u/Media6292

Hello,

Now available in Dolby Atmos, the Dolby Atmos editions of the albums Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous have been reviewed alongside the other versions of these albums.

https://preview.redd.it/ifutgn87v91h1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=216f28a4a4d16bc2448e240115150d4fe71bd03d

You can find them directly through the links below:

Michael Jackson – Off The Wall – Has the remastering lost the original spirit of the album?- Review and comparison between vinyl records, SACD, CD, cassette and streaming (US, MOFI one step, MFSL, Japan, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music)) updated with Dolby Atmos

Michael Jackson – Thriller – Full Review (vinyl, CD, Cassette, SACD, MOFI releases, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music, Sony 360 RA, from 1982 to 2025) Updated with Dolby Atmos

Michael Jackson – BAD (Streaming Dolby Atmos)

Michael Jackson- Dangerous – Review (LPs, CDs, Streaming, DAT, MOFI, 1991 to 2026) updated with Dolby Atmos

Another new feature accompanying the Dolby Atmos versions of these albums is the ability to visualize the immersive Atmos mix through new 3D sound graphic rendering formats, as explained HERE (link).

Below, you can also discover video demonstrations featuring excerpts from each album. The goal is to provide a graphical representation of what listeners can experience when listening on a multichannel audio system. The first four videos in this series are now available below for the albums Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous.

Youtube Off The Wall

Youtube Thriller

Youtube BAD

Youtube Dangerous

https://preview.redd.it/ul9hh5g8v91h1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6a9cd69d1aad8cf67caf6d9c126cdac1d6da1480

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François

Hello,

Now available in Dolby Atmos, the Dolby Atmos editions of the albums Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous have been reviewed alongside the other versions of these albums.

https://preview.redd.it/boizgi5kt91h1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78b65419f188211d624eb141c0d89b796b8bbe04

You can find them directly through the links below:

Michael Jackson – Off The Wall – Has the remastering lost the original spirit of the album?- Review and comparison between vinyl records, SACD, CD, cassette and streaming (US, MOFI one step, MFSL, Japan, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music)) updated with Dolby Atmos

Michael Jackson – Thriller – Full Review (vinyl, CD, Cassette, SACD, MOFI releases, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music, Sony 360 RA, from 1982 to 2025) Updated with Dolby Atmos

Michael Jackson – BAD (Streaming Dolby Atmos)

Michael Jackson- Dangerous – Review (LPs, CDs, Streaming, DAT, MOFI, 1991 to 2026) updated with Dolby Atmos

Another new feature accompanying the Dolby Atmos versions of these albums is the ability to visualize the immersive Atmos mix through new 3D sound graphic rendering formats, as explained HERE (link).

Below, you can also discover video demonstrations featuring excerpts from each album. The goal is to provide a graphical representation of what listeners can experience when listening on a multichannel audio system. The first four videos in this series are now available below for the albums Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous.

Youtube Off The Wall

Youtube Thriller

Youtube BAD

Youtube Dangerous

https://preview.redd.it/gsn1ymmnu91h1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=688aface22778f89326677ab2bb88b9a9ca5e66e

Enjoy listening,

Jean-François

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François

Hello,

Billie Eilish is now considered one of the leading artists in contemporary pop, thanks to her distinctive blend of alternative pop, electronic influences, and intimate atmospheres.
With Hit Me Hard and Soft The Tour (Live in 3D), she delivers an experience designed for both cinema and vinyl, built around her world tour.

https://preview.redd.it/eqfdv4v6240h1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c34007390472a998aad0c0ef1f4adde565bf60f2

Co-directed by James Cameron, the film uses immersive 3D cinematography to recreate the atmosphere of the concert and the closeness between the artist and the audience. The release is also accompanied by a multicolored triple LP edition issued a few days before the theatrical screenings.
The question is how good this vinyl edition really is, especially since in recent years many releases in this style have been based on heavily dynamically compressed masters.
Success or disappointment?

The waveform of the Color Vinyl Record – 2026 version shows a good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

https://preview.redd.it/0xn8gh28240h1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a064d401f718f552e002408517492e7b9a0e89a4

The graph below represents the spectrum of the Colored Vinyl Record – 2026.

https://preview.redd.it/irx6qub9240h1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bcc0e8febf76c674364af31fdddf0bc42165dcb7

Billie Eilish takes an original approach by bringing her latest concert film to theaters on May 7 and 10, alongside a multicolored vinyl edition released a few days earlier. This vinyl release comes as a pleasant surprise, offering a sound reproduction that preserves its dynamics instead of leveling every track to the same loudness, as is often the case with many modern productions today.
All that remains now is to wait for the digital editions and, hopefully, a future 3D Blu-ray release.

You can also find the full analysis (including all graphs and measurements) HERE (link).

