This album is a restrospective of Madonna’s 50 best songs. This album was released in a 50 tracks with 6 vinyls , and a reduced 2 vinyls with 16 tracks which is tested below.

The review includes 2 editions: Vinyl, Qobuz Hi-Res (Tidal).

In this test, the DR measurement shows that the DRs are identical between the Tidal and Qobuz versions. The detailed analysis will therefore focus on Qobuz.

Below you will find the description of the different editions, as well as the measurements of each edition in the following chapters.
The synthesis of the review and the samples are available here.

This album includes 16 tracks reviewed:

1. Everybody (You Can Dance Remix Edit)
2. Into The Groove (You Can Dance Remix Edit)
3. Like A Prayer (Remix/Edit)
4. Express Yourself (Remix/Edit)
5. Vogue (Single Version)
6. Deeper And Deeper (David’s Radio Edit)
7. Secret (Junior’s Luscious Single Mix)
8. Frozen (Extended Club Mix Edit)
9. Music (Deep Dish Dot Com Radio Edit)
10. Hollywood (Calderone & Quayle Edit)
11. Hung Up (SDP Extended Vocal Edit)
12. Give It 2 Me (Eddie Amador Club 5 Edit)
13. Girl Gone Wild (Avicii’s UMF Mix)
14. Living For Love (Offer Nissim Promo Mix)
15. Medellín (Offer Nissim Madame X In The Sphinx Mix)
16. I Don’t Search I Find (Honey Dijon Radio Mix)

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.

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 clear ref : 081227883645 – 2022

Presentation

This is the clear vinyl of this compilation with 16 tracks.

Label	‎Rhino Records
Reference	081227883645
Format (speed)	double LP 33 rpm
Type	Clear vinyl
Master	digital
Mastering/Pressing	Remastered by Mike Dean
Original recording	Analogue or digital
State	Worldwide
Year original	2022
Year production	2022

Ed2: Qobuz Hi-Res – 2022

Presentation

This is the streaming Qobuz Hi-Res presented in 24 bits 88.2 kHz.

Label	‎Rhino Records
Reference	Qobuz Hi-Res
Format (speed)	Streaming Hi-Res 24 bits 88.2 kHz
Type	Streaming
Master	digital
Mastering/Pressing	Remastered by Mike Dean
Original recording	Analogue or digital
State	Worldwide
Year original	2022
Year production	2022

Part 2 : Waveform and dynamic comparaisons

Waveform

The waveform represents all the tracks of the album for each version.

The graphs below represent the waveforms of the vinyl versions (Ed1).
This version is dynamic without the excessive use of dynamic limiters as on the streaming edition.

The Qobuz version (Ed2) is strongly compressed in dynamic (yellow zone) as confirmed by its DR6.

Comparison between Qobuz and the Vinyl of the song “Like A Prayer (Remix/Edit)” adjusted to the same sound level. We can see the effect of the dynamic range compression which limits the sound levels. In white the waveform of the Qobuz Hi-Res, and in Blu the vinyl waveform. The superposition of the 2 waveforms shows the signal that is lost on the digital version with the dynamic range limitation.

Dynamic

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 2 editions reviewed and Tidal we have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

	Ed1: vinyl	Ed2:Qobuz	Tidal
GLOBAL	DR11	DR6	DR6
Min	DR8	DR4	DR4
Max	DR12	DR7	DR7
Everybody (You Can Dance Remix Edit)	DR12	DR7	DR7
Into The Groove (You Can Dance Remix Edit)	DR12	DR6	DR7
Like A Prayer (Remix/Edit)	DR12	DR7	DR6
Express Yourself (Remix/Edit)	DR12	DR6	DR7
Vogue (Single Version)	DR11	DR6	DR7
Deeper And Deeper (David’s Radio Edit)	DR12	DR6	DR6
Secret (Junior’s Luscious Single Mix)	DR12	DR6	DR6
Frozen (Extended Club Mix Edit)	DR11	DR7	DR6
Music (Deep Dish Dot Com Radio Edit)	DR12	DR7	DR7
Hollywood (Calderone & Quayle Edit)	DR10	DR6	DR7
Hung Up (SDP Extended Vocal Edit)	DR11	DR7	DR6
Give It 2 Me (Eddie Amador Club 5 Edit)	DR10	DR6	DR7
Girl Gone Wild (Avicii’s UMF Mix)	DR8	DR6	DR7
Living For Love (Offer Nissim Promo Mix)	DR9	DR4	DR6
Medellín (Offer Nissim Madame X In The Sphinx Mix)	DR12	DR6	DR4
I Don’t Search I Find (Honey Dijon Radio Mix)	DR10	DR5	DR6

