HighEnd Munich 2024
The Munich HighEnd show opens its doors in two days, from May 9 to 12. This is largest Hi-FI show for top-class music reproduction, with over 550 exhibitors. This year, there will also be an immersive sound presentation with Steven Wilson, as well as a listening session for his latest album The Harmony Codex which…
Mark Knopfler – One Deep River – Review updated with Blu-ray Audio SDE Special Edition (Stereo 24 bits 192 kHz and Dolby TrueHD Atmos)
SDE is offering a Blu-ray edition of this album containing all 12 tracks plus 5 bonus tracks in PCM stereo formats (24-bit 96 kHz and 24-bit 192 kHz), plus the Dolby Atmos version encoded in Dolby Digital TrueHD, allowing you to benefit from a lossless format only available on this blu-ray. You can find our…
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon – Review updated with 50th anniversary collector’s edition Printed Art on Clear Vinyl
Pink Floyd’s 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of “The Dark Side Of The Moon” on clear vinyl is a remarkable collector’s item. This limited edition includes a set of two 180-gram LPs, with a UV art print on the unengraved side of the discs. What makes this special edition so special is the combination of high-quality…
The Pineapple Thief – It Leads To This – Review updated with Qobuz Hi-res and Amazon UltraHD versions
The test was completed with the Qobuz Hi-Res and Amazon UltraHD versions. You can find these new versions as well as the 5 previous versions (Blu-ray with Stereo remix, 5.1 remix, Dolby Atmos remix, CD master and vinyl master, Tidal MAX and CD) here.
Piano Day – 28th March 2024
Piano Day is an annual global event that takes place on the 88th day of the year, the number of keys the instrument celebrates. For this Piano Day, I invite you to rediscover this superb instrument, either solo or accompanied by a quartet or orchestra, in the albums below. Enjoy listening Hélène Grimaud – For…
Nathan Davis – The Hip Walk – Review – (Test: Vinyl AAA, Tape Horch House (Reel to reel) and Tidal Max Flac 24 92 ). Is the tape still the reference?
The Hip Walk was recorded in 1965 and is considered one of Nathan Davis’ best albums. Jimmy Woode (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums) and Francy Boland (piano) also played on this album. It’s been a while since I wanted to add a test of an album including a magnetic tape in comparison with vinyl and a…
Pink Floyd – Animals – is announced on Dolby Atmos Blu-ray audio for May 17,
Released in 2022, the 2018 remix of Pink Floyd’s Animals is available in a box containing vinyl, CD, DVD audio and Blu-ray Audio versions with a stereo and 5.1 mix.A new Blu-ray edition has been announced for May 17, with a new Dolby Atmos mix (in lossless Dolby Digital True HD format). The blu-ray will…
How to record a real orchestra?
After listening to Rhasodie in Blue in concert at the Radio France auditorium and comparing it at home with the music available on Radio France and Arte, I wondered if we could get exactly the same sound from the concert at home? In particular, the question is how the recording was made, what equipment (microphones,…
Lang Lang – Saint-Saëns – Review – (Test: Clear limited edition vinyl record, Tidal Music MAX Flac 24 bits 192 kHz and Tidal Dolby Atmos ).
Lang Lang presents a new album with a rich program of over 1h40, including two masterpieces by Camille Saint-Saëns: Le Carnaval des animaux and Piano Concerto No. 2. Complete with works by Fauré, Bonis, Ravel, Debussy, Delibes, Farrenc, Sohy, Tailleferre and Boulange. Lang Lang is the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Andris Nelsons and pianist…
“ENFOIRÉS 2024, ON A 35 ANS!”, now on CD, DVD and in Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 RA (Reality Audio)
The “Restos du cœur” is a French association founded by the artist Coluche in 1985 in order to help the destitute, notably with access to free meals.Coluche and his friends, singers, actors or sportsmen, created a team to promote the actions of the Restos du Cœur, called the “Enfoirés” tape. In 1989, the first “Enfoirés…
From concert to home, can we reproduce what we hear at the concert at home?
Image from the concert presentation booklet One of the great pleasures for music reproduction enthusiasts or audiophiles is to reproduce at home the sound perceived at concerts.But it’s not always easy to compare what you hear at a concert with what you hear at home. Is it possible to hear exactly the same thing at…
Happy New Year 2024!
I wish you a happy new year full of musical emotions. May this new year bring you joy, health and happiness. May you discover new artists, new genres, new melodies that touch and inspire you.Thank you for your support, for listening and for sharing. I look forward to seeing you soon for new musical adventures…
TOP 10 album reviews in 2023 – and the list of the 111 albums reviewed.
