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After visiting Wilson Audio headquarters in Provo, Utah for the launch of its new flagship loudspeaker the Autobiography, my dreams of upgrading my audio system ran wild. Like any audiophile, I dreamt of ways to make the speakers fit into my room and even took it one step further. OK, possibly ten steps further. I dreamt about what my 7.1.4 twelve channel music system would be like with all Autobiography speakers. As the saying goes, if your dreams don’t scare you a little bit, they aren’t big enough. Ok, that’s not only a big dream, but it’s foolish to think about mounting four 821 lbs speakers on the ceiling. Let’s get back to reality with some music that can be played through any system from two through sixteen channels. 

Let’s start with Eagles album One of these Nights. 

From Eagles’ shop (link):

The Eagles' One of These Nights (Deluxe Edition) features a new 2025 mix of the band's fourth studio album and a previously unreleased full live show recorded at Anaheim Stadium on September 28, 1975, presented across 3 CDs. The set also includes a Blu-ray, which contains Dolby Atmos and hi-resolution stereo mixes of both the original album and live performance.

I’ve never owned or listened to this album in its entirety, until last week. In fact, there’s no way I would’ve purchased this new deluxe edition without it containing a TrueHD Dolby Atmos mix. After listening to this one a few times, I’m very happy I did. 

My local classic rock station burned out tracks One of These Nights, Lyin’ Eyes, and Take it to the Limit before I turned ten in 1985, and continued burning these out long after the turn of the century. It may sound strange, but I actually don’t know these tracks very well. I’ve only listened to them on FM radio. Listening to the album in high resolution TrueHD Dolby Atmos has been a real treat. 

I really like the immersive mix on this album. It’s fairly conservative, keeping the main image in the front and using the other channels to add flavor to the tracks. For example, on the title track, when the chorus “Ooh, someone to be kind to …” kicks in, the immersive mix envelopes the listener with the backing vocalists. Much of this vocal support comes from the side channels and audibly elevates the listening experience very nicely. 

On the track Lyin’ Eyes, the immersive mix features most music in the front, but also uses the front height channels to raise the soundstage. This is done very well, finding the balance between only placing throwaway reverb and featuring Glenn Frey’s main vocals, in the height channels. I like that neither of those come from the ceiling speakers on this track. Much like the title track, backing vocals envelope the listener from side channels nicely. 

Take it to the Limit, due to its extensive use of really great sounding supporting vocals throughout the track, has a more immersive mix than the aforementioned tracks. I’ve often thought this track was fairly boring when heard through FM radio station KQRS here in Minneapolis. On my 7.1.4 immersive system, this track takes the listener along on the journey, telling a story and making it impossible to listen passively. I really enjoy this song when played in TrueHD Dolby Atmos, it’s far from stale and has a wonderful new energy that sucked me in, where previous versions failed. 

Jeff Buckley’s debut album Grace was recently remixed by Steven Wilson. The Blu-ray contains a stereo mix, and Wilson’s 5.1 and TrueHD Dolby Atmos mixes (link). Like almost all Steven Wilson remixes, Grace sounds like Wilson spent a lot of time breathing new life into one of his favorite records. Opening guitars and rhythm guitar throughout on the track Last Goodbye, are featured in side channels, while Buckley’s vocal, bass and drums are featured up front. There’s a locked in front image, with terrific elements in the immersive channels, such as strings entering from behind toward the middle of the track. The strings sound very supportive of the entire track, in their own positions on the soundstage, rather than calling themselves out like a look-at-me gimmick. 

What can be said about Buckley’s cover of Hallelujah that hasn’t already been said? Here’s something from the immersive mix that won’t be found elsewhere. In a very surprising move, Wilson opted to place Buckley’s main vocal by itself in the center channel. A friend of mine who mixes for a band that’s sold over 100 million albums, has previously told me he never leaves his guy, “hung out to dry” by soloing the main vocal in the center channel. 

It’s obviously an artistic decision, sometimes brought about by artists or even record labels that found vocal only tracks posted to video sharing sites several years ago. I don’t have a horse in the race. I onboard for however something is mixed, as long as I like how it sounds when played as a whole. 

Hallelujah sounds really neat when played via center channel only (see video below), but that gets old quickly. It’s like looking at a newspaper through a microscope. Seeing all the tiny dots that make up the comic section was neat in second grade, but three minutes into the exercise, everyone is ready to read the whole thing and laugh, as intended by the artist and reader. The same goes for Steven Wilson’s new immersive mix of Hallelujah. 

The immersive mix is really great. Eerily enveloping the listener with the opening guitar, followed by a laser focused vocal in the front center, Wilson sucks the listener into this track whether or not they are a willing participant. 

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris’ 2006 album All the Roadrunning is now out on Blu-ray for its 20th anniversary (link). The blu-ray includes brand new TrueHD Dolby Atmos mixes (standard and instrumental) by Guy Fletcher, a previously unreleased 5.1 mix by Chuck Ainlay and a 2026 remaster of the original stereo mix. 

I’m a big fan of both Knopfler and Harris. This album has never been on the top of my must-listen list for some reason. Their musicianship and their vocals make for a great combination, and I can see why many fans love the album and want more from the two artists. 

The immersive mix does a fair amount to bring the album to the listener, rather than viewing it from a stereo distance. Filling side channels and front height channels with mandolins, guitars, violins, and a light touch of vocals is well done. I like this version of the album much better than the stereo mix, as I can hear all the musicians laid out on the soundstage in their own spaces. Closer to sitting in the studio with all the players gathered around, than looking through the glass of the control room listening to the two channel mic feed through monitors. I believe fans of the album will get a lot of enjoyment out of this one, hearing it differently and what I believe better than before.

Motörhead’s On Parole (link) was certainly not on my immersive bingo card. For that matter, it was never on my stereo bingo card either. I love metal and have a lot of respect for Motörhead’s role in inspiring generations of metal musicians. 

Motörhead’s music has always been a bit out of my wheelhouse. When I saw Steven Wilson had remixed On Parole in TrueHD Dolby Atmos, I had to take a bit of the apple, or should I say a sip of the whisky or a ride on the iron horse.

The immersive mix makes On Parole immensely more palatable for me than any stereo mix. Wilson manages to engage me as a listener by separating sonic elements from a tight ball of metal up front to an appropriately spread out band. I can actually hear what’s going on in all these songs. Could I become a fan of Motörhead after listening to this? Let’s not go that far just yet, but I can’t rule it out. 

Strategically placing guitars in supporting positions on the side of the listener is a nice enveloping touch for a usual full frontal assault heard in stereo. Listening to the track Iron Horse / Born to Loose, Wilson splits the center channel between a solo of Lemmy’s vocal and a lead guitar solo. Maybe there’s something in Wilson’s water or he has made a decision to put more vocalists in the center channel, all alone, but I was surprised on the Buckley album and equally surprised to hear Lemmy Kilmister singing solo from between my front speakers. 

Note: there is a bit of instrument bleed into the center channel on this album, unlike Buckley’s Grace.

