Following the review of The Beatles: the 1962-1966 (The Red Album), here is the 2023 reissue of The Beatles: 1967-1970 (The Blue Album), an opportunity to continue with the greatest hits of the legendary Beatles. Using the latest technologies, moveau mixes in stereo and Dolby Atmos immersive sound. To understand the changes brought about by these new mixes, we’ll compare them to various editions, including the original versions.

For this review, you will find 4 versions tested: CD 1992, CD 2010, Streaming Tidal MAX Flac in 24 bits 96 kHz and Tidal Dolby Atmos.

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

The album is composed of 37 tracks:

1. Strawberry Fields Forever
2. Penny Lane
3. Sgt, Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
4. With A Little Help From My Friends
5. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
6. Within You Without You (2017 Mix)*
7. A Day In The Life
8. All You Need Is Love
9. I Am The Walrus
10. Hello, Goodbye
11. The Fool On The Hill
12. Magical Mystery Tour
13. Lady Madonna
14. Hey Jude
15. Revolution
16. Get Back
17. Back In The U,S,S,R
18. Dear Prudence (2018 Mix)*
19. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
20. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
21. Glass Onion (2018 Mix)*
22. Blackbird (2018 Mix)*
23. Hey Bulldog (2023 Mix)*
24. Don’t Let Me Down
25. The Ballad Of John And Yoko
26. Old Brown Shoe
27. Here Comes The Sun
28. Come Together
29. Something
30. Octopus’s Garden
31. Oh! Darling (2019 Mix)*
32. I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (2019 Mix)*
33. Let It Be
34. Across The Universe
35. I Me Mine (2021 Mix)*
36. The Long And Winding Road
37. Now And Then*

* only available on the 2023 release

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 : Spatialization

Part 6 : Summary, scoring and Sample

Part 1: presentation of the editions

Ed 1: CD – 1993

Presentation

Here is the first digital edition of the album on double CD in 1993 (ref: 07777970392).

Ed 2: CD – 2010

Presentation

CD version remastered in 2010 at Sony DADC, Terre Haute (ref: 5099994644722).

Ed 3: Tidal MAX Flac – 2023

Presentation

This is the version remixed in 2023 (some tracks in 2022) with 9 additional songs, presented in 24-bit 96 kHz streaming format.

Ed 4: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2023

Presentation

This is the version remixed in Dolby Atmos with 9 additional songs. The Tidal Dolby Atmos version is presented in Dolby Digital Plus 768 bits/s) or Dolby AC-4.

Part 2 : Waveform and dynamic comparaisons

Waveform

The waveform represents tracks of the album.

As with the red album, as the years go by, new masterings and remixes end up with a compression of dynamics that is more and more present, as shown by the waveforms of the 1993 CD, the 2010 CD and the 2023 Tidal version.

The waveform of the Dolby Atmos version shows that it remains more dynamic than the stereo versions, particularly the 2010 CD and 2023 remix versions.

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 4 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

	CD – 1993	CD – 2010	Tidal MAX Flac – 2023	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2023
Global	DR11	DR10	DR9	DR12
Min	DR9	DR9	DR4	DR10
Max	DR13	DR11	DR13	DR15
Strawberry Fields Forever	DR12	DR11	DR8	DR10
Penny Lane	DR11	DR10	DR9	DR11
Sgt, Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band	DR11	DR9	DR8	DR12
With A Little Help From My Friends	DR12	DR11	DR9	DR14
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds	DR12	DR11	DR8	DR13
Within You Without You (2017 Mix)*			DR9	DR12
A Day In The Life	DR12	DR11	DR8	DR15
All You Need Is Love	DR12	DR11	DR10	DR12
I Am The Walrus	DR10	DR11	DR9	DR14
Hello, Goodbye	DR11	DR10	DR8	DR11
The Fool On The Hill	DR9	DR9	DR9	DR12
Magical Mystery Tour	DR11	DR11	DR7	DR14
Lady Madonna	DR11	DR10	DR8	DR11
Hey Jude	DR11	DR11	DR9	DR12
Revolution	DR11	DR10	DR8	DR14
Get Back	DR11	DR9	DR9	DR13
Back In The U,S,S,R	DR11	DR10	DR9	DR13
Dear Prudence (2018 Mix)*			DR10	DR12
While My Guitar Gently Weeps	DR12	DR10	DR9	DR12
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da	DR11	DR10	DR10	DR12
Glass Onion (2018 Mix)*			DR9	DR13
Blackbird (2018 Mix)*			DR13	DR14
Hey Bulldog (2023 Mix)*			DR8	DR13
Don’t Let Me Down	DR9	DR10	DR9	DR12
The Ballad Of John And Yoko	DR10	DR10	DR8	DR10
Old Brown Shoe	DR9	DR10	DR8	DR12
Here Comes The Sun	DR12	DR10	DR9	DR12
Come Together	DR10	DR9	DR9	DR13
Something	DR11	DR10	DR9	DR12
Octopus’s Garden	DR13	DR11	DR8	DR12
Oh! Darling (2019 Mix)*			DR9	DR13
I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (2019 Mix)*			DR7	DR13
Let It Be	DR9	DR10	DR9	DR11
Across The Universe	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR11
I Me Mine (2021 Mix)*			DR9	DR12
The Long And Winding Road	DR10	DR10	DR9	DR12
Now And Then*			DR4	DR11

As with the red album, the DR measurements confirm the results observed on the waveforms of the various editions. Dynamic compression increases with each new version of the album. We start with a DR11 for the 1993 CD and end with a DR9 for the 2023 remixed version.
The Dolby Atmos version remains dynamic with a DR12 (measured in 7.1.4, DR12 measured in 2.0).

