“On Every Street” is the sixth and final studio album by the band Dire Straits, released on September 9, 1991. This album was released six years after the previous album, “Brothers in Arms”. “On Every Street” contains 12 tracks and was produced digitally.

For this review, 8 versions were tested, including MOFI and Back To Black vinyl records, which, as the analysis below shows, are not without their problems.

The 8 versions tested are: Vinyl record B2B and MOFI; CD from 1991,1996,2000 and MOFI; SACD MOFI and Tidal HD.

Other reviews of Dire Straits:

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 12 tracks:

1. Calling Elvis
2. On Every Street
3. When It Comes To You
4. Fade To Black
5. The Bug
6. You And Your Friend
7. Heavy Fuel
8. Iron Hand
9. Ticket To Heaven
10. My Parties
11. Planet Of New Orleans
12. How Long

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: Vinyl Back To Black – 2022

Presentation

This is the vinyl record from Back To Black (B2B) presented in 2 LP in 33.33 rpm (ref:602537529148). 180 g Audiophile vinyl quality, Mastering and cutting by Bernie Grundman.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of B2B’s vinyl record is dynamic, but without reaching the result obtained by the MOFI vinyl record.

The spectrum shows the signal rising above 22 kHz (yellow arrow), with signal above 30 kHz (white arrow) due to distortion caused by the vinyl record’s operating principle. The black arrow shows that there is an attenuation of the level beyond 16 kHz, more details on frequency limitation here.

Synthesis and listening

Compared with the MOFI vinyl discs and other digital editions, the Back To Black vinyl disc lacks treble finesse and heavier bass, leaving this version behind the other editions in terms of sound quality.

Rating:

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

Sample : “Calling Elvis” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 2: CD – 1991

Presentation

The original CD version released in 1991 is presented in 16 bits 44.1kHz (Ref: 510 160-2)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform shows good overall dynamics, but with the use of a dynamic limiter clearly visible on 3 tracks (yellow zone)

The spectrum shows that the bandwidth does not rise above 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and no signal above (white arrow). This is due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for the CD.

Synthesis and listening

This CD, released in 1991, is the original version of the album and was the reference until the arrival of the MOFI SACD and its CD layer, which is a little more dynamic.

Rating:

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

Sample : “Calling Elvis” Dolby Atmos :

Ed 3: CD – 1996

Presentation

The CD version released in 1996 is presented in 16 bits 44.1kHz resmastered in SBM (Supper Bit Mapping) (Ref: 7 31451016028)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform shows greater use than on the 1991 CD, which is confirmed by the measurement of the average DR at DR10 vs DR12 (CD 1991), and the minimum DR dropping to DR8 vs DR11 (CD 1991).

The spectrum shows that the bandwidth does not rise above 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and no signal above (white arrow). This is due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for the CD.

Synthesis and listening

This 1996 remastering reflects the desire to sound louder than the original version (thanks to loudness war), which is audible on the loudest tracks, losing dynamics and precision compared to the 1991 CD.

Rating:

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

Sample : “Calling Elvis” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 4: CD – 2000

Presentation

The CD version released in 2000 is presented in 16 bits 44.1kHz resmastered in SBM (Supper Bit Mapping) (Ref: 093624778721 )

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform shows greater use than on the 1991 CD, which is confirmed by the measurement of the average DR at DR10 vs DR12 (CD 1991), and the minimum DR dropping to DR8 vs DR11 (CD 1991).

The spectrum shows that the bandwidth does not rise above 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and no signal above (white arrow). This is due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for the CD.

Synthesis and listening

This version is similar to the remastered CDs from 1996.

Rating:

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

Sample : “Calling Elvis” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 5: Tidal HD – 2023

Presentation

The stereo version of Tidal Music is presented in 16 bits 44.1kHz.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform shows greater use than on the 1991 CD, which is confirmed by the measurement of the average DR at DR10 vs DR12 (CD 1991), and the minimum DR dropping to DR8 vs DR11 (CD 1991).

