= pronounced “equals” is the 4th album of the artist released on October 29, 2021.

Ed Sheeran said it was his “favorite album” on twitter.

= (equals) is out now. This is my favourite album I’ve made, I’m so proud of it. Thank you to all the wonderful people who worked on it with me. To the fans, I hope you love it as much I do, it’s been a long journey to this point. Have a fantastic weekend xx pic.twitter.com/s8mQ1pLKYj

— Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) October 29, 2021

You can find the measurements of each edition in the different parts and listen to the samples of these albums here.

This album includes 14 tracks : 

1. Tides
2. Shivers
3. First Times
4. Bad Habits
5. Overpass Graffiti
6. The Joker And The Queen
7. Leave Your Life
8. Collide
9. 2step
10. Stop The Rain
11. Love In Slow Motion
12. Visiting Hours
13. Sandman
14. Be Right Now

We will review 3 editions (Vinyl, Streaming Amazon Music UltraHD, Amazon and Tidal Dolby Atmos) of this album.

Find the reviews of the other Ed Sheeran’s albums:

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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 change, the streaming versions presented correspond to the version tested at the date of publication of the review, or of an update of the review.

Review of the editions:

Part 1: Presentation of the editions

Part 2 : Waveform and dynamique comparaison

Parts 3 : Spectrum comparisons

Part 4 : Spectrogram comparaisons

Part 5 : Spatialization

Part 5 : Summary, scoring and Sample

Part 1: presentation of the editions

Ed1 : Vinyl ref 0190296657078- 2021

Presentation

It is a nice standard vinyl proposed here in its black version.

Label	Warner Music
Reference	0190296657078
Format (speed)	LP 33.3 RPM
Type	Vinyl 33 rpm
Master	Digital
Mastering/Pressing	Digital
Original recording	Digital 24-48kHz
State	EU
Year original	2021
Year production	2021

Ed2 : Streaming Amazon Music UltraHD – 2021

Presentation

This is the Streaming Amazon Music proposed in UltraHD (24 bits 48 kHz).

Label	Warner Music
Reference	Amazon Music Ultra HD
Format (speed)	Streaming Ultra HD
Type	24 bits 48 kHz
Master	Digital 24-48kHz
Mastering/Pressing	Digital
Original recording	Digital 24-48kHz
State	EU
Year original	2021
Year production	2021

Ed3 : Streaming Amazon Music Dolby Atmos and Tidal Dolby Atmos- 2021

Presentation

This is the Streaming Amazon Music proposed in Dolby Atmos. This is a specific version for headphone listening.

Label	Warner Music
Reference	Amazon Music Dolby Atmos and Tidal Dolby Atmos
Format (speed)	Dolby Atmos binaural
Type	Amazon Audio binaural , Tidal Binaural and Multichannel
Master	Dolby Atmos
Mastering/Pressing	Digital
Original recording	Digital
State	EU
Year original	2021
Year production	2021

Part 2 : Waveform and dynamic comparaisons

Waveform

The waveform represents all the tracks of the album.

We have a new hierarchy in the representation of waveforms.
The Ed1 vinyl version is the most dynamic stereo version compared to the Amazon Music Ultra HD (Ed2) digital versions.

The most dynamic version, which presents the largest level differences on the curve is the Ed3 version in Dolby Atmos here in binaural version.

The streaming versions Ed2 has compacted curves producing a very low average dynamic DR5!

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 3 editions we have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR):

	Ed1: Vinyl 2021	Ed2: Amazon Music	Ed3:  Tidal Dolby Atmos multichannel
GLOBAL	DR9	DR5	DR13
Min	DR8	DR4	DR10
Max	DR10	DR8	DR14
Tides	DR8	DR5	DR13
Shivers	DR9	DR5	DR12
First Times	DR8	DR6	DR14
Bad Habits	DR8	DR4	DR14
Overpass Graffiti	DR8	DR4	DR12
The Joker And The Queen	DR10	DR8	DR10
Leave Your Life	DR9	DR4	DR13
Collide	DR9	DR5	DR13
2step	DR10	DR4	DR14
Stop The Rain	DR9	DR5	DR12
Love In Slow Motion	DR10	DR6	DR14
Visiting Hours	DR9	DR6	DR11
Sandman	DR9	DR8	DR14
Be Right Now	DR8	DR4	DR13

My DR measurements confirm the waveforms analysis. The Amazon streaming versions are heavily compressed with an average DR of DR5, and tracks even with a DR4!
The vinyl with DR9 gives better results in terms of dynamics.
The Dolby Atmos version is here the most dynamic with 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.

