BIG Blu-Ray Audio drive from Universal Music in 2013

[Audi A3]

Hmm, I wonder what the story is here. Do the vibrations occur at peaks in the volume of the music? Or is it more random ?

I believe it's a "disc + player combo" issue. I don't have any other blu-ray players to test with. At start op (when reading the disc) I wounder if the disc could come flying any time. When playing - the vibrations are "just" an annoying noise in the background.

Sometimes ejecting the disc helps - but not always.

I don't have that problem with other disc that the 2 HFPA blu-ray audios

 

[fredblue]

in the (rather frustrating) absence of any Amazon UK pre-orders for these specific titles (there are UK pre-orders for others) I pre-ordered the following HFPA blu-ray's from Amazon Germany tonight..

Back To Black - Amy Winehouse,
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye,
Can't Slow Down - Lionel Richie,
A Night At The Opera - Queen,
Sea Change - Beck,
Five Leaves Left - Nick Drake.

Amazon.de gives a release date this coming Friday, October the 4th.. with a 3-4 day delivery estimate.. so if these titles do indeed emerge on the 4th, I should have them a week or so from now.. and will of course give as much of an SP on them right here at QQ just as I did with those discs from the 1st wave I got from FNAC in France back in May.

Moneywise, they are between €17-€19 apiece @Amazon.de. shipping from Germany to the UK worked out at €3.49 for the whole shipment (much cheaper than FNAC, who insist on using DHL @3 almost times that shipping cost just for one disc).. after currency conversion etc, it came to £99 in total for 6 HFPA BD-A's including shipping.

 

[Failed Muso]

in the (rather frustrating) absence of any Amazon UK pre-orders for these specific titles (there are UK pre-orders for others) I pre-ordered the following HFPA blu-ray's from Amazon Germany tonight..

Back To Black - Amy Winehouse,
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye,
Can't Slow Down - Lionel Richie,
A Night At The Opera - Queen,
Sea Change - Beck,
Five Leaves Left - Nick Drake.

Amazon.de gives a release date this coming Friday, October the 4th.. with a 3-4 day delivery estimate.. so if these titles do indeed emerge on the 4th, I should have them a week or so from now.. and will of course give as much of an SP on them right here at QQ just as I did with those discs from the 1st wave I got from FNAC in France back in May.

Moneywise, they are between €17-€19 apiece @Amazon.de. shipping from Germany to the UK worked out at €3.49 for the whole shipment (much cheaper than FNAC, who insist on using DHL @3 almost times that shipping cost just for one disc).. after currency conversion etc, it came to £99 in total for 6 HFPA BD-A's plus shipping.

Apart from the Queen one, they're all available for pre-order over at Universal's UK site...

http://store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/pure-audio/pure-audio/icat/pureaudio-pureaudio

 

[fredblue]

I also pre-ordered the following @Amazon UK (Supertramp just today, the others back in June):

Crime Of The Century - Supertramp,
Ella & Louis/Ella & Louis Again - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong,
I Put A Spell On You - Nina Simone,
Big Band Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones.

£21 for the Supertranp, £13.92 for Ella & Louis, £13.82 for Nina, £14.03 for Quincy.

Release dates given as October 3rd for Supertramp and October 7th for Nina, Ella/Louis, Quincy.

We shall see...

 

[fredblue]

Apart from the Queen one, they're all available for pre-order over at Universal's UK site...

http://store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/pure-audio/pure-audio/icat/pureaudio-pureaudio

Looks promising.. thanks for the info

Universal are showing an October 21st release date, titles at £16.99 each.

If Amazon Germany comes up trumps (with its usual efficiency) then I'll have them almost a couple of weeks sooner and a teeny bit cheaper!

 

[DuncanS]

I just had a look at the Universal Pure Audio store and its interesting that there is no mention of there being any 5.1 on the discs, just track listings.

 

[Failed Muso]

I just had a look at the Universal Pure Audio store and its interesting that there is no mention of there being any 5.1 on the discs, just track listings.

Indeed. Yet another entry in their catalogue of errors...

 

[fredblue]

Curious thing, I looked up the www.hifipureaudio.com site for the first time in ages..

..and 4 rows down, 2nd column from the right, is a new addition to the HFPA BD-A roster, a title I can find no reference to anywhere else online as yet..

Brass Knuckles - Nelly

Strangest choice for the format so far?

 

[fredblue]

Here's another curiosity..

..and yet another HFPA BDA I'd never heard about...

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e1140...tem=321213922648&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160

Les Miserables 5.1 audio blu-ray disc. B&O new wrapped.

ps. Its in 5.1

oh and it's the cheapest HFPA BDA so far.. £3.95

 

[fredblue]

Here's another curiosity..

..and yet another HFPA BDA I'd never heard about...