The spectrum shows that the bandwidth does not rise above 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and no signal above (white arrow). This is due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for the streaming.

Synthesis and listening

This version is similar to the remastered CDs from 1996 and 2000.

Rating:

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

Sample : “Calling Elvis” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 6: Vinyl record Mofi – 2024

Presentation

This is the vinyl record from MOFI (Gatefold, numbered Special Edition) presented in 2 LP in 45 rpm (ref: MFSL 2-510). 180 g Audiophile vinyl quality. Sourced from the original master tapes (PCM Digital Master) and mastered by Krieg Wunderlich

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform shows the MOFI vinyl version’s dynamic range to be superior to B2B’s vinyl.

The spectrum shows the signal rising above 22 kHz (yellow arrow), with some signal above 30 kHz (white arrow) due to distortion caused by the vinyl record’s operating principle. However, this vinyl record shows a signal between 20 kHz and 30 kHz (red zone) that shouldn’t be present. This is a defect in the record, as explained in the spectrum analysis.

Synthesis and listening

Mofi is a vinyl record with quality pressing and reduced surface noise. Despite the problem at the top of the spectrum (see explanations here), this is a very dynamic listening version, with more pronounced attacks than the SACD version, and lots of detail at the top end of the spectrum (also due to the strong treble accentuation compared to the SACD).

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : “Calling Elvis” 24 bits 92 kHz:

Ed 7: SACD MOFI – 2024

Presentation

This is the the Numbered SACD MOFI encoded in DSD64 stereo (ref: UDSACD 2239)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform shows that the MOFI digital version is more dynamic than the other digital versions tested.

The spectrum shows that frequencies do not exceed 22 kHz (yellow arrow), which is due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for the original master. Above, there is a rise in noise (white arrow) due to the DSD64 principle used for the SACD.

Synthesis and listening

The question is, what’s the point of transferring a digital format with a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz to SACD?
When you listen to it, you can hear all the dynamics of the album, with a very fine rendering.
But the comparison between the PCM of the CD and the DSD64 of the SACD will depend very much on the way your DAC (analog-to-digital converter) works, with a difference in rendering that can be more or less marked.
Mofi’s version is a great success.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : “Calling Elvis” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 8: CD from SACD MOFI – 2024

Presentation

This is the CD layer from the SACD MOFI (ref: UDSACD 2239)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform shows that the MOFI digital version is more dynamic than the other digital versions tested.

The spectrum shows that the bandwidth does not rise above 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and no signal above (white arrow). This is due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for the CD.

Synthesis and listening

Listening to the CD layer on SACD, you’ll find one of the best CD versions of this album, with great dynamics.

Rating:

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

Sample : “Calling Elvis” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Despite the problem with the vinyl record, Mofi offers us the best vinyl and digital (SACD) editions of this album, with a version that brings all the dynamics of the original studio mix.

Dynamic Range measurements and spectra are shown below.

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Measurements

Dynamic Range comparaisons

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).

The waveforms below represent the song “On Every Street” for the CD 1991, CD 1996 and SACD MOFI with the same integrated loudness level of -17.9 LUFS.

For our 8 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

	Vinyl Back To Black – 2022	CD – 1991	CD – 1996	CD – 2000	Tidal HD – 2023	Vinyl record Mofi – 2024	SACD MOFI – 2024	CD from SACD MOFI – 2024
Global	DR12	DR12	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR14	DR13	DR13
Min	DR11	DR11	DR8	DR8	DR8	DR12	DR12	DR12
Max	DR14	DR15	DR12	DR12	DR12	DR16	DR16	DR16
Calling Elvis	DR12	DR12	DR9	DR9	DR9	DR15	DR13	DR13
On Every Street	DR12	DR12	DR9	DR9	DR9	DR13	DR13	DR13
When It Comes To You	DR13	DR13	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR16	DR16	DR16
Fade To Black	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR13	DR12	DR12
The Bug	DR12	DR12	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR14	DR14	DR14
You And Your Friend	DR12	DR12	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR13	DR13	DR13
Heavy Fuel	DR13	DR12	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR14	DR13	DR13
Iron Hand	DR11	DR12	DR10	DR10	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR12
Ticket To Heaven	DR12	DR12	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR12	DR12	DR12
My Parties	DR14	DR15	DR12	DR12	DR12	DR16	DR15	DR15
Planet Of New Orleans	DR11	DR13	DR9	DR9	DR9	DR14	DR13	DR13
How Long	DR11	DR11	DR8	DR8	DR8	DR12	DR12	DR12