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 graph below compares the spectrum of CD 2010 (white curve) with the spectrum of CD 1993 (blue curve). The 2 curves are similar, but with 3 major differences: Below 200 Hz (green zone) the level is higher for the 1997 CD, up to 4 dB higher between 60 Hz and 120 Hz. Between 2kHz and 9kHz (yellow zone), the level is up to 4dB higher for the 1997 CD, resulting in a smoother sound. At 20 kHz (yellow arrow), there’s a 5 dB increase on the 2010 CD, which goes all the way up to 22 kHz, unlike the 1993 CD, which is limited to 20 kHz. This is due to the type of filters used.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the TIDAL 2023 version (white curve) with the spectrum of the 1993 CD (blue curve). We find the same type of comparison as with the CD 2010. The 2 curves are similar, but with 3 major differences: Below 200 Hz (green zone) the level is higher for the 1997 CD, up to 2 dB higher between 60 Hz and 120 Hz. Between 2kHz and 9kHz (yellow zone), the level is up to 5 dB higher for the 1997 CD, for a smoother sound. Above 20kHz (yellow arrow), there’s almost 10dB more on the Tidal 2023 version, and above this frequency there’s tape noise on the Tidal 2023 version, which has a sampling frequency of 96kHz.

The spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos version decoded in 7.1 shows that all channels are well used.
The bass channel is filtered at 120 Hz, as indicated by the green arrow.
The yellow arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 20 kHz due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding.
The white arrow indicates the 24 kHz high-frequency limit due to encoding at the 48 kHz sample rate used, confirming that it is the Dolby Digital Plus encoding algorithm that cuts frequencies at 20 kHz to reduce data size in order to maintain the 768 kbits/s bit rate.

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 spectrograms of the CD versions (1993 and 2010) show that the signal rises to a maximum of 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for audio CDs.

The spectrogram of the stereo version Tidal Max shows that the signal rises above 24 kHz (yellow arrow).There is signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 96 kHz sampling frequency used.

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.

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 is available for Tidal Dolby Atmos .

Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.

Part 6 : Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: CD – 1993

On this 1993 CD, we find the original sound characteristic of the Beatles and the recording period.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : ”Come Together” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 2: CD – 2010

The 2010 remastered version has a different sound balance to that of the 1993 cd version, with a slightly more balanced sound in both the low and high end of the spectrum, making for a more pleasant listening experience. The impact of dynamic compression remains limited.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Sample : ”Come Together” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 3: Tidal MAX Flac – 2023

The 2023 version is a much improved version of the original. All tracks are now in stereo. The sound is smoother, thanks to a new mix and equalization that attenuates the high end of the spectrum, bringing the sound closer to 2023 standards. Dynamic compression is more present, limiting the dynamic range of certain musical attacks, but with limited impact on the listening experience. This is the most detailed and precise version across the entire spectrum, making it very pleasant to listen to in stereo.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Sample : ”Come Together” 16 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 4: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2023

The Dolby Atmos version brings the quality of the 2023 remix with all the dynamics but with a little less restitition finesse than the Tidal 2023 version, whether in stereo listening (downmixed in 2.0, listen to the available samples) or in 7.1.4 multichannel listening. As indicated in the analysis of spatialization, all tracks benefit from an extension of the soundstage with the use of the side channels, so it’s best to be equipped with 7.1.4 for listening, in order to enjoy them to the full. The Dolby Atmos mix retains the spirit of the stereo mix, with full exploitation of spatialization on tracks like “Within You Without You” and “Revolution”.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (6.8)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Sample : ”Come Together” Dolby Atmos Downmix 7.1:

The sample is in 7.1 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.

Sample : ”Come Together” Dolby Atmos Downmix 2.0:

Following the reissue of the Red album, this new 50th anniversary edition of the Blue album is a real success, with a version available in High Resolution 24 bit 96 kHz. This new 2023 edition includes 9 additional tracks. One can only regret the use of a dynamic limiter for a compilation album celebrating the 50th anniversary of a group as legendary as the Beatles. Fortunately, however, the impact remains limited, and the high-resolution version of 2023 brings more finesse to the stereo rendering.
The Dolby Atmos version is very successful, retaining the spirit of the mix used by the Beatles, with a shift from stereo to spatial sound. The sound is dynamic and very clear, with a more natural spatialization than on the RED album.
A Blu-ray edition with the stereo track and the Dolby Atmos track losslessly encoded in Dolby Digital TrueHD would provide all the dynamics and finesse of Atmos, and the high resolution (24/96) of the stereo version.

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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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