HiRez Poll Alan Parsons Project, The - PYRAMID [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new reissue of the classic album "Pyramid" by the Alan Parsons Project.
This super deluxe edition of the album features brand new 5.1 surround & Dolby Atmos remixes of the album from Alan Parsons himself!

 

[César]

It always surprises me when we have votes in the poll right on release date. And a 10!
I hope the voter can shed some light on the mix virtues here on the comments...

 

[uffeolby]

Please, can someone who heard this bluray chime in and let us know what you think of the mixes and the fidelity. With the standalone coming up I would very much appreciate a proper review - thanks!

 

[dabl]

My interest is primarily in the first Alan Parsons Project Atmos mix - I'm still waiting for a detailed review of it. There's a few short and superficial reviews I've run across, but they mostly just throw vague superlatives at it. I've heard many complaints about Alan Parsons mixes being too bright/harsh, etc. but I haven't found any of them to be unlistenable. I'll be interested to hear if this Atmos mix tames any of that. Apparently he's a fan of Steven Wilsons mixing work, but if his hearing really is compromised he can't do much about that.

Surprised that more retailers have been so slow in offering this standalone - the big box set is still selling for insane prices.

I can't provide much detail since I've only listened to it once at a pretty quiet level but can say that overall it thankfully does not have the problems the multichannel mix of 'Turn of a Friendly Card' had to my ears and overall 'Pyramid' sounded pretty good to me. I'm not familiar with the original stereo mix and didn't compare to that. I seem to remember an expected good surround mix with some action in the heights at times.

 

[srbjab]

Thanks for the comments, they sound encouraging. While I've found a couple of the AP surround mixes a bit brighter than I'd like, I still find the native surround much more appealing than stereo. In any case, I fully intend to get each of the standalone blu-ray titles as long as he's willing to release them. The box sets are just way too pricey for my interest level.

 

[Albert Dagger]

Thanks for the comments, they sound encouraging. While I've found a couple of the AP surround mixes a bit brighter than I'd like, I still find the native surround much more appealing than stereo. In any case, I fully intend to get each of the standalone blu-ray titles as long as he's willing to release them. The box sets are just way too pricey for my interest level.

I agree that this Atmos mix is not bright at all. I had issues with Turn, as I thought it was a tad on the bright side, but this one is just perfect. APP mixes always sound quite detailed, but this one was a revelation for me. It’s much more dynamic and open than the original stereo. At least half of the songs benefit greatly from this treatment. The opening and ending tracks, for example, but also One More River and In the Laps of Gods were standouts.
There’s usually no panning or movement in these mixes, so they might sound more static than SW’s mixes, but that’s just a stylistic difference.
Such a pity the box came with vinyl because I like box sets but prefer if I can avoid buying vinyl that will never be played (same applies to recent Yes releases).

 

[stormchaser]

My standalone arrived a couple of days ago. I found the overall sound quality here to be satisfying and didn't get a sense of it being overly bright in my first listen. I wasn't in a position to really focus on the mix, so I won't vote just yet. I do now remember why this is one of my least-favorite APP albums as there really aren't any songs here that grab me even though they sound great on this blu-ray.

 

[gorman]

I gave it a 9, now that I've had the time for a proper, full, dedicated listening session.

Mix is definitely not adventurous but it lends an overall presence to the music, which itself is quite surround friendly.

Probably the track I liked the most is Shadow of a Lonely Man. Loved the way the orchestral was mixed there.

 

[srbjab]

Giving this one a 9. Fidelity and sound quality are excellent, and the first ever APP Atmos mix really utilizes the height and surround channels to great effect. The first 3 tracks provide about 10 minutes of great, immersive music. Easily the best sounding version of this title. A couple of weaker tracks bring it down a notch for me - One More River and Pyramania don't seem to fit the overall vibe - but are easily skipped. Not the best APP release, but definitely worth owning for the Atmos mix, and at a great price. As always, kudos to Alan Parsons for providing a standalone alternative to a big box set.