HiRez Poll Knopfler, Mark - ONE DEEP RIVER [Blu-ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new album from Mark Knopfler entitled "One Deep River".
The album was released as an SDE exclusive Blu-ray Audio disc as part of their SDE Surround Sound Series. (Thanks @PaulatSDE!)
The Blu-Ray includes a Dolby Atmos mix of the album and five bonus tracks.
While the Blu-ray Audio disc is now sold out, you can still stream the Dolby Atmos mix on all Dolby Atmos streaming providers:

 

[bktouchstone]

I have listened to this twice now. “Scavenger’s Yard” probably comes closest to having a good Atmos mix. The majority of the rest seems to be more of a “big stereo” presentation. The “big stereo” does sound good, just not what I expect from an Atmos mix. Strictly speaking if average is a 5 out of 10, then the Atmos mix is a 4. As a stereo mix, the Atmos is a 10. I hope to get around to listening to the actual stereo mix soon. Songs quality is generally good to very good. I would give those an 8. Add a little more because I am a fan and you get a weak 8.

 

[RustyM]

I haven't listened to Mark Knopfler's previous solo albums but his 10th solo album One Deep River is masterfully done. I enjoyed the Atmos mix as well as the stereo 192/24 HD mix by Guy Fletcher (Well done!). For me, the Atmos mix is intimate--like a private performance and my listening room is the venue. This is a mellow album that is steeped in Americana. The songwriting is strong musically and lyrically. Each song pulls the listener into the story telling. My favorite track is "This One's Not Going To End Well". Limited to 2000 copies worldwide, I'm glad I picked this one up. #18 on the SDE series, once again, congratulations to Paul for this amazing release. It's a 10 from me and highly recommended if you're a Mark Knopfler fan.

SURROUND MIX - 3
AUDIO FIDELITY - 3
CONTENT - 3
OVERALL PACKAGE - 1

 

[MTB Vince]

I have listened to this twice now. “Scavenger’s Yard” probably comes closest to having a good Atmos mix. The majority of the rest seems to be more of a “big stereo” presentation. The “big stereo” does sound good, just not what I expect from an Atmos mix. Strictly speaking if average is a 5 out of 10, then the Atmos mix is a 4. As a stereo mix, the Atmos is a 10. I hope to get around to listening to the actual stereo mix soon. Songs quality is generally good to very good. I would give those an 8. Add a little more because I am a fan and you get a weak 8.

I agree 100% with @bktouchstone's assessment of Knopfler's latest. The purported Atmos mix is so LCR front-heavy, that I found myself repeatedly checked the display on my pre-pro to make certain that the display was actually indicating the Atmos codec! I even got up and and stuck my ear up against the surround speakers a couple times... I have a bunch of Knopfler's past albums on 5.1 DVD-Audio discs and this latest Atmos Blu Ray is the least surround-sound-ing Knopfler m-ch disc of any in my collection. Now that I'm done beating up on the surround shortcomings of the Atmos mix, I will also concur with @bktouchstone that this mix does sound great otherwise. It is warm and lush tonally with high frequencies always clear and clean. Very analog sounding in this regard.

As for Knopfler's songwriting, it was great as always but I found this album's tracklist to be very much same-y. Too low key and ballad heavy. There was a lack of musical variety that left me feeling decidedly drowsy on both listen-throughs. The album definitely would have benefited from the substitution of a few upbeat or aggressive/angry numbers to liven it up and provide a foil for the many melancholy-leaning story songs.

So to wrap my thoughts on this album up- while it's a solid effort from Knopfler it's not an album that will see regular replay in our household. And that's saying something 'cuz I'm a lifelong fanboy of Knopfler's work. This one was only a six for me. In hindsight, I would have been fine with just purchasing the album on CD and saving a bunch of money.

 

[himey]

Lazy mix, bad. Lazy music, pretty good. All the channels are dynamic at least. Only 1 song in Atmos (Watch Me Gone), really seems to add anything that, as long as the stereo mix is dynamic, couldn't accomplish. Not going to be able to give this one high marks, especially considering how good his 5.1 mixes are. This mix is three steps backwards.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

First off, if you don't like the last few Knopfler releases, you won't like this either. It's the same style. I'm never sure how to describe it. Like Scottish Americana music. But its well made and beautiful music that is very laid back. It doesn't rock much but great lyrics. Great stories. Come for the fretwork and the storytelling. Get a drink and relax. There is nothing remotely intense here. Don't expect Brothers in Arms or even On Every Street.