After discovering this soloing of Kilmister on Iron Horse, I checked out other tracks and found it’s very similar. Again, a fun exercise for a few minutes, but nothing that’s meant to be played for enjoyment often. 

Turning 180 degrees from 1970s heavy metal, I’ve recently listened to a couple albums recorded and mixed immersively from the start. 

Avishai Darash’s The Planned Child (link) is a wonderful piano jazz album from Brendon Heinst and his TRPTK record label. Captured in PCM 352.8 kHz 32 bit and offered in stereo, surround, and immersive formats, this is a you-are-there release.

Recorded at Fattoria Musica in Osnabrück, Germany, (link) and featuring the beautiful work of cellist Maya Fridman on some tracks, The Planned Child was sixteen years in the making. The album is an emotional journey that places the listener even closer to the feelings and experiences of Avishai Darash through the immersive mix.

Unlike previous mixes mentioned in this article, side, rear, and height channels are all used to more closely reproduce the recording environment, in this case mainly reverberations from the studio. It’s an artistic decision I respect and appreciate, and that fits this music perfectly.

The last album on my list today is certainly not last for any reason other than it’s being released in the coming days, and may not be available at the time one reads this article. 

Lucas Garcia Muramoto and Yu Nitahara’s album Nocturne is the newest released on the ADS record label. I’ve previously written about ADS recordings by engineer Gustavo Candido, namely his Invisible Cities Part 1 release, and am a big fan of his work (link). 

Gustavo provided me the discrete immersive 5.1.4 ten channel DXD version of the Nocturne album. Discrete immersive albums require no decoding, they are just plain WAV files that will play on any system with enough channels. I consider them the holy grail of music listening.

The ADS label also releases its recordings on just about every other format one can play, including stereo, DSD, and multichannel. 

Nocturne is another home run for Gustavo Candido and the ADS label. Musicians Muramoto and Nitahara, on piano and cello, are masterful and masterfully captured through Candido’s microphone configuration and Merging Technology converter. 

This album is more immersive and enveloping than the aforementioned The Planned Child release from TRPTK. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so it’s just a matter of taste. The mix on Nocturne places the listener mic closer to the musicians and has more information in channels other than the front right and left. 

Muramoto’s cello sounds so incredibly rich on this entire album, yet nothing like a synthetic sound that enriches an instrument beyond reality. Candido’s placement of the cello in the recording studio, and thus on the actual recording, is wonderful and enhances my enjoyment of this album. 

Suíte Brasileira "For Antonio Meneses": IV. Valsa Brasileira starts with Nitahara’s lush sounding piano and is joined by an equally lush cello from Muramoto. The emotion of the cello playing then pulls the listener into the story amazingly well. I’m unsure what the music was written about, but the feeling I have listening to it, must be the same as composer André Mehmari and the same as Muramoto and Nitahara are attempting to deliver.

This is another stellar album from Gustavo Candido and his ADS record label. A MUST purchase upon release day. 

About the author - https://audiophile.style/about
Author's Complete Audio System Details with Measurements - https://audiophile.style/system

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This just in from Steven Wilson, a new music purchase / download site for high resolution and immersive audio. Looking around the site, one can see a few different offerings and editions for sale. This is a really nice development in the immersive world. I've been in contact with a few labels lately, and I believe others will soon follow Steven's lead. 

The site also features a playback guide for, wait for it... how to play this stuff in full resolution with all the immersive objects. It's extremely well done, although it doesn't cover how many of us are playing TrueHD. That's totally fine, one step at a time. 

Note: Here's my article on Steven's presentation at the Munich High End show in 2024 (link)

Check out Headphone Dust

From the site:

For some time I’ve been planning to have an online platform where I can focus on making audiophile versions of the things I work on. I love (and am still committed to) the Blu-ray format, but not everyone has the capacity to play these discs, not to mention that these releases need to be limited and tend to go out of print quickly, meaning the audio becomes unavailable.

So I’m happy to announce that a brand new Headphone Dust high res audio resource has now launched and will provide a permanent home for my work to be downloaded in high resolution, 5.1 and Atmos / spatial audio. To begin with I’m concentrating on my solo catalogue, but in time I hope to also be able to include other work with my own bands / collaborations and the many artists I’ve mixed for.

Definitive Digital Edition

The best way to rediscover your favourite music

Each Digital Definitive Edition version is the equivalent of a “virtual Blu-ray”, with an MKV file containing the music in every conceivable format, allowing you to switch instantly between high-resolution mixes without compression or compromise.

On select releases, we include 4K music videos/visualisers, which further add to the immersive experience.

Standard Digital Edition

High resolution (up to 24-bit 96kHz) music in both stereo & 5.1 surround

For releases where a Dolby Atmos mix is unavailable, we offer a Standard Digital Edition. These releases provide high-resolution stereo & 5.1 surround in FLAC, up to 24-bit 96kHz.

Experience music in a whole new dimension, on any pair of headphones!

With our Binaural 'Headphone Dust' Mixes, you get a lossless 3D soundstage on any pair of headphones, allowing you to rediscover every intricate detail and layer of the music as if you were in the room. (Select releases only)

Get the ultimate immersive audio experience with Dolby Atmos

We provide the best of both worlds. Every MKV release features Dolby Atmos E-AC3 JOC for greater compatibility and Dolby Atmos TrueHD for reference-quality listening. For those with dedicated Atmos audio setups with hardware capable of HDMI bitstreaming, Dolby Atmos TrueHD offers the pinnacle of lossless immersion.

About the author - https://audiophile.style/about
Author's Complete Audio System Details with Measurements - https://audiophile.style/system

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I can only speak for myself on this topic, but I know a lot of people who think the same. I really wish Dolby licensed its decoding technology in software products for consumer playback. More specifically, I’d pay whatever it costs for a VST3 TrueHD Dolby Atmos decoding plugin or an add-on to products such as Audirvana and Roon that enabled me to play my legally purchased and downloaded TrueHD Dolby Atmos music files. 

I already license the Dolby Atmos Renderer and Dolby Reference Player, using iLok software, and would love to add a simple TrueHD Atmos decoding option. However, the option doesn’t exist. I won’t speculate on Dolby’s reasoning, as I have no insight into the company’s inner decision making process. I can only do my best to ask for this option, and respect Dolby’s decision. 

Give The People What They Want, Or They’ll Find A Way

In the meantime, I published the world’s first article on how to decode TrueHD Dolby Atmos on macOS and Windows back in 2022 (link), and followed it up with an article in 2023 about how to make the process even simpler (link). Today, I’m back at it with another option for rendering / extracting lossless TrueHD Dolby Atmos files for playback on any computer or music server. Up to now, this extraction required the Dolby Reference Player and using an undocumented, or accidentally forgotten, feature to extract files over eight channels. This new option has no such requirement. 

The software is called Cavernize. Its developer recently added the ability to decode TrueHD Dolby Atmos using code from the truehdd GitHub repository.

Cavernize accepts and outputs several file types, among them inputting MKV / MKA and outputting WAV. This is what I’ve been doing with Music Media Helper and Dolby Reference Player, and it’s what I’ve now done with Cavernize. 

