Alphaville’s “Forever Young” album, released on September 27 1984, is a classic example of 80s synth-pop and new wave. Produced by Colin Pearson, Wolfgang Loos, Andreas Budde and the band themselves, the album was recorded between January and August 1984 at Studio 54 in Berlin.

Featuring chart-toppers such as “Big in Japan”, “Sounds Like a Melody”, “Forever Young” and “(The) Jet Set”, the album enjoyed international success, topping the charts in Norway and Sweden.In March 2019, the album was reissued in a “super deluxe” edition.

In July 2024, the album resort on blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos mix in Dolby Digital TrueHD format.

For this review, you will find 8 versions tested: Vinyl 1984, vinyl remastered, Blu-ray Stereo, Blu-ray Dolby Atmos, CD 1984, CD Super Deluxe Edition and Tidal MAX Super Deluxe Edition 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 album is composed of 10 tracks:

1. A Victory of Love
2. Summer in Berlin
3. Big in Japan
4. To Germany With Love
5. Fallen Angel
6. Forever Young
7. In the Mood
8. Sounds Like a Melody
9. Lies
10. The Jet Set

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: CD – 1984

Presentation

This is the original CD released in 1984 (ref: 2292404812)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The CD (original version 1984) waveform shows a high dynamic range confirmed with DR14.

The spectrogram of the CD shows that the signal goes up to 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used.

Synthesis and listening

The original version brings all its dynamics and energy to this album. Attacks are clean and dynamic, and this becomes even more pronounced the higher you turn up the volume. To restore a sound balance closer to that of the remastered version, simply add a little bass with the amp’s tone corrector.

Rating:

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

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 2: CD SDE – 2019

Presentation

This is the CD1 from the Super Deluxe Limited Edition (3CD and DVD and vinyl). In addition to the remastered album, the box contains 2 CDs with the original 7″, B-Side and 12″ remastered versions, plus remastered demos. The DVD contains a documentary and the original videos.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR9

Unlike the original CD (DR14), the waveform here is limited in dynamic range to increase the loudness of the album. This is confirmed by the DR9!

The tonal balance is closer to today’s standards, with more present bass. On the other hand, there is a very present compression of dynamics, which limits the rendering compared to the original CD.

Synthesis and listening

The tonal balance is closer to today’s standards, with a more present bass and the soundstage is wider than on the original version. But, on the other hand, there is a present compression of dynamics which limits the rendering compared to the original CD.

Rating:

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

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 3: Vinyl – 1984

Presentation

This is the original vinyl record released in 1984 (ref:)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the original vinyl record version have good dynamicse like the original CD, as the graphs below confirm, with DR14.

The graph of the spectrogram of the vinyl recod show that the frequencies of the audio signal rise above 20 kHz (yellow arrow). The signal above 20 kHz (white arrow) is due to the signal present above 20 kHz and to the distortion caused by the vinyl playback principle

Synthesis and listening

The vinyl is close to the 1984 version of the CD, but with a softer, yet dynamic rendering. The sound balance is the same as on the 1984 CD.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 4: Vinyl – 2019

Presentation

This is the remastered vinyl record released in 2019 (ref:)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The recording level of the remastered vinyl lower (4-5 dB) than that of the 1984 vinyl record And the dynamic range is also lower (DR11 vs DR14). These 2 characteristics seem to confirm the use of the dynamically compressed digital master for this cut.

The graph of the spectrogram of the vinyl record show that the frequencies of the audio signal rise above 20 kHz (yellow arrow). The signal above 20 kHz (white arrow) is due to the signal present above 20 kHz and to the distortion caused by the vinyl playback principle

Synthesis and listening

The remastered vinyl record has a lower burning level than the original vinyl record, with reduced dynamics. This shows the use of a dynamically compressed master. Apart from a more present bass rendering and the soundstage is wider than on the original version, this reissue remains globaly inferior to the original version. It’s a pity that vinyl masters are no longer treated according to the support to bring out all the dynamics and the maximum level of engraving.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 5: Tidal MAX SDE – 2024

Presentation

This is the Tidal Max Super Deluxe Limited Edition presented in FLAC 24 bits 44.1 kHz. In addition to the remastered album, this version contains bonus tracks with the original 7″, B-Side and 12″ remastered versions, plus remastered demos.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR9

Like the CD (2019), the waveform here is limited in dynamic range to increase the loudness of the album. This is confirmed by the DR9.

The spectrogram of the stereo version of Tidal Max SDE shows that the signal goes up to 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 44.1kHz sampling frequency used.

Synthesis and listening

The streaming version is similar in rendering to the remastered 2019 CD version.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●ooo (2.5)

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 24 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 6: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024

Presentation

This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Digital Plus or AC-4 (link).

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the Tidal Atmos version downmixed in 7.1 shows good dynamics, as the graphs below confirm, with a dynamic range of at DR13.

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.

Synthesis and listening

The Dolby Atmos mix offers an enlarged soundstage, with extensive use of the side speakers and music effects. Most of the volume is extended with the back and height speakers (mainly reverberation), with occasional use of the rear channels at the start of track “Sounds Like a Melody”, for example. The mix remains wise compared to other 80s album mixes such as Tears For Fears. The streaming version remains less accurate than the Dolby Atmos version of the blu-ray presented in Dolby Digital TrueHD.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (7.2)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 7.1 Dolby Atmos (Downmixed in 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 : Sounds Like a Melody” Dolby Atmos (Downmixed in 2.0) :

Ed 7: Bluray Stereo – 2024

Presentation

This is the bluray stereo with the remastered version (2019) presented in PCM 24 bits 48 kHz.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR9

Like the CD (2019), the waveform here is limited in dynamic range to increase the loudness of the album. This is confirmed by the DR9.

