If you have the hardware to play it, this is the closest you will ever get to sitting in the ancient Roman amphitheater with no audience, no overdubs (well, mostly), and nothing but pure, spatial Floyd.

But for audiophiles, one format stands leagues above the rest:

Is it a "perfect" recording? No. The drums are a bit dry, and the vocals are low in the mix (classic Floyd). But for raw atmosphere, instrument separation, and historical immersion, the 24/96 DVD-Audio is the definitive master.

If you think you know Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii , chances are you’ve only heard half the story—and half the fidelity. For decades, fans have debated which version of this legendary 1972 performance is best: the original theatrical cut, the director’s cut, or the various CD bootlegs.

In 2003, as part of the re-release of Dark Side of the Moon and the Echoes compilation, EMI/Universal quietly released a standalone DVD-Audio disc of Live at Pompeii . Unlike the standard DVD-Video (which has compressed Dolby Digital or DTS), this disc uses DVD-Audio technology with 24-bit resolution at a 96kHz sampling rate .