Live in Munich is a jazz album recorded live by the Bob Reynolds Group during a concert in Munich. Saxophonist Bob Reynolds presents a repertoire blending contemporary jazz and fusion, with a strong emphasis on interaction between the musicians and improvisation.
Produced by the independent label IAN Records, known for its focus on sound quality and productions in high-quality and spatial audio formats, this album benefits from a meticulous mastering that clearly conveys both the sound quality and the live atmosphere.
The mixing was done in Studio F at MSM Studios (link).
The studio, which is precisely measured by the internationally renowned acoustician Jochen Veith, ensures transparent and homogeneous sound quality for all musical challenges. The 9.1.4 speaker setup consists of PMC IB2S (Left, Center, Right) and DB1S (Surround and Height) speakers as well as three PMC SB100 subwoofers.
It is available in a stereo version, but especially in Dolby Atmos, which offers immersive spatialization, enhancing the sense of being present at the performance.
For those who want a vinyl version, there is a special edition of the single Hush which includes: side A with the 14-minute track in classic stereo, while side B offers the same music in an immersive binaural mix for listening with headphones (not tested).
For this review, you will find 6 versions tested:
- Ed 1: CD – 2024
- Ed 2: Bluray Stereo – 2024
- Ed 3: Bluray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024
- Ed 4: Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024
- Ed 5: Tidal Max – 2024
- Ed 6: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024
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 7 tracks:
- Closer
- Chrysalis
- Crush
- Hush
- Unlucky
- Feedback
- Outro
Summary, scoring and Samples
Ed 1: CD – 2024
Presentation
The CD is included in a box set that also contains the Blu-ray, featuring both the audio and video versions of the concert (ref: LC84945).
| Label | IAN Records |
| Reference | LC84945 |
| State | Box Set, CD and Blu-ray |
| Type | CD |
| Master | Mastered at IAN Records |
| Mastering/Pressing | PCM 16/44.1 |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Germany |
| Year original | 2024 |
| Year production | 2024 |
Waveform and Spectrum: DR12
The waveform of the CD – 2024 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12, despite the limited use of a dynamic limiter, without which even greater dynamics would be available.
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 Bluray Stereo – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly up to 22 kHz, confirming the use of the same audio master for both recordings. The maximum frequency observed is 22 kHz for the CD and 24 kHz for the blu-ay, which corresponds to half of the sampling rate used 44.1 kHz (CD) and 48kHz (blu-ray), in accordance with the Nyquist theorem.
Synthesis and listening
The CD s sound is very close to that of the Blu-ray stereo version, featuring an identical sonic signature and a perfectly maintained balance.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)
Sample : Closer 16 bits 44.1 kHz:
Ed 2: Bluray Stereo – 2024
Presentation
The Blu-ray is included in a box set that also contains the CD. The audio track tested here is the stereo version from the Pure Audio edition. The Blu-ray also features the video version of the concert, and, like the Pure Audio part, includes audio tracks in stereo, DTS-HD MA, Auro-3D, and Dolby TrueHD Atmos (ref: LC84945).
| Label | IAN Records |
| Reference | LC84945 |
| State | Box Set, CD and Blu-ray |
| Type | Bluray |
| Master | Mastered at IAN Records |
| Mastering/Pressing | PCM 24/48 |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Germany |
| Year original | 2024 |
| Year production | 2024 |
Waveform and Spectrum: DR12
The waveform of the Bluray Stereo – 2024 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12, despite the limited use of a dynamic limiter, without which even greater dynamics would be available.
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 24 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the Bluray Stereo – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Max – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly, confirming the use of the same audio master for both recordings. The maximum frequency observed is 24 kHz, which corresponds to half of the sampling rate used, 48 kHz, in accordance with the Nyquist theorem.