I purchase and download TrueHD Dolby Atmos albums from places such as Immersive Audio Album, then use Cavernize to extract 12 channel 7.1.4 WAV files for playback on my 7.1.4 system. This enables me to use state of the art room correction and DACs. This just isn’t possible in any hardware processor available today. 

Note: This isn't an official Dolby product, so I really don't know if there is a big sonic gotcha that I haven't found yet. So far it works as advertised and sounds great in comparison to my files extracted using the official Dolby Reference Player.

Here are some screenshots and options, for those of you willing to give it a go. So far I really like what I hear from this app and I’d love to know what other think, especially compared to the Dolby Reference Player option.

This is the main Cavernize window. You can see I've selected 7.1.4 as the render target because I have a 7.1.4 system, and TrueHD with objects the the audio track. I use PCM, integer (lossless, larger size) as the output and select WAV as part of the process. 

Before clicking Render, I also select these options from the Rendering top menu:

I force 24 bit PCM because that's what all my TrueHD Atmos content is, 24 bit. 

I swap side/rear because the Atmos channel map has side channels before rear channels. 

Below is the default channel mapping for Cavernize. You can see rear channels are listed before side channels.

Here are all the default channel options in Cavernize. Using the separate Cavern Driver download, it's possible to customize these layouts even further. 

Note: If you receive the following error message, you need to convert the MKV file to MKA files using Music Media Helper's Extract Audio From MKV option, and select MKA as the output. This will put each track in a separate MKA file and Cavernize will decode without an issue. 

About the author - https://audiophile.style/about
Author's Complete Audio System Details with Measurements - https://audiophile.style/system

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As much as I love music, both two channel and immersive, and think reproduction of both is as good today as I’ve ever heard, I’m always researching ways to make the experience more enjoyable. For example, two years after starting this site in 2007, myself, Maier Shadi of The Audio Salon in Santa Monica, CA, and Tim Marutani of Marutani Consulting in Danville, CA put on an event called the Computer Audiophile Symposium at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. At that time high end music servers were only a dream, so we experimented with computers running Linux, Windows, and OS X with a number of hardware interfaces. That seems pedestrian in 2025, but I assure you, we built the plane as we flew it back then.

Jump to late 2024 / early 2025 when the dCS Varèse Music System was announced and release to music loving audiophiles around the world. The Varèse is a completely different animal from other dCS products and is the result of several years of R&D, decades of accumulated knowledge, and keen foresight. 

According to dCS, the Varèse was designed with two channel listening systems in mind. This is why it features left and right channel mono DACs, each with its own chassis. Soon after listening to a Varèse Music System, and seeing the individual DAC chassis, Maier Shadi of The Audio Salon and I thought about pushing the boundaries of musical enjoyment even further, like we’ve been doing since 2009. We connected with recording engineer and Wilson Audio Ambassador Peter McGrath, and decided we needed to approach dCS about the possibility of a multichannel Varèse Music System. 

In true dCS fashion, the technical team’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm, but I also sensed a long-needed vacation was in order after the Varèse release. At this first discussion dCS Technical Director Andy McHarg told me it was technically possible for Varèse to reproduce eight channels of audio, but the multichannel configuration didn’t currently exist in any dCS Varèse software. Again, Varèse was built as a two channel music system. 

To quote the famous limousine driver Lloyd Christmas, “So you're telling me there's a chance?”

dCS sales and management teams were all-ears about our desire for a multichannel Varèse Music System, but remained appropriately cautious and made no promises. After years of planning, they were carefully rolling out Varèse around the world, yet we wanted to do something that wasn’t on the global roll-out plan. We all let the idea rest for a few months, but still had it in the back of our minds.

This summer I received a call from Maier (The Audio Salon) and Peter (Wilson Audio), telling me we were on for a multichannel dCS Varèse event in Santa Monica! We’d have six channels of Varèse digital to analog conversion, six channels of Wilson Audio loudspeakers, Peter’s magnificent four channel recordings dating from decades to days old, and all the commercially available recordings I could fit on my portable NVMe drive.

Much work needed to be done between that phone call and the event last Saturday, October 25, 2025. Then, as now, the Varèse software didn’t support multichannel playback. But, dCS always builds products with as much future headroom as possible, giving the company room to experiment when people like Maier, Peter, and I approach them with an idea. This combination of headroom and technical expertise, came together wonderfully for Varèse multichannel.

Our event was called the “World Premiere” of Varèse multichannel and that’s absolutely true. However, it was more of a technical demonstration and dream than anything. Multichannel playback existed in that single nine-piece Varèse stack at The Audio Salon in Santa Monica, and nowhere else on the planet, thus the world premiere headline. I used the word “existed” because on Monday after the event, this Varèse system was reverted to two channel via software update. Multichannel Varèse is a unicorn for now. If there is enough interest perhaps it’ll become commercially available. 

How It Was Done

I arrived at The Audio Salon on Wednesday to begin my work on the digital source. 

I first connected a Merging Anubis and HAPI directly to the D’Agostino amplifiers and my Earthworks M30 measurement microphone. I needed room measurements so Mitch Barnett at Accurate Sound (@mitchco) could create filters adjusting for distance differences between speakers and the listening position, and any frequency anomalies caused by the room. Optimizing for two speakers can be tough enough, but optimizing for six is another challenge entirely. I ran measurements using the aforementioned hardware and Audiolense software, then sent the results to Mitch and awaited his filter options in return, to place into Roon. 

The Varèse was setup to be a multichannel Roon Ready endpoint only, for the event. No UPnP, no direct attached USB drives, etc... The Varèse was also PCM only in this multichannel configuration, although I’m sure dCS will add DSD support if it becomes a commercial offering. 

Once I received the filters from Mitch, I uploaded them to Roon running on my MacBook Pro (M2 Pro), connected to the network via WiFi. That’s right WiFi. In my haste to get the system up and running, I didn’t bother to connect an Ethernet cable. By the time I remembered, several hours into the event, I’d already been sending six channels of DXD 24/352.8 audio to the Varèse over WiFi without a single hiccup. I thought, let’s not fix what isn’t broken. The Varèse was connected via wired Ethernet. 

One thing I had on my side was the fact that I’d setup this network a couple years ago, from the ground up. I spec’d the hardware and configured the software for everything. I was confident it would handle my multichannel high resolution and anything the event visitors may need to do via WiFi. 

The dCS Varèse Music System consisted of a Core, Master Clock, User Interface, and six Mono DACs. All components were connected via dCS ACTUS cables, for a very clean installation. 

D’Agostino components were used for both preamp and amplification. Using preamplifiers was done for a few different reasons, although none of them was mandatory. Rather, it was very nice to have them for this event given what we were trying to do and the nature of a one-off system. Three D’Agostino Momentum preamplifiers were used, connected to five Momentum monoblocks (the sub has internal amplification). One Momentum for the rear channels, one for the front left and right, and one for the center and subwoofer. 

