The stereo image is precise, the presence almost tactile. A standout for those seeking natural, unprocessed sound.
Recommendations for recordings with similar realism are welcome.
Superlative review in P.F.
…And while the technology is interesting (and I’m a huge fan of what it accomplishes), the results are what matter. And the results here, musically and sonically, are just superb.
Iman Spaargaren and Peter Bjørnild play brilliantly together. There is a warm shared spirit in the room that is completely evident from the music-making. These two artists simply “get” each other. They play with a soft, subtle, interchange of ideas, emotion, and shared sense of how the music should flow. And flow it does—in all the best ways possible. I listened to the entire album without a stop, finding it completely engaging, musically captivating, and simply delightful.
But I have to admit, an important factor for me was the lifelike sound, with its the utter transparency and realistically reproduced timbre of the instruments. Peter’s double bass was deep, warm, resonant, and completely natural. I felt I could hear the wood vibrating as the strings breathed with life. Iman’s saxophone and his clarinet just sounded flat out real, with a woody tone to the clarinet that I just loved. His playing style on sax has that breathiness, and life, so very similar to the sound of Ben Webster—a marvelous velvety texture. And this recording was able to capture and recreate that sound realistically, just beautifully, in my listening space.
No sharp edges here, but in the good way of meaning that the sound was golden, fully fleshed out, real. And with the microphones placed just perfectly, the artists sounded as though they were standing right in front of me—solid, substantial, three-dimensional. Few recordings achieve this. But Frans’ One-Mic recordings frequently do so. And for that, I love them. And here is another to cherish.
I suspect this golden, velvety sound is something Frans is intentionally seeking to create. An experience listening to music that is both real, but more that real in the way the sound can envelop you, give you comfort, and give you sustenance, all at one time. He writes about working to combine the best experience of listening in analog with the best that digital has to offer. With DSD256 and his analog mixing chain, he is really creating a distinctive sonic experience that sounds real, even if a bit idealized. I’ll take the ideal he is seeking to provide.
Bought😊. Thanks!
