First SACD Experience..

[j_garcia]

My introduction to Pink Floyd was one of my first albums, 'Wish You Were Here'. Now that I'd love to hear in a multichannel mix!!

That one was supposed to be released on SACD in December...still waiting.

 

[johsti]

My top 3 DVD-a/SACD in no particular order would have to be;

Beck - sea change SACD (doesn't sound anything like his other stuff, very mellow. The album was produced by Nigel Goderich who also produced Radiohead albums, so it has that dreamy, swimming in the music sound)

Pink Floyd - DSotM SACD (needs no explanation)

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots DVD-a ( great M/C as well as hi-res 2 channel). Even if you don't like their music, I think you could really appreciate this album. Wayne Coyne is a huge advocate of multi channel music.

So far, those are my favorites

 

[Hawkeye]

That one was supposed to be released on SACD in December...still waiting.

Latest rumor I heard is that this has been put on the back burner for now. An end of year '06 release is being mentioned now.

 

[j_garcia]

Latest rumor I heard is that this has been put on the back burner for now. An end of year '06 release is being mentioned now.

Any word on why? That sucks

Other favorites:

DVD-A - (if you like that kind of music) Linkin Park Reanimation. They've got some great surround use on there.

DVD-A - The Doors LA Woman - Riders on the Storm in 5.1 is pretty cool. The rest of the album is OK, but most of the other tracks are better in stereo.

 

[tomd51]

Latest rumor I heard is that this has been put on the back burner for now. An end of year '06 release is being mentioned now.

Boo... Besides DSOTM, this recording would be ideal in a multichannel mix... -TD

 

[tomd51]

Other favorites:

DVD-A - (if you like that kind of music) Linkin Park Reanimation. They've got some great surround use on there.

DVD-A - The Doors LA Woman - Riders on the Storm in 5.1 is pretty cool. The rest of the album is OK, but most of the other tracks are better in stereo.

Linkin Park's okay, just a little put off by the lead singer's shrilly voice. I do like their music, though.

I've considered L.A. Woman. Didn't realize 'Love Her Madly' and 'Texas Radio and the Big Beat' were on there, I'll have to push this up there towards the top of my list... -TD

 

[zumbo]

I just got Queen "The Game" on DVD-A. It blew me away. This was my first experience at home, and I have only tested the DTS track. Center channel track is missing off one song. Not my first time to run into that. Had a whole concert dvd missing the center channel track.

Just got my cables yesterday. I will probably get multi-channel connected next week. Busy.

 

[Hawkeye]

Any word on why? That sucks

Word is that all efforts are going into the new David Gilmour cd release "On An Island" (early March), and subsequent tour. Then efforts will be directed to putting the finishing touches on the upcoming "Pulse" dvd set to be released on September 18th. Finally when all those ducks are in line, the work to finish up the WYWH SACD would be next up.

 

[JES14]

I have picked up DSOTM and DIre Straits, Brothers in Arms. Both make me , especially the horns/sax on the beginning of track 4 of Brothers. I also picked up Norah Jones from recomendations here and Audio review. Don't Know Why is good, after that it's ZZZZzzz. Not a bad mix, just not my taste. Queens The Game and The Doors L.A Woman sound like a safe bet to try. But after dropping 30 bones on Norah (?) I will try to get a few more reviews first.

 

[j_garcia]

Speaking of bad buys, I'm not too big on country/bluegrass and I bought one of the Alison Krauss & Union Station SACDs. Yes, she has a good voice; yes, it's well mastered/mixed, but I just didn't like it. I really don't like Norah Jones either...

 

[tomd51]

Speaking of bad buys, I'm not too big on country/bluegrass and I bought one of the Alison Krauss & Union Station SACDs. Yes, she has a good voice; yes, it's well mastered/mixed, but I just didn't like it. I really don't like Norah Jones either...

I'm thinking the same thing. Granted, I haven't listened to either of them to any great extent, but what I have doesn't "do it" for me. Tori Amos and Kate Bush likely would for female artists... -TD

 

[supervij]

Same here. A couple months back, I found two Diana Krall DVD-As for $15 CND apiece, and I came very close to buying both. But I figured that I wanted to hear it first, and not go by recommendations alone. I went home, checked out her website, and streamed a bunch of her songs. Great voice, no question, but the songs just didn't do anything for me. So I'm glad I skipped that purchase. Saved myself $30 plus our ridiculous Canadian tax.

cheers,
supervij

EDIT: Just saw your post, Tom. I love Kate Bush immensely, except for the first couple albums -- her voice is a little too "Minnie Mouse" for my ears. Her later albums are just gorgeous. Hounds of Love is still my favourite, followed closely by The Sensual World. Would love to hear those two albums remixed in 5.1! I'm still figuring out Aerial, so I don't have an opinion yet. Tori Amos is almost as good, but she became really self-indulgent after her first couple albums. After that, she became very unlistenable, to my taste.