I can already see people twisting in their chairs about THREE PREAMPS! I did as well, until I understood the reason for their use. One reason was for safety. This system was one of a kind with software that wasn’t even near alpha stage. Things could’ve gone wrong, at full volume, with very expensive speakers and irreplaceable ear drums at stake. Hitting mute on preamps or switching inputs would’ve been a quick solution to a problem that we didn’t even come close to having. Another reason for the preamps was to enable Peter McGrath to have complete control over the rear channel volume for his four channel recordings. Peter raised and lowered this level based on the recording he played, to better reproduce the concert hall in which it was recorded. 

Playing commercially available music, I set all three preamps to volume level 75, and relied on custom filters from Mitch Barnett to handle channel differences, using the dCS Varèse remote control or Roon to control volume on the Varèse. 

I brought roughly 3TB of music, from 3 channel Nat King Cole, to 4 channel Quadio from Black Sabbath, to 6 channel Elton John, and everything in between. 

Between the D’Agostino components and out to the loudspeakers, we used Transparent cabling. Transparent was kind enough to overnight us a pair of speaker cables for the rear channels, after we realized we didn’t have the right length to run the cables in an aesthetically pleasing manner, and out of the way of attendees walking in/out of the room.  

The loudspeakers were on a level I’ve never experienced in a multichannel system as well. Fitting for the rest of this amazing system. The front right and left channels were Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX, center channel Wilson Audio Mezzo, rear channels Wilson Audio Alexx V, and subwoofer Wilson Audio Lōkē. 

One without experience listening to all types of multichannel music may ask why such large center channel and rear channel speakers are necessary. I’m glad you asked. Contrary to popular belief, and aligning with the laws of physics, large speakers are fantastic for multichannel music. For example, Nat King Cole was originally recorded in three channel stereo. Listening to these three channel recordings, his voice emanates almost entirely from the center channel, with Gordon Jenkin’s Orchestra from the left and right channels. Skimping on the center channel would skimp on one of the most silky voices of all time, and that’s not something I’d recommend. 

In addition, Four channel Quadio releases, still being released at a nice clip, and 5.1 multichannel releases use the rear channels for everything, not just ambiance. We don’t control the artistic decisions of those creating the music (placing items in nontraditional sonic locations), but we can control how well the results of these decisions are reproduced in our listening rooms. I don’t second guess those creating my favorite music, as that’s what they do all day every day. I do my best to reproduce it as they intended. 

If I could fit Wilson Sabrina V speakers in my listening room for rear channels, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But, after cutting a couple feet off my desk to make room for the Wilson Submerge, I fear I’d have no workspace left if I cut off even more for rear channels. Such is life. 

What Music Was Played?

In addition to Peter McGrath’s private four channel recordings, spanning his entire career from previous decades to just days before the event, I tried to play a mix of everything. I also enjoyed taking requests from fellow music enthusiasts who attended. 

Here are some of the recordings listed in my Roon history. 

• Elton John - Candle in the Wind (Acoustic ) 5.1 mix
• ZZ Top - Jesus Just Left Chicago 4.0 mix
• The Beatles - Because (Love album) 5.1 mix
• Beck - The Golden Age 5.1 mix
• Natalie Merchant - San Andreas Fault 5.1 mix
• Ray Charles - Here We Go Again 5.1 Atmos mix
• Elton John - Rocket Man 5.1 Atmos mix
• Nat King Cole - The Very Thought of You 3.0 mix
• Nat King Cole - Unforgettable 3.0 mix
• Steely Dan - Babylon Sisters 5.1 mix
• Dave Mckendry - Islander (Acoustic) 5.1 Atmos mix
• Dire Straits - Money for Nothing 5.1 mix
• Moby - Porcelain (Acoustic) 5.1 Atmos mix
• Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman 5.1 Atmos mix
• Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman 5.1 mix
• Anette Askvik - Liberty 5.1 Atmos mix
• Prince - Let’s Go Crazy 5.1 Atmos mix
• Aoife O’Donovan - Sister Starling 5.1 Atmos mix
• Bob Reynolds - Chrysalis 5.1 Atmos mix
• Roxy Music - The Main Thing 5.1 Atmos mix
• Dominique Fils-Aimé - Our Roots Run Deep 5.1 Atmos mix
• Van Morrison - Into the Mystic 5.1 Atmos mix
• David Bowie - Moonage Daydream 5.1 Atmos mix

Listener Response 

The people that attended the event were as always, my favorite part of the entire thing. Some flew in from out of state, others were local, and all were friendly music lovers there to experience something new. Some already have multichannel systems, but nobody has a six channel Varèse Music System. 

I wish I could’ve recorded the looks on peoples’ faces when I played music for them, either by their request or my hunch that they’d be into the tracks. One person told me I made his dreams come true. It was so heartwarming to see the enjoyment, all because of experiencing our favorite music a different way. People requested songs they’d been listening to for decades, but after hearing the multichannel versions on this system, told me they couldn’t listen to the two channel version any more without thinking about this experience. I’m sure the memory will fade a bit over time, but the feelings of what we all experienced will last. 

Some attendees worked in the music business and wanted to hear either music they worked on in multichannel or the opposite, music they had no idea was available in multichannel. Playing Nine Inch Nails’ Heresy in all its 5.1 glory at volume levels that were a touch too loud for long term listening, was quite an experience for everyone in the room. The guy who requested it was in awe. I was in awe. People in the next room were in awe, but possibly for different reasons. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. 

Wrap Up

I really wish I would’ve spent an extra day in Santa Monica at The Audio Salon to listen to the system on my own, like I usually do (72 Hours with Varese, 24 Hours with Sabrina V), but a ton of work went into getting everything just right for the event and I was ready to head home Sunday morning. Missing in my write-up of this event are the stressful hours when I couldn’t get something working, taking a break for dinner, then returning until the wee hours of the morning, only to find out it was something very simple that could’ve been resolved in a couple minutes. That’s the nature of doing things on the cutting edge. 

I have to thank everyone involved in working on this event. The team at The Audio Salon (Stevie, Brigi, Atila, Maier), Wilson Audio’s Peter McGrath and Tyler Hall, dCS Technical Director Andy McHarg, Director of North America Emron Mangelson, and Managing Director David Steven. Remote support well outside of business hours from D’Agostino and Transparent was also amazing. 

The sound of this system was truly something to behold and as of now, one of a kind. A one-off system that pushed everyone involved a bit out of their comfort zones and the reward was absolutely worth the risk. My reward was seeing all the happy faces from those who attended. Seriously, spreading the word and sharing the experience of multichannel playback is worth whatever it takes. 

Now to turn up some Pearl Jam in TrueHD Dolby Atmos on my own twelve channel system, and relax a bit :~)

Where to Audition

About the author - https://audiophile.style/about
Author's Complete Audio System Details with Measurements - https://audiophile.style/system

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Good music is good music, no matter how it’s recorded or reproduced in our homes. There isn’t a single technique, format, or technology that is the best, in and of itself. The magic is in the people, who understand the tools and techniques, and the musicians creating beautiful music.

Looking at this from a visual perspective may also illuminate my point. Can you imagine anyone saying there’s a single best paint, medium, and technique for painting? If that were true, the Louvre would be walkable in under an hour and either Van Gogh or Rembrandt could be right, but not both. Yes, that sounds as preposterous as it is.