Synthesis and listening
The shift from the Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 version to stereo creates a striking contrast. The sensation of being immersed in the heart of the concert hall gives way to a much more frontal listening experience. While the sound quality remains solid, the immersive dimension provided by the Atmos mix on the Blu-ray fades, replaced by a less enveloping presentation.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)
Sample : Closer 16 bits 48 kHz:
Ed 3: Bluray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024
Presentation
The Blu-ray is included in a box set that also contains the CD. The audio track tested here is the DTS HDMA 7.1 (Auro3D is not decoded) version from the Pure Audio edition. The Blu-ray also features the video version of the concert, and, like the Pure Audio part, includes audio tracks in stereo, DTS-HD MA, Auro-3D, and Dolby TrueHD Atmos (ref: LC84945).
| Label | IAN Records |
| Reference | LC84945 |
| State | Box Set, CD and Blu-ray |
| Type | Bluray |
| Master | Mastered at IAN Records |
| Mastering/Pressing | DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 24/48 |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Germany |
| Year original | 2024 |
| Year production | 2024 |
Spatialization:
The spatialization of Bluray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024 version varies from track to track, with values between 3.6 and 4.5.
Spatialization : ●●●●o (4)
Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR14
The waveform of the Bluray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024 shows a high range confirmed with DR14.
The spectrogram shows that the signal up to 24 kHz (yellow arrow) with no music signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency.The green arrow shows the 120Hz filtering of the bass channel (LFE).
The graph below compares the spectrum of the Bluray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Bluray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024 (blue curve).The spectrogram shows that the signal up to 24 kHz with no music signal above this frequency due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency.The green arrow shows the 120Hz filtering of the bass channel (LFE).
Synthesis and listening
The DTS-HD MA 7.1 track was listened to without Auro-3D decoding, and therefore without the height channels. While the soundstage offers impressive horizontal breadth and precise spatialization, it remains confined to a single plane, falling short of fully enveloping the listener. In comparison, the Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 version makes full use of verticality and fills the room s three-dimensional space much more effectively, delivering a truly immersive experience.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Spatialization: ●●●●o (3.7)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (4)
Sample : Closer 7.1 24 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.
Ed 4: Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024
Presentation
The Blu-ray is included in a box set that also contains the CD. The audio track tested here is the Dolby TrueHD ATMOS version from the Pure Audio edition. The Blu-ray also features the video version of the concert, and, like the Pure Audio part, includes audio tracks in stereo, DTS-HD MA, Auro-3D, and Dolby TrueHD Atmos (ref: LC84945).
| Label | IAN Records |
| Reference | LC84945 |
| State | Box Set, CD and Blu-ray |
| Type | Bluray |
| Master | Mastered at IAN Records |
| Mastering/Pressing | Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos 24/48 |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Germany |
| Year original | 2024 |
| Year production | 2024 |
Spatialization:
The spatialization of Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024 version varies from track to track, with values between 4.5 and 6.0.
Spatialization : ●●●●●ooooo (5.3)
Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR14
The waveform of the Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024 shows a high range confirmed with DR14.
The spectrogram of the Atmos downmixed in 7.1 version of blu-ray shows that the signal goes down to 24 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency used with Dolby Digital TrueHD encoding (lossless). The green arrow shows the 120Hz filtering of the bass channel (LFE).
The graph below represents the spectrum of the Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024.
The Dolby Atmos remix downmixed to 7.1 is based on a sampling frequency of 48 kHz used with Dolby Digital TrueHD encoding (lossless), limiting the bandwidth to 24 kHz. The LFE channel is filtered down to 120 Hz (as indicated by the green arrow).
Synthesis and listening
The goal of recreating the concert atmosphere is brilliantly achieved. Listening in 7.1.4 truly transports you into the concert hall, with a heightened sense of immersion thanks to a recording specifically designed for three-dimensional reproduction. There are no flashy effects or dramatic movements here what stands out is the natural spatialization of the venue, skillfully capturing the hall s acoustics. The resulting sonic realism gives the listening experience a tangible quality, as if you were truly there.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Spatialization: ●●●●●ooooo (5.3)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)
Sample : Closer 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 : Closer Dolby Atmos (Downmixed 2.0) :
Ed 5: Tidal Max – 2024
Presentation
This is the Tidal Max version presented in 24 bits 48 kHz (link).
| Label | IAN Records |
| Reference | Tidal MAX 24/48 |
| State | MAX Streaming 24/48 |
| Type | HD Streaming |
| Master | Mastered at IAN Records |
| Mastering/Pressing | Streaming HD |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Germany |
| Year original | 2024 |
| Year production | 2024 |
Waveform and Spectrum: DR12
The waveform of the Tidal Max – 2024 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12, despite the limited use of a dynamic limiter, without which even greater dynamics would be available.
