A clear CD immediately caught my attention when it was announced—especially due to reports of playback issues. I decided to purchase it and run a few tests, which I present below.
Lorde, the New Zealand artist who rose to fame with Pure Heroine, returns with Virgin, a bold and introspective fourth album. She explores deeply personal themes through experimental pop, marked by minimalist electronic textures. The album stands out thanks to its raw production and disarming sincerity.
The CD edition of Virgin is just as striking visually as it is sonically. It features an almost entirely clear disc made from recycled plastics—an aesthetic and innovative choice that echoes the current trend of colored or translucent vinyl. While this design is sure to appeal to collectors, several users have reported playback issues on certain CD players. The transparency of the disc can sometimes interfere with disc recognition or lead to reading errors.
To better understand the cause of these issues, let’s first take a look at the structure and operation of a CD.
CD Structure: a CD (Compact Disc) is an optical disc made of plastic (polycarbonate), about 12 cm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick. It consists of several layers
- Polycarbonate layer: the main transparent support layer, in which data is encoded as microscopic reliefs (pits and lands).
- Reflective layer: usually made of aluminum, it reflects the laser beam during playback.
- Protective coating: a thin layer of lacquer or varnish that shields the reflective surface from scratches.
- Label (optional): printed on the top side of the disc.
The data is encoded in the polycarbonate layer as pits (tiny indentations) and lands (flat areas). These do not directly represent binary 0s and 1s, but rather:
- A transition between a pit and a land (or vice versa) is read as a binary “1”.
- A constant area (no transition) is read as a binary “0”.
The Role of the Reflective Layer
The quality of playback largely depends on the reflective layer:
- This layer, often aluminum (or sometimes gold in high-end editions), sits just above the pits and reflects the laser beam back to a sensor.
- When the laser encounters a change in relief, the intensity of the reflected light fluctuates, enabling signal detection.
How Playback Works
- A CD player uses an infrared laser (wavelength ~780 nm) directed at the underside of the disc.
- The disc spins at a variable speed (CLV: Constant Linear Velocity) to maintain a constant data rate.
- The laser follows a single continuous spiral track, from the center to the outer edge.
A photodetector picks up the reflected light:
- When the laser transitions between a pit and a land, destructive interference occurs (phase shift) → low signal.
- On a flat, consistent area (pit or land), constructive interference occurs → strong signal.
- These changes in light intensity are converted into an electrical signal, which is then decoded into digital data.
Specific Considerations for Lorde’s Transparent CD
Several factors are at play here:
- The use of recycled plastic for the main disc layer should not affect data encoding quality, provided the material is high-grade. The real question lies in its long-term stability.
- To achieve the transparent effect, there is no printed label—only a clear protective layer.
- The reflective layer is the key issue. If the metallic coating (typically aluminum) is made too thin, it becomes semi-transparent. While it retains some reflective properties, they are reduced, which can cause playback issues, especially on older or more sensitive CD players.
Reading test results:
On recent devices (less than 10 years old) (PC, Blu-ray/SACD/CD players, car CD players), I’ve encountered no reading problems whatsoever.
This transparent CD is therefore an original and visually appealing concept, despite the limitations that some people have pointed out on older equipment.
We will now take a closer look at the album’s content and compare it to the streaming version and the Dolby Atmos mix.
For this review, you will find 3 versions tested:
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 11 tracks:
- Hammer
- What Was That
- Shapeshifter
- Man of the Year
- Favourite Daughter
- Current Affairs
- Clearblue
- GRWM
- Broken Glass
- If She Could See Me Now
- David
Summary, scoring and Samples
Ed 1: CD (CLEAR DISC) – 2025
Presentation
This is an almost entirely transparent disc made from recycled plastics in a standard jewel case and a 20-page booklet with lyrics, photos and credits.
| Label | Universal Music New Zealand |
| Reference | 602478121333 |
| State | CD clear Disk, PCM 16 bits 44,1 kHz |
| Type | CD clear Disk, PCM 16 bits 44,1 kHz |
| Master | Digital |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered By Chris Gehringer |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Made in Germany |
| Year original | 2025 |
| Year production | 2025 |
Waveform and Spectrum: DR4
The waveform of the CD (CLEAR DISC) – 2025 version shows a very low dynamic range confirmed with DR4. Totally in the loudness war!
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD (CLEAR DISC) – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Max – 2025 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly, confirming the use of the same audio master for both recordings. The maximum frequency observed is 22 kHz(yellow arrow), which corresponds to half of the sampling rate used, 44.1 kHz, in accordance with the Nyquist theorem.
Synthesis and listening
The sound is powerful even downright overwhelming with dynamics often limited to DR3 or DR4, giving the whole album a sense of constant saturation. One might reasonably wonder whether this is part of a loudness arms race, competing for the title of the loudest album, whether on CD or streaming platforms.
On the physical side, the main appeal of this CD edition lies in the production of an almost perfectly transparent disc made from recycled plastics a visually striking object, the result of a smart marketing decision that aligns with the current trend for colored or translucent vinyl, which remains popular among collectors.
Fortunately, the Dolby Atmos version helps to counterbalance this hyper-compressed approach by offering a much more open listening experience. With expanded dynamics and immersive spatialization, it brings a sense of breathing room back to the music.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●oooo (1)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Restitution: ●●ooo (2)
Sample : Man Of The Year 24 bits 96 kHz:
Ed 2: Tidal Max – 2025
Presentation
This is the Tidal Max version presented in 24 bits 44.1 kHz (link).
| Label | Universal Music New Zealand |
| Reference | Tidal MAX 24/44.1 |
| State | MAX Streaming 24/44.1 |
| Type | HD Streaming |
| Master | Digital 24 bits 44.1 kHz |
| Mastering/Pressing | Mastered By Chris Gehringer |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Universal Music New Zealand |
| Year original | 2025 |
| Year production | 2025 |
Waveform and Spectrum: DR4
The waveform of the Tidal Max – 2025 version shows a very low dynamic range confirmed with DR4. Totally in the loudness war!
