The Luck and Strange Concerts is David Gilmour’s live album, released on October 17, 2025, and recorded during his tour of the same name. It features 23 tracks captured at various performances, blending songs from Luck and Strange with Pink Floyd classics such as Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb. The album is available in 2-CD, 4-vinyl box set, and Blu-ray (video and audio) editions.
Will the Blu-ray once again be the best edition?
For this review, you will find 5 versions tested:
- Ed 1: Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025
- Ed 2: Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025
- Ed 3: Bluray stereo – 2025
- Ed 4: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025
- Ed 5: Tidal MAX – 2025
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 23 tracks:
- 5 A.M. (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Black Cat (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Luck and Strange (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Breathe (In the Air) (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Time (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Fat Old Sun (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Marooned (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- A Single Spark (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Wish You Were Here (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Vita Brevis (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Between Two Points (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- High Hopes (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Sorrow (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- The Piper’s Call (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- A Great Day for Freedom (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- In Any Tongue (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- The Great Gig in the Sky (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- A Boat Lies Waiting (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Coming Back to Life (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Dark and Velvet Nights (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Sings (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Scattered (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
- Comfortably Numb (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts)
Summary, scoring and Samples
Ed 1: Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025
Presentation
This is the Dolby Atmos track from the Blu-ray audio. The Blu-ray edition includes two discs: one containing the concert video, and the other an audio Blu-ray featuring the stereo 96/24, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos mixes, along with several bonus materials (ref:).
Spatialization:
The spatialization of Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025 version varies from track to track, with values between 5.2 and 7.9.
Spatialization : ●●●●●●oooo (6.4)
Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR12
The waveform of the Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.
The spectrogram of the Atmos in 7.1.4 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 – 2025.
The Dolby Atmos TrueHD downmixed to 7.1 is based on a sampling frequency of 48 kHz, limiting the bandwidth to 24 kHz (as indicated by the yellow arrow). The LFE channel is filtered down to 120 Hz (as indicated by the green arrow).The spectrum confirms the dominance of the front channels.
Synthesis and listening
The Dolby Atmos version instantly immerses the listener in the heart of the concert hall, faithfully recreating the surrounding audience atmosphere. The sound is more dynamic than in the stereo versions, injecting greater energy into the performance, particularly at higher volumes. The vocals and music remain primarily front-focused, while, in addition to the audience ambiance, certain tracks, such as High Hopes, feature occasional spatial effects that further enhance the immersive experience.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Spatialization: ●●●●●●oooo (6.4)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (4)
Sample : High Hopes 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 : High Hopes Dolby Atmos (Downmixed 2.0) :
Ed 2: Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025
Presentation
This is the DTS HDMA 5.1 track from the Blu-ray audio. The Blu-ray edition includes two discs: one containing the concert video, and the other an audio Blu-ray featuring the stereo 96/24, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos mixes, along with several bonus materials (ref:).
Spatialization:
The spatialization of Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025 version varies from track to track, with values between 1.9 and 4.0.
Spatialization : ●●●oo (2.7)
Below the spatialization for all tracks. Click on the images to zoom in.
Waveform and Spectrum: DR12
The waveform of the Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 48 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 96 kHz sampling frequency.The green arrow shows the 120Hz filtering of the bass channel (LFE).
The graph below represents the spectrum of the Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025.
The 5.1 version is encoded with a sampling frequency of 96 kHz, limiting the bandwidth to 48 kHz. As shown by the yellow arrow, the signal extends up to around 30 kHz. The LFE channel is filtered below 120 Hz, as indicated by the green arrow.
Synthesis and listening
This 5.1 version enables listeners with a surround system to fully appreciate the high-resolution 5.1 mix (24-bit/96 kHz). The spatial imaging is well-crafted and balanced, though it falls short of the immersive experience offered by the Dolby Atmos version.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
- Spatialization: ●●●oo (2.7)
- Restitution: ●●●●o (4)
Sample : High Hopes 5.1 24 bits 96 kHz:
The sample is in 5.1 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 3: Bluray stereo – 2025
Presentation
This is the stereo 24/96 track from the Blu-ray audio. The Blu-ray edition includes two discs: one containing the concert video, and the other an audio Blu-ray featuring the stereo 96/24, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos mixes, along with several bonus materials (ref:).
Waveform and Spectrum: DR8
The waveform of the Bluray stereo – 2025 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR8 (between DR6 to DR12)
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 48 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 96 kHz sampling frequency.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2025 (blue curve).A perfect overlap of the two spectral curves can be observed up to 48 kHz ( sampling frequency of 96 kHz).
Synthesis and listening
The Blu-ray stereo version is presented in high resolution, but unfortunately, it underwent mastering that reduced its dynamic range, placing it behind the DTS-HD MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos TrueHD versions in terms of sound quality.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3)
Sample : High Hopes 24 bits 96 kHz:
Ed 4: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025
Presentation
This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Digital Plus or AC-4 (link).
