At High End Munich 2025, Norwegian singer and composer Anette Askvik left her mark on the edition as the official ambassador of the show, unveiling a new immersive edition of her album Liberty. Already acclaimed for its emotional intensity and refined production, the project now takes on a new dimension thanks to a multichannel remix by Gaute Nistov, with immersive mastering by Morten Lindberg (also renowned for his immersive recordings such as the album YULE).
Premiered in an exceptional setting, Liberty (Immersive Edition) perfectly embodies the encounter between artistic expression and cutting-edge technology: released on Blu-ray Pure Audio, stereo CD, and in Dolby Atmos TrueHD, Auro-3D, and Hi-Res PCM, the album places the listener at the very heart of a three-dimensional sound experience.
Through this immersive reinterpretation, Anette Askvik offers not only a rediscovery of her musical universe, but also its expansion into a fully realized 3D sound environment.

For this review, you will find 9 versions tested:

• Ed 1: CD – 2025
• Ed 2: Blu-ray stereo – 2025
• Ed 3: Blu-ray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025
• Ed 4: Blu-ray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2025
• Ed 5: Blu-ray Dolby Atmos – 2025
• Ed 6: Vinyl record – 2025
• Ed 7: Tidal MAX Stereo – 2025
• Ed 8: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025
• Ed 9: Tidal MAX Original release – 2011

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. Liberty
2. The Bird Song
3. April
4. Under the Tallest Tree
5. Blue Lights
6. Time to Move On
7. Bring Her Home
8. Without Permission
9. You Shoot Me
10. Days Like This

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: CD – 2025

Presentation

This is the CD included in the combo CD/Bluray box.The blu-ray includes les tracks : PCM Stereo, DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 AURO3D, Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos (ref : 7041886103150).

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The waveform of the CD – 2025 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR11.

The spectrograms of the CD versions show that the signal rises to a maximum of 22 kHz (yellow arrow) and that there is no signal above this frequency (white arrow), due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency used for audio CDs.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Blu-ray stereo – 2025 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly up to 19 kHz, confirming that the same audio master was used for both recordings. The maximum frequency observed is 22 kHz for the CD and 24 kHz for the Blu-ray, which corresponds to half the sampling rate used, i.e. 44.1 kHz (CD) and 48 kHz (Blu-ray), in accordance with Nyquist’s theorem.

Synthesis and listening

The sound of the CD is comparable to that of the Blu-ray stereo version, with the same tonal balance and soundstage.

Rating:

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

Sample : Liberty 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 2: Blu-ray stereo – 2025

Presentation

This is stereo track (24 bits 48 kHz) of the blu-ray included in the combo CD/Bluray box.The blu-ray includes les tracks : PCM Stereo, DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 AURO3D, Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos (ref : 7041886103150).

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The waveform of the Blu-ray stereo – 2025 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR11.

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 Blu-ray stereo – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Stereo – 2025 (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.

Synthesis and listening

The 2025 stereo version stands out with a more dynamic sound, offering a reworked tonal balance compared to the original. The instruments gain in clarity, while the soundstage feels more open and airy.

Rating:

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

Sample : Liberty 24 bits 48 kHz:

Ed 3: Blu-ray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025

Presentation

This is DTS HDMA 5.1 track (24 bits 48 kHz) of the blu-ray included in the combo CD/Bluray box.The blu-ray includes les tracks : PCM Stereo, DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 AURO3D, Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos (ref : 7041886103150).

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the Blu-ray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

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 green arrow indicates that the low-frequency effects (LFE) channel is rarely used.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Blu-ray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025.
The 5.1 is based on a sampling frequency of 48 kHz, limiting the bandwidth to 24 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

The Blu-ray version in DTS-HD MA 5.1 delivers a spacious and engaging surround sound experience in 5.1. However, it lacks the vertical dimension and enveloping three-dimensionality that the Dolby Atmos track provides, making the latter a more immersive and realistic listening experience.

Rating:

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

Sample : Liberty 5.1 24 bits 48 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 4: Blu-ray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2025

Presentation

This is DTS HDMA 7.1 Auro3D track (24 bits 48 kHz) of the blu-ray included in the combo CD/Bluray box.The blu-ray includes les tracks : PCM Stereo, DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 AURO3D, Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos (ref : 7041886103150). Auro3D is not decoded.

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform of the Blu-ray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2025 shows a high range confirmed with DR13.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 24 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency. The low-frequency effects (LFE) channel is rarely used.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Blu-ray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2025.
The 7.1 is based on a sampling frequency of 48 kHz, limiting the bandwidth to 24 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

The DTS-HD MA 7.1 (without Auro3D decoded) version delivers superior spatial distribution and a more expansive horizontal soundstage than the DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, thanks to the additional side channels. However, it still lacks the vertical resolution and overhead imaging provided by the Dolby Atmos track, which achieves a more enveloping and truly three-dimensional soundfield.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●o (4.1)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : Liberty 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 5: Blu-ray Dolby Atmos – 2025

Presentation

This is Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos track (24 bits 48 kHz) of the blu-ray included in the combo CD/Bluray box.The blu-ray includes les tracks : PCM Stereo, DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 AURO3D, Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos (ref : 7041886103150).

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

Below the video spatialization for track “Liberty” :

https://videopress.com/v/TWQYGwD0?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmagicvinyldigital.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F10%2F01-Liberty-immersive-edition.SP_-1.jpg&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform of the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos – 2025 shows a high range confirmed with DR13.

