HiRez Poll Musiq - SOULSTAR [DVD-A/SACD]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this DVD-A release.

This is also a SACD. I have the SACD version, and I enjoy it.

I'm wondering what extras are on the DVD-A.

Thanks Dylan, I added that fact!

If you enjoyed the John Legend SACD / Dual Disk, this one is a must.

It's not an aggressive mix, but for what it is I think it's well done.

I saw this at FYE today. Used for $7.99. What type of music is this? From the looks of the packaging I figured it was rap, but I didn't see a list of songs on it or it was printed too small.

narcopolo said:

I saw this at FYE today. Used for $7.99. What type of music is this? From the looks of the packaging I figured it was rap, but I didn't see a list of songs on it or it was printed too small.

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It's well produced R&B/soul - no rapping. Musiq (Soulchild) is a Philly based artist who heavily influenced by artists like D'Angelo, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, etc. The surround channels make good use of some nice production flourishes - especially the multi layered background vocals. Definitely worth checking out for $7.99.

elmer said:

It's well produced R&B/soul - no rapping. Musiq (Soulchild) is a Philly based artist who heavily influenced by artists like D'Angelo, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, etc. The surround channels make good use of some nice production flourishes - especially the multi layered background vocals. Definitely worth checking out for $7.99.

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I would agree, this disk is worth taking the risk for only $8.

Dylan Berichon said:

This is also a SACD. I have the SACD version, and I enjoy it.

I'm wondering what extras are on the DVD-A.

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Hi Dylan
How's rain in old Melbourne?. I can't beleive they still need more. The DVDA extras are as follows: 2 Videos: Forthenight and Whoknows. These are nicely shot in WS but the audio is only 2Ch DD 48k. Only on DVDA are Lyrics/Photo Gallery/Bio/Credits/ Catalog.
This is well recorded but is pretty tame on the sides and the material is a bit soft and sugary for my liking. I like the John Legend disc better.

just got the DVD-A of this today.. sound quality is really very good indeed, top end's nicely detailed with pleasant sparkle to keys, synths and percussion but still smooth-sounding as befits the neo-soul sorta sound..

..the bottom end has sufficient welly without overpowering the whole thing, its definitely a different (and better) mastering than the CD, which seemed more unnaturally bassy.

the surround mix has its moments, little percussion things, guitar - both acoustic and electric, BV's, synths, all pop up in the rears and are genuinely discrete, there's a fun bit of what sounds like radio-chatter niftier isolated in the rear left channel on the last song ("leaveamessage").. but the mix a bit too tame generally and there is some unfortunate doubling up of the stereo (which may be at lower level from the fronts but for me it takes away from the sense of separation in whats already been routed through the rears.. I dunno maybe just a "me" thing)..

..one other gripe, the surround mix has a bit too much bass mixed into the centre channel..

..and as my centre only comfortably goes down to 55hz (low enough for most vocals which I believe tend to bottom out around 80hz-ish, unless the performer has a particularly low voice.. and it's a dialogue channel for movies after all.. and it's not some cheap-assed little speaker, its a £600 AE jobby, cabinets 18mm thick, over 12 inches deep with a 2 & 1/2-way arrangement and rear reflex port!) still on this mix there's a nagging hole in the centre, where my centre speaker just can't pump out what I feel its' being fed (this lower bass should be fed to the front L&R or less ideally for music, to the LFE, imo)..

..I get the sensation my AVR's doing its best to crossover from the 60hz I've set the centre to, its just a shame as the bass that is there is very nice, I just prefer a surround music mix where the little bit of lower stuff is mixed to L&R or LFE and not centre, as my fronts can go down to 20hz (despite their rated freq range being from 35hz on up) they go lovely and Lowwwwwww in fact as low as my sub (which also goes down to 20hz). I don't know how its possible to detect directionality in bass below 80hz (I thought it wasn't possible..?!?) but I definitely can in my main setup!

..still (having prattled on about the bass, my system, my hearing and the in's and out's of a gnat's *******.. when this is about this Hi-Rez 5.1 album!) it knocks the surround mix on the R.Kelly Chocolate Box DVDA I got the other day into a cocked hat and while this still has too front-heavy a mix for me it is miles better in surround for a sort of similar genre. Despite it getting a bashing over the years, I agree with other posters here the John Legend SACD is probably the best mix of this kind of thing.

I'll need another few listens before I vote.. but right now I'm inclined to give it a "7".

Here is a very interesting release.
Not my usual fare but I find it well mixed and, surprisingly, good in it's musical fidelity.
The content is well sung and, I confess, it's growing on me.
I read Fred's review and although I agree with quite a few of his comments, I'm inclined to be more generous in my appraisal and give this one an 8 (nearly a 9)

I gave it an 8 as well. Nice to have some well recorded FUNKY music in my collection. Wish modern FUNKSTERS would remix into surround and avoid the Stereo VINYL urge!

beerking said:

Here is a very interesting release.
Not my usual fare but I find it well mixed and, surprisingly, good in it's musical fidelity.
The content is well sung and, I confess, it's growing on me.
I read Fred's review and although I agree with quite a few of his comments, I'm inclined to be more generous in my appraisal and give this one an 8 (nearly a 9)

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ah... looks like another one to revisit with 4 fresh ears!
"pre-DV" i used to dish out a lot less 9's and 10's here, that's for dayum sure!