Spatialization:
The spatialization of Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 version varies from track to track, with values between 4.9 and 7.5.
Spatialization : ●●●●●●oooo (6.1)
Below the spatialization for all tracks. 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 in 7.1.4 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 compares the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2025 (blue curve). The spectrum of Tidal’s Dolby Atmos version, decoded in 7.1, shows that all channels are active. The LFE channel operates with a cutoff frequency of 120 Hz (green arrow). The white arrow marks the high-frequency limit at 20 kHz, resulting from Dolby Digital Plus encoding, unlike the Blu-ray edition, which extends up to 24 kHz, corresponding to the 48 kHz sampling rate used.
Synthesis and listening
No real surprises with this Tidal Dolby Atmos version: encoded in lossy Dolby Digital Plus, it doesn’t quite reach the level of the Dolby TrueHD edition, which provides a more detailed rendering and greater spatial precision.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
- Spatialization: ●●●●●●oooo (6.1)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)
Sample : High Hopes 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.
Ed 5: Tidal MAX – 2025
Presentation
This is the Tidal version presented in 24 bits 96 kHz (link).
Waveform and Spectrum: DR8
The waveform of the Tidal MAX – 2025 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR8. (between DR6 to DR12)
The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 48 kHz (yellow arrow) with no signal above this frequency (white arrow) due to the 96 kHz sampling frequency.
The graph below compares the spectrum of the Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2025 (blue curve).A perfect overlap of the two spectral curves can be observed up to 48 kHz.
Synthesis and listening
The audio reproduction closely mirrors that of the Blu-ray’s stereo track, delivering a comparable level of clarity, balance, and tonal sound.
Rating:
- Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
- Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
- Restitution: ●●●oo (3)
Sample : High Hopes 24 bits 96 kHz:
Whether listening with or without visuals, the Dolby Atmos version on the Blu-ray provides the most immersive experience of this concert. The listener is placed at the heart of the audience, enjoying a dynamic and detailed sound that surpasses the stereo version, which, despite its 24-bit/96 kHz format, remains limited in dynamic range. For those with a 5.1 system, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 version in 24-bit/96 kHz also delivers an excellent rendition of the concert.
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 5 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :
| Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025 | Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025 | Bluray stereo – 2025 | Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 | Tidal MAX – 2025 | |
| Global | DR12 | DR12 | DR8 | DR12 | DR8 |
| Min | DR10 | DR9 | DR6 | DR10 | DR6 |
| Max | DR14 | DR14 | DR12 | DR14 | DR12 |
| 5 A.M. (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR11 | DR9 | DR10 | DR11 | DR10 |
| Black Cat (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR11 | DR10 | DR9 | DR10 | DR9 |
| Luck and Strange (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR11 | DR8 | DR12 | DR8 |
| Breathe (In the Air) (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR13 | DR9 | DR13 | DR9 |
| Time (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR12 | DR8 | DR13 | DR8 |
| Fat Old Sun (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR12 | DR8 | DR12 | DR8 |
| Marooned (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR12 | DR7 | DR13 | DR7 |
| A Single Spark (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR11 | DR7 | DR13 | DR7 |
| Wish You Were Here (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR14 | DR14 | DR9 | DR14 | DR9 |
| Vita Brevis (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR10 | DR9 | DR11 | DR11 | DR11 |
| Between Two Points (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR13 | DR9 | DR13 | DR9 |
| High Hopes (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR12 | DR9 | DR13 | DR9 |
| Sorrow (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR11 | DR11 | DR6 | DR11 | DR6 |
| The Piper’s Call (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR12 | DR7 | DR12 | DR7 |
| A Great Day for Freedom (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR11 | DR6 | DR12 | DR6 |
| In Any Tongue (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR12 | DR7 | DR13 | DR7 |
| The Great Gig in the Sky (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR11 | DR11 | DR13 | DR11 |
| A Boat Lies Waiting (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR11 | DR12 | DR13 | DR12 |
| Coming Back to Life (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR12 | DR7 | DR13 | DR7 |
| Dark and Velvet Nights (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR13 | DR12 | DR8 | DR13 | DR8 |
| Sings (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR12 | DR8 | DR13 | DR8 |
| Scattered (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR12 | DR12 | DR7 | DR12 | DR7 |
| Comfortably Numb (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) | DR14 | DR12 | DR7 | DR14 | DR7 |
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.
Update avec le cd ? 🙏🤓
For the CD, since the Blu-ray version is the same as the streaming version, it will be derived from the same master, just in 16-bit / 44.1 kHz. If I can, I will include the CD as well.
Thanks for the review. I’m glad I bought the vinyl. The dynamic compression will be less apparent even if the master is the same than the stereo version.
Thank you. Indeed, even if the vinyl record is made from a master with compressed dynamics, it still delivers its own distinctive vinyl sound.