Let’s look at some new albums, created using vastly different techniques to provide vastly different, but equally as enjoyable, listening experiences.

Iman Spaargaren and Peter Bjørnild - In Essence (Sound Liaison SL-1078A)

From the liner notes:

In Essence' is a welcome return to subtlety, depth, and direct communication. This new album from Iman Spaargaren (clarinet & saxophone) and Peter Bjørnild (double bass) was made using just one carefully placed Josephson C700S (3 capsule) stereo microphone. The entire performance was captured, live in the room, and recorded directly to Pure DSD256. It’s an old-school method in a high-tech frame, a reminder that sometimes the most advanced thing you can do is keep it simple.

Two musicians, the great American songbook, one stereo microphone, captured to DSD256 and delivered to listeners in that format (other formats available as well). The simplicity is refreshing. The skills required to pull it off are anything but simple. Both musicians and Sound Liaison engineer Frans de Rond, didn’t just show up to Studio 2 in Heuvellaan, Hilversum) on January 16, 2025, set a microphone in the middle and start playing. Far from it. Playing for a single microphone, recorded direct to any medium, requires not only great musicianship, but also incredible restraint. In other words, play with passion and emotion, but stay the exact same distance from the microphone and don’t get so into it that the volume level changes require post production.

The end result on In Essence is a wonderful selection of songs, played exquisitely, captured impeccably, and delivered to our listening rooms pristinely. Right from the opening double bass notes of track one, My One and Only You, I was sucked into the album.

Listening first, before digging into the recording details, the sonic image in my head of Peter Bjørnild on his double bass standing on the left of center, and Iman Spaargaren standing just right of center, was clear as day. It was like the two musicians were standing in between my loudspeakers. Once I looked at the photo of the two, during the recording, I kind of chuckled to myself. The actual photo and the imaginary photo in my head were identical.

The soundstage is narrow, which is neither good nor bad as there is no “right” soundstage, as expected from two musicians playing next to each other. The one aspect I miss in this recording is the ambiance of the recording studio, but that’s my own personal taste, not a flaw of the recording. This is art, created by people with a vision, and delivered as designed.

In Essence is a very enjoyable album, that I’ve probably played fifteen times over the last week. The album shouldn’t be mistaken as an audiophile adventure in technology from old to new, but rather as the work of art that it is.

Jane Ira Bloom - Songs in Space (Stereo (OTL146) / Immersive (OTL146i))

From Anderson Audio New York:

Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom is back in zero Gs with her latest recording Songs in Space, a constellation of duets and trios conceived and performed especially for the experience of surround sound listening. The saxophonist who has an asteroid named after her (6083janeirabloom) and long known for her association with NASA pairs with longtime bandmates pianist Dominic Fallaco (from the Grammy nominated ballad project “Sixteen Sunsets”) and bassist Mark Helias and drummer Bobby Previte (from the Grammy award winning trio recording “Early Americans”).

The sound, silence, and acoustic interplay of these improvising musicians has been captured both in high-definition stereo and immersive audio.

Flipping the script, Songs in Space was conceived and performed with immersive audio in mind, but also translates to two channel stereo well. Very different from the aforementioned single microphone recording. What both recordings have in common are talented people behind and in front of the microphones. Engineers and musicians coming together to create a magical experience. What more could we ask for?

Songs in Space features Jane Ira Bloom on soprano saxophone, Dominic Fallaco on piano, Mark Helias on double bass, and Bobby Previte on drums. They were captured with AEA KU-5, Brauner VM-1, B&K 4007, EV 654A, Neumann USM-69, Neumann U87, Schoeps V4, Schoeps MK4V, Sanken, CMS-2, Sanken CU-31, Sanken CU-41, Sennheiser MKH800 microphones to DXD 352.8 kHz 32 bit through a Merging Technologies converter.

What does this additional complexity get the listener? I’ve been listening to the 5.1.4 discrete immersive DXD version for several days, and feel like I’m in the room with the four musicians. The sense of space around the instruments, the envelopment, and the lively feel to this album are very special.

Whether it’s the opening piano played by Dominic Fallaco on track four, I Could Have Danced All Night, or Jane Ira Bloom’s accompanying soprano sax that comes in around ten second into the track, the sound of both instruments alone and together, places the listener in a unique space that’s only possible through immersive audio formats.

My favorite track on the album is track eight, Cry Without An Alphabet. The sound is ethereal yet at the same time incredibly vibrant and right there within my grasp. It’s an emotional track with an apropos name, as it touches the listener’s heart without saying a word. The immersive mix makes me feel like right there in the recording studio, maintaining all the tone and color of the piano and soprano sax, wile also allowing the instruments to breathe in a natural sounding environment. There isn’t a sacrifice to have one or the other.

Kudos to the engineering team at Anderson Audio New York for capturing this beautiful piece of music and enabling lucky listeners to experience it like never before. It’s a real treat.

Wrap up

Some may prefer a single microphone stereo recording or a multi-microphone immersive album, but the truth is that neither is better in and of itself. I love both types and enjoy the music as it comes to me, whether two, ten, or twelve channels. One doesn’t need to pick sides, or formats, or even types of music. What I recommend is we pick people. Good musicians and good engineers create musical art that’s greater than the sum of its parts, no matter how it’s created or delivered.

Both of these stellar albums are available now, in a number of formats to suit one’s listening environments. Enjoy.

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Music means and does different things for different people. To some it’s background noise, the soundtrack of summer, or even played for five seconds while walking up to home plate before a batting appearance in Major League Baseball. To others, myself included, music can transport us to another time and place, extricate us from regular life for three minutes or three hours, and pull emotion out of us like nothing else on Earth. Whether music is experienced superficially or deep into one’s soul, matters not to me. There’s no right way to experience this amazing art created by human beings.

Even for those of us who love and listen to music as an important aspect of our lives, not all music tugs at our heart strings or forces us think about its message. Sometimes we need to drop our guard, act foolish, and dance with our kids to Beyonce’s Texas Hold 'Em. The experience fills our souls with joy while creating indelible memories.

On the other hand, some music is so enthralling that it holds us in our chairs from the opening note to the closing outro. Given our detrimentally short attention spans today, an album capable of captivating the listener for its entirety is truly something special. The new album from Brittany Davis, titled Black Thunder, is absolutely one of those special unicorn albums that doesn’t demand our attention from top to bottom, but rather pulls us in so much so that we choose to sit down and listen up.

The music on Black Thunder stands on its own, exuding emotion, life experience, pain, perseverance, and hope. Whether one listens through headphones or a twelve channel 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system, the music and messages are all there. However, there are a couple facts that take this album to near legendary status, and will increase one’s enjoyment of it even more.

First, Brittany Davis is completely blind. Blindness doesn’t define Brittany, but once listeners understand this fact, the lyrics on Black Thunder become even more powerful. According to Brittany, “As a blind person, I've never had an actual visual experience … sound is the way I've always seen my world.”

