Boys and Girls is Bryan Ferry’s sixth solo album, released in 1985 after the breakup of Roxy Music. It achieved great commercial success, reaching number one in the UK and earning multiple certifications.
The album stands out for its refined sophisti-pop style, with elegant arrangements and polished production. Key singles include Slave to Love, Don t Stop the Dance, and Windswept, featuring contributions from renowned musicians such as David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler. It was praised by critics for its musical coherence and sound quality.
For its 40th anniversary, a special Blu-ray edition (Special Deluxe Edition) was released, featuring a Dolby Atmos mix for maximum immersion.

For this review, you will find 9 versions tested:

• Ed 1: Bluray – 2025
• Ed 2: Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025
• Ed 3: Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025
• Ed 4: CD – 1985
• Ed 5: SACD – 2005
• Ed 6: SACD 5.1 – 2005
• Ed 7: Tidal – 2025
• Ed 8: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025
• Ed 9: Vinyl record – 1985

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 are available here.

The album is composed of 10 tracks:

1. Sensation
2. Slave To Love
3. Don’t Stop The Dance
4. A Waste Land
5. Windswept
6. The Chosen One
7. Valentine
8. Stone Woman
9. Boys And Girls
10. Don’t You Want Me

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: Bluray – 2025

Presentation

This is the stereo original track from the Blu-ray, presented in 24 bits 96 kHz. It is a Blu-ray Audio exclusive (SDE) that includes the following audio tracks: Boys and Girls 2025 Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24) Boys and Girls 2005 DTS-HD dedicated 5.1 Mix (96/24) Boys and Girls 1985 Original Stereo Mix (48/24)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR9

The waveform of the Bluray – 2025 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR9.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 24 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Bluray – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 1985 (blue curve).The spectral curves are generally similar. However, the Blu-ray version s curve shows processing intended to adapt the original version, with a slight boost in low frequencies below 200 Hz (green zone): about +3 dB around 60 Hz and up to +10 dB at 30 Hz. Above 3 kHz (yellow zone), a reduction of approximately 2 dB can be observed on the Blu-ray version.

Synthesis and listening

It is truly unfortunate that this stereo edition is based on a remastered version featuring noticeable dynamic compression, in contrast to the clarity and vitality of the original CD. Moreover, this stereo edition was not created from a high-resolution master, as the SACD was. It is unfortunate, as the mastering provides a more modern tonal balance to the album.

Rating:

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

Sample : Slave To Love 24 bits 48 kHz:

Ed 2: Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025

Presentation

This is the Dolby Atmos track from the Blu-ray, presented in Dolby Digital Plus. It is a Blu-ray Audio exclusive (SDE) that includes the following audio tracks: Boys and Girls 2025 Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24) Boys and Girls 2005 DTS-HD dedicated 5.1 Mix (96/24) Boys and Girls 1985 Original Stereo Mix (48/24)

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025 shows a high range confirmed with DR14.

The spectrogram of the Atmos in 7.1.4 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 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 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 filtered down to 120 Hz (as indicated by the green arrow).

Synthesis and listening

From the very first seconds of Sensation, the Dolby Atmos mix delivers an immersive experience, with instruments spatially distributed to fully envelop the listener in the album. This three-dimensional mixing quality is maintained throughout all the tracks. The Dolby Atmos edition preserves the full richness of the original recording, with a remarkably clean, detailed, and precise sound. It is a true success that allows the album to be rediscovered in a whole new light.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (7.2)
• Restitution: ●●●●● (5)

Sample : Slave To Love 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 3: Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025

Presentation

This is the 5.1 track from the Blu-ray, presented in DTS HD Master Audio. It is a Blu-ray Audio exclusive (SDE) that includes the following audio tracks: Boys and Girls 2025 Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24) Boys and Girls 2005 DTS-HD dedicated 5.1 Mix (96/24) Boys and Girls 1985 Original Stereo Mix (48/24)

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The waveform of the Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR11.

