Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Very happy with this, especially for a modern release, which usually can't exceed CD quality. This one does. Quiet, punchy, and with more detail than I was expecting.

It was a nice surprise that the included download card led to a 24/96 hi-res WAV download.

Must say I was a bit skeptical when the record came out of the sleeve dirty and smudged. But after a spin through the good old knosti I’m somewhat impressed.
No noise, flat, and with a crisp sound.
Pleased with this copy.

Man, what a pressing. So crisp and punchy. Can't imagine this album sounding any better.

I had one of the copies with terrible surface noise on side A, but I just got an ultrasonic cleaner and ran this one through. Now, it's silent. So lots of these copies with surface noise I think are just dirty. Give it a good clean and it should improve!

why is the overall rating relatively low at 4.5ish? Any comments?

Not sure what the other review is talking about to be honest. This pressing is punchy and the only issue I had was some sharp bits on the edges. Cleaned the disc up and it sounds great. The glow in the dark feature is pure novelty, but it’s amusing nonetheless!

Can anyone comment on how this sounds compared hi-res Qobuz via Bluesound Node or similar?

This DVD edition is a documentary with the only audio being the album. The video is a revelation. You have a window - actually it is a seat - in the rooms and in front of the consoles, every hour day and night, in a sparse flat and down in the basement, where this album was recorded. The consternation of the artists faces as they ponder how to make the best album they can make (which they did) is all here. If you really like this album, you may find it to be one of the best A/V releases of all time. I do. It makes me want to record an album.

Received my copy via VMP subscription June 2019. Happy to say the flaws that others have reported seem to have passed over my copy, it is dead silent. The songs are punchy and dynamic, sounds amazing. Packaging is great as always, heavy high quality sleeve and inserts. Nice, upbeat, synthy indie rock goodness.