HiRez Poll Flack, Roberta - KILLING ME SOFTLY [Blu-ray Audio]

[Freedesignfan]

I'm not fond of some of the tracks music-wise. Generally most of Roberta's catalogue has varying degrees of filler to exceptional tracks though. Her voice is always beautiful and the arrangements showcase it well. It has a good quad mix so I give it an 8.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Boy what a surprise quad album this turned out to be.
I never had the CD 4 nor Q8 of this back in the day , and I kinda missed out.

She has lot's of soul but a rather killer jazz/rock band backing her up.

Plenty of individual instruments at play in the two rears and fronts , and the music is thoroughly enjoyable on each track.This disc is demo quad quality I think.

This disc will definitely get further replays. Instant NINE !

Thankyou @ForagingRhino and all at RHINO/WEA

 

[Matt Wilson]

9

Another great-sounding disc from our friends at Rhino. The album itself is fair, but the quality of the quad is outstanding. Honestly, I haven't heard a mediocre-sounding Rhino quad disc, and I have them all.

 

[rusinurbe]

I am surprised how much the whole sound field is used. I love that kick drum, the vocals thr clarity. Great disc another Quadio winner.

 

[TopTip]

I had not heard the term “bass management” in a decade…it is like a bad memory, like SCMS and all the other early digital foibles.

But now with that kickdrum, pushing my (wireless Beolab 17) RF to its destruction limit, I have to reconsider it. (I read others say the kick drum is on LF?)

Does my Axiim Q UHD even have bass management? It for sure has no 44.1kHz DTS, only 48, so lacking.

I cannot even run the front channels through my ancient AudioPro subwoofer’s analog controls since it gets its own signal only through a dedicated WISA receiver.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

[mrcond]

RF (I read others say the kick drum is on LF?)

Definitely in the RF in my system.

 

[Michael Marshall]

I just received the latest batch of QUADIO's on Friday and I too was taken back by the prominence of the kick drum that is throughout "Killing Me Softly". I did NOT recall hearing this way back when this was on the radio in seemingly in constant rotation (admittingly on AM or FM radio in my parents' car(s) so fidelity was definitely an issue!) so, I toggled over to the stereo mix and sure enough, it was there too. In my opinion, it is rather (i.e. more) distracting in the Quad mix as it so prominent in my right rear speaker that at first, I thought my speaker was having a problem. Thoughts...

 

[quicksrt]

I just received the latest batch of QUADIO's on Friday and I too was taken back by the prominence of the kick drum that is throughout "Killing Me Softly". I did NOT recall hearing this way back when this was on the radio in seemingly in constant rotation (admittingly on AM or FM radio in my parents' car(s) so fidelity was definitely an issue!) so, I toggled over to the stereo mix and sure enough, it was there too. In my opinion, it is rather (i.e. more) distracting in the Quad mix as it so prominent in my right rear speaker that at first, I thought my speaker was having a problem. Thoughts...

It should be in the right FRONT speaker. You might have front and rears reversed?

Definitely in the RF in my system.

I had not heard the term “bass management” in a decade…

But now with that kickdrum, pushing my (wireless Beolab 17) RF to its destruction limit, I have to reconsider it. (I read others say the kick drum is on LF?)

 

[Michael Marshall]

I am getting my new B&W 805 4D's installed into my system on July 9th so I will have that checked out as well as having my ARCAM AVSR31 recalibrated. Thanks for information.

 

[par4ken]

I mentioned in another thread that I had gotten a stereo LP copy of this recently. I had actually ordered the CD-4. I was fully refunded for the purchase but I digress.

Anyway I have never cared much for the title track, mid seventies AM radio fodder IMHO. So I wasn't expecting that much from the album. Well I was pleasantly surprised, first by the content and sound quality of the cleaned up LP. Had I heard more than the hit back in the day I'm sure that I would have scooped up this record.

Now the Quadio! What's not to like? I'm voting a ten!

 

[joelee]

I give the Quadio of "Killing Me Softly" high marks too!

 

[Rhinojack]

I’d like to see/hear Roberta’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in quad. Anybody know if it is available?

 

[Simon A]

I’d like to see/hear Roberta’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in quad. Anybody know if it is available?

Killing Me Softly was Roberta's only album released in Quad. I agree though, her first two albums would be lovely in Multichannel.

 

[fredblue]

I’d like to see/hear Roberta’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in quad. Anybody know if it is available?

there were rumours for many years of an unreleased Quad mix of the Roberta & Donny album (the LP with "You've Got A Friend" and "Where Is The Love" on it) but nothing has materialised in the years since so who knows!?

 

[quadrifonico]

Honestly I expected a better mix considering I love vintage quadraphonic but apart from the title track I find myself yawning admittedly too early. One-hit wonder? Collector's item?

 

[kfbkfb]

I had never heard this album before (except "Killing Me Softly" on the radio), I believe I've listened to this album about 10 times...so:
Music Content: 7

Fidelity: 8
(seems to be a little distortion on some of her louder vocals)
(listened on my basement system)

Surround Mix: 7

average: 7.33, rounds to 7

edit:
I will relisten on both of my audio systems and cite song numbers and times (I could be wrong about the distortion)


Kirk Bayne

 

[jaybird100]

I had never heard this album before (except "Killing Me Softly" on the radio), I believe I've listened to this album about 10 times...so:
Music Content: 7

Fidelity: 8
(seems to be a little distortion on some of her louder vocals)
(listened on my basement system)

Surround Mix: 7

average: 7.33, rounds to 7


Kirk Bayne

I didn't notice any distortion in my copy.

 

[quicksrt]

I had never heard this album before (except "Killing Me Softly" on the radio), I believe I've listened to this album about 10 times...so:
Music Content: 7

Fidelity: 8
(seems to be a little distortion on some of her louder vocals)
(listened on my basement system)

Surround Mix: 7

average: 7.33, rounds to 7

edit:
I will relisten on both of my audio systems and cite song numbers and times (I could be wrong about the distortion)


Kirk Bayne

You’ve probably written about it previously, is the basement system your best in your opinion?

 

[kfbkfb]

Yes, I'll try headphones too.

edit:
One example: the vocals on song 4 (Quadio only, not stereo) sound slightly harsh when they get loud, that's what I meant by distortion.
(on my basement system - equip list in my "About" section, will try my bedroom system & headphones soon)


Kirk Bayne

 

[hdlistener]

I just received the latest batch of QUADIO's on Friday and I too was taken back by the prominence of the kick drum that is throughout "Killing Me Softly". I did NOT recall hearing this way back when this was on the radio in seemingly in constant rotation (admittingly on AM or FM radio in my parents' car(s) so fidelity was definitely an issue!) so, I toggled over to the stereo mix and sure enough, it was there too. In my opinion, it is rather (i.e. more) distracting in the Quad mix as it so prominent in my right rear speaker that at first, I thought my speaker was having a problem. Thoughts...

Was listening to that song with a group of friends/fellow musicians in my car years ago, and commented "I'd like to meet the guy who had feet for ears and mixed the kick drum so loud on this." Turns out one of my fellow passengers was Joel Dorn (the producer's) son, and pointed out to me he won a Grammy for that recording...