This release features three audio tracks -- a well rounded Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 mix, a less than stellar compressed DTS-HD mix, and an uncompressed LPCM 2.0 stereo mix -- and these selections provide a lot of great sound. However, no single audio option provides the best of all worlds. As usual, I can't wrap my head around why concert discs like this one avoid uncompressed 5.1 surround tracks that have the soundfield ambiance of a Dolby mix and the pitch-perfect clarity of a Master Audio track. As it stands, the concert atmosphere is best reproduced by the Dolby 5.1 mix and the song quality is best preserved in the front-heavy stereo mix. I found myself flipping back and forth in an attempt to fake it, but I only grew frustrated and distracted.
A mix of the two would've made me contemplate a perfect audio rating. The acoustics and soundfield immersion on the Dolby surround mix is wonderful -- crowd noise and echoes loft from the rear speakers across the channels as the music dominates the stage ahead. On the flip side, the guitar and piano notes are gloriously stable on the uncompressed track -- treble tones are crisp, bass tones have more presence, and the mix boasts an astounding dynamic range that brings the music to life. On both of these tracks, the instrumentation is expertly prioritized and Metheny's guitars don't dominate the day (as one might expect from a man whose name is central to the band's identity).
Pick your poison -- concert fans will enjoy the liveliness of the Dolby surround mix and music enthusiasts will adore the clarity of the uncompressed stereo track. If you want both, you'll have to settle on one or the other. For the most part, avoid the DTS-HD mix altogether because the HD label is a bit of a misnomer. The sound seemed slightly muddled and was more what I'd expect from a standard DVD sound package.
