Daft Punk are set to make a remarkable comeback with a special version of “Random Access Memories”, their ultimate opus. Last May, they surprised fans by releasing a commemorative edition to celebrate the album’s 10th anniversary, enriched with 35 minutes of previously unreleased tracks. However, the iconic duo have another surprise in store for this new edition.
Scheduled for release on November 17, this special version will be devoid of any drum or percussion elements. A first track, entitled “Within” – the fourth on the album – has already been released, perfectly illustrating the artistic vision behind this unprecedented approach. It is this first track that we find in a stereo and Dolby Atmos version, in comparison with the anniversary version released for the album’s 10th anniversary.

For this review, you will compare 3 versions : Amazon Music UltraHD in 24 bits 48 kHz (Drumless Edition), Tidal Dolby Atmos (Drumless Edition) and Qobuz Hi-Res (10th anniversary version)

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 can compare the different extracts as you listen.

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.

Waveform and dynamic

The waveform represents tracks of the two tracks.

The waveforms of the three editions show increasing dynamics, from the 10th anniversary Amazon stereo version [DR8], to the Amazon stereo version (Drumless Edition) [DR10], to the most dynamic Tidal Dolby Atmos version (Drumless Edition) [DR11].

Spectrum comparisons

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 graph below shows the spectrum of the Amazon (Drumless Edition) (white curve) and the Amazon 10th Anniversary Edition (blue curve), and shows that the two curves are similar ut to 1 kHz, but with differences after this frequency:
– Progressive attenuation of the Drumless version down to 10 kHz, with a difference of up to 30 dB due to the new orchestration and mix.
– A frequency that rises to over 30 kHz for the 10th anniversary version, using a sampling frequency of 88.2 kHz instead of 48 kHz for the Drumless version.

The spectrum of the Dolby Atmos version decoded in 5.1 shows that all channels are used. The yellow arrow indicates the high-frequency limit of 20 kHz due to frequency optimization and Dolby Digital Plus encoding, which performs processing to optimize bitrate reduction to 768 kbit/s.The LFE channel is not present in this sample (green arrow).

Spectrogram comparaisons

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 Amazon Drumless version is limited to 24 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above (white arrow). This limitation is due to the sampling frequency of 48 kHz.

The spectrogram of the Dolby Atmos track downmixed in stereo is limited to 20kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above (white arrow).
This limitation is due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding, which is a lossy encoder that limits bandwidth to optimize data size for a bit rate of 768 kbits/s.

The spectrograms for the Qobuz 10th anniversary rise above the 20 kHz frequency (yellow arrow), with signal present above 30 kHz (white arrow). This confirms the use of a 88.2 kHz sampling frequency.

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 is available for Tidal Dolby Atmos .

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: Amazon (Drumless Edition) – 2023

The first drumless track on the album, “Within”, brings a softer, more natural feel. The reorchestration work is well done, and brings another vision of the album.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : ”Within” 16 bits 48 kHz:

Ed 2: Tidal Dolby Atmos (Drumless Edition) – 2023

This new, re-orchestrated version features a new Dolby Atmos mix, offering a beautifully immersive spatial distribution of the instruments. A beautiful immersive rendering for this track.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●oooo (5.8)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : ”Within” Dolby Atmos downmixed 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.

Ed 3: Qobuz (10th anniversary Version) – 2023

This version serves as a reference for comparison with the Drumless track “Within”. Read the full Random Access Memories album review.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : ”Within” 16 bits 88.2 kHz:

This first drumless track from the “Within” album gives a first impression of the work that has gone into the re-orchestration and mixing. We find a dynamic track in stereo and a Dolby Atmos version that takes full advantage of a new, highly immersive mix, totally immersing us in the music. We look forward to the album’s release in November.

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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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