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 44,1 kHz sampling frequency used for this Tidal Max version.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD (CLEAR DISC) – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Max – 2025 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly, confirming the use of the same audio master for both recordings. The maximum frequency observed is 22 kHz (yellow arrow), which corresponds to half of the sampling rate used, 44.1 kHz, in accordance with the Nyquist theorem.
Synthesis and listening
Unsurprisingly, the version availabled on Tidal, although encoded in 24 bits, exhibits sound characteristics similar to those of the CD edition.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●oooo (1)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Restitution: ●●ooo (2)
Sample : Man Of The Year 16 bits 44.1 kHz:
Ed 3: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025
Presentation
This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Digital Plus or AC-4 (link).
| Label | Universal Music New Zealand |
| Reference | Tidal Dolby Atmos |
| State | Atmos ADM |
| Type | Streaming Dolby Atmos |
| Master | Master ADM |
| Mastering/Pressing | Dolby Atmos ADM |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Universal Music New Zealand |
| Year original | 2025 |
| Year production | 2025 |
Spatialization:
The spatialization of Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 version varies from track to track, with values between 6.1 and 9.1.
Spatialization : ●●●●●●●●oo (8.1)
Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.
Below the spatialization for all tracks in 9.1.6. Click on the images to zoom in.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR12
The waveform of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.
The spectrogram of the Tidal Dolby Atmos track downmixed in 2,0 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 graph below represents the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025.
The spectrum of Tidal s Dolby Atmos version decoded in 7.1 shows that all channels are used. The LFE channel is used with a cutoff frequency of 120 Hz (green arrow). The white arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 20 kHz due to Dolby Digital Plus encoding. The yellow arrow indicates the high-frequency limit at 24 kHz due to encoding at the 48 kHz sampling frequency used.
Synthesis and listening
The Dolby Atmos version breathes new life into this album, restoring all of its original dynamic range while delivering an impressively clear and precise listening experience. The electronic textures and deep basses that define the album are not only preserved but enhanced by the immersive mix. Spatialization is handled with great finesse: instruments and vocals are carefully placed within the three-dimensional soundstage, creating an enveloping and nuanced auditory landscape. There are also striking sound movements, particularly on tracks like Hammer, What Was That, and Current Affair, where elements seem to move fluidly around the listener. This is clearly not just a basic upmix, but a true Dolby Atmos remix meticulously crafted with both precision and creativity. A top-tier production that redefines the way this album is experienced.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Spatialization: ●●●●●●●●oo (8.1)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (4)
Sample : Man Of The Year Downmixed 7.1 16 bits 48 kHz:
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 : Man Of The Year Downmixed 2.0 24 bits 48 kHz:
The clear CD, made from recycled plastics, is undeniably a marketing success likely to appeal to collectors. However, its compatibility issues with certain players raise questions about the level of quality one should expect from such a physical medium. The primary purpose of a physical format should be to ensure optimal playback, minimizing the risk of read errors that could degrade the digital signal and, by extension, the music itself. In this regard, one is more inclined to think of high-spec editions like UHQ CDs rather than this aesthetically driven transparent disc.
On the audio front, the impact of the “loudness war” is hard to ignore: the stereo version suffers from heavily compressed dynamics. Only the Dolby Atmos version offers a presentation that respects the music’s original dynamic range, with an immersive and well-balanced spatial experience.
Thankfully, the Dolby Atmos Music format enforces an integrated loudness level of -18 LUFS, which helps preserve audio fidelity.
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 3 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :
| CD (CLEAR DISC) – 2025 | Tidal Max – 2025 | Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 | |
| Global | DR4 | DR4 | DR12 |
| Min | DR3 | DR3 | DR10 |
| Max | DR7 | DR7 | DR13 |
| Hammer | DR3 | DR3 | DR11 |
| What Was That | DR3 | DR3 | DR12 |
| Shapeshifter | DR3 | DR3 | DR12 |
| Man of the Year | DR3 | DR3 | DR12 |
| Favourite Daughter | DR3 | DR3 | DR12 |
| Current Affairs | DR4 | DR4 | DR10 |
| Clearblue | DR7 | DR7 | DR12 |
| GRWM | DR3 | DR3 | DR11 |
| Broken Glass | DR4 | DR4 | DR13 |
| If She Could See Me Now | DR4 | DR4 | DR13 |
| David | DR5 | DR5 | DR13 |
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.
Detail of the ratings :
- Dynamic :
- Significant dynamic compression, DR less than 7
- Compression of the present dynamics, DR between 7 and 9.
- Correct piece DR >=10
- No dynamic compression (DR >12), dynamic rendering
- No dynamic compression, high DR and very dynamic sound rendering
- Spectrum :
- Spectrum cut and less than 15 khz
- Spectrum cut at 15 khz
- Spectrum not conforming to the original and cut (not HD) or original but limited bandwidth (but less than 20 kHz)
- Spectrum conforming to the original (but not HD)
- Spectrum conforming to the original with HD resolution (higher than 24kHz)
- Surface noise (only for vinyl):
- Continuous audible noise
- Audible surface noise except on passages with a high level of noise
- Reduced surface noise, barely audible on low level crossings
- Low surface noise, very good quality
- 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 :
- Low quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
- Average quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
- Quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Good record.
- High quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Very high level disc.
- Maximum quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Exceptional disc.