The spectrogram of the bluray shows that the signal goes up to 24 kHz, due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency used.

Synthesis and listening

No big surprise for the stereo version, it’s the master from the 2019 edition that’s been taken over with a reduced sound level to avoid large volume differences when switching soundtracks between stereo and Dolby Atmos.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●ooo (2.5)

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 24 bits 48 kHz:

Ed 8: Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024

Presentation

This is the bluray with Dolby Atmos. The Dolby Atmos track encoded in Dolby Digital TrueHD (lossless) 24 bit 48 kHz.

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the blu-ray Atmos version downmixed in 7.1 shows good dynamics, as the graphs below confirm, with a dynamic range of at DR14.

The spectrogram of the Dolby Atmos track downmixed in stereo is limited to 24kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above (white arrow). This limitation is due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency.

Synthesis and listening

This Dolby Atmos version is the main attraction of this blu-ray. In fact, by offering a Dolby Atmos track in Dolby Digital TrueHD, with lossless data compression, we have a much more accurate recording than the Dolby Atmos version available in streaming (see the differences between the two formats). It’s the only version to combine remixing with a sound balance corrected for today’s listening, and a fine dynamic range. This is the version that delivers the most energy, even in the downmixed versions.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (7.6)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : Sounds Like a Melody” 7.1 Dolby Atmos (Downmixed in 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.

It’s always difficult to remaster albums from the 80s without falling into the trap of loudness war. Unfortunately, this album is no exception. If you want to enjoy this album to the full, you’ll have to go for the original versions (cd or vinyl) to get the original sound, or listen to the Dolby Atmos version on the blu-ray to get a remixed version with great energy, dynamic, with a beautiful downmixed rendering

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).

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

	CD – 1984	CD SDE – 2019	Vinyl – 1984	Vinyl – 2019	Tidal MAX SDE – 2024	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024	Bluray Stereo – 2024	Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024
Global	DR14	DR9	DR14	DR11	DR9	DR14	DR9	DR14
Min	DR12	DR8	DR12	DR10	DR9	DR12	DR9	DR12
Max	DR17	DR10	DR15	DR12	DR10	DR15	DR10	DR15
A Victory of Love	DR14	DR10	DR15	DR12	DR10	DR15	DR10	DR15
Summer in Berlin	DR14	DR9	DR14	DR11	DR9	DR12	DR9	DR13
Big in Japan	DR14	DR9	DR14	DR11	DR9	DR14	DR9	DR13
To Germany With Love	DR14	DR9	DR14	DR11	DR9	DR13	DR9	DR13
Fallen Angel	DR12	DR9	DR12	DR11	DR9	DR13	DR9	DR12
Forever Young	DR13	DR10	DR13	DR12	DR10	DR14	DR10	DR14
In the Mood	DR15	DR9	DR15	DR12	DR9	DR14	DR9	DR14
Sounds Like a Melody	DR17	DR9	DR15	DR11	DR9	DR15	DR9	DR15
Lies	DR13	DR9	DR13	DR10	DR9	DR13	DR9	DR13
The Jet Set	DR14	DR8	DR14	DR11	DR9	DR13	DR9	DR14

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

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD SDE – 2019 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 1984 (blue curve).The two curves have a similar shape, but with several dB differences at the bottom of the spectrum (green zone) and at the top (yellow zone) due to the remastering work on the 2019 version.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Bluray Stereo – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD SDE – 2019 (blue curve).The two curves overlap perfectly up to 20 kHz, beyond which there is a difference due to sampling frequency conversion processing.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Tidal MAX SDE – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD SDE – 2019 (blue curve).The two curves are perfectly superimposed due to the use of the same master.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl – 1984 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 1984 (blue curve).The two curves almost overlap up to 10 kHz. Beyond 10 kHz, the treble on the vinyl record rises to 18 kHz, peaking at +4 dB at 14 kHz.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl – 2019 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD SDE – 2019 (blue curve).The two curves are very close across the spectrum, giving a similar sound balance.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl – 2019 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Vinyl – 1984 (blue curve).The differences between the 1984 and 2019 vinyl and the 1984 and 2019 CD are similar, reflecting the use of 2 basic masters (1984 and 2019) for different media in these two years.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024.
The spectrum of Tidal’s Dolby Atmos version decoded in 7.1 shows that all channels are used. The white arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 20 kHz due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding. The yellow arrow indicates the 24 kHz high-frequency limit due to encoding at the 48 kHz sampling rate used, confirming that it is the Dolby Digital Plus encoding algorithm that cuts the 20 kHz frequencies to reduce data size in order to maintain the 768 kbit/s bit rate. The bass channel is filtered at 120 Hz (green arrow).

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024.
The graph below represents the spectrum of the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos 2024. The spectrum of the Dolby Atmos TrueHD version of the blu-ray decoded in 7.1 shows that not all channels are used. The yellow arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 24 kHz, due to the Dolby Digital TrueHD (lossless) sampling frequency of 48 kHz.The bass channel is filtered at 120 Hz (green arrow).

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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