Hier ’ne gute Rezension auf Englisch:
“I am reviewing the Limited Edition 2 CD/2 LP/1 BD edition of the soundtrack set.
The audio CD is exactly the same set you get if you buy just the CD version. It includes all the track from the game, which is a good thing. I prefer buying CDs over purchasing the MP3 versions simply because I choose the quality of the rip when I create my digital versions. If you like Amazon's digital editions, then you won't need the CDs.
The 2 LP edition does NOT include every track. The Vinyl includes: Halo Canticles, Light is Green, Kamchatka, Walk Softly, The Trials, Crypt, End Game, Blue Team on LP 1. On LP2 you have Jameson Locke, Osiris Suite Act 1 - 4.
The Blu Ray ALSO does not include every track, which is pretty disappointing. I guess they didn't feel like mastering all of the tracks in 5.1?
For me, this was about the Blu Ray release. The vinyl is nice to have, and I've listened to it, but it was the 96 KHz, 24 bit sample rate, 5.1 mix I was most interested in. What we get is not every track in 5.1, which is OK as they selected some of the best pieces, but what would have been nice to include is an uncompressed, 96/24 full stereo set. You CAN choose stereo on the Blu Ray, and it is 96/24, but you only have the above mentioned tracks, not all of them.
And another issue I have is the actual mastering itself. As someone who owns their fair share of 5.1 music, and considering these generally cost more than their CD counterparts, I expect proper mastering is done. Especially on something that is best described as classical in nature. Unfortunately, the loudness wars seem to have seeped into the high end Blu Ray audio arena. These tracks are mastered LOUD. Really loud. Compared to my Pink Floyd Blu Ray masters, my Jethro Tull mix, and my Moody Blues SACDs, the volume nob needs to be dialed back 5-8 db to get this at the same level they are mastered at. They also seem to have pushed some of the dynamic range down, as instruments that should be hidden sometimes pop to the front of the mix in a big way. There are also cases where instruments are completely lost in the loudness of the others.
As a bonus, you get a free downloadable copy with the LP, so you don't have to rip your own, but since this set included the CD version, I just ripped my own.
The included cinematics, with the option for commentary (which is good!) or just playing music, is nice. I wish they included all the Halo 5 cinematics, but that could ruin some of the story. This is all included as an extra on the Blu Ray. Also included on the Blu Ray are The Sprint sessions, where they did making of snippets, are also included in the Blu Ray set.
The addition of the sheet music version of the Jameson Locke track is another nice inclusion.
Overall, I like the set, but am a little disappointed that the entire set list isn't in 5.1, and the mastering of the Blu Ray audio versions seems to be mastered a touch too loudly.
Kazuma Jinnouchi isn't Martin O'Donnell. He isn't Neil Davidge either. What he's offered is his musical vision of Halo, and for the most part, I really like and appreciate his vision, and hope he continues through with the follow up to Halo 5 (unless of course 343 could convince O'Donnell to come back...).
Nice set, marred by some questionable mastering choices.”
— Stephen Lerch: LE BluRay/CD/LP set review – Nice set, marred by some questionable mastering choices on BD (http://www.amazon.com/review/R17A1RHQ2NADSN/ref=cm_cr_dp_title/190-6127207-3290439?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B015Y1HRP0&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=5174&store=music) vom 21.11.2015
