Released in may 2026, “In Times of Dragons” is Tori Amos’s eighteenth studio album and one of her most ambitious concept albums to date. Built around an allegorical narrative exploring the struggle between democracy and tyranny, the album blends mythological imagery with deeply personal and political themes. Across seventeen tracks, Amos combines her signature piano-driven songwriting style with rich orchestration and contemporary production, creating a cinematic and emotionally charged listening experience. Standout tracks include Shush, Provincetown, Blue Lotus, and the epic closing track 23 Peaks. With its complex arrangements and grandiose soundscape, “In Times of Dragons” should lend itself well to an immersive listening experience in Dolby Atmos which is exactly what we ll explore in this review.

For this review, you will find 6 versions tested:

• Ed 1: Bluray Dolby ATMOS TrueHD – 2026
• Ed 2: Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2026
• Ed 3: Bluray stereo – 2026
• Ed 4: Tidal MAX – 2026
• Ed 5: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2026
• Ed 6: Vinyl Record – 2026

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 17 tracks:

1. Shush
2. In Times of Dragons
3. Provincetown
4. St. Teresa
5. Gasoline Girls
6. Ode to Minnesota
7. Fanny Faudrey
8. Veins
9. Strawberry Moon
10. Song of Sorrow
11. Flood
12. Pyrite
13. Tempest
14. Angelshark
15. Blue Lotus
16. Stronger Together
17. 23 Peaks

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: Bluray Dolby ATMOS TrueHD – 2026

Presentation

This is the Dolby TrueHD Atmos track from the SDE limited edition Blu-ray Audio release of the album. This Blu-ray edition includes five audio tracks: Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24), Dolby Atmos Instrumental Mix (48/24), 5.1 Surround Mix (48/24), Stereo Mix (48/24), and Stereo Instrumental Mix (48/24).

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform of the Bluray Dolby ATMOS TrueHD – 2026 shows a high range confirmed with DR13.

The spectrogram of the Atmos in 9.1.6 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 bass channel (LFE) is gently filtered with a low-pass slope at 120 Hz.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Bluray Dolby ATMOS TrueHD – 2026.
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).The spectrum confirms the dominance of the front channels, followed by the side channels and the rear surrounds.

Synthesis and listening

The Dolby Atmos mix makes excellent use of spatial audio, particularly during the choruses, where backing vocals and instruments are effectively distributed across the surround channels on tracks such as In Times of Dragons and Provincetown. Some songs, including Ode to Minnesota, feature an even wider, nearly 180-degree soundfield that further enhances the immersive experience. The low end is powerful and well controlled, providing the album with a solid foundation. While the lead vocals remain primarily anchored to the front soundstage, the Dolby Atmos mix adds a new dimension to the listening experience. Overall, this is a highly successful mix. The Blu-ray edition offers the best possible sound quality, with superior dynamic range, greater sonic detail, and more precise spatial imaging.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization SP: ●●●●●ooooo (5.1)
• Spatialization SK: ●●●●●ooooo (5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4.5)

Ed 2: Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2026

Presentation

This is the DTS HDMA 5.1 track from the SDE limited edition Blu-ray Audio release of the album. This Blu-ray edition includes five audio tracks: Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24), Dolby Atmos Instrumental Mix (48/24), 5.1 Surround Mix (48/24), Stereo Mix (48/24), and Stereo Instrumental Mix (48/24).

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 – 2026 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 24 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 48 kHz sampling frequency. The bass channel (LFE) is gently filtered with a low-pass slope at 120 Hz.

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2026.
The 5.1 is based on a sampling frequency of 48 kHz, limiting the bandwidth to 24 kHz (yellow arrow). The LFE channel is filtered down to 120 Hz (as indicated by the green arrow).

Synthesis and listening

The 5.1 mix shares the same strengths as the Dolby Atmos version in terms of dynamic range and level of detail, but delivers a less immersive presentation due to the more limited surround sound field. Nevertheless, it provides an excellent listening experience on a 5.1 system and represents a clear improvement over the available stereo version.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization SP: ●●oooooooo (2.3)
• Spatialization SK: ●●●●●ooooo (5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Ed 3: Bluray stereo – 2026

Presentation

This is the stereo track from the SDE limited edition Blu-ray Audio release of the album. This Blu-ray edition includes five audio tracks: Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24), Dolby Atmos Instrumental Mix (48/24), 5.1 Surround Mix (48/24), Stereo Mix (48/24), and Stereo Instrumental Mix (48/24).

Waveform and Spectrum: DR7

The waveform of the Bluray stereo – 2026 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR7.

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 Vinyl Record – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Bluray stereo – 2026 (blue curve).The spectral curves of the digital version and the vinyl record show excellent overlap, demonstrating the high quality of the vinyl mastering and cutting process. The vinyl clearly uses the same master as the digital release. Above 24 kHz, which is the upper frequency limit of the digital version, the vinyl maintains a higher signal level due to the inherent distortion and surface noise associated with the vinyl playback process.

