This album resumes the tour “Trobador Tour” of Francis Cabrel which took place in 2021 and continues in 2022.
This album contains 31 songs including the successful “Petite Marie”, “Je l’aime à mourir”, “Encore et encore”….
The album also includes two unreleased tracks “Pour me faire peur” and “Quoi dire?”

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

This album includes 31 tracks : 

1. Peuple des fontaines
2. Jusqu’aux pôles
3. Sarbacane
4. Leïla et les chasseurs
5. Je l’aime à mourir
6. Te ressembler
7. Ode à l’amour courtois
8. Des hommes pareils
9. Ma place dans le trafic
10. Rockstars du Moyen Âge
11. Octobre
12. Les bougies fondues
13. Les murs de poussière
14. Petite Marie
15. Difficile à croire
16. Encore et encore
17. À l’aube revenant
18. La robe et l’échelle
19. Je t’aimais, je t’aime, je t’aimerai
20. Le temps s’en allait
21. La corrida
22. Hors-saison
23. Les beaux moments sont trop courts
24. La dame de Haute-Savoie
25. Madame n’aime pas
26. Mademoiselle l’aventure
27. Les chevaliers Cathares
28. Répondez-moi
29. Jusqu’aux pôles
30. Pour me faire peur
31. Quoi dire ?

We will review 2 editions (Vinyl, Streaming Qobuz) 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.

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 : Summary, scoring and Sample

Part 1: presentation of the editions

Ed1 : Vinyl ref 19439948671- 2021

Presentation

It is a vinyl release with 4 LP 33RPM and a very nice packaging (see pictures below).

Label	Sony Music
Reference	19439948671
Format (speed)	Vinyl 4LP
Type	4 LP 33 .33 rpm
Master	Digital
Mastering/Pressing
Original recording	Digital 24-44.1kHz
State	France
Year original	2021
Year production	2021

Ed2 : Streaming Qobuz Hi-Res – 2021

Presentation

This is the Streaming Qobuz proposed in Hi-Res(24 bits 44.1kHz).

Label	Sony Music
Reference	Streaming Qobuz Hi-Res
Format (speed)	Streaming Digital
Type	24 bits 44.1 kHz
Master	Digital
Mastering/Pressing
Original recording	Digital 24-44.1kHz
State	France
Year original	2021
Year production	2021

Part 2 : Waveform and dynamic comparaisons

Waveform

The waveform represents all the tracks of the album.

The comparison is quite characteristic, with a dynamic vinyl version and a compressed digital version (streaming).
To compare visually, the images below alternate the vinyl version with discs 1 and 2, then the corresponding digital version and then discs 3 and 4.
As you can see, some tracks are totally saturated in level in the digital version. The digital version loses all dynamic peaks.

The two images below represent a zoom of the same musical passage between the Ed1 vinyl version and the Ed2 Straming Qobuz version.
The yellow area shows an example of a sound peak that is present on the vinyl version, but flattened on the Qobuz version with the compression.

This compression has a direct impact on the dynamics and also on the distortion of the music.

Dynamic

Dynamic represents the ability to reproduce a wide range of sounds from the softest to the loudest.

For our 2 editions we have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR):

	Ed1: Vinyl	Ed2: Qobuz
GLOBAL	DR13	DR8
Min	DR11	DR6
Max	DR15	DR12
Peuple des fontaines	DR14	DR11
Jusqu’aux pôles	DR13	DR9
Sarbacane	DR14	DR7
Leïla et les chasseurs	DR14	DR8
Je l’aime à mourir	DR13	DR8
Te ressembler	DR13	DR7
Ode à l’amour courtois	DR12	DR11
Des hommes pareils	DR13	DR8
Ma place dans le trafic	DR12	DR7
Rockstars du Moyen Âge	DR11	DR11
Octobre	DR12	DR10
Les bougies fondues	DR13	DR9
Les murs de poussière	DR12	DR7
Petite Marie	DR13	DR12
Difficile à croire	DR13	DR8
Encore et encore	DR12	DR7
À l’aube revenant	DR13	DR9
La robe et l’échelle	DR13	DR7
Je t’aimais, je t’aime, je t’aimerai	DR12	DR10
Le temps s’en allait	DR15	DR8
La corrida	DR13	DR7
Hors-saison	DR15	DR8
Les beaux moments sont trop courts	DR13	DR8
La dame de Haute-Savoie	DR13	DR7
Madame n’aime pas	DR12	DR6
Mademoiselle l’aventure	DR13	DR10
Les chevaliers Cathares	DR13	DR11
Répondez-moi	DR12	DR9
Jusqu’aux pôles	DR12	DR7
Pour me faire peur	DR13	DR7
Quoi dire ?	DR12	DR12

With a DR14 on average, and a variation between DR12 and DR15, the vinyl version is much more dynamic than the digital version DR8. The result of the measurement of the DR is not surprising considering the difference of the waveforms between the 2 editions (see pictures in Part2).

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 “Le temps s’en allait”.

The curves of the Ed1 Vinyl and Ed2 Streaming are identical up to 10 kHz, beyond that the vinyl level is 2 or 3 dB higher from 15 kHz (yellow zone).
The green arrow shows the drop of both versions at 22 kHz, which confirms the use of a 44.1 kHz master for the vinyl.
The blue arrow shows the limit of the streaming version which has a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz.
The purple area raises the noise and distortion of the vinyl above 22 kHz.

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.

The white arrow indicates the signal that is due to the distortion of the vinyl and the background noise. The yellow arrow shows the 22 kHz limit.

The spectrogram of the Ed2 Qobuz cut at 22 kHz (yellow arrow). We find sampling frequency limit of the master (44.1 kHz). The white arrow shows the black area indicating that there is no signal above 22 kHz.

Part 5 : Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed1 : Vinyl ref 19439948671- 2021

This vinyl is a very nice item with its 4 discs and its pictures.
The pressing is good and we find the atmosphere of the concert with a clear and dynamic rendering. The singer’s voice is also more natural. Nice open sound and less heavy in the bass than the Streaming version. The sample of “Le temps s’en allait” shows well this difference.

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

• Sample : “Le temps s’en allait” Vinyl 24 bits 176.4 kHz :

Ed2 : Streaming Qobuz Hi-Res – 2021

The streaming version is unfortunately compressed, thanks to the loudness war! This impacts the rendering, especially in comparison with the vinyl version which is more open and dynamic, with a better rendering of the voices.

• Rating:
  • Dynamic: ●●ooo (2.5/5)
  • Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4/5)
  • Restitution: ●●●oo (3/5)

• Sample : “Le temps s’en allait” Streaming Qobuz 24 bits 44.1kHz :

Very beautiful album which would have deserved a better treatment in digital version, but the vinyl version raises the quality as well sound as on the level of the packaging.

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.

---