Enjoy the listening.
Jean-François

Hello,

This live recording by Pink Floyd, Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, was released on vinyl on April 18 for Record Store Day. It is also available on CD and on the Wish You Were Here 50th anniversary Blu-ray.

https://preview.redd.it/rzmte2m49xzg1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfd89886cae83b3eaefb11e205c3ab4c7addee72

This release stands as a true recognition of the work of Mike Millard, who made numerous concert recordings at the time, including this one in 1975.This recording is a bootleg, meaning an unofficial recording made from within the audience. Its value therefore lies not in its technical quality, but in its historical significance, especially considering that not all concerts were recorded at the time.

https://preview.redd.it/znd5siv59xzg1.jpg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c21d940ffa6b0d852316bcee3d9fe9fcfafece7e

For this recording, Mike Millard used a Nakamichi 550.

Three key aspects stand out:

• a limited frequency response, reaching about 17 kHz at -3 dB;
• a signal-to-noise ratio of around 60 dB, visible in the spectral analyses below;
• and a relatively high level of distortion, though quite respectable for a cassette recorder.

The real question is how it sounds in practice, and whether Steven Wilson managed to work any miracles through his restoration and mastering efforts which is what we will now examine.

https://preview.redd.it/4h3wshq79xzg1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aaa4534462c9579515b45cbf54cb54df53d4debc

The waveform of the CD – 2026 version shows a very good dynamic range (like vinyl record ad Blu-ray) confirmed with DR12.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the CD – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Vinyl record – 2026 (blue curve).The curves of the two spectra almost perfectly overlap between 200 Hz and 5 kHz. Below 200 Hz, the CD curve is slightly higher than the vinyl version (by about 2 to 3 dB). Above 5 kHz and especially beyond 10 kHz the vinyl curve exceeds that of the CD, reaching up to 5 dB more at 20 kHz. There is also a noticeable attenuation of high frequencies between 5 kHz and 12 kHz, with very little signal above 12 kHz.

https://preview.redd.it/m23hfun89xzg1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de6125ad48e63349137e5a9678640e2c7c60ab0a

Maximum sound quality is not the focus here: the result is very decent for a bootleg recording, but still far from the standards of other albums. However, that’s not what matters most, what truly stands out is the exceptional nature of this live capture, which would not exist without this recording.
Thanks to Mike Millard for this recording.

You can also find the full analysis (including all graphs and measurements) HERE (link).

Enjoy the listening.
Jean-François

Hello,

https://preview.redd.it/poovbajxtxyg1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=407741973c594af7d33457ef5143276ac040d39f

The Dolby Atmos version is a new mix that stands out for its excellent use of the sound space, distributing instruments, music, vocals, and effects throughout the environment as in Black or White while maintaining coherence with the front soundstage.
It also features outstanding dynamics (DR17), the highest among all the tested versions, bringing a great deal of energy to the album.
This is a version worth experiencing on a 7.1.4 (or 9.1.6) system.
One can hope for the release of a Blu-ray Audio edition to fully experience the finesse of the Dolby TrueHD Atmos format, which, being lossless, is far superior to the streaming version, heavily limited in bitrate and using the lossy Dolby Digital Plus format.

3D spatialization

This Blu-spec CD2 version is also based on a dynamically compressed master, as shown by the waveform and its DR9. This is disappointing for a format that aims to be a reference in terms of CD manufacturing quality. Because of this master, this edition does not bring any real improvement. It s a shame that a truly high-quality master was not used.

Find HERE the full review, including excerpts allowing comparison of these new versions, as well as all measurements, including the new 3D spatialization representation graph.

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François

https://preview.redd.it/41qdt6twsxyg1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=35d1ae629c458aa678d1f822ac47d7a1a56cbf17

Hello,

The Dolby Atmos version of Dangerous is a new mix that stands out for its excellent use of the sound space, distributing instruments, music, vocals, and effects throughout the environment as in Black or White while maintaining coherence with the front soundstage.
It also features outstanding dynamics (DR17), the highest among all the tested versions, bringing a great deal of energy to the album.
This is a version worth experiencing on a 7.1.4 (or 9.1.6) system.

One can hope for the release of a Blu-ray Audio edition to fully experience the finesse of the Dolby TrueHD Atmos format, which, being lossless, is far superior to the streaming version, heavily limited in bitrate and using the lossy Dolby Digital Plus format.

3D spatialization

This Blu-spec CD2 version is also based on a dynamically compressed master, as shown by the waveform and its DR9. This is disappointing for a format that aims to be a reference in terms of CD manufacturing quality. Because of this master, this edition does not bring any real improvement. It s a shame that a truly high-quality master was not used.

Find HERE the full review, including excerpts allowing comparison of these new versions, as well as all measurements, including the new 3D spatialization representation graph.