The 5.1 is based on a sampling frequency of 96 kHz, limiting the bandwidth to 48 kHz (yellow arrow ). The LFE channel is filtered down to 120 Hz (as indicated by the green arrow).

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025.
The 5.1 is based on a sampling frequency of 96 kHz, limiting the bandwidth to 48 kHz (yellow arrow). The LFE channel is filtered down to 120 Hz (as indicated by the green arrow).

Synthesis and listening

This Blu-ray 5.1 version is very similar to the SACD 5.1 version. Both are derived from a high-resolution master, yet there is noticeable dynamic compression on the front channels. It is unfortunate that this master was used for this 5.1 edition. Listening to the Dolby Atmos version downmixed to 5.1 is recommended for a better experience.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Spatialization: ●●●●o (3.7)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : Slave To Love 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 4: CD – 1985

Presentation

This is the original CD released in 1985 presented in 16 bits 44,1 kHz (ref : 07777647720). The CD indicates that it is an AAD edition, meaning that the recording and mixing were carried out in the analog domain.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the CD – 1985 shows a high range confirmed with DR14.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz ) with no signal above this frequency due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD – 1985 (white curve) with the spectrum of the SACD – 2005 (blue curve).The two curves are very similar up to 22 kHz (yellow arrow), which corresponds to the maximum frequency of the CD format. However, a slightly higher level can be observed for the SACD below 100 Hz (green zone), with a boost of approximately 2 to 4 dB between 40 Hz and 100 Hz. Between 3 and 10 kHz (yellow zone), the SACD version shows a slight attenuation of about 1 to 2 dB. The white arrow indicates the rise in noise on the SACD, caused by the use of DSD64, which generates an increase in noise above 30 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

To experience the original dynamics and sonic balance, the 1985 CD edition is the one to listen to. It is necessary to acquire this CD, as streaming services and even the Blu-ray stereo version present a version of the album with restricted dynamic range.

Rating:

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

Sample : Slave To Love 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 5: SACD – 2005

Presentation

This is the stereo track of the remastered SACD in DSD64 released in 2005 (ref: 724386688323)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR8

The waveform of the SACD – 2005 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR8.

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).

The graph below compares the spectrum of the SACD – 2005 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Bluray – 2025 (blue curve).The two curves are similar, with a limitation at 22 kHz (yellow arrow) for the Blu-ray compared to the SACD. It is unfortunate that this Blu-ray edition does not include a 24-bit / 96 kHz stereo version. We also find the characteristic noise of DSD64 beyond 30 kHz (white arrow).

Synthesis and listening

This SACD version is particularly disappointing, as it exhibits the most pronounced dynamic compression of all the stereo versions we tested. This is unfortunate, especially for a format designed to deliver high-resolution audio capable of capturing the full richness and nuance of the original mix. It is unfortunate, as the mastering provides a more modern tonal balance to the album.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : Slave To Love 24 bits 176.4 kHz:

Ed 6: SACD 5.1 – 2005

Presentation

This is the 5.1 track of the remastered SACD in DSD64 released in 2005 (ref: 724386688323)

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The waveform of the SACD 5.1 – 2005 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR11.

The spectrogram below represents the SACD in 5.1. 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).

The graph below represents the spectrum of the SACD 5.1 – 2005.
The spectrogram below represents the SACD in 5.1. 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 5.1 version is very similar to the blu-ray 5.1 version. Both are derived from a high-resolution master, yet there is noticeable dynamic compression on the front channels. It is unfortunate that this master was used for this 5.1 edition. Listening to the Dolby Atmos version downmixed to 5.1 is recommended for a better experience.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Spatialization: ●●●●o (3.7)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Sample : Slave To Love 5.1 24 bits 176.4 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 7: Tidal – 2025

Presentation

This is the Tidal version presentetd in 16 bits 44.1 kHz (link) remastered in 1999.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR9

The waveform of the Tidal – 2025 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR9.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Tidal – 2025 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Bluray – 2025 (blue curve).The two curves overlap perfectly, with a limit at 22 kHz.

