Page 96 - Hi-Fi_News_-_December_2020 video

ALBUM

REVIEWS

HI-RES DOWNLOADS

BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER/
KIRILL PETRENKO
Symphonies by Beethoven (Nos 7 & 9), Schmidt (No 4)
and Tchaikovsky (Nos 5 & 6); Stephan: Music for
Orchestra in One Movement (96Hz/24-bit, FLAC)*
www.highresaudio.com; Berliner Philharmoniker BPHR200351
A substantial saving over the ‘Deluxe’
physical presentation, the downloads still
come with one of the most elaborate of
PDFs – inordinately long musicological
essays, a foreword by Petrenko and colour
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C L A N D E S T I I N E A M I I G O photos. The music section reflects a new
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CLANDESTINE AMIGOO
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Temporary Circumstances Berlin start under Petrenko, with composers
(44.1kHz-192kHz/24-bit, FLAC; DSD64) Jessica Carson and her band, is offered he wants to promote: Franz Schmidt and
www.psaudio.com; Octave Records OCT 002 in a run of just 1300 SACDs, 500 45rpm Rudi Stephan. Readers will remember the
The idea of a hi-fi company having 2LP sets, plus this DSD/PCM download thrilling Proms Beethoven Seventh: the one

its own record label is nothing new: bundle. Recorded using a stack of high- here is similar – the finale too fast in parts –

Linn’s has won multiple awards, and end studio equipment, it’s musically but a respectful ‘Choral’ is marred by a poor
many other firms from high-end to interesting in a small-scale way, but bass and even worse soprano soloist. The

mass-market have had a go from time most impressive for its extraordinary Pathétique was our 2019 Yearbook Album
to time. But Octave, an offshoot of PS sound, with the kind of presence that Choice, and No 5 is no less fi ne. Petrenko
Audio, is rather different: yes, it too is redefines the word ‘intimate’. If you does tend to exaggerate – rests, pianissimi,

committed to paying its artists fairly like that sense of a band being in the etc – but on the whole a recommended set
and recording them in the highest room with you, then you’ll love this! AE (particularly for the Schmidt). CB
possible quality, but it also makes its
releases available in strictly limited Sound Quality: 95% Sound Quality: 85%
editions [see also p95]. This album, 0 - - - - - - - - 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100
the debut by singer/songwriter
OUR PROMISE LAB REPORT LAB REPORT
Following our Investigation feature
[HFN, Jun ’11] in which we examined
the claimed quality of high-resolution
downloads, Hi-Fi News & Record
Review is now measuring the true
sample rate and bit-depth of the HD
music downloads reviewed on these
pages. These unique reviews will be
a regular source of information for
those seeking new and re-mastered
recordings offered at high sample rates Best auditioned as the native DSD64 There are short sequences in trk 2 [black]
file [RMS, blue; Peak, red] which shows a (No 7, II. Allegretto) and trk 9 (No. 9, IVb.

and with the promise of delivering
good dynamic range <30kHz. The 192kHz Presto) where the 96kHz sample rate
the very best sound quality. (Note:
[orange] and 96kHz [green] downsamples collapses to 48kHz. Some spuriae too at
asterisk in headings denotes technical filter out much DSD noise. Note spurious 33kHz, but otherwise this offers a fi ne

reservation explained below.) PM 18kHz tone on the vocal feed [grey]. PM bandwidth and dynamic range. PM
96 | www.hifi news.co.uk | DECEMBER 2020