Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas album, released on November 1, 1994, is a festive mix of traditional Christmas songs and original material. In addition to the famous “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, the album includes other memorable tracks such as “O Holy Night”, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “Silent Night”.
Mariah Carey collaborated with producer Walter Afanasieff to create modern arrangements while respecting the classic spirit of the songs. The album is characterized by gospel, soul and R&B influences, showcasing Mariah Carey’s impressive vocal abilities.
The album was a phenomenal success, becoming one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time. The song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is particularly emblematic, regularly topping the music charts during the festive season and becoming an essential reference on Christmas playlists.
For its 30th anniversary, several versions were released, in particular three MOFI versions. In this review, we’ll find out if these 3 MOFI versions are the best editions of this album?

For this review, you will find 8 versions tested: CD 1994, Book-vinyl 30th, MOFI (CD, SACD, UltraDisc One-Step vinyl record, 45rpm vinyl record), Tidal stereo and 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 11 tracks:

1. Silent Night
2. All I Want for Christmas Is You
3. O Holy Night
4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
5. Miss You Most (at Christmas Time)
6. Joy to the World
7. Jesus Born on This Day
8. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Gloria (in excelsis Deo)
10. Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child
11. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: CD – 1994

Presentation

This is the original CD released in 1994 (ref : )

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform of the CD-1994 shows global Dynamic Range DR10, buts with DR8 for some songs.

The spectrogram of theCD 1994 shows that the signal goes down 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

On this CD, we find the original version we know, with a little of the dynamic compression already present in 1994.

Rating:

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

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Sample : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 2: CD Layer SACD MOFI – 2024

Presentation

This is the CD layer of the SACD MOFI Numbered-Edition released this year (ref: UDSACD2280 )

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the CD layer of SACD MOFI shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

The spectrogram of the stereo cd layer shows that the signal goes down 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

This CD layer version of the MOFI SACD brings more finesse, dynamics and precision than the original version. On extract 2, you can clearly hear the more natural and precise rendering of the voice. This is the best CD edition.

Rating:

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

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Sample : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 3: SACD MOFI – 2024

Presentation

This is the the SACD HYBRID MOFI Numbered-Edition released this year (ref: UDSACD2280). Mastered from 1/2″ / 30 IPS / Dolby SR analog master to DSD 256 to DSD64.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the SACD MOFI shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

The spectrogram below represents the SACD. The yellow arrow shows that the signal rises well above 20 kHz. We also find the characteristic noise of DSD64 beyond 30 kHz (white arrow).

Synthesis and listening

This SACD MOFI edition is characterized by a high degree of finesse in its restitution, with clearer, more precise vocals. We also find more dynamics and clarity in the restitution. This is by far the best digital version available for this album.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Sample : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 24 bits 88.2 kHz:

Ed 4: Vinyl Record 30th – 2024

Presentation

This the book with 2 vinyl record released for the 30th anniversary of the album (Ref: 196588921513). It contains th original album and a live on the second vinyl record.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform of the vinyl record 30th shows global Dynamic Range DR10, buts with DR9 for some songs. The cutting level is also lower (4dB) than that of the MOFI edition. This conforms to the use of a dynamically compressed master.

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

With the use of a dynamically compressed master, and an engraving level 4 dB lower than that of MOFI vinyl records, this record is the bad example found on many of today’s vinyl record productions.
In terms of quality, this edition is of no interest whatsoever, except for the book and the second disc (live, untested). But all in all, this edition offers poor value for money.

Rating:

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

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Sample : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 5: Vinyl Record MOFI UltraDisc One-Step – 2024

Presentation

Vinyl Record MOFI producted in UltraDisc One-Step with one LP 33.33 RPM (Ref:MFSL33UD1S1-060). Mastered from 1/2″ / 30 IPS / Dolby SR analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe. Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the Vinyl UltraDisc One-Step MOFI shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

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.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl Record MOFI UltraDisc One-Step – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the SACD MOFI – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly between 600 Hz and 13 kHz. Above 13 kHz (yellow zone) and below 600 Hz (green zone) the level is higher for the One-Step vinyl version, with a maximum difference of 5 dB.

The graph below compares the noise spectrum of the Vinyl Record MOFI 45rpm – 2024 (white curve) with the noise spectrum of the Vinyl Record MOFI UltraDisc One-Step – 2024 (blue curve). The two spectra are very similar, with up to 4dB more background noise below 100 Hz for the MOFI 45 rpm vinyl record than for the MOFI UltraDisc One-Step vinyl record, which offers the quieter version.

Synthesis and listening

The beautiful MOFI UltraDisc One-Step pressing is the quietest of all the vinyl discs tested (vs. the 30TH and MOFI 45 rpm). This version overcomes the disappointment of the 30ths to offer a more detailed, precise and dynamic version.
Compared with the SACD edition, the bass is a little more present and the extreme highs detailed, offering a more vinyl-like rendering than the more natural SACD version.