Here are the Top10 most viewed reviews in 2023, Thank you all for your support and feedback. We can see that among the top 10 albums of 2023, 9 have a Dolby Atmos version, compared with only 4 albums in the top 10 of 2022. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon Box,…
The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds – Review updated with Vinyl record, Blu-ray stereo and Dolby Atmos TrueHD, CD in addition to Amazon Music UltraHD, Tidal MAX Flac and Tidal Dolby Atmos)
The “Hackney Diamonds” album review has been updated with the vinyl record and the bru-ray/CD box set, you will now find 7 versions tested: Vinyl, Blu-ray Stereo in 24-bit 96 kHz and Dolby Atmos TrueHD, CD, Amazon Music UltraHD in 24-bit 96 kHz, Tidal MAX flac in 24-bit 96 kHz and Tidal Dolby Atmos. Happy…
Paris Audio Video Show 2023 – PAVS – October 21 and 22, 2023
On October 21 and 22, 2023, the Palais des congès in Paris will host the Paris Audio Video Show 2023 (PAVS 2023). Here’s a tour of the biggest Audio Video show in France, bringing together all the leading Hifi and home cinema manufacturers:Accuphase, Anthem, Athom, Audio-Technica, Audirvana, Bellame, Brinkmann, Cabasse, Clearaudio, Davis Acoustics, Elipson, Focal,…
100 albums (included 4 singles), 583 editions reviewed, the complete list …
I’d like to start by thanking you all for your encouragement and messages. The milestone of 100 albums tested (including 4 singles) has just been reached, representing 583 versions analyzed across a diversity of media ranging from 8-track cartridges, cassette, vinyl, digital CD, DVD, Bluray, SACD, DAT and streaming media (Qobuz, Tidal, Apple, Amazon). With…
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon 50th Anniversary, CD , Blu-ray and vinyl available individually
The 50th anniversary edition of Pink Floyd’s iconic album, The Dark Side Of The Moon, was only available in an intricately designed box set. This commemorative collection presents the album in several formats: vinyl, CD and Blu-ray with a captivating Dolby TrueHD Atmos track. In addition, fans of the legendary band will be delighted to…
The sound of the Reel Tapes : music comparison between digital and tape versions (Reel to Reel vs Digital)
Analog magnetic tape has long been a reference medium used by the biggest bands on machines that are legends today, such as the Studer J37 used by the Beatles or the Studer A80 used by Pink Floyd for their album The Dark Side of the Moon.Whether stereo or multitrack, with bandwidths from 1/4″ to 2″,…
Roger Waters – The Dark Side of the Moon Redux – First single – Money – Review (Test: Amazon Stereo UltraHD and Dolby Atmos, Qobuz Hi-Res)
As The Dark Side of the Moon celebrates its 50th anniversary, Roger Waters has decided to re-record the album solo, adding his own personal touch and revisiting this legendary album. The first track available is Money, and the album is due for release on 6 October 2023. For this review, you will find 3 versions…
Summer reading: some magazines
Here are a few magazines to read this summer in different languages (French, English and German). Find all the information about issue 19 on vinyl-audio.com In this issue of Vumetre 48 in French: DALI Kore, ACCUPHASE E-800 vs E-5000, VIABLUE NF-A7 RCA, HIFI ROSE RS130, MULIDINE Alma, CENTAURE Z et H, SIVGA Oriole, SYNERGISTIC RESEARC…
Pure analogue vinyl – AAA (news)
Helloas we saw in the previous review of Beethoven’s 7th symphonie reissued by Deutsche Grammophon on vinyl discs in pure analogue : The Original Source. The record we tested was made from a 4-track quadraphonic master tape that was mixed in stereo. If you’re interested in other discs, Deutsche Grammophon has just put some new…
Blu-ray “pure” audio: a format for the future?
Today, streaming services are the main source of audio listening.With high-resolution versions up to 24-bit 192 kHz, it’s possible to enjoy music of the highest quality.Streaming also offers the Dolby Atmos format, but this time with Dolby codecs that greatly reduce bit rates, such as Dolby digital plus, which offers a bit rate of 768…
82 albums or singles, 504 editions reviewed …
The milestone of 500 tested versions has been passed since the creation of this blog, 504 to be precise, thank you all for your encouragement.These 504 versions are distributed in 78 albums and 4 singles.The types of supports have been enlarged with in addition to the supports CD, DVD, Bluray, SACD, vinyl, cassette, DAT, streaming,…
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories 10th anniversary – Review updated with spatial audio : Tidal Sony 360 RA, Apple Music Dolby Atmos
With its 9 new tracks and its 35 additional minutes, the 10th anniversary edition of Random Access Memory is very successful with an excellent vinyl version composed of 3 LP with booklet and poster.But, there is an additional surprise, the mixed versions in spatial audio presented in Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio (360RA)…
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories – Review updated with 10th anniversary extended edition (LP vinyl, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon, CD)
French electronic music group Daft Punk is celebrating 10 years since the release of their legendary album “Random Access Memories,” which won multiple Grammy Awards in 2014. To mark this special occasion, the band’s two members, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, are releasing an expanded anniversary edition of their latest album, entitled “Random Access…
Ed Sheeran + (plus) and = (equals) – reviews updated with Tidal Dolby Atmos
After the test of the last album – of Ed Sheeran, here is the update of the tests of the albums + and = with the version Tidal Dolby Atmos. For the first album of Ed Sheeran +, the Dolby Atmos version is a nice surprise with a beautiful spatialization that exploits all the channels…
Vinyle & Audio : n.18 May/June 2023
Issue 18 of Vinyl & Audio is now available (here): This issue 18 of Vinyl & Audio includes the test of Michael Jackson’s album Thriller for which I collaborated with Jean Razzaroli. You can also find detailed reviews of The Dark Side Of The Moon and Thriller on MagicVinylDigital.net.
