 | DR13 | DR16 | DR17 | DR14 | DR15 | DR15 |
| Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out | DR13 | DR14 | DR11 | DR11 | DR12 | DR13 | DR15 | DR13 | DR13 | DR14 |
| Layla | DR14 | DR16 | DR12 | DR13 | DR13 | DR16 | DR15 | DR15 | DR15 | DR15 |
| Running On Faith | DR15 | DR16 | DR13 | DR12 | DR10 | DR15 | DR15 | DR15 | DR15 | DR14 |
| Walkin’ Blues | DR16 | DR17 | DR14 | DR17 | DR15 | DR19 | DR16 | DR16 | DR17 | DR16 |
| Alberta | DR14 | DR15 | DR13 | DR13 | DR12 | DR15 | DR16 | DR14 | DR14 | DR13 |
| San Francisco Bay Blues | DR13 | DR14 | DR11 | DR11 | DR11 | DR13 | DR14 | DR14 | DR14 | DR12 |
| Malted Milk | DR15 | DR16 | DR14 | DR15 | DR15 | DR15 | DR16 | DR13 | DR15 | DR15 |
| Old Love | DR15 | DR17 | DR13 | DR12 | DR11 | DR16 | DR17 | DR16 | DR16 | DR15 |
| Rollin’ & Tumblin’ | DR15 | DR13 | DR11 | DR10 | DR15 | DR15 | DR15 | DR15 | DR14 |
The DR vary globally from 13 to 16 for stereo, is a very good dynamic. CDs and cassettes have the lowest dynamic range, due to the little compression in the mastering (for the CDs), and a technical limitation for the pre-recorded cassette. Ed2 vinyl double and Ed6 DVD stereo have the best DR respectively DR16 and DR15. The BD 5.1 offers a dynamique of DR14 like Streaming and Ed1 Vinyl. There is also a DR19 for one of the tracks on the Stereo DVD.
The MOFI versions are very dynamic with SACD being the most dynamic digital stereo version (excluding DVD mixes).
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.
Notation/Rating/Music Samples:
Ed1 : Vinyl ref 9362-45024-1 – 1992
The vinyl has a pressing with a good dynamic range. The pressing is of good quality without any problem of surface noise. One finds all the smoothness of the guitar. This vinyl is a little less dynamic than the Ed2, but it remains very clean. On the other hand, it has only 14 tracks, it misses “Rollin’ And Tumblin'”.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Surface noise: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:
Ed2 : Vinyl double ref 468412-1 – 2011
The vinyl has a very good pressing with a very good dynamic range. One of the best dynamics of this review. The pressing is of very good quality without any problem of surface noise. We find all the finesse and dynamics of the guitar. This double vinyl, pressed in Pallas contains the 15 tracks of the album.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.5/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●o (4.5/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:
Ed3 : Cassette ref 9362-45024-4 – 1992
The cassette with the recording in Dolby HX PRO allows to have a good dynamic with a DR13 like 2 CDs. The recording is clean with a little more bass. The cassette can always surprise us with its analog sound, but, it cannot obtainthe quality of the vinyl’s rendering.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Surface noise: ●●●oo (3/5)
- Sound result: ●●●oo (3/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 24 bits 96 kHz:
Ed4 : CD ref 9362-45024-2 – 1992
The CD remains very dynamic with a DR13, we even find a track with a DR17. Here, not of excess of compression and it is so much better for the retranscription of the concert. The rendering is very dynamic and the attacks of guitar very sharp. A CD which resists to the loudness war.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:
Ed5 : CD Deluxe Edition ref 8122796366 – 2013
This reissue is very similar to the 1992 CD. We find a DR13 for the dynamics, but with a maximum of DR15 instead of DR17. That remains very dynamic, not of excess of compression and it is so much better for the retranscription of the music and the guitar. A CD which also resists to the loudness war0
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:
Ed6 : DVD Stereo ref 7599-38311-2 – 1998
This Stereo version of the DVD is the most dynamic digital version with a medium DR15 and a maximum DR19. The rendering is very clean, very dynamic and much more delicate than the 5.1 version compressed in Dolby Digital.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 24 bits 48 kHz:
Ed7 : DVD 5.1 ref 7599-38311-2 – 1998
This 5.1 version of the DVD is also very dynamic with an average DR14 and a maximum DR17. The rendering is very clean, with a good 3D representation thanks to the 5.1. But the Dolby Digital lossy compression does not allow to keep all the finesse of the music.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sound result: ●●●oo (3.5/5)
- “Before You Accuse Me” 5.1 16 bits 48 kHz:
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.