 

[j_garcia]

I personally would LOVE to hear Tori on SACD or DVD-A!! (mostly the older stuff) Give me some Sarah McLachlan damnit!! Loreena McKennit too. Live in Paris and Toronto is already pretty good recording and comes across well in stereo. I haven't heard any of the "remasters", but the albums were also already pretty decent sounding and I love her voice. Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine came out on Dual Disc (which I don't like), but the hires tracks were stereo only and only marginally better than the CD tracks. Definitely not her best work, but not a bad album. Her first album, Tidal is reference material for me - I use it to audition gear.

I agree on Norah Jones - about half way through the album I find myself losing interest.

With Diana Krall, I don't like everything; only select tracks. She kind of becomes a bit monotonous as well. The Live In Paris DVD though, at least has a good variety. The SACDs sound great, but I don't like enough tracks on some of the albums to buy them all. Gotta be a fan to buy these as well...

Alison Krauss was recommended so much, but that was also because those people were FANS of her music. Not my cup 'o tea though.

 

[tomd51]

I think most of her older stuff is better as well, but she has a few decent newer ones now and then.

Last year b/f the death of Voom, I caught a good performance of Tori live on Rave, one of their HD stations and what little I was able to watch was very good. Not sure if that's from the same tour of the 'Welcome to Sunny Florida' DVD, but she sounded excelllent. Not hi-res, but in DD, it still was a good listen.

Come to think of it, I might have to pick this up and give some feedback on it... -TD

 

[j_garcia]

There's one SACD I haven't gotten around to buying because it is ~$60 at most places, and that is Jazz at the Pawnshop. I have a CD of it and it is already excellent (2 discs); probably the best recording I've ever heard (the CD version already sounds as good or better than most of my SACDs!), but that's pushing it for what I'm willing to pay for something that I already have...

 

[shokhead]

I personally would LOVE to hear Tori on SACD or DVD-A!! (mostly the older stuff) Give me some Sarah McLachlan damnit!! Loreena McKennit too. Live in Paris and Toronto is already pretty good recording and comes across well in stereo. I haven't heard any of the "remasters", but the albums were also already pretty decent sounding and I love her voice. Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine came out on Dual Disc (which I don't like), but the hires tracks were stereo only and only marginally better than the CD tracks. Definitely not her best work, but not a bad album. Her first album, Tidal is reference material for me - I use it to audition gear.

I agree on Norah Jones - about half way through the album I find myself losing interest.

With Diana Krall, I don't like everything; only select tracks. She kind of becomes a bit monotonous as well. The Live In Paris DVD though, at least has a good variety. The SACDs sound great, but I don't like enough tracks on some of the albums to buy them all. Gotta be a fan to buy these as well...

Alison Krauss was recommended so much, but that was also because those people were FANS of her music. Not my cup 'o tea though.

I didnt know DD had HiRes,i thought it was cd and D Dig?

 

[ScottMayo]

I like Norah Jones well enough - the title track of Come Away With Me gives me shivers - but the 5.1 recording itself has some issues. They weren't very consistant from track to track, and they didn't always mic her well. A good 5.1 should sound like a private concert; but this is very clearly separate tracks, mixed in different ways, having a different sound. It's distracting.

BMG's _The Complex_ is a GREAT recording. I felt they could have done more with the available channels, but it's still very cool. _Exhibit 13_ gets me every time.

I don't agree with the assessment of DSOTM. It's good, and a good bit clearer than a stereo recording, but it's not a huge leap forward, and the use of multichannel was more gimmicky than exciting.

 

[j_garcia]

I didnt know DD had HiRes,i thought it was cd and D Dig?

Depends on the disc. The DVD side can contain pretty much anything that can go on a DVD - DD, DTS, DVD-A, etc...

 

[JES14]

Yes, something by Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos or Kate Bush and her purrrring would be more interesting. I have not seen the Rolling Stones SACD that someone mentioned, will have to keep an eye out for that. How about Elvis Costello? I don't remember the name of the SACD nor did I recognize any song names on it, but has anyone checked this out?
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours? Is this mix much better that the redbook?

 

[shokhead]

Depends on the disc. The DVD side can contain pretty much anything that can go on a DVD - DD, DTS, DVD-A, etc...

DD,DTS isnt HiRes and i just havent read that any HiRes would be on the DVD side so this is news to me. Heck,i havent read that DTS would be used.