Second, this album is a product of three musicians in a room together letting their guards down and letting the creativity flow. The album was, “improvised live, lyrics and everything.  Brittany and I added some elements to a few songs after the fact (that are featured heavily in the Atmos mixes!) but the main trio and the vocals were 100% improvised live in the room. I didn’t record it with an immersive mix in mind (in fact when we started rolling, we were just demoing!  No one knew that these sessions were going to result in such a creatively complete outpouring!).” According to Producer, recording and mix Engineer Josh Evans.

After listening to this album multiple times from start to finish, with the aforementioned details in mind, a quote from musician Kim Gordon’s memoir Girl in a Band, popped into my head, “People pay money to see others believe in themselves.” Black Thunder gives me the sense that Brittany has this belief and as a fan it pulls me even closer.

As an audiophile since birth, the only thing that can make amazing music even better for me is commensurate sound quality. I’m totally fine enjoying an album like Black Thunder through a mono AM radio. But, as a listener, when I am brought even further into the music through great sound quality, the experience can be unforgettable. Such is the case with Black Thunder.

I spent many hours listening to the immersive Dolby Atmos version of Black Thunder. To me, the Atmos mix takes this music to a special place and delivers an experience that’s second to none. According to Josh Evans, “I really wanted to put the listener inside the music itself.  Rather than create a soundstage or image, or a performance capture.  Almost a surreal, or hyper-real, experience.  Like we are sitting inside Brittany’s creative process as the band creates the different worlds of music and sound, while still “staying out of the way” of the band and the listener.  There are some obvious soundscape-y moments that are crafted, but I wanted the musical “meat” of the performances to be presented honestly and transparently, keeping with the spontaneous, organic, creation process.”

Evans’ execution of this immersive mix is perfect in every way, starting with the track All You Get. Enveloping piano brings the listener in tighter to the front focused bass, drums, and vocals. When Brittany claps and rubs her hands together at the start, I could swear she is standing directly in front of me, getting ready to create some magic.

The realism of each instrument on this track reminds me much more of legendary albums recorded or mixed by Al Schmidt, Elliot Scheiner, or Bill Schnee. The sound of D’Vonne Lewis’ drum kit has so much texture it’s palpable, and the space around the cymbals gives them an open air / in the room sound. Then there’s Evan Flory-Barnes’ double bass. Wow! Toward the end of the track, the bass sounds amazingly realistic. Yes, there’s the fundamental bass notes from the string plucks, but even more beauty comes from the imperfection of the vibrations or buzzing of the instrument as it’s being played. It’s real music being played by real musicians in real time, and it sounds absolutely real.

Speaking of great bass, the track Change Me is another gem. I could listen to it all day, with the deep foundational groove right down the middle, providing a platform for Brittany to creatively wander. The vocals on this track also sound really raw, in the best way, presenting Brittany unfiltered both linguistically and sonically.

Girl (Now We’re the Same) delivers a similar feeling to Change Me in its rawness. The opening kick drum, played gently, sounds so pure. The claps and percussion interspersed with everything else are really neat. A few minutes into the track Brittany’s piano kind of takes over for the bass, playing much louder through the side and front channels. This has a powerful foundational effect to the track as a whole. It’s cohesive, and necessary, given a bunch of other sounds mixed in at the same time. Great stuff.

The track Mirrors has a commercial sound to it and very powerful lyrics, so much so that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it on the radio, see it in popular playlists, or kept as one of those hidden treasures we all listen to and for some reason the rest of the world hasn’t heard. Josh Evans captured the musicians masterfully and mixed this one with a light touch, creating a track that’s just beautiful.

Circling back to two of my favorite tracks on the album, Black Thunder and Amid the Blackout of the Night. Two very different types of songs, mixed very differently, as they should be mixed.

Black Thunder initially made me say whoa! Evans uses the immersive audio palette really well on this track, with music, spoken word, and other sounds mixed together to serve the music superbly. Sounds from all of my speakers can be heard, with the main musical thrust remaining in the front, down the middle. Listening to this one is like stepping into another world, while Brittany takes the listener on a journey.

Amid the Blackout of the Night is an absolute masterpiece of a song and immersive mix. Listening to Brittany’s voice and lyrics on this one, I just shake my head in amazement thinking how great the song is musically and wondering how in the world someone who has “never had an actual visual experience” can emphatically and authentically sing about the blackout of the night with beautiful stars (metaphorically or otherwise). One listen and I was immediately taken by this track and its messages that are well beyond my ability to fully grasp without many more attempts to put myself in Brittany’s shoes and imagine the picture she is painting sonically for us. Evans’ enveloping mix also pulls the listener into the song right from the opening notes of Brittany’s piano.

I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of this beautiful song. Fortunately I’m in no rush to move past this track and the album as a whole. I’m listening to it now as I type, and I plan to keep listening in the days, weeks, and years ahead. Black Thunder is in my collection of keepers, that I will tell friends and family about, and place between other special albums that are much greater than the sum of their songs. Black Thunder is one of the most impactful albums in recent memory. The album has it all, great musicianship, great music, emotional pull, human stories, and terrific sonics in both stereo and Josh Evans’ immersive mix.

Whether listening to the stereo or immersive version of Black Thunder, this album will move any human being with a pulse, and enthrall those with a passion for music and the beautiful art people can make when in a room together and letting their creativity flow unhindered.

Listen & Read:

Brittany Davis - website

Stream - Qobuz | TIdal | Apple Music Dolby Atmos

Purchase - Bandcamp | Local Record Store

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Released on May 16, 2000, Pearl Jam’s sixth studio album Binaural has been a distant record for me. Distant in that much of the music didn’t reach out and grab me at the time of its release. This distance is also related to where I was in life. Two years out of college, trying to find my path in the world, and dedicating most of my waking hours to work. As important as music has been in my life, it had taken a back seat temporarily around 2000.

I remember sitting at my computer in the spring of 2000, in the porch of a house at 33rd & Humboldt in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis, teaching myself Macromedia Flash. A local radio station was streaming out of my Klipsch 2.1 computer speaker system, at 64 kbps via RealAudio Player. The DJ came on after a commercial break and announced a new Pearl Jam song titled Nothing As It Seems was about to be premiered. I had no idea a new album was even in the works, so a new song was a total surprise to me.

I turned up the volume and as soon as the track started playing, I was captivated by the guitars, droning bass, Eddie’s vocals, and Matt Cameron’s drums, specifically his delicate snare work. I don’t remember the first time I heard many other songs in my life, but this was one I’ll never forget.

Unfortunately, the pull of work and life took me away from the rest of the album by the time it was released. I managed to drive to see Pearl Jam play All State Arena outside of Chicago on October 9th, 2000, then drive home to Minneapolis immediately after the show. As enjoyable as the concert was, the experience shows where I was at in life. I wasn’t even in the state of Illinois for 24 hours before I was on the way home, so I could get back to work. Yuck.

Note: Perhaps my schedule saved me from freezing at the famous Peal Jam ice bowl concert the night before in Alpine Valley, where the temperature dipped below freezing. I guess that would be the Mr. Brightside way to look at it. Looking back, I would’ve loved to have been there and seen the guys play guitars with frozen fingers and walk away with an indelible memory.