Rating:

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

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Sample : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 6: Vinyl Record MOFI 45rpm – 2024

Presentation

This is the vinyl record MOFO with 2LP 45 RPM (Ref:MFSL2-563). Mastered from 1/2″ / 30 IPS / Dolby SR analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe. Limited to 4,000 Numbered Copies.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the Vinyl MOFI 45RPM shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

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.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl Record MOFI 45rpm – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Vinyl Record MOFI UltraDisc One-Step – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap almost perfectly, with just a slight difference (max 1 dB) at the top of the spectrum (yellow zone). M

The graph below compares the noise spectrum of the vinyl record 30th – 2024 (white curve) with the noise spectrum of the Vinyl Record MOFI 45rpm – 2024 (blue curve).The background noise of the 30th vinyl record was increased by 4 dB to match the MOFI records at the same listening level, in order to truly represent the noise level perceived during listening. It can be seen that the 30th vinyl record is noisier, with up to 6 dB difference below 2 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

For this vinyl edition, MOFI offers a double LP version in 45rpm. This is a quality pressing with a slightly lower noise floor than the UltraDisc One-Step vinyl version, but it retains all the quality of the MOFI master, with a precise, dynamic and even slightly clearer rendering than the UltraDisc One-Step version. In terms of value for money, this is the best vinyl version available for this 30th anniversary edition.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Sample : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 24 bits 96 kHz:

Ed 7: Tidal 30th – 2024

Presentation

The Tidal stereo version is présented in 24 bits 44.1 kHz.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR9

The waveform of the CD-1994 shows a low global Dynamic Range DR9, buts with DR8 for some songs.

The spectrogram of the Tidal 30th shows that the signal goes down 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 Tidal 30th version is close to the original, with greater dynamic compression, but is still far inferior to the MOFI SACD reissue.

Rating:

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

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 24 bits 44.1 kHz:

Sample : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 24 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 8: 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: DR13

The waveform of the Dolby Atmos shows a good dynamic range confirmed with 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

From the very first notes, the tone is set, with the use of side speakers for the music, and Mariah Carrey’s voice coming from the front. The instruments and backing vocals are then distributed in 360-degree space, with a highly successful rendering.
The mix is perfectly suited to the music, adding a spatial dimension that reinforces the festive spirit of the music.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●●●o (9)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Sample : “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 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 : “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” 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.

For the 30th anniversary of this album, MOFI is hitting hard with 3 versions which are the best editions of this album released in 1994.
The SACD version is the reference in all media.
Next, the double-disc 45 rpm vinyl edition is the version to buy for the best vinyl rendering at the best price, especially when compared to the other vinyl editions released for this anniversary.
Finally, the MOFI UltraDisc One-Step version is the quietest vinyl version, with a slightly different sound than the 45 rpm version.
The Dolby Atmos version is a pleasant surprise, with a dynamic, highly spatial mix that gives the album even greater scope.

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 – 1994	CD Layer SACD MOFI – 2024	SACD MOFI – 2024	Vinyl Record 30th – 2024	Vinyl Record MOFI UltraDisc One-Step – 2024	Vinyl Record MOFI 45rpm – 2024	Tidal 30th – 2024	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024
Global	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR9	DR13
Min	DR8	DR11	DR11	DR9	DR11	DR11	DR8	DR12
Max	DR12	DR13	DR13	DR12	DR13	DR13	DR11	DR15
Silent Night	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR11	DR12	DR12	DR9	DR12
All I Want for Christmas Is You	DR9	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR11	DR11	DR8	DR14
O Holy Night	DR8	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR11	DR11	DR9	DR13
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR11	DR12	DR12	DR10	DR13
Miss You Most (at Christmas Time)	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR11	DR12	DR10	DR14
Joy to the World	DR10	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR12	DR12	DR9	DR13
Jesus Born on This Day	DR10	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR8	DR12
Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town	DR8	DR12	DR12	DR9	DR12	DR12	DR8	DR13
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Gloria (in excelsis Deo)	DR9	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR11	DR11	DR9	DR12
Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child	DR10	DR13	DR13	DR10	DR13	DR13	DR8	DR15
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen	DR12	DR12	DR12	DR12	DR13	DR12	DR11

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 – 1994 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD Layer SACD MOFI – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra show small differences, with a slightly higher level in the bass (green zone) and treble (yellow zone), and also a slightly deeper midrange (white zone), giving the MOFI version a more physiological rendering.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the SACD MOFI – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD Layer SACD MOFI – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly up to 20 kHz , with a maximum frequency of 22 kHz for the CD layer due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl Record 30th – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Vinyl Record MOFI UltraDisc One-Step – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra are differentiated, with a slight increase in the bass (green zone) and treble (yellow zone) for the MOFI vinyl record. You’ll also notice that the midrange is very slightly attenuated on the MOFI record (white zone), giving it a more physiological feel.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Tidal 30th – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 1994 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly, indicating the same initial source for the master.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024.
All channels are used (with the exception of the bass channel for this extract) with a similar level, highlighting the recording in the middle of the orchestra, as confirmed by the spatialization.The yellow arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 20 kHz due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding. The white arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 24 kHz due to encoding at the 48 kHz sampling frequency used.

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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