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 24 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the Bluray Stereo – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Max – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly, confirming the use of the same audio master for both recordings. The maximum frequency observed is 24 kHz, which corresponds to half of the sampling rate used, 48 kHz, in accordance with the Nyquist theorem.
Synthesis and listening
The Tidal Max version offers a sound rendering similar to the Blu-ray stereo track, with comparable dynamic range, stereo imaging, and tonal balance.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)
Sample : Closer 24 bits 48 kHz:
Ed 6: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024
Presentation
This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Digital Plus or AC-4 (link).
| Label | IAN Records |
| Reference | Tidal Dolby Atmos |
| State | Dolby Atmos Streaming |
| Type | Dolby Atmos Streaming |
| Master | Mastered at IAN Records |
| Mastering/Pressing | Dolby Atmos |
| Original recording | Digital |
| State | Germany |
| Year original | 2024 |
| Year production | 2024 |
Spatialization:
The spatialization of Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024 version varies from track to track, with values between 4.0 and 5.1.
Spatialization : ●●●●●ooooo (4.7)
Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.
Below the video spatialization for teh first track.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR14
The waveform of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024 shows a high range confirmed with DR14.
The spectrogram of the Tidal Dolby Atmos track downmixed in 7.1 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 green arrow shows the 120Hz filtering of the bass channel (LFE).
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 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 in Dolby Digital Plus streaming format offers less fine rendering and spatial precision than the Dolby Atmos version available on Blu-ray, encoded in lossless Dolby Digital TrueHD. This is due to the difference in encoded data rates, which are limited to 768 kbits/s for Dolby Digital Plus Atmos, whereas data rates can rise to 10,000 kbits/s for Dolby TrueHD Atmos!
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Spatialization: ●●●●●ooooo (4.7)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)
Sample : Closer 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.
Bob Reynolds and IAN Records have fully achieved their goal: to offer us the experience of listening to the music as if we were right inside the concert hall, thanks to the Dolby Atmos version of the Blu-ray, presented in lossless Dolby TrueHD. If you have the chance, I highly recommend listening to this album on a 7.1.4 system to appreciate the full richness and detail of the work done. The stereo version, while very clean and well-produced, cannot reproduce the depth and immersive spatial dimension.
Dynamic Range measurements 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 6 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :
| CD – 2024 | Bluray Stereo – 2024 | Bluray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2024 | Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2024 | Tidal Max – 2024 | Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2024 | |
| Global | DR12 | DR12 | DR14 | DR14 | DR12 | DR14 |
| Min | DR10 | DR10 | DR13 | DR13 | DR10 | DR13 |
| Max | DR17 | DR17 | DR17 | DR16 | DR17 | DR16 |
| Closer | DR10 | DR10 | DR14 | DR14 | DR10 | DR14 |
| Chrysalis | DR11 | DR11 | DR14 | DR13 | DR11 | DR14 |
| Crush | DR13 | DR13 | DR15 | DR14 | DR13 | DR14 |
| Hush | DR11 | DR11 | DR15 | DR14 | DR11 | DR15 |
| Unlucky | DR13 | DR13 | DR13 | DR13 | DR13 | DR13 |
| Feedback | DR10 | DR10 | DR14 | DR14 | DR10 | DR14 |
| Outro | DR17 | DR17 | DR17 | DR16 | DR17 | DR16 |
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.
What a studio. For me this atmos mix is too front heavy. Not the style I like.
Hello,
I understand your point of view. Indeed, for this album, we have a concert hall sound with the musicians in front of you. The sound is consistent with this objective. I am preparing another test of a jazz album recorded in 5.1.4, which provides a totally immersive sound, placing us in the middle of the instruments. I should publish it in September. It should better meet your expectations for Atmos.