Please post your thoughts and comments on this HiRez release. 
HiRez Poll Davis, Miles - KIND OF BLUE [SACD]
- Thread starter JonUrban
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For what it is: superb, IMO. Basic L/C/R up front, ambiance and occasional sound in back, but nothing aggressive, since the 5.1 was mixed to best effect given the recording's limitations.
ED
ED
Dylan Berichon
701 Club - QQ All-Star
The sound quality of this one is unbelievable. Simply amazing!!!
A favorite, even if the rears are strictly ambience.
Considering the album was recorded in 3 channels, this one is a 10.
A favorite, even if the rears are strictly ambience.
Considering the album was recorded in 3 channels, this one is a 10.
THE quintessential Miles Davis recording. Classic!
First I'll admit I haven't heard this. My only comment is about the voting thus far. One of the criteria for a 10 is Great Surround. Is it really fair to rate this a 10 when only 3 channels are being actively utilized? It seems like there is a contradiction here. I applaud the voters for cleary stating that the surround mix leaves something to be desired. But I am struggling with the fact that they gave it a 10 anyway.
First let me say, I prefer aggressive surround mixes. However, with recordings such as this from 1959, with 3 channels to work with, I would much rather they mix it as they did as opposed to the Silverline approach. KOB has subtle ambiance, not faux echo. Also IMO, the record quality, and content of this classic title more than make up for the surround mix. In all fairness, it is probably correct that I should have taken a bit off for the surround mix, but as I said above, for 1959 this is as good as it gets. So I am giving a little leeway for the source material. I would be more than happy if they would release more classic recordings of this type, mixed in 5.0 as they have on "Kind Of Blue."
Another good example of an excellent title with subtle surrounds is the Tierney Sutton Band - "On The Other Side." This is a new recording by Telarc, which creates an amazingly wide front sound stage. It truly creates a convincing "you are there" effect.
I think these recordings fall in the category of "comparing apples to oranges," and depends on a persons expectations and openess to a different type of mix. After all of that, I would like to add that this is just my opinion, and all are welcome to disagree!
Dennis
filper
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
I was fortunate enough to find a copy locally a month ago.
It is a must-have for any collection.
It is a must-have for any collection.
If Tommy had this mix, I'd give it a 5, but since it IS KOB (the best Jazz LP ever recorded), I gave it a 10. The mix fits perfectly here.
Well, I'm not saying the surround mix 'leaves something to be desired'; I said that it's superb for what it is...which is to say, given that it's a 3-track recording, it's perfectly balanced, and the limited back ambiance isn't, as noted, contrived but clearly meant to help convey the overall atmosphere in the recording studio. In other words, it's hard to imagine improving it in any way. If that's doesn't constitute a '10,' I don't know what does...
ED
I have a copy of this one now. The sonics are very impressive. And for a non-fan of jazz it is awe-inspiring to hear these perfect compositions - where each note is perfectly placed. It is a very enjoyable and unique listen.
Still there are some things worth pointing out. As I listen to it, I can't help wishing that the bass had more presence (this is a 5.0 recording). Secondly, the sound presents itself from the front so that a surround experience is not achieved. The rears enhance the overall sound by adding some depth.
I give it an 8. Overall, as previously stated, a must-have disc.
Still there are some things worth pointing out. As I listen to it, I can't help wishing that the bass had more presence (this is a 5.0 recording). Secondly, the sound presents itself from the front so that a surround experience is not achieved. The rears enhance the overall sound by adding some depth.
I give it an 8. Overall, as previously stated, a must-have disc.
I agree with Ed and others, since this was a three track recording to begin with, they couldn't have done it better, just the right touch of ambience in the rears, and the sound....! Wow.
I listened again to this last night; and just to hear the clarity and warmth of the sound textures blew me away, let alone the music. Absolutely a 10.
I listened again to this last night; and just to hear the clarity and warmth of the sound textures blew me away, let alone the music. Absolutely a 10.
it's a three track tape and the music is through three channels...just as it should be...left ,right and centre...
and for a bit of fun there's ambience in the rears , which you can turn off,or turn up, but to me it's fine the way it is..
and for a bit of fun there's ambience in the rears , which you can turn off,or turn up, but to me it's fine the way it is..
This is about as good as it gets for classic jazz.
As multichannel goes, it gets my vote as a 10.
As multichannel goes, it gets my vote as a 10.
Chris Gerhard
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
I finally got this one too. I had been listening to the DualDisc often the past few weeks and since I also own the remastered CD, I didn't want to violate my rule of not double dipping twice for the same album but when I was grabbing every used disc I could get my hands on, it seemed so natural to put this in the basket and worry about whether I really needed it later. I progressively worked by way up from the terrific CD to the excellent Dolby Digital DualDisc and now this. The smart guy would have just started with this. I rarely buy a second version of my favorite albums, much less a third, but there is apparently no end to my stupidity when it comes to this hobby.
A terrific album, and a great job by all involved with this SACD. I will wait a while and decide between 9 and 10.
Chris
A terrific album, and a great job by all involved with this SACD. I will wait a while and decide between 9 and 10.
Chris
bugdaddy
400 Club - QQ All-Star
i wouldn't be so hard yourself chris. i'm guessing a lot us own at least two copies (like me for example) - - after all, it's a single layer sacd and ya gotta have a copy for the car too
btw, let me offer a contrarian view from most of the rest of the posters on this one. i'm not crazy about the surround mix at all. previous posters note that there isn't much more they could've done with the source material, and i'll agree that what we have is much better than if they tried to fake it. but for me, as much as i love this album, this is nowhere close to a top tier surround release due to its lack of discreet rear channel information.
Of course, you could spring for the hybrid SACD version and be done with it.
Chris Gerhard
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Ha, I should get that too, so I can have 4 versions of this one. I didn't know it had been released as a hybrid. There have been several CD releases, at least 2 SACD and one DualDisc. It is a great album and a great recording considering the age, it must have been state of the art at the time it was done. I have never owned it on LP, cassette or 8-track.
Chris
There were a number of titles released originally by Sony as single-layer SACD that got re-released as hybrids. However, these were re-released in Europe. Based upon the hybrid multi-channel SACD of Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" that I purchased in Hong Kong sveral years back, the CD layer appears to have the latest CD version....in the case of "Time Out", the CD layer was HDCD encoded.
KIND OF BLUE is closer to the concept RCA used for their classical SACD's that had 3-track multis to work with: front only. If you only have a 3-track source to work with, to get to 5.0 or 5.1, some tinkering and chicanery comes into play, which is why I can think of at least one Silverline compilation that could have been perfect had the compilers simply spread out the soundfield based on what they had to work with, rather than insist on 5.1 when you really do have to 'fake it.'
TIME OUT is a little different, but the mix is still sensible, given the limitations of the source. WHY they chose these two--beyond their popularity--is baffling, given the tapes for other albums that would have been far more adaptable to 5.1. I'm glad CBS did KOB, but they coulda done BITCHES BREW and really gone to town...:banana:
ED
