Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC*, Universal Music Group UNI285 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

For baby boomers the world over whose teenage years were spent living on a diet of what’s now termed ‘classic’ rock, Deep Purple’s Made In Japan represents one of the world’s most visceral and energetic rock bands captured at their pinnacle performance-wise. The 2LP set issued in 1972 contained tracks recorded across three nights in Tokyo and Osaka a few months after the band had released Machine Head. When the applause dies down following ‘Smoke On The Water’, singer Ian Gillan asks his engineer to adjust the foldback monitors to make ‘everything louder than everything else’. This remains one of rock’s immortal moments, as does the band’s virtuosity in this timeless memento. These latest remasters sound better than ever – with improved clarity and weightier bass – but don’t spend extra for the 96kHz/24-bit container. JB

Sound Quality: 65%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

While the original 1972 mixes (trks 8-14) have a higher noise floor than the 2013 remasters (trks 1-7), the latter were produced (at 48kHz?) for release on CD – these ‘96kHz/24-bit Studio Masters’ look like upsampled renderings. PM