The spectrogram of the Atmos downmixed in 7.1 version of blu-ray shows that the signal goes down to 24 kHz and that there is no signal above this frequency , due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency used with Dolby Digital TrueHD encoding (lossless). The low-frequency effects (LFE) channel is rarely used.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos – 2025.
The Dolby Atmos remix 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 very low (as indicated by the green arrow).

Synthesis and listening

The 2025 version, called the Immersive Edition, particularly benefits from Dolby Atmos technology. The spatial rendering, perfectly utilized in the album’s mixing, highlights the positioning of instruments and vocals. This allows the listener to be fully immersed in the music, which fills all channels harmoniously, delivering a high-quality Dolby Atmos mix.

Rating:

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

Sample : Liberty 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 : Liberty Dolby Atmos (Downmixed 2.0) :

Ed 6: Vinyl record – 2025

Presentation

This is the High Fidelity Vinyl Edition presented in a double LP 180g 45 rpm (ref : 7041886103051)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The waveform of the Vinyl record – 2025 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR11.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz (yellow arrow) with signal above this frequency (white arrow) containing musical information and distortion due to the vinyl record s operating principle.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl record – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Original – 2011 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap perfectly up to 12 kHz. Above this frequency, the level increases for the vinyl record, with a maximum of 4 dB at 20 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

The sound of the vinyl record is very close to the original version available on Tidal MAX. It delivers the same rendering of vocals and instruments, the same tonal balance, and the same soundstage. The pressing is of excellent quality, with an very low surface noise.

Rating:

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

Sample : Liberty 24 bits 192 kHz:

Ed 7: Tidal MAX Stereo – 2025

Presentation

This is the Tidal MAX Streaming presented in 24bits 48 kHz. (link)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The waveform of the Tidal Stereo – 2025 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR11.

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 Blu-ray stereo – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Stereo – 2025 (blue curve).The maximum frequency observed is 24 kHz, which corresponds to half of the sampling rate used 48 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

Rendering is comparable to that of the stereo Blu-ray version, offering high-quality sound reproduction with good dynamics.

Rating:

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

Sample : Liberty 24 bits 48 kHz:

Ed 8: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025

Presentation

This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos edition presented in Dolby Digital Plus or AC-4 (link). Also available on Apple Music and Amazon Music

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 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 indicates that the low-frequency effects (LFE) channel is rarely used.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025.
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 have a low level (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 delivered in Dolby Digital Plus for streaming provides less refinement and spatial accuracy compared to the Blu-ray edition, which uses the lossless Dolby TrueHD codec. The Blu-ray release offers superior audio clarity, finer detail, and a more precise spatial soundstage, resulting in a richer and more immersive listening experience.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (6.9)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Sample : Liberty 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 9: Tidal MAX Original release – 2011

Presentation

It is the original version from Tidal MAX Streaming presented in 24bits 48 kHz. (link)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform of the Tidal Original – 2011 version shows a correct dynamic range confirmed with DR10.

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 Tidal Stereo – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal Original – 2011 (blue curve).The two spectra remain very similar despite the different origins of the mixes (immersive mix and stereo mix).

Synthesis and listening

The original version features a more natural tonal balance and a more compact rendering, while the 2025 stereo version stands out with greater dynamics and a slightly more airy sound.

Rating:

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

Sample : Liberty 24 bits 48 kHz:

Presented at the Munich 2025 show, this Immersive Edition was one of Anette Askvik s new releases. It was also possible to purchase 45 RPM pressings of her various albums. For this Immersive Edition, the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos version is the preferred choice, thanks to its lossless Dolby TrueHD encoding and the quality of the mixing. As for the 45 RPM vinyl edition, it preserves the original mix with a high-quality pressing and very low surface noise.

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 9 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

	CD – 2025	Blu-ray stereo – 2025	Blu-ray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025	Blu-ray DTS HDMA 7.1 – 2025	Blu-ray Dolby Atmos – 2025	Vinyl record – 2025	Tidal MAX Stereo – 2025	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025	Tidal MAX Original release – 2011
Global	DR11	DR11	DR12	DR13	DR13	DR11	DR11	DR14	DR10
Min	DR10	DR10	DR9	DR10	DR12	DR9	DR10	DR12	DR8
Max	DR12	DR12	DR15	DR15	DR16	DR14	DR12	DR16	DR11
Liberty	DR11	DR11	DR15	DR14	DR15	DR14	DR11	DR15	DR11
The Bird Song	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR12	DR12	DR11	DR11	DR12	DR11
April	DR10	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR13	DR10	DR10	DR13	DR9
Under the Tallest Tree	DR12	DR12	DR14	DR15	DR16	DR12	DR12	DR16	DR10
Blue Lights	DR10	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR13	DR11	DR10	DR14	DR9
Time to Move On	DR11	DR11	DR13	DR12	DR13	DR11	DR11	DR13	DR10
Bring Her Home	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR11	DR12	DR9	DR11	DR13	DR8
Without Permission	DR12	DR12	DR13	DR13	DR13	DR12	DR12	DR13	DR11
You Shoot Me	DR10	DR10	DR14	DR15	DR15	DR13	DR10	DR15	DR11
Days Like This	DR12	DR12	DR9	DR10	DR12	DR10	DR12	DR12	DR9

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 :
  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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