Part 3 : spectrum comparisons

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 “Shivers”.

The curves are similar from the bottom of the spectrum to 13 kHz. There is a faster high frequency attenuation on the Ed1 vinyl compared to the Ed Streaming Amazon Music, but overall staying at the same level. So we will have a similar sound balance on both sources.

The curve of the Ed3 Amazon Dolby Atmos Binaural version is very different from the curve of the stereo version of the Ed2 Amazon UltraHD. This is due to the different mix and the reduction of channels and sound objects in the binaural version of Dolby Atmos. The 20 kHz limitation of the Dolby Atmos version is due to the Dolby Digital Plus encoding which reduces the high frequencies to optimize the file size.

Part 4 : Spectrogram comparaisons

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.

For the spectrogram of the Ed1 vinyl, the yellow arrow shows the limit is below 20 kHz (the sampling frequency of the master). The white arrow shows the harmonics created by the vinyl playback method.

The streaming Amazon Music, Amazon Music Dolby Atmos release show the frequency limit at 24kHz (yellow arrow) for Amazon Music UltraHD, and 20 kHz for Dolby Atmos Binaural due to tne Dolby Digital Encoding. The black area (white arrow) shows that there is no signal above 24 kHz , which is normal for a 48 kHz sampling rate.

Part 5 : 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.

Spatialization here exploits all the channels by expanding the sound rendering with the guitar which is often present on the side channels. There are marked effects with instruments or choirs in the surround channels.

Below the spatialization for the 14 tracks of Tidal Dolby Atmos version. Click on the images to zoom in.

Part 6 : Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed1 : Vinyl ref 0190296657078- 2021

The pressing of the vinyl is good with a reduced surface noise.
The rendering is more dynamic and precise than the streaming version (Ed2). It is the most pleasant stereo version to listen to. We find all the instruments play and the voice of Ed Sheeran is more natural.

• Rating:
  • Dynamic: ●●●oo (2.5/5)
  • Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
  • Surface Noise: ●●●●o (4/5)
  • Restitution: ●●●●o (3.5/5)

• Sample : “Shivers” vinyl 24 bits 96 kHz :

Ed2 : Streaming Amazon Music UltraHD – 2021

The streaming version here is heavily compressed, not surprisingly on listening which is missing dynamics and precision compared to the vinyl version.

• Rating:
  • Dynamic: ●oooo (1/5)
  • Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
  • Restitution: ●●●oo (2.5/5)

• Sample : “Shivers” Streaming Amazon Music 24 bits 48 kHz :

Ed3 : Streaming Amazon Music and Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2021

The Dolby Atmos Binaural format brings a new 3D mix of the album that brings a different blend of music with a more pronounced separation of instrument and voice, and a wider spatial representation. The dynamics are the best of the 3 versions. This is a new approach to music on headphones and also on 7.1.4 systems). Listening in 7.1.4 brings a greater spatial openness with a good exploitation of the surround channels for the instruments or the voices.

• Rating:
  • Dynamic: ●●●oo (3/5)
  • Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
  • Spatialization : ●●●●●●●●oo (8.4)
  • Restitution: ●●●●o (4/5)

• Sample : “Shivers” Streaming Amazon Dolby Atmos (only for Headphone listening) :

Sample : “Shivers” Streaming Tidal Dolby Atmos (decoded 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.

The choice here is quite simple, for a stereo listening, it is the LP version that gives the best results for the rendering, the details of the music and the naturalness of the voice. For headphone listening, the Dolby Atmos version brings a more precise, dynamic and spatial sound. L’écoute en 7.1.4 apport une plus grande ouverture spatiale de l’écoute. Le downmix de la version Dolby Atmos en stéréo permet d’obtenir une version stéréo plus dynamique que la version stéréo originale en streaming.

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)
• 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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