Synthesis and listening

The sound of this Tidal version is comparable to that of the Blu-ray stereo version.

Rating:

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

Sample : Slave To Love 16 bits 44.1 kHz:

Ed 8: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025

Presentation

This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Digital Plus (768 kbits/s) or AC-4 (link).

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR15

The waveform of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025 shows a very high range confirmed with DR15.

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 represents the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025.
The spectrum of 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

No surprises here: the spatialization and dynamic characteristics are similar to those of the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos version, but it lacks the subtlety and precision of the Blu-ray version encoded in Dolby TrueHD, a lossless format.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●● (5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization: ●●●●●●●ooo (7)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Sample : Slave To Love 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: Vinyl record – 1985

Presentation

This is the original vinyl record released in 1985 (ref : 42282565914 – FRA)

Waveform and Spectrum: DR14

The waveform of the Vinyl record – 1985 shows a high range confirmed with DR14.

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 – 1985 (white curve) with the spectrum of the CD – 1985 (blue curve).The curves of the two spectra overlap almost perfectly up to 4 kHz. Beyond this frequency (yellow area), an attenuation can be observed on the vinyl record, which increases progressively to exceed 6 dB at 20 kHz. The yellow arrow at 22 kHz highlights a frequency roll-off similar to that observed on the CD, which could indicate that the vinyl record was produced from a digital master.

Synthesis and listening

The 1985 vinyl record offers a less bright tonal balance in the upper part of the spectrum, which results in a greater sense of presence in the lower frequencies compared to the 1985 CD. However, this comes at the expense of the detail and precision provided by the original CD edition, which has an emphasis on high frequencies above 4 kHz.

Rating:

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

Sample : Slave To Love 24 bits 192 kHz:

If you are looking for a dynamic stereo version that remains completely faithful to the original album, the obvious choice is the 1985 CD (or the 1985 vinyl record if you prefer that format).
The remastered SACD, Blu-ray, and streaming stereo editions, while benefiting from mastering that provides a more contemporary tonal balance, unfortunately suffer from noticeable dynamic compression, which reduces the impact and liveliness of the original recording.
The real highlight, however, is the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos mix: it preserves all the qualities of the original version while delivering a modern, immersive, and enveloping experience. Each instrument is precisely positioned in space, the soundstage is perfectly constructed, and the mix benefits from the subtlety and clarity of Dolby TrueHD encoding, making this edition a reference for immersive Dolby Atmos mixing.

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

	Bluray – 2025	Bluray Dolby Atmos – 2025	Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2025	CD – 1985	SACD – 2005	SACD 5.1 – 2005	Tidal – 2025	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2025	Vinyl record – 1985
Global	DR9	DR14	DR11	DR14	DR8	DR11	DR9	DR15	DR14
Min	DR8	DR11	DR10	DR11	DR8	DR10	DR8	DR11	DR13
Max	DR11	DR16	DR12	DR15	DR10	DR12	DR11	DR16	DR14
Sensation	DR09	DR15	DR10	DR15	DR09	DR10	DR09	DR16	DR14
Slave To Love	DR08	DR14	DR10	DR15	DR08	DR10	DR08	DR14	DR14
Don’t Stop The Dance	DR09	DR15	DR10	DR15	DR08	DR10	DR09	DR15	DR14
A Waste Land	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR11	DR10	DR12	DR11	DR11	DR13
Windswept	DR08	DR14	DR12	DR14	DR08	DR12	DR08	DR14	DR14
The Chosen One	DR08	DR15	DR11	DR15	DR08	DR11	DR08	DR16	DR14
Valentine	DR09	DR13	DR11	DR14	DR08	DR11	DR09	DR13	DR13
Stone Woman	DR09	DR16	DR12	DR14	DR08	DR12	DR09	DR16	DR14
Boys And Girls	DR09	DR16	DR12	DR14	DR09	DR12	DR09	DR16	DR14
Don’t You Want Me	DR13	DR13	DR10	DR10	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.

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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