HiRez Poll King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (2009) [DVD-Audio]

[carledwards]

I still hope you verify that this was a global problem with DVD-As in your system, and not something peculiar to this disc or to the Oppo. Especially since this post below reports that a closely related Yamaha AVR to yours ( Yamaha RX-V1700/RX-V2700) did NOT have the LFE bug.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748147

Thank you again, ssully! I have a sound meter and will check everything out. I must say, I'm liking the Oppo 980 with the sub channel boosted by 10db, however on a variety of discs.

 

[sKiZo]

Lucky me ... I don' got no subwoofer issues.

Mostly cause I got no subwoofer. <G>

One thing my McIntosh big boxes got in common with Jessica Alba ... one sweet! bottom ...

Was just listening to Epitaph ... there's a perfect test for your system response at about 18:30 on 5.1 lossless when it goes into the death dirge drum thing. Here I am idling away at about 50 watts, and (fasten seat belts please - all trays in the upright position) ... the needles scream to maybe 500 watts. Whoah!

Thinking maybe I should crank the expansion down a bit for that one?
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah ... I can always get new woofers, and I got the panic button handy if the system goes to defcon four ...

Oh. Not enough negativity here in the reviews. Lemme see ... ok. Main menu has a lil red bubble just to the left of "playlist" that looks just like the lil red bubble that appears next to the current menu selection. Confuzed me a time or two it did. (How's that for anal retentive?)

 

[Spencer1812]

Glad we got that settled. ITCOTCK a 10.

 

[Almen]

The big'un has been sent.

 

[AZK]

Hello everybody!!
I have just received information from my shop (distributor in Poland) that the BIG BOX is in stock now!!!! And they will send it soon (the discs go to the packing department):banana::banana::banana:.
I will inform you when I will get it.

 

[hschoot]

Got the big box yesterday: very nice, 5 cds and 1 dvd. LP size gatefold copy of original LP. LP size booklet, and a very good sound.

 

[AZK]

Today the postman brought me THE BIG BOX!
The box is excellent! I have no time to listen carefully to the music, I have only listend to the multichannel version - in one word - amazing! Crispy, cristal sound, surround loudspeaker used very extensive. Listen to the bass in the final of ITCOTCK! Really multchannel music. I think this disc sonically is better than Red, but I have to listen more carefully.
These are my first impressions after several hours of having my own copy of ITCOTCK (the best ever rock disc!)

 

[EMB]

Just to dispense with some ******** and have it out of the way:

1. This is simply an exceptional, well considered mix: playful but doesn't go out of its way to impress you--that is, those involved assume you're going to know the album very well to start with! That's always good, and with the percussive second part of "Moonchild"--important, since it doesn't need to go buggering about, just needs to frolic about and play and it does! :banana:

2. One thing that strikes me is the nicely defined, clear bass and harmonics. If there is one thing surround SHOULD do but sometimes does not, is make clear what's separate in an active, layered mix like "21st Century," "Epitaph" and the title track. Here we get some real subtlety when not being bombarded (as we should be) by the sonic assaults we're familiar with in stereo.

3. Speaking of which....over the years, this album has gone through many, many masterings. I must have at least six vinyl copies, and an original Polydor red label CD, and three EG editions (now including this one, maybe four?). Ok, that's a lotta masterings and crap to go over a not-so-modest, late 1969 prog-rock album, more than most other bands' Lp's go through. Well worth it, I must say! My wife is by now I'm sure very tired of hearing this one in 5.1, but what can I tell ya? :alienrob:

4. Unlike some folks here, I grew up with this one, and was fourteen when I bought my first copy (which was a crappy sounding US Atlantic pressing. Nice cover is all I can say about it now). From which I graduated to a red label Canadian and, in the late '70s, a really, REALLY NICE Polydor/EG import slab that was so quiet and clear it might as well have been a Mo-Fi! Very nice indeed, played the hell out of that one...

5. Then there is the Moody Blues connection. None, you say? Well....Mike Pinder and Ian McDonald were using the Mellotron in similar ways for their respective bands, though Pinder would not burn out as quickly as Ian, fortunately...and if the Moodies were never quite as erudite and adventurous as Fripp or Sinfield as writers, they were exploring themes and ideological/romantic journeys not dissimiliar at all. The Moodies problem would eventually be that their fans thought they were on some 'cosmic' journey; Crimson's nature--and their interest in jazz and improvisation--made them seem less ordinary, and sometimes more challenging (which they would of course prove to be).

