The Sophisticated Audiophile

Blu-ray seems to be gaining a foothold with consumers as their choice for premium HD content. While video content is great, the format is equally capable of delivering high resolution audio. Unlike SACD, if you already have a blu-ray player for movies, or even a Playstation 3, you won’t need to purchase a separate stand-alone or universal player to enjoy what blu-ray audio has to offer.

My first foray into the blu-ray audio world was via Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails. I was literally blown away by it. The sound quality was stellar. Trent Reznor is a perfectionist, and had long supported high resolution audio in the past via SACD, DVD-A, FLAC and ALAC, so it came as no surprise to see him release a blu-ray audio disc. After listening to Ghosts I-IV, I was immediately optimistic about the future of blu-ray audio. To my dismay, the amount of titles that have been released are few and far between.

With the relatively few blu-ray audio titles released so far, I was very excited to receive a copy of Mozart-Grieg: Works for Two Pianos, Vol. II performed by Heide Görtz and Tina Margareta Nilssen, better know as the Dena Piano Duo. The works performed here are Mozart’s Sonata in D for two keyboards, Mozart’s Fantasia for piano in C minor arranged by Grieg, and Grieg’s Old Norwegian Melody with Variations op. 51. Unlike the first volume which was only an SACD release, Vol. II comes with both a blu-ray audio disc and a hybrid SACD. Both discs are housed in a normal blu-ray case. In terms of value, you would be hard pressed to find a better one.

On the blu-ray disc, you have your choice of either the 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio track, or the stereo LPCM track. Both are 192kHz, 24-bit. The hybrid SACD offers a 96kHz, 24-bit 5.1 multi-channel and stereo layer, in addition to a CD layer as well. I really applaud 2L for covering all bases on the digital side of things. They are to be commended.

Audio options for the blu-ray disc

I first sat down to listen to the blu-ray disc. My first listen was with the 5.1 DTS HD MA track. Right off the bat, I was impressed. There is emphasis on the center and rear channels, more so than I have heard with most multichannel offerings. This is not a bad thing, since I feel that most multichannel discs are often overwhelmed by the front 2 channels with the rear channels being an afterthought. Not so here. If you enjoy multichannel audio, then there is much to like here. My only gripe is the lack of a bottom end. The LFE (low-frequency effect) is minimal, but that doesn’t come as a surprise since this is a piano duet. Ultimately, it’s a minor quibble.

The blu-ray menu

I listened to the 2.0 LPCM track next, and I have to say I preferred it. It’s certainly not a demerit for the 5.1 track, it’s wonderful. Multichannel audio fans would enjoy it immensely, I did. I simply prefer 2 channel audio for serious listening. The 2.0 track felt a bit more natural. Tonality and soundstage to me was more balanced since nothing had to be shared across 5 channels. For a recording without thumping bass, I think it was better suited for stereo. For me at least.

My findings with the SACD were virtually identical. I also preferred the stereo layer to the 5.1 multichannel layer. In terms of fidelity, despite having the lower bitrate, I didn’t hear any differences between the blu-ray disc and the SACD. They both sounded superlative.

In conclusion, this package is a tremendous one put out by 2L. The performances by Heide Görtz and Tina Margareta Nilssen are wonderful. It may not be the most authoritative interpretations of Mozart and Grieg, but they performed brilliantly. In terms of fidelity, both multichannel and stereo fans will be satisfied by the audio track options. Very seldom will you see such value in music released today, certainly not high resolution music. Here’s to hoping that we see more blu-ray/SACD combinations released in the near future. I’m ready for it!

Equipment used

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Universal Player

Filed under: Audiophile, Blu-ray, Classical, Digital, SACD, Video, 2L, Dena Piano Duo, Heide Görtz, Naxos, Tina Margareta Nilssen