HiRez Poll Bjork - MEDULLA [DVD-A/SACD]

Please post your comments, thoughts and observations.......

This one is a bit quirky, but such a good use of surround. After hearing it the stereo versions sound uninspired in comparison.
The DVD-A version is a properly authored hybrid - meaning you can access the lossy versions from the main menu. Whilst this does not sound desirable at first, by playing the MLP 24/96 5.1 version and then the DTS/DD versions, you can hear easily how much better the high res formats really are.

Also included is a 45 minute documentary on the making of the album - which consists entirely of just voices - both Bjorks and the Icelandic Choir - and occasionally some drums. That is it - acapella & odd bits of drum, no other instruments are used at all.

I gave this a 9, and the only reason it did not score full marks is hints of distortion in some tracks - the disc is loud, very loud indeed, and I have the sneaking suspicion that it has been passed through either a maximizer or a multichannel brickwall limiter of some description, which is a shame.
I hope this is not the case, and what I can hear is a flaw in the source material. If it is not then this simply must not become the norm.
The last thing I want is for high res releases to end up getting squashed in the same manner that CD has been.
I have written to One Little Indian about this, and as soon as I get a reply I will let you know.

But for sheer imaginative production in Surround, this is a must buy title.

Distortions or not.

I am still mad there has been no North American MC release on this. I do not own this yet, but I know Bjork has had fun with Digital Distortion in the past.

I gave this one an 8. The surround-soundfield is used to great effect. The music is very unique, adventurous, and unmistakably Bjork. Still, it is definitely an acquired tast.

I hate it - think its crap and a waste of plastic - make a good coffe mat.
Not like her other stuff.
Bill

Loathsome. But only to my ears. Most other people seem to love it. Fair enough. Buy if you like her. If you don't, run for the hills, bacuase the treble energy will take your head off, especially that from the rear channels, interestingly enough.

Scottmoose said:

Loathsome. But only to my ears. Most other people seem to love it. Fair enough. Buy if you like her. If you don't, run for the hills, bacuase the treble energy will take your head off, especially that from the rear channels, interestingly enough.

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Which is one of the things that leads me to believe this has been brickwalled to make it louder.
A trend I sincerely hope does not continue.
Truth is, it probably will.

I got mine in a "Special Double DVD Edition". Interestingly the discs have the wrong labels on them the DVD-Video (only) disc is labelled as a DVD-A, and vice versa.

She's definitely an acquired taste.... the mix sounds great.

LizardKing said:

She's definitely an acquired taste....

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I am yet to acquire

A NINER!
If only cause of its quirkiness, and even though I'm a Björk fan, I still can't get it ....
AND because
Soundwise , it is more compressed than her other releases...
I first got the SACD with the weird "Poster" and unreadable "black on black" (another Scorpio , their color is BLACK!-Whose wise idea was that?),
But I later got the DVD-A, which , of course is superior....but no weird poster ...but it comes in a Big Digipak and it includes interviews and a documentary on how it was recorded which I found interesting!!

Still , a LOT of effort went into this cause, NO instruments were used , only voices...and bless her crazy Icelandic heart...she made it work....

Can somebody please post a scan of this SACD? I think I may have been defrauded.
The packaging says sacd MC with all the right logos, but the disc is just a CD and looks like a cheap duplication, not a pressing.

The underside of my SACD disc is Gold, the SACD logo is very difficult to see on the top, and hasn't come out in the scan.

edisonbaggins said:

Can somebody please post a scan of this SACD? I think I may have been defrauded.
The packaging says sacd MC with all the right logos, but the disc is just a CD and looks like a cheap duplication, not a pressing.

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Here's what was sent to me - correct packaging, incorrect disc:

Doesn't look correct, can't see why it should have CM0993 either, I would have thought it should be the same code as the inserts/booklet, I'd send it back. I take it isn't Gold on the Underside?

edisonbaggins said:

Here's what was sent to me - correct packaging, incorrect disc:

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It is gold on the underside. The spine of the cd case does say CM0993.

One of the issues that I have had, and occurs with some discs, and with some Universal players is an inability to see the SACD 2.0, 5.1 or both layers on a SACD/CD Hybrid, I've Elvis Costello's "North" which will only find the CD layer most of the time, sometimes the SACD Stereo and occasionally the 5.1.

edisonbaggins said:

It is gold on the underside. The spine of the cd case does say CM0993.

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I had this SACD at one point in time and mine came in some sort of lousy paper-cardboard packaging which caused the disk to be pre-scratched. I've still got the lossy dts dualdisc.

DuncanS said:

One of the issues that I have had, and occurs with some discs, and with some Universal players is an inability to see the SACD 2.0, 5.1 or both layers on a SACD/CD Hybrid, I've Elvis Costello's "North" which will only find the CD layer most of the time, sometimes the SACD Stereo and occasionally the 5.1.

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The OPPO BDP-103 hasn't had any problems yet. That, and the fact that the disc has a compact disc logo and the printing looks homespun has me thinking the seller got duped maybe.
The seller is too big to be trying to pull a fast one. I think maybe somebody got rid of the packaging with a burned disc, keeping the SACD or something.
Can you think of any SACDs that are incorrectly printed with the CD logo?

As far as I know, it wouldn't be Gold on the Underside if it was a burned disc (usually dark-blue/green), but I wonder if its a stamped counterfeit CD then, without the SACD layer? Does the printing come off the disc easily?

edisonbaggins said:

The OPPO BDP-103 hasn't had any problems yet. That, and the fact that the disc has a compact disc logo and the printing looks homespun has me thinking the seller got duped maybe.
The seller is too big to be trying to pull a fast one. I think maybe somebody got rid of the packaging with a burned disc, keeping the SACD or something.
Can you think of any SACDs that are incorrectly printed with the CD logo?

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DuncanS said:

As far as I know, it wouldn't be Gold on the Underside if it was a burned disc (usually dark-blue/green), but I wonder if its a stamped counterfeit CD then, without the SACD layer? Does the printing come off the disc easily?

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The printing has the same look as duplication I have purchased, for an inde album.
I have seen and used CD-R that is gold colored. Not sure wth is going on though! It will be interesting to see what the seller says.