Haitink-LSO: Beethoven 7th

B&W Sound Society HiDef download. 24bit 48Khz.

Analysis:

Audacity reports the file as 24bit/48Khz.

The waveform of the 4th movement shows that this has been mastered with some proper dynamic swings, and you do hear this on replay.

There is clipping at the end, as this is a live recording I assumed this was applause, au contraire! This is the end of a powerfully performed crescendo.

The Waveform:





Frequency Analysis:


Please note: The logarithmic scale along the x-axis.


The frequency graph:



I believe that it shows that the available 24Khz bandwidth is fully utilised. That there is little clipping and that the dynamic swings have not been mastered out.



Objective:

I have read a couple of derogatory comments about the quality of the classical downloads from SoS, and have to confess to downloading and then storing. Well as I knew I would be posting about this download I have been listening ...and?

I hesitate to post ANYTHING about classical music, it is very easy to sound very pretentious! And then you have knowledgeable folks hanging around with an encyclopedic knowledge of all the great recordings.

Here goes: I'll just mention the second movement, with its well known melody. Opens pianissimo with strings sound-stage left and the basses growling centre right, and the melody gets picked up and repeated with a building urgency that is visceral. As the crescendos are delivered I have never heard the basses growling in quiet the way they do on this recording.

Got to say there is nothing inadequate I am hearing on this.


M