Now, 25 years later Pearl Jam fans have an opportunity to hear Binaural in a completely new light. The music isn’t new, but the immersive mix by Josh Evans and Nick Rives is, and it’s now available in TrueHD Dolby Atmos. After listening to the album a few times I was completely surprised by what I heard. Binaural was no longer that distant Pearl Jam album, but rather one with arms that brought me into the fold, enveloped me, and revealed so many layers I had no idea were there all along.

Note: Readers should distinguish the album name Binaural from the binaural recording technique. According to mix engineer Josh Evans, who wasn’t involved in the original mix but used the original tapes for this immersive mix, “I believe the only “true” binaural track is Soon Forget.  Everything else was recorded mostly conventionally, with the caveat that all the drum tracks used a Neumann binaural head microphone for overheads... augmented with other “spot” microphones, ie kick, snare, toms, etc…”

Yes, I’m at a different place in life where couldn’t be deeper into music and I spend a lot of time listening, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Immersive mix engineers Evans and Rives have given Binaural new life through a combination of their classic signature immersive elements (superb and appropriate use of height channels) and by bringing out elements that were captured at Studio Litho in 1999/2000 but were inaudible on the traditional stereo mix. What I once considered a somewhat flat sounding compressed rock mix, is now full of layers, separation of instruments in their own spaces, and real dynamic range.

On the first two tracks, Breakerfall and God’s Dice, the listener is brought into the tracks through judicious use of the side channels and space in the half-circle from side left through the front channels and around to the side right. It’s a nice 180 degree mix of separate instruments, augmented by the other immersive channels, that just can’t be present with only two channels. Much more of the track is audible to me when listening to the immersive mix, as opposed to the stereo mix I’ve known for 25 years.

On track three, Evacuation, I’ve always been so focused on Eddie sternly singing EVACU-ATION, that I never really heard all the backing vocals throughout. This immersive mix uses the rear and height channels beautifully to bring the backing vocals into the picture in a way that adds to the track and makes it sound like a complete band effort, not just Eddie taking over the microphone. On the track Thin Air, while a much slower and quieter track, height channels are also used nicely for backing vocals. In a way, I  felt vibes of Grateful Dead’s Attics Of My Life when listing to the immersive mix of Evacuation and Thin Air. All three tracks use height channels for backing vocals, to great effect.

Light Years, track four, when I hear this track, I always think back to that October 9, 2000 concert and hearing Eddie dedicate it to Grace, someone who lived in Chicago and clearly made the world a better place. Engineer Josh Evans used a delicate touch with this track for the Atmos mix. Most of the action is in the front channels, with slight guitar envelopment in the side channels and recording studio reverb in the rear channels. Toward the middle of the track Evans raises the soundstage a bit, in a way he has in past releases, by using the height channels. It’s very tastefully done and suits the music and message in this track perfectly.

Circling back to the track that opened my eyes and ears in the Spring of 2000, Nothing As It Seems received a classic Evans / Rives immersive mix. The track is amazing in stereo, but in TrueHD Dolby Atmos it’s on another level. Stone Gossard’s rhythm guitar in the left front and side channels, Mike McCready’s eery leads in the front and side right channels, then about 1:55 into the track the front right and front right height channels are used for McCready’s solo. This is a hallmark of Evans/Rives mixing style and I absolutely love it. The soundstage is raised and the solo attacks the listener as if one is standing in the front row at a Pearl Jam concert and hearing the guitar via speakers on the stage and hanging down from the ceiling.

I can’t imagine hearing this track in TrueHD Dolby Atmos back in 2000, it would’ve blown my mind. In 2025, even though I’ve heard a zillion immersive mixes, listening to Nothing As It Seems is a trip that I could take daily.  Incredibly eery, with sounds emanating from different locations in the soundstage, and above all the masterful musicianship made even more evident by the separation of instruments in the immersive mix.

Track eight, Of The Girl, has a really really neat opening with a very immersive feeling of being in the room with the band. Almost like they are coming up with this track on the fly as the listener sits there, then it kicks in. More than any other track, Of The Girl opens its arms and pulls me in as a listener in a way the stereo version could only dream about. I’m no longer looking through a window at the band creating this magic, I’m sitting in the room, hearing each musician play his part, figuratively smelling the air of Studio Litho, feeling the vibe that must have been there.

The closing of the track with what sounds like a little tube amp hum among other things, isn’t lost on me. This is a favorite track of mine, now.

The track Grievance starts like a straight ahead rock Atmos mix, and for the most part remains there, but Evans and Rives found the appropriate elements that deserve to be placed in their own spaces, taking advantage of the infinite color palette that is immersive audio, to enhance the track beyond the capabilities of stereo. There’s a tambourine on this track that I’d previously never heard, and it really sounds like it’s mounted on Matt Cameron’s drum kit. I could be wrong, given the presence of overdubs and the way recordings work, but it sure sounds like it and it sounds pretty nice.

Toward the end of Grievance Evans and Rives again raise the soundstage with McCready’s guitar partially in the front right height channel. In addition, there what sounds a bit like a pick scrape that emanates from this channel, with a very nice effect. To those who haven’t hear it or are inexperienced with immersive audio, this may sound like a gimmick, but I assure everyone that this is done incredibly well.

I almost never do this because it isn’t what the music is about for me, but for Grievance I recommend muting the front left and right channels just once. Hearing everything that has gone into this track and how Evans / Rives placed each item immersively in the mix is really educational. I can’t believe there are so many layers to what seems like a flat rock track. With this information now in hand, listening to the track will never be the same.

The appearance of producer Tchad Blake’s dog Dakota on the track Rival was an element to which I looked forward to hearing. I enjoy the way Dakota starts behind the listener, moves around to the sides, end ends up in the front of the listening space. It’s creative use of the dog’s growl and I like it. The rest of the track has more signature Evans / Rives elements with height channels raising the soundstage amazingly well by reproducing cymbal reverb, piano, and guitar.

In addition, Eddie’s vocal reverb or backing track when yelling, “As we release this unspeakable toll (Woo!),” among other phrases, is nicely placed in the rear channels without stealing thunder from the main thrust of the music in the front channels. I think that’s key here and shows the experience of Evans and Rives, using the entire sonic space to create a win-win, rather than a win-lose where a nontraditional instrument placement causes the track as a whole to lose the plot.

On Sleight Of Hand I heard something I’d never heard in the stereo mix. I’m sure it’s there, but again, I’d never heard it. Keep in mind that I’m not listening to the album under a microscope, trying to find these things, they are just present in the mix because of the nice instrument spatial separation enabled by an immersive mix. Squeezing everything through a two channel firehose can cause certain elements to be missed, even though the band placed them on the album for a reason.

Anyway, on Sleight Of Hand I thought I heard what sounded like a giant set of keys, think like Duplo Lego sized aluminum keys, being tossed up and caught over and over again. I reached out to immersive mix engineer Josh Evans to ask about this. He said, “I believe the track was labeled “chains.” Chains never crossed my mind as an instrument of my favorite band, but then again, neither did a giant set of keys.