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François

Hello,

https://preview.redd.it/d8a7lxtc2wyg1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9235cc14646f30afecc1c631a2173aa125323a90

The goal of Magicvinyldigital.net is to provide album reviews across all formats, including immersive audio, based on both listening and technical measurements. Since March 2022, in order to better understand the spatialization of immersive albums, from 4.0 up to Dolby Atmos 9.1.6, a spatialization graph has been added to multichannel versions to better visualize how sound is distributed.

After four years of implementation, the spatialization score (SP) provides a solid indication of how different audio channels are utilized. It is based on an evaluation of sound level distribution across these channels, as defined when this representation was first introduced.

SP mode : Tears For Fears – Shout

However, after analyzing more than a hundred immersive albums, it became clear that one element was missing: a parameter capable of representing the dynamic aspect of spatialization and its movement through space, in addition to the existing data.

To address this, a new graph will be introduced to represent:

• The variation of spatialization over time, including potential sound movements in space
• The relative position of sound in space (for example, identical sound across all channels is perceived as centered)
• The movement and occupation of 3D space, helping to characterize how the mix uses the available sound field

These elements will make it possible to define a new score, complementing the existing one, to better describe these aspects.

As always, this score is an indicator of Spatial Kinetics (SK), not a measure of its quality. It reflects how dynamically the sound space is used. An immersive mix can therefore be excellent even if it does not achieve the highest score.
This new evaluation is based on a 9.1.6 reference configuration rather than the more commonly used 7.1.4. While the format may eventually evolve toward 22.2, no music content is currently available in that format.
This approach allows Dolby Atmos mixes to be represented in 9.1.6 while supporting all existing formats (7.1.4, 5.1.2, 5.1, 5.0, 4.0), including stereo.

To best represent spatialization, the graph offers a three-dimensional visualization with four available views:

• A top view, showing channel levels similar to the previous model, enhanced with a color gradient from dark blue to white to represent frequencies from low to high
• Side and rear views, allowing analysis of front/back distribution and height usage (including top channels)
• A full 3D view, providing a comprehensive spatial representation

Some examples of the new graph :

Propaganda – Dream Within A Dream (5.1 SACD)

The track Dream Within A Dream in 5.1 is a great example of a mix that fully exploits spatialization within a 5.1 setup, with circular movements forming a star-like pattern with multiple branches corresponding to the positions of the sounds. It can also be noted that there is no height information, as none was present in the original source. It can be observed that using the entire space, even without height, allows for an SK of 5.9 (without rendering in the rear surround channel), while the SP, which represents channel usage, is at 3.1 due to the limitation to a reduced number of channels.

David Gilmour – 5 A.M.

The track 5 A.M. by David Gilmour, presented here decoded in 7.1.4, delivers a similar SK (5.9) to the Propaganda track in 5.1, but with a 3D distribution. The sound is less spread across the horizontal plane, but makes greater use of the height channels, adding more volume to the overall spatial representation. The SP value of 6.8 shows a good distribution between the front and rear channels, but with a mix that does not fully utilize the entire sound space in Atmos.

Find more examples of 3D analyses, a real-time 3D visualisation and further details on how it works here (MagicVinylDigital.net)

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François

Hello,

https://preview.redd.it/mb0pyqv71wyg1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3992fefd82da7447b3ab6717bc67381c71d0fa1b

The goal of Magicvinyldigital.net is to provide album reviews across all formats, including immersive audio, based on both listening and technical measurements. Since March 2022, in order to better understand the spatialization of immersive albums, from 4.0 up to Dolby Atmos 9.1.6, a spatialization graph has been added to multichannel versions to better visualize how sound is distributed.

After four years of implementation, the spatialization score (SP) provides a solid indication of how different audio channels are utilized. It is based on an evaluation of sound level distribution across these channels, as defined when this representation was first introduced.

SP mode : Tears For Fears – Shout

However, after analyzing more than a hundred immersive albums, it became clear that one element was missing: a parameter capable of representing the dynamic aspect of spatialization and its movement through space, in addition to the existing data.

To address this, a new graph will be introduced to represent:

• The variation of spatialization over time, including potential sound movements in space
• The relative position of sound in space (for example, identical sound across all channels is perceived as centered)
• The movement and occupation of 3D space, helping to characterize how the mix uses the available sound field

These elements will make it possible to define a new score, complementing the existing one, to better describe these aspects.

As always, this score is an indicator of Spatial Kinetics (SK), not a measure of its quality. It reflects how dynamically the sound space is used. An immersive mix can therefore be excellent even if it does not achieve the highest score.
This new evaluation is based on a 9.1.6 reference configuration rather than the more commonly used 7.1.4. While the format may eventually evolve toward 22.2, no music content is currently available in that format.
This approach allows Dolby Atmos mixes to be represented in 9.1.6 while supporting all existing formats (7.1.4, 5.1.2, 5.1, 5.0, 4.0), including stereo.