Synthesis and listening

Well behind the Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes, this stereo version suffers from limited dynamic range, resulting in a noticeable lack of impact, energy, and precision compared with a stereo downmix of the Atmos mix. It is disappointing that this Blu-ray edition does not include a more dynamic stereo master. By today’s standards, this should be the benchmark for high-quality audio releases.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Ed 4: Tidal MAX – 2026

Presentation

This is the Tidal MAX presented in lossless 24 bits 48 kHz format. This is also available on Amazon Music an Apple Music.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR7

The waveform of the Tidal MAX – 2026 version shows a low dynamic range confirmed with DR7.

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

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Bluray stereo – 2026 (blue curve).For these two digital versions, the spectral curves overlap perfectly, confirming that both releases use the same master.

Synthesis and listening

The Tidal Max version delivers a sound quality similar to the Blu-ray stereo track.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●ooo (2)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3)

Ed 5: Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2026

Presentation

This is the Tidal Dolby Atmos presented in Dolby Digital Plus at 768 kbits/s. This is also available on Amazon Music an Apple Music.

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

Waveform and Spectrum: DR13

The waveform of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2026 shows a high range confirmed with DR13.

The spectrogram of the Tidal Dolby Atmos track in 9.1.6 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 bass channel (LFE) is filtered at 120Hz .

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2026.
The spectrum of the Tidal Dolby Atmos track 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 spectrum also shows that the front channels are the most heavily used in this track.

Synthesis and listening

The Dolby Digital Plus Atmos version delivers the same Dolby Atmos mix as the Blu-ray edition, but with lossy data compression that can be perceived during playback. The reduction in audio quality affects the fine details of the music and vocals, as well as the accuracy of the spatial imaging. To fully experience the Dolby Atmos mix, the Blu-ray edition remains the preferred choice.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●●o (4)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Spatialization SP: ●●●●●ooooo (4.9)
• Spatialization SK: ●●●●●ooooo (5)
• Restitution: ●●●●o (4)

Ed 6: Vinyl Record – 2026

Presentation

This is the 2LP vinyl edition, pressed at 33? RPM and presented in a gatefold sleeve. This edition was manufactured in Europe (Ref: XXX).

Waveform and Spectrum: DR11

The waveform of the Vinyl Record – 2026 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR11.

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

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl Record – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Bluray stereo – 2026 (blue curve).The spectral curves of the digital version and the vinyl record show excellent overlap, demonstrating the high quality of the vinyl mastering and cutting process. The vinyl clearly uses the same master as the digital release. Above 24 kHz, which is the upper frequency limit of the digital version, the vinyl maintains a higher signal level due to the inherent distortion and surface noise associated with the vinyl playback process.

Synthesis and listening

The vinyl edition delivers a more open and airy sound than the digital stereo version, although it still falls short of a stereo downmix of the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos mix. As is often the case, it is difficult to determine whether the vinyl was cut from a dedicated master or from the same master used for the digital stereo release. The perceived increase in dynamic range is likely the result of the analog medium’s response to brickwall-limited masters, rather than the use of a less compressed source, as explained in this article: “Does analog media force a dynamic on music? or Does Analog Media increase the dynamics?”.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

For this new Tori Amos album, the Blu-ray edition offers the best available versions, featuring Dolby TrueHD Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks that deliver a highly successful immersive mix. Listening to the Atmos track through a stereo downmix provides the best possible result on a traditional stereo system. Indeed, the Blu-ray stereo track and the streaming versions remain inferior due to dynamic compression, which reduces the precision, impact, and energy of the sound reproduction. Even the vinyl edition, while offering a more open presentation than the digital stereo version, still falls short of the stereo downmix of the Dolby Atmos mix.

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

	Bluray Dolby ATMOS TrueHD – 2026	Bluray DTS HDMA 5.1 – 2026	Bluray stereo – 2026	Tidal MAX – 2026	Tidal Dolby Atmos – 2026	Vinyl Record – 2026
Global	DR13	DR12	DR7	DR7	DR13	DR11
Min	DR8	DR10	DR6	DR6	DR10	DR10
Max	DR15	DR13	DR9	DR9	DR16	DR12
Shush	DR13	DR13	DR07	DR07	DR14	DR11
In Times of Dragons	DR14	DR12	DR09	DR08	DR14	DR12
Provincetown	DR15	DR12	DR07	DR06	DR15	DR12
St. Teresa	DR14	DR12	DR06	DR06	DR14	DR11
Gasoline Girls	DR13	DR12	DR07	DR06	DR13	DR11
Ode to Minnesota	DR08	DR10	DR08	DR07	DR10	DR10
Fanny Faudrey	DR15	DR13	DR08	DR07	DR16	DR12
Veins	DR14	DR12	DR07	DR06	DR14	DR11
Strawberry Moon	DR11	DR12	DR08	DR08	DR12	DR11
Song of Sorrow	DR14	DR12	DR08	DR07	DR14	DR11
Flood	DR10	DR11	DR09	DR09	DR12	DR10
Pyrite	DR14	DR13	DR07	DR06	DR15	DR11
Tempest	DR13	DR12	DR07	DR06	DR13	DR11
Angelshark	DR14	DR12	DR06	DR06	DR14	DR11
Blue Lotus	DR14	DR12	DR07	DR07	DR15	DR11
Stronger Together	DR15	DR13	DR07	DR06	DR14	DR11
23 Peaks	DR10	DR10	DR08	DR08	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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