Press release | PS Audio’s Octave Records label announces its first compilation album, Audiophile Masters, Volume 1. The hybrid stereo SACD disc features 10 new and previously released tracks by a variety of Octave Records and other artists including pianist Don Grusin, trumpeter Gabriel Mervine, pop/female vocal group Clandestine Amigo and acoustic guitarist Bill Kopper, plus classical works by Mozart and Schumann and more.
The tracks were recorded in pure DSD with the intent of conveying the music with the highest level of fidelity – and total listener involvement. “We didn’t just want to offer an ‘audiophile spectacular’ disc, although Audiophile Masters, Volume 1 certainly is a state-of-the-art demonstration record,” said PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan. “It was equally important to offer selections that were musically engaging – after all, a great audio experience isn’t just about exceptional sound but making an emotional connection with the music.”
Audiophile Masters Volume 1 – SRP $29 – is playable on any CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. It also has a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible only using a PS Audio SACD transport, or by copying the DSD tracks on the included DVD data discs. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download from psaudio.com at this link.
Modern Art by Bill Kopper leads off the compilation with intimately-recorded piano, acoustic bass, drums and percussion, and the acoustic guitar duet of The Hitchhiker, with Taylor Sims and Kyle Donovan, captures every nuance of both players’ instruments in exquisite detail and harmonic richness. Don Grusin’s solo piano piece, Willow Dance, is a stunning rendition of what a real grand piano sounds like, as played by a master. Want dynamics, depth and tonal color? Saffron has all of that and much more. Female vocals are naturally conveyed in tracks like Clandestine Amigo’s Flying Blind and Clara Schumann’s Sechs Lieder, Op. 23, No. 1 Was weinst du, Blümlein, featuring vocalist Ekaterina Kotcherguina. Additional tracks, some of which have never been released previously, include string quartet, trumpeter Gabriel Mervin’s jazz ensemble, Carl Dixon’s percussion workout Tambores de Natureza and more.
Audiophile Masters Volume 1 was recorded and mastered at Animal Lane, PS Audio and Moose Sound LLA studios using the Sonoma recording system. It features Octave Records’ exclusive DSDDirect Mastered 192kHz/24-bit process and 96kHz/24-bit and 44.1kHz/16-bit PCM.
The track listing for Audiophile Masters Volume 1 is as follows:
Modern Art – Bill Kopper
The Hitchhiker – Taylor Sims and Kyle Donovan
Willow Dance – Don Grusin
Feels – Gabriel Mervine
Saffron – From Color of Sound
Sechs Lieder, Op. 23, No. 1 Was weinst du, Blümlein – Clara Schumann
Terra de Milagros – Bill Kopper
Flying Blind – Clandestine Amigo
Tambores de Natureza – Carl Dixon
Milanese Quartet No. 6 in B flat Major, K. 159, Second Movement – W.A. Mozart
Click here to order Audiophile Masters Volume 1.
About Octave Records
Octave Records was founded in 2019 to offer the finest-quality high-resolution recordings and compensate musicians fairly for their work using a business model where all production costs are paid for up front, allowing the musicians to directly share in sales revenues and retain ownership of their music. Chief engineer Gus Skinas has hundreds of recording credits and helped develop the state-of-the-art Sonoma pure-DSD recording system used exclusively by Octave Records.
About PS Audio
Founded in 1973, PS Audio has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in manufacturing innovative, high-value, leading-edge audio products. Located in Boulder, Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, PS Audio’s staff of talented designers, engineers, production and support people build each product to deliver extraordinary performance and musical satisfaction. The company’s wide range of award-winning products include the all-in-one Sprout100 integrated amplifier, audio components, power regenerators and power conditioners.
For further info:
to the Octave Records website
to the PS Audio website