To best represent spatialization, the graph offers a three-dimensional visualization with four available views:

• A top view, showing channel levels similar to the previous model, enhanced with a color gradient from dark blue to white to represent frequencies from low to high
• Side and rear views, allowing analysis of front/back distribution and height usage (including top channels)
• A full 3D view, providing a comprehensive spatial representation

Some examples of the new graph :

Propaganda – Dream Within A Dream (5.1 SACD)

The track Dream Within A Dream in 5.1 is a great example of a mix that fully exploits spatialization within a 5.1 setup, with circular movements forming a star-like pattern with multiple branches corresponding to the positions of the sounds. It can also be noted that there is no height information, as none was present in the original source. It can be observed that using the entire space, even without height, allows for an SK of 5.9 (without rendering in the rear surround channel), while the SP, which represents channel usage, is at 3.1 due to the limitation to a reduced number of channels.

David Gilmour – 5 A.M.

The track 5 A.M. by David Gilmour, presented here decoded in 7.1.4, delivers a similar SK (5.9) to the Propaganda track in 5.1, but with a 3D distribution. The sound is less spread across the horizontal plane, but makes greater use of the height channels, adding more volume to the overall spatial representation. The SP value of 6.8 shows a good distribution between the front and rear channels, but with a mix that does not fully utilize the entire sound space in Atmos.

Find more examples of 3D analyses, a real-time 3D visualisation and further details on how it works here (MagicVinylDigital.net)

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François

Hello,

https://preview.redd.it/9p03dnyh0wyg1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=568343d5ed5c07aabf49f14ab05ebfeeeae0aa90

The goal of Magicvinyldigital.net is to provide album reviews across all formats, including immersive audio, based on both listening and technical measurements. Since March 2022, in order to better understand the spatialization of immersive albums, from 4.0 up to Dolby Atmos 9.1.6, a spatialization graph has been added to multichannel versions to better visualize how sound is distributed.

After four years of implementation, the spatialization score (SP) provides a solid indication of how different audio channels are utilized. It is based on an evaluation of sound level distribution across these channels, as defined when this representation was first introduced.

SP mode : Tears For Fears – Shout

However, after analyzing more than a hundred immersive albums, it became clear that one element was missing: a parameter capable of representing the dynamic aspect of spatialization and its movement through space, in addition to the existing data.

To address this, a new graph will be introduced to represent:

• The variation of spatialization over time, including potential sound movements in space
• The relative position of sound in space (for example, identical sound across all channels is perceived as centered)
• The movement and occupation of 3D space, helping to characterize how the mix uses the available sound field

These elements will make it possible to define a new score, complementing the existing one, to better describe these aspects.

As always, this score is an indicator of Spatial Kinetics (SK), not a measure of its quality. It reflects how dynamically the sound space is used. An immersive mix can therefore be excellent even if it does not achieve the highest score.

This new evaluation is based on a 9.1.6 reference configuration rather than the more commonly used 7.1.4. While the format may eventually evolve toward 22.2, no music content is currently available in that format.

This approach allows Dolby Atmos mixes to be represented in 9.1.6 while supporting all existing formats (7.1.4, 5.1.2, 5.1, 5.0, 4.0), including stereo.

To best represent spatialization, the graph offers a three-dimensional visualization with four available views:

• A top view, showing channel levels similar to the previous model, enhanced with a color gradient from dark blue to white to represent frequencies from low to high
• Side and rear views, allowing analysis of front/back distribution and height usage (including top channels)
• A full 3D view, providing a comprehensive spatial representation

Some examples of the new graph :

Propaganda – Dream Within A Dream (5.1)

The track Dream Within A Dream in 5.1 is a great example of a mix that fully exploits spatialization within a 5.1 setup, with circular movements forming a star-like pattern with multiple branches corresponding to the positions of the sounds. It can also be noted that there is no height information, as none was present in the original source. It can be observed that using the entire space, even without height, allows for an SK of 5.9 (without rendering in the rear surround channel), while the SP, which represents channel usage, is at 3.1 due to the limitation to a reduced number of channels.

David Gilmour – 5 A.M.

The track 5 A.M. by David Gilmour, presented here decoded in 7.1.4, delivers a similar SK (5.9) to the Propaganda track in 5.1, but with a 3D distribution. The sound is less spread across the horizontal plane, but makes greater use of the height channels, adding more volume to the overall spatial representation. The SP value of 6.8 shows a good distribution between the front and rear channels, but with a mix that does not fully utilize the entire sound space in Atmos.

Find more examples of 3D analyses, a real-time 3D visualisation and further details on how it works here (MagicVinylDigital.net)

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François