Hi-Res Downloads

192kHz/24-bit FLAC, Chandos CHSA5145 (supplied by www.theclassicalshop.net)

This appears to be the first Chandos orchestral recording from The Classical Shop at 192kHz/24-bit resolution – like the SACD, it has no extra work so is low-priced. It was produced live in mid-2013 by Soundmirror Inc at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall: the first of three Chandos projects with the orchestra. The interpretative benchmark Sheherazade was set by Beecham in 1958, a simply mic’d early stereo recording by EMI; the 1960 Reiner RCA ‘Living Stereo’ remains its chief rival. This is not in the same class as either. The leader’s solos are not at all seductive, least of all in (iv), although there’s fine work from principal cellist and wind colleagues. But the real problems lie with Oundjian, who has, as it were, the handbrake on for much of the time and we rarely feel the flow and tension of the piece. It’s never exciting. CB

Sound Quality: 70%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

Although the original recording was evidently in LPCM at 192kHz/24-bit the ~70kHz practical bandwidth suggests 176.4kHz would have been the better choice for upsampling to SACD. Note the spuriae at 48kHz and 60-70kHz. PM