6. Finally, the digital work that went into this remix was something no one connected to the Moodies seemed to want to do--they were satisfied with very good (but not crystal clear) quad mixes made back in the '70s. Here, new clarity has been achieved but not at the expense of the original experience.

Yep, it's really fine!

ED

 

[user 1679]

My box set arrived today and I've just given the surround mix a spin. From the opening chords of Schizoid Man I was sitting on the edge of my chair. I've been listening to this album for so many years now and never has it sounded so good. The instrument placements in the mix are perfect, the movement through the speakers appropriate and not too "gimmicky" - very impressed.

Solid 10 from me.

 

[rusinurbe]

just realised i had not voted on this yet.

It gets a 10 for all of the good reasons mentioned above. surround is so much better than i could have expected.

And why can more re-isses ret the full multidisc box set treatment i am afraid the box really has set new standards for me.

 

[beached]

Well it does possess me, it does impress me. This is a master work in the mix. I agree that Steven nailed it perfectly on that front. Sonically, it is disturbingly crystal clear and fresh sounding perhaps this perception is helped/achieved due to a lack of any grunt and snarl in the lower end (< ~ 50 Hz). I could just raise the sub level (from my standard setting of 3 to 5 maybe) you might say but I shouldn't have to and anyway that is not going to give me the lower frequencies that I usually enjoy hearing on DVD-A. IMHO all three KC releases so far have this slight deficiency. I realize that these are old recordings but jeez I thought something would be down there sub 50Hz. Maybe to much hum from the tape machine, Londons underground trains or my best guess is that RF told Steven he wanted it that way being the purist that he seems to be. Anyways I still give it a 10. It is a must have. Congrats to all involved here and in Pommie land.
I want my Islands now more than ever.

 

[jeffty]

This DVD-A version is everything I ever hoped it would be. 40 years however seems a bit long to have to wait though...even the stereo remix is superb. I am grateful to the producers for making the effort to do this, a great job! I still smile as the puppets dance...

 

[ClarkNovak]

Wow... just wow. I received my copy from Amazon today (via a kind Christmas gift certificate from my company) and have just listened to the 5.1 mix... astounding. During the climax of 21st Century, I could actually hear the woodwind players' tongues hitting their reeds... and I am once again reminded, as I discovered the first time I heard these works, just how greatly the Moody Blues at their best were influenced by Fripp and company.

I cannot wait to hear the rest of them! Thanks to all involved.

 

[Rodrigo]

Neil, just one question: Are these 5.1 KC releases going to be limited? or they going to be the regular version albums?

Thanks.

 

[neil wilkes]

Neil, just one question: Are these 5.1 KC releases going to be limited? or they going to be the regular version albums?

Thanks.

Not limited at all - these will remain in print as CD/DVDA versions (or also as 2CD in the case of this particular title).
We're all putting far too much into this for it to be limited!

 

[Rodrigo]

Thanks Neil.
I asked you because of my experience with many DVDA titiles being out of print before kowing of their existence.
Now I can relax myself

 

[DKA]

9 out of 10 from me.

When I actually buy a mix the record industry produces, this is what I expect. This offers the type of clarity and interesting placement that, try as I might, I can't replicate on my own. This is a true representation of when record companies truly go the extra mile to produce something for surround enthusiasts. To be quite honest, I will gladly take less retail surround out there if the trickle that comes out is as good as this.

Knocked a point because I felt it lacked power and low end in places but, if that was going to be added at the expense of sound quality, then I'll gladly take what I've got. This deserves speakers better than mine.

 

[Green]

Is there any difference in the DVD-Audio discs between the 6 disc cd DVD-Audio limited edition box set and the CD-DVD-A 2 disc set?

Green [email protected]

 

[quadfish]

All I can say is WOW!! I haven't listened to KC much in about 40 years. The wait to get back into them was worth it. I got all three 5.1 versions so far, can't wait for more!!!!!!! Especially In The Wake of Posieden and Lark's Tongues in Aspic.

 

[leevitalone1]

like quadfish I have not "listened" to KC in what OMG!! I'm old!! since the 70's when it was new, and on vinyl. The last time I heard it was on the family "webcor" pos stereo that at least played it. all I can say after just sitting through my new 5.1 Court of the Crim. King is simply on word, FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!! I am blown away!! LIke QF here cannot wait to obtain the other 2 titles. I sat down lit nthe old pipe and we all know the rest. Look forward to new dvd-audio titles all the time especially the older stuff like this.