Dire Straits – Money For Nothing and Brothers In Arms, 2 albums available in Dolby Atmos vs stereo
If you have known Dire Straits for many years, and are familiar with the stereo versions and all the nuances of the different editions, the idea of switching to a new Dolby Atmos mix is not natural.But, it is without prejudice that we dive into listening to the Dolby Atmos version of the “Brothers In…
MOFI Analog or Digital sources? List of sources (updated November 1, 2023).
The MOFI case, which has been on the internet for more than 10 days, shows that the management of master tapes is indeed a real problem today, because these tapes are aging and have been used many times. This is why, for the preservation of our heritage, we also digitalise the multi-track tapes that were…
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon – 50th Anniversary Unboxing
After the review of 21 versions of the album, and while waiting for the review of the 50th Anniversary version, here is the video of the box set.
Does analog media force a dynamic on music? or Does Analog Media increase the dynamics?
Previously in the dynamics of music, we saw the difference between the dynamics of the medium and the dynamics of the music, as well as the effects of dynamic compression on the music in terms of distortion.Today, we will approach another aspect, that of the impact of the dynamics on the recording on tape or…
70 albums or singles, 425 editions reviewed …
For this beginning of the year, here is a compilation of all the reviews 70 albums (including 3 singles) and 425 releases that have been tested. The information provided in this index will allow you to get an idea of how different versions of the same album sound. Many media have been tested: Vinyl (114),…
Katie Melua – Golden Record – review of the first song of the new album Love & Money (Qobuz, Apple, Dolby Atmos, Youtube)
Katie Melua is back with a new single “Golden Record”, first single from her new album “Love & Money” which will be released on March 24th 2023. After “Album No. 8”, this album is the 9th of Katie Melua, it will contain 10 tracks, and 4 more in the Deluxe version. You can find the…
Anne Bisson – Blue Bayou – Review of the third single from the album Be My Lover
Anne Bisson is a Canadian jazz singer known for her vocal talent and ability to perform songs with emotion and sensitivity. She has released several albums throughout her career, including Passions in 2007, Conversations in 2009, and Portrait in 2016. Anne Bisson’s albums have been praised by critics for their mix of jazz, blues, and…
Indochine Central Tour Blu-ray release with Dolby Atmos track! (news)
Vers la version Française. Today the Indochine Central Tour concert is released on Blu-ray with a very good surprise, announced with a DTS-HD 5.1 track, it’s actually a Dolby Digital TrueHD Atmos track!In addition to the Blu-ray version, the concert is available on DVD, CD and in a beautiful limited edition including a book, the…
Loudness war, the limit of the 0dB in digital or Analog better than Digital?
By convention, in digital, the 0 dB level is the highest possible level, impossible to go above this “absolute zero”. This is why the values are given by counting down from 0 dB, -10 dB as in the example below. From digital point of view, the 0 dB corresponds to the highest possible value according…
Dynamics of the media and music
The dynamics, i.e. the difference between the lowest and the highest level, is an important element of music. However it is important to distinguish the dynamics of the media (CD, vinyl, tape, SACD, digital file) and the dynamics of the track of music itself which can be independent of the media. Let us start with…
TOP 10 album reviews in 2022
Here are the Top10 most viewed reviews in 2022, Thank you all for your support and feedback. Dire Straits – Money For Nothing LP, CD, Qobuz, 1988, 1996 remastered 2022 Norah Jones – Come Away With Me LP , CD, SACD, Streaming, remastered 2022, 5.1, Atmos Binaural Daft Punk – Random Access Memories LP , Qobuz, Tidal,…
Patricia Barber – Clique! Review updated with vinyl and SACD
After more than a year of waiting, the vinyl of Patricia Barber’s album Clique! is finally available with a very nice packaging. It’s also the occasion to add the review of the SACD in stereo and 5.1 in order to compare it to the DXD master files. Find the result of this comparison with the…
Anne Bisson – Are You Sure You Want Me – Review of the second new single
After the first single Moondance released in October, here is the second single Are You Sure You Want Me from the new album Be My Lover which will be released on March 17th 2023Available on all platforms, the single is available in high resolution 24 bits 192 kHz, Thanks Anne. The review of the album…
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Few words about Me
I am passionated by music, electronics and digital. I always try to get the best possible rendering of music.
After working on speakers, amps, preamps, DAC, it is important to find the best sources of music.
So you have to find the best edition of an album, vinyl, cd, sacd, digital and the choices are multiple. It is not possible to review the hundreds of versions of an album, but it is possible to compare a few different media.
I like sharing about these subjects, do not hesitate to contact me.
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