Part 2 : Waveform and dynamic comparaisons
Waveform
The waveform represents all the tracks of the album.
This edition Ed1 vinyl is dynamic, we can see many attacks of the music that gives this dynamic rendering. As opposed to the Ed2 MP3 version which is compressed.
Compared to the Ed1 vinyl, for the Ed2 MP3 , all levels are at maximum, with compressed parts that show constant maximum levels (White area).
The Ed3 CD Deluxe is more compressed than the Ed4 Streaming deluxe version, but stays with a DR10 compared to DR12 for streaming. We can’t compare the Ed3 and Ed4 versions with the Ed1 and Ed2 versions as they don’t have the same mix, and have only 6 tracks.
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 4 editions we have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR):
| Ed1: Vinyl | Ed2: MP3 | Ed3: CD4 | Ed3: Streaming | |
| GLOBAL | DR12 | DR8 | DR10 | DR12 |
| Min | DR11 | DR7 | DR9 | DR11 |
| Max | DR14 | DR11 | DR11 | DR12 |
| Mothers Talk | DR11 | DR7 | DR10 | DR11 |
| Broken | DR11 | DR7 | DR10 | DR11 |
| Head Over Heels / Broken | DR12 | DR7 | ||
| Pale Shelter | DR12 | DR8 | ||
| Memories Fade | DR12 | DR8 | DR9 | DR12 |
| Start Of The Breakdown | DR12 | DR8 | ||
| The Prisoner | DR13 | DR9 | ||
| I Believe | DR14 | DR11 | ||
| The Working Hour | DR12 | DR8 | DR10 | DR12 |
| Mad World | DR11 | DR9 | ||
| Everybody Wants To Rule The World | DR12 | DR7 | DR11 | DR12 |
| The Hurting | DR13 | DR8 | ||
| Shout | DR12 | DR7 | DR10 | DR12 |
The DR vary globally from 10 to 11 for the CD and streaming , like the DR11 of the vinyl. MP3 Files have the lowest dynamic range with DR8, due to the compression in the mastering.
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.
Part 1: Presentation of the editions
Parts 3 : Spectrum comparisons
Quite interesting, thank you! I assume the CD mastering is the same as the mp3s, comparing the DR values.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” on the old deluxe was in fact taken from an old vinyl release, and therefore never sounded particularly good. “Mothers Talk” might be a fairer comparison since that was a new mix already in 2014.
By the way, Disquaire Day is called Record Store Day in English – for those wondering.
Thank you for your comment and informations. Indeed, Disquaire Day is the French name and Record Store Day in English as I had indicated in the news of June 12, I will clarify in this review.