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e1140...tem=321213922648&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160

Les Miserables 5.1 audio blu-ray disc. B&O new wrapped.

ps. Its in 5.1

oh and it's the cheapest HFPA BDA so far.. £3.95

I'm surprised no-one's expressed an interest in this.. its cheap, it's all over eBay right now, its legit, its a limited edition promo (so get it while it lasts!), its Bang & Olufsen-related (basically its gonna be of a certain standard), its blu-ray audio, its surround sound... bit of a no-brainer for QQ members imho

 

[fredblue]

I'm surprised no-one's expressed an interest in this.. its cheap, it's all over eBay right now, its legit, its a limited edition promo (so get it while it lasts!), its Bang & Olufsen-related (basically its gonna be of a certain standard), its blu-ray audio, its surround sound... bit of a no-brainer for QQ members imho

I ordered one last night anyway, so when it comes I'll report back with findings

 

[Failed Muso]

I ordered one last night anyway, so when it comes I'll report back with findings

Me too

 

[fredblue]

Me too

Good man hehe.. I thought the numbers available were dwindling..

 

[fredblue]

Yesterday's update on the HFPA Facebook:

Dear All,

We are delighted announce the launch of the UK High Fidelity Pure Audio web-shop. Titles are available to pre-order with a release next month. Please see the below link for more information:


http://store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/artists/pure-audio/icat/pureaudio


Best Wishes,
The HFPA Team

Shame they're more expensive than Amazon, charge for delivery (unlike Amazon), have later release dates than other sellers and give very little product information beyond track listings.

apart from that, perfect.. @:

 

[fredblue]

Another HFPA Facebook update:

To confirm, every High Fidelity Pure Audio product will contain a download code which will enable you to one-time-download an MP3 version of the album you purchased. That way you can enjoy the Blu-ray version with your home equipment, but also not lose out on the portability of having an MP3 album. This is available in Europe, Asia, Australia/NZ, Africa and South America.

I've responded (tearing them a new arsehole in the process) over the use of lossy mp3/lack of FLAC, the inflexibility and unfairness of a one-time thing, etc, etc.

 

[Caspersozza]

I'm surprised no-one's expressed an interest in this.. its cheap, it's all over eBay right now, its legit, its a limited edition promo (so get it while it lasts!), its Bang & Olufsen-related (basically its gonna be of a certain standard), its blu-ray audio, its surround sound... bit of a no-brainer for QQ members imho

It is all the things you say, but it is also the soundtrack to Les Miserables, and frankly I wouldn't wish to risk anyone finding me with a copy of that lying around the apartment. Your dedication to all things hi-res surround is admirable, Fred.

Bang & Olufsen make high-end lifestyle systems for wealthy buyers who care far more about styling than audio quality, so I'm not sure that their involvement is a seal of much audiophile value, but I am curious - what exactly is their involvement?

I finally found the Dolby PLII Music setting over the weekend (it was in my amp's standard settings, and I had previously been looking under advanced concert), and had some fun with it. It was barely effective at all on Breakfast in America, very good on Legend and most impressive by far on Songs In the Key of Life. I don't know why the effect was so different across those three BD-As, but it was amazing what it conjured up from a 2-channel source.

It did not, however, really sound much like discreet 5.1 to me. In spreading the sound around the speakers by whatever algorithm it uses, it produced a slightly unfocused effect, in some ways diluting the sound quality. Sometimes I'd switch back to stereo and find the music far more powerful, something I admit unwillingly as a surround devotee. It's certainly an interesting option and an impressive trick, but we really do need some proper 5.1 mixes in this new format.

As for Amazon being cheaper than the HFPA store, that's a given. They forcibly undercut everyone - a £20 book on its own publisher's website will be £10 on Amazon on the day of release - and I've never seen a proprietary shop that offered its wares for as little as the prices Amazon force them to accept (with promises of scale).

 

[Robert van Diggele]

Another HFPA Facebook update:



I've responded (tearing them a new arsehole in the process) over the use of lossy mp3/lack of FLAC, the inflexibility and unfairness of a one-time thing, etc, etc.

I thought FLAC files would be downloadable? Wasn't that the initial advertising?

 

[haikubass]

I'm surprised no-one's expressed an interest in this.. its cheap, it's all over eBay right now, its legit, its a limited edition promo (so get it while it lasts!), its Bang & Olufsen-related (basically its gonna be of a certain standard), its blu-ray audio, its surround sound... bit of a no-brainer for QQ members imho

I made the seller ship internationaly and secured my copy - 5 left as of now. Thanks for the heads up mate!

 

[fredblue]

I thought FLAC files would be downloadable? Wasn't that the initial advertising?

Response from the HFPA Facebook page:

Hi All,


The download voucher and is a new initiative on all units manufactured in the latest run, is for a 320kbps MP3 download and unfortunately due to contractual publishing reasons we cannot offer this in North America.


Any concerns about whether or not your package includes the download voucher should be addressed to your local retailer.


Thanks,
HFPA

 

[fredblue]

I made the seller ship internationaly and secured my copy - 5 left as of now. Thanks for the heads up mate!

good job! you're welcome Marek