Listening to the track as a whole, there is solid bass right down the middle, giving the mix a great foundation for the other elements to shine in their own ways. This is one reason the “chains” aren’t distracting, but rather are another element adding to the musical message. The envelopment of the guitars from front around to the side channels is fantastic on this track, also revealing layers of guitars and effects pedals.

I have a new respect for Sleight Of Hand after hearing all the layers and guitar effects. It’s almost like seeing the band live because you can literally see each member doing his thing on stage, tapping foot pedals etc…, and on the immersive mix you can hear this as it’s separated from the incredibly congested two channel mix. I can’t ask for more from a mix and Pearl Jam’s music.

Soon Forget is a track featuring Eddie Vedder and his Ukulele. That it. Or so I thought. “[T]here were actually more than just two elements in the track…  There’s actually four. Vocal, Ukulele, the Room, and analog equipment Noise (hiss, etc). ” Said Josh Evans. Of course! I just never thought of it that way until Evans said it to me like that.

I really love how Evans and Rives mixed this track like engineers who understand it’s about the music and how to serve it the best way possible, not about attention seeking mixing engineers trying to make things crazy just because they can. The limitless immersive audio palette was sparingly on this track, as I believe is appropriate.

Closing the album is the somber sounding Parting Ways. Evans and Rives pulled the beauty out of this track and placed it on a silver platter for listeners. Yes, there are immersive guitars on this track, but the stars of the show are Justine Foy on cello in the side left channel and Matt’s wife April Cameron on viola in the side right channel. I’d never heard these wonderful strings sound so compelling on Parting Ways until I played the immersive mix. Just beautiful.

After listening to this new mix of Pearl Jam's Binaural, by Josh Evans and Nick Rives, two things come to mind. First, I can’t help but think there’s so much music that’s waiting to be uncovered by immersive engineers. Buried in countless stereo mixes is the hard work of an infinite number of musicians who purposely added an element or two to a track, only to see it vanish in a compressed stereo mix forced through the firehose of two channels. Second, a once distant album is now much closer and personal to me thanks to this new immersive view that enables me to hear what’s been on the album all along. What a treat.

Buy the Blu-ray with both high resolution stereo and TrueHD Dolby Atmos here (link)

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I first heard Purple Rain in the winter of 1984 at my friend Mark’s house. His older brother was playing the cassette through a boombox in the basement. Mark said, “This is a new album from a guy on the North side named Prince.” Growing up on a steady diet of The Who and Led Zeppelin as a kid, I’d neither heard of Prince nor Purple Rain at the time. This initial taste of Prince left an indelible memory. The music wasn’t my favorite, but it was obvious even to my nine year old self that the album was special.

Soon, Prince was everywhere I looked. In my small world of Minneapolis, without internet obviously, I assumed this was just a Minnesota thing. Then I saw Prince and his unforgettable bodyguard Chick Huntsberry take the stage during the 1985 American Music Awards, and I realized Prince was literally everywhere.

Several tracks from the Purple Rain album played constantly on local Minneapolis radio stations back in the day, but I never purchased the cassette. There was something about the sound of the album that didn’t click with me. Going from the powerful sound of John Bonham and Keith Moon playing through my Walkman, to the sound of the Linn LM-1 and LinnDrum drum machines, and layered synthesizers, was a bridge too far for me at the time.

Over the decades I lost what little interest I had in Prince, likely because he was so prolific and mainstream radio played the same hits over and over and over. After his unfortunate passing I, like most people, regained interest in him and his music. I had a newfound respect for his artistry and the music he created. Still not the biggest fan, but I was no longer allergic to hearing Kiss, When Doves Cry, or Let’s Go Crazy.

Fast forward to this week and the arrival of the newly released TrueHD Dolby Atmos mix of Purple Rain by engineer Chris James. James went back to original multi-track master tapes for this mix, and used his intricate knowledge of Prince and his music to create what I consider a masterpiece. This immersive mix breathes the life into Purple Rain that had always been hiding on those master tapes.

The stereo releases to date never “did” it for me sonically. Now, I’m all-in and hearing things in greater detail with nice separation and hearing things that just couldn’t have been heard without an immersive mix. I like it so much that I’ve already talked to a handful of friends and people in the industry about the album. I was truly unprepared for this version of Purple Rain. To say I’m a fan is the understatement of the year.

On the opening track, Let’s Go Crazy, engineer Chris James masterfully and with restraint, created an audio experience that takes this song to a level that wasn’t possible in two channel stereo. The intro to the track uses immersion very subtly, as do the initial drum and guitar parts. About one minute into the track when Prince says “Go crazy,” James gets more creative and immersive with the mix, wrapping the listener in individual instruments, not in a 360 degree circle, but more of a 180 degree half circle.

When Prince launches into the guitar solo around the 3:45 mark of the track, the immersion places the listener in the studio with Prince and his amp. The guitar sounds wonderful and the reverb heard along the side and in the rear channels is life-like. It’s as if, and maybe there was, microphones placed around the room while Prince was recording, just to capture the sound of being in the room while he was playing. I can’t stop listening to this. So special.

The drum into on Take Me With You, is an example of using movement with great effect. It’s also an example of something those who’ve never experience it will claim is a gimmick. The drums start in the rear right speaker and wrap around from rear right to side right to front right to center to front left to side left and finally end in the rear left speaker (like a horseshoe). This really should be heard. It’s very tasteful. I can’t imagine listening to this song without the immersive drum opening. It’s absolutely not gimmicky at all.

Some other highlights include hearing things on When Doves Cry that I’ve never heard, making this track almost new again. I’ve probably heard Doves a zillion times and was very tired of it by 2025. Now, I choose to listen to it several times in a row, several times per day, several times per week. Talk about breathing new life into music! On I Would Die 4 U, the immersion wrapping the listener in sound really serves the music very well. It enables one to hear each instrument and backing vocal in its own space, identifying each as it played a role in the whole, rather than crammed into two speakers fighting for time and space with all the other sonic treasures hidden within.

What can I say about the closing track, Purple Rain? It’s a masterpiece in any form, from mono to immersive. James used restrain on this one, immersing the listener with beautiful strings surround the listening position. The emotional impact of Prince’s vocals, because of added separation from the strings and even his guitar fills, is otherworldly. Toward the middle of the title track when Prince lays into his guitar, it’s as if he is standing on a pedestal in front with immersive supporting musicians surround the room.

The long and slow fade-out of Purple Rain is emotional in its own way and much more musical than I remember. In fact, I don’t think I’ve listened all the way to the end of this track very much in stereo. There was just nothing that held me to the track. This immersive mix holds the listener and pulls emotion out at every step. It’s 8 minutes and 43 seconds of bliss, music mastery, story telling, and it has been brought back to life through this new immersive mix by Chris james.

I was completely unprepared to hear Purple Rain like this. The combination of musical genius, thoughtful and masterful immersive engineering, when played through a high end immersive system, is pure gold. Or should I say platinum. It took this immersive mix to finally bring me close to the music that was right in front of me for the last 40 years. A big tip of the cap to Chris James for the incredible mix.

Buy this incredible album here: Rhino or SDE Exclusive

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