The Qobuz and Tidal version are presented with a lowdynamic range DR6 compared to the vinyl version DR10.

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.

As the album contains both analog and digital tracks used in the recording, two extracts are analysed. The first curve represents the average frequency distribution over the sample Like A Prayer (Remix/Edit) and the second Medellín (Offer Nissim Madame X In The Sphinx Mix).

The graph below shows the difference between the spectrum of the Qobuz version (Ed2) and the vinyl version (Ed1). The graph below shows the difference between the spectrum of the Qobuz version (Ed2) and the vinyl version (Ed1).
The yellow area shows a treble level that decreases for the vinyl from 10 kHz and more strongly from 15 kHz with more than 6 dB difference. This difference will make the vinyl sound warmer.
The yellow arrow shows that the signal is well above 20 kHz for the Qobuz digital version.
The white arrow shows the cut-off at 44 kHz for the Qobuz version due to the 88.2 kHz sampling rate.
The green arrow shows that the signal is present above 44 kHz, it represents mainly distortion and background noise.The original recording was of analogue origin.

The graph below is based on a digital recording. The same high-frequency attenuation is found for vinyl above 10 kHz (yellow area).
The yellow arrow shows the limit at 22 kHz for the Qobuz version.
The green arrow shows the frequency rise of vinyl due to distortion and noise.

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 spectrogram of the vinyl (Ed1) continues above 22 kHz (yellow arrow). The white arrow shows the distortion due to the music and to the playback of the vinyl above 22 kHz (distorsion).

The Qobuz Hi-Res (Ed2) spectrograms show a limit in the high frequencies which depend on the date of recording of the track. As the first tracks were recorded in analogue, there is more signal above 22 kHz (green arrow). The 22 kHz frequency is indicated by the yellow arrow.
Above 44 kHz, there is a black area (white arrow) with no signal due to the 88.22 kHz sampling rate at 44.1 kHz.

Part 5 : Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed1: Vinyl clear ref : 081227883645 – 2022

This compilation of remixes of Madonna’s best songs is offered on 2 vinyls with a good cut quality and reduced surface noise. The vinyl version brings its dynamics and a more balanced sound between the bass and the treble despite the attenuation in the treble.

• Rating:
  • Dynamic: ●●●oo (3/5)
  • Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5/5)
  • Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.0/5)
  • Restitution: ●●●●o (4/5)

• Sample : “Like A Prayer (Remix/Edit)” 24 bits 176.4 kHz:

• Sample : “Medellín (Offer Nissim Madame X In The Sphinx Mix)” 24 bits 176.4 kHz:

Ed2: Qobuz Hi-Res – 2022

The Qobuz version is highly limited in dynamics (like the other digital versions, see Tidal’s DR) which results in heavier bass and less detail in the high end of the spectrum. Despite the will to make a quality work with the use of high resolution with a sampling frequency of 88.2 kHz, the compression of dynamics comes to damage the result by reducing the fineness and the details of the sound.

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

• Sample : “”Like A Prayer (Remix/Edit)” 24bits 88.2 kHz:

• Sample : “Medellín (Offer Nissim Madame X In The Sphinx Mix)” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

There is no escape from the loudness war which is always present. It’s a shame that in order to gain a few dB in average sound level, we waste the quality of the work of the sound engineers that was done on these mixes which also use high resolution (88.2 kHz). The vinyl is once again the version that comes out the best in terms of sound rendering.

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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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