Ed8 : Streaming Amazon Music HD – 2021
The streaming version with its DR14 sound is more similar to the stereo DVD version than to the CD version.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 24 bits 44.1 kHz:
Ed9 : Vinyl MOFI One Step ref UD1S 2-020 – 2022
As always, the UltraDisc One-Step Original Master Recording vinyls are presented in a beautiful box. The pressing quality is very good with very little surface noise. The master brings a sound balance that favours the naturalness of the voice and the guitar by giving a warmer sound. We lose the bright side of the guitar for a more natural sound, which gives the impression to have the guitar in front of you. This also has an impact on the applause, which seems to be really there. This vinyl is very clean and precise.
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Surface noise: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:
Ed10 : SACD MOFI ref UDSACD 2224 – 2022
One may ask what is the point of an SACD for a recording made from a master with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz? Here, it is the mastering work that makes the difference, with a progressive attenuation of the highs beyond 10 kHz giving a warmer sound compared to other digital versions. In addition, being in DSD format, the conversion performed by the DAC is generally softer in the treble than the PCM conversion (this depends on the DAC used). These two elements make the SACD sound different from other digital stereo in PCM versions with a very pleasant presence. MOFI does not work in 5.1, but a 5.1 version of the concert on SACD would be a plus in terms of quality compared to the DVD versions (in Dolby Digital or DTS).
- Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
- Sound result: ●●●●● (5/5)
- Sample : “Before You Accuse Me” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:
Very nice concert on the different supports. The digital and the analog are equal for the dynamic. The vinyl brings a sound a little bit warmer but very dynamic. The CD is little compressed, but there is no problem of loudness war. If you prefer vinyl, the pressing at the Pallas factory is the best edition with all 15 tracks. For the digital, the CD version keeps here all its legitimacy compared to the streaming, in particular for the version of 1992. If you want to add the image to the sound, the DVD has a very good stereo track, finer and more detailed than the more spacious compressed 5.1 version. It is too bad that the 5.1 mix is limited by the DVD with a lossy format.
Update with MOFI versions: MOFI’s vinyl and SACD mastering brings a different balance, less bright, closer to a natural sound. The vinyl One Step brings a warmer sound than the SACD MOFI which remains ultra precise. These two new MOFI editions are a success for those who prefer a more realistic rendering of the guitar and the ambience.
Detail of the ratings :
- Dynamic :
- Significant dynamic compression, DR less than 7
- Compression of the present dynamics, DR between 7 and 9.
- Correct piece DR >=10
- No dynamic compression (DR >12), dynamic rendering
- No dynamic compression, high DR and very dynamic sound rendering
- Spectrum :
- Spectrum cut and less than 15 khz
- Spectrum cut at 15 khz
- Spectrum not conforming to the original and cut (not HD) or original but limited bandwidth (but less than 20 kHz)
- Spectrum conforming to the original (but not HD)
- Spectrum conforming to the original with HD resolution (higher than 24kHz)
- Surface noise (only for vinyl):
- Continuous audible noise
- Audible surface noise except on passages with a high level of noise
- Reduced surface noise, barely audible on low level crossings
- Low surface noise, very good quality
- Very low surface noise, no defects, almost inaudible on the quiet passages (exceptional disc)
- Sound result:
- Low quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
- Average quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
- Quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Good record.
- High quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Very high level disc.
- Maximum quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Exceptional disc.
One thought on “Eric Clapton – Unplugged (Vinyl, CD, DVD stereo, DD 5.1, Streaming, MOFI One Step and SACD) Review”