There are 2 points for the Dynamic Range. As far as CDs are concerned, beyond 1991, we see greater dynamic compression for the 1996 and 2000 CD editions, as well as for the Streaming version. It’s the MOFI version, on SACD or vinyl record, that provides the most dynamic range.

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.

Spectrum comparisons

What’s wrong with the MOFI vinyl record?

To understand the problem present on the Mofi vinyl record, the spectrum below represents an sample from the Mofi vinyl record of the “Brother in Arms” album.
It’s also a digital album, with a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz. The yellow arrow shows the limit at 22 kHz, beyond which there’s a bit of signal distortion typical of vinyl records.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl record Mofi – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the SACD MOFI – 2024 (blue curve).
The spectrum of “On Every Street” Mofi vinyl record below shows a signal in the red zone. On a positive note, seeing this problem on the spectrum indicates that Mofi is capable of burning lacquer up to 30 kHz!
This shows its high quality for engraving. However, the signal in the red zone does not exist on the SACD, as there is no signal on the master beyond 22 kHz.
This defect is rather a digital one, with what is known as spectrum folding around the Nyquist Frequency (here 22.1 kHz).
The blue arrow shows the rise in background noise on the SACD due to the DSD64 operating principle.

The spectrum below also represents the spectrum of the Mofi vinyl record, but with a horizontal scale representing frequency, which is linear and not logarithmic.
The line at 22 kHz represents the line of symmetry of the spectrum.
To clearly see the symmetry of the signal, the digits with the same value represent the reference value (green color) and its symmetrical value (redcolor).
We can therefore clearly see the folding of the spectrum.
It’s hard to know what Mofi has done for this disc.
On listening, the problem is above 22 kHz, so not directly audible, but Mofi has accustomed us to more rigor in the quality of its products.
It’s a pity to have a digital defect on an analog support.

———————–

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD – 1996 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 1991 (blue curve).The 2 spectra overlap almost perfectly for these 2 CD editions, with only very slight differences.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD – 2000 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 1991 (blue curve).The 2 spectra overlap almost perfectly for these 2 CD editions, with only very slight differences.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD – 1991 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD from SACD MOFI – 2024 (blue curve).The 2 spectra are very similar, with small differences (yellow areas) of up to 1 dB.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Tidal HD – 2023 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 2000 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap almost perfectly between the CD and streaming versions.

What’s wrong with the Back To Black vinyl record?

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl B2B – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Vinyl record Mofi – 2024 (blue curve).
The differences are very pronounced at the extremes of the spectrum, with the green zone showing an accentuation of the B2B vinyl record over the MOFI record by up to 5 dB below 150 Hz.
Above 15 kHz (yellow zone) there’s a drop in the level of the B2B record, with up to 15 dB difference at 20 kHz (yellow arrow) with the MOFI record.

It’s been a habit for several years now, there’s always a problem above 15 kHz with Bernie Grundman’s vinyl cuts, and this is the case on this edition of the Back To Black vinyl record. Whereas vinyl can go beyond 20 kHz without any problem, as the MOFI version proves. This problem above 15 kHz (attenuation and/or strong variation in levels) is also present on other albums, such as the latest editions of “Dark Side Of The Moon“, “Return Of The Dream Canteen“, “Hounds Of Love“…
The red square shows the signal on the MOFI record, which should not be present on the vinyl record.

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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