Previous solo Knopfler surround includes Shangra-La and Sailing to Philadelphia. I'm in the minority in my thinking that the above titles have good 5.1 mixes. They are not in your face mixes. They are relatively subtle. But they do serve the music well. And they all have great sonics. Really great sonics. Keep in mind I run 5.1.4, and the rears are to the side and barely behind my MLP. I think that helps out subtle mixes. That said, One Deep River is even less adventurous that they are. Still great sonics though.

This entire album sounds unusually spacious. Very big sounding. When I get time I'm going to compare it to the stereo playback and see how much of that is Atmos and how much is baked into the recording. In Atmos, this album gives me a very tangible illusion of height on my system. Classical and Jazz fans will probably like this mix. It strives to give a realistic presentation above all else. Not a distracting gimmick in sight. Back in my stereo days, if I could have gotten a 3D image like this, I'd have been ecstatic.

It's not totally devoid of surround information, but there is precious little discrete height info. What is there tends to lightly support what's in the floors.

Standout tracks:
Two Pairs of Hands
Ahead of the Game - synths? In the heights?
Scavengers Yard - maybe the most adventurous mix on the album and quickly becoming my favorite track
Tunnel 13 - great storytelling, some subtle surroundy moments toward the end
Watch Me Gone - great song, background vocals in the heights.
I may add to this list as time goes by.

in terms of Knopfler solo material alone this wouldn't make it to a 10 for me. I think the material and mixes are better on Shangra-La and Sailing to Philadelphia. And I like those albums better than Privateering or Kill To Get Crimson. But One Deep River isn't bad at all. So it gets an honest 8 from me. If however we were rating it on how close you can get to the realism of an actual performance instead of how impressive and "entertaining" the mix is, it would fare much better. It's ironic, since realism should actually be the true goal of Hi-Fi playback. Maybe the real thing just isn't good enough for us anymore.

I finished playing this twice, then went on to play What it Is, Sailing To Philadelphia, Speedway At Nazareth, Baloney Again, 5:15 am, Postcards From Paraguay, and Boom, Like That. All highly recommended.

 

[GOS]

First off, if you don't like the last few Knopfler releases, you won't like this either. It's the same style. I'm never sure how to describe it. Like Scottish Americana music. But its well made and beautiful music that is very laid back. It doesn't rock much but great lyrics. Great stories. Come for the fretwork and the storytelling. Get a drink and relax. There is nothing remotely intense here. Don't expect Brothers in Arms or even On Every Street.

Previous solo Knopfler surround includes Shangra-La and Sailing to Philadelphia. I'm in the minority in my thinking that the above titles have good 5.1 mixes. They are not in your face mixes. They are relatively subtle. But they do serve the music well. And they all have great sonics. Really great sonics. Keep in mind I run 5.1.4, and the rears are to the side and barely behind my MLP. I think that helps out subtle mixes. That said, One Deep River is even less adventurous that they are. Still great sonics though.

This entire album sounds unusually spacious. Very big sounding. When I get time I'm going to compare it to the stereo playback and see how much of that is Atmos and how much is baked into the recording. In Atmos, this album gives me a very tangible illusion of height on my system. Classical and Jazz fans will probably like this mix. It strives to give a realistic presentation above all else. Not a distracting gimmick in sight. Back in my stereo days, if I could have gotten a 3D image like this, I'd have been ecstatic.

It's not totally devoid of surround information, but there is precious little discrete height info. What is there tends to lightly support what's in the floors.

Standout tracks:
Two Pairs of Hands
Ahead of the Game - synths? In the heights?
Scavengers Yard - maybe the most adventurous mix on the album and quickly becoming my favorite track
Tunnel 13 - great storytelling, some subtle surroundy moments toward the end
Watch Me Gone - great song, background vocals in the heights.
I may add to this list as time goes by.

in terms of Knopfler solo material alone this wouldn't make it to a 10 for me. I think the material and mixes are better on Shangra-La and Sailing to Philadelphia. And I like those albums better than Privateering or Kill To Get Crimson. But One Deep River isn't bad at all. So it gets an honest 8 from me. If however we were rating it on how close you can get to the realism of an actual performance instead of how impressive and "entertaining" the mix is, it would fare much better. It's ironic, since realism should actually be the true goal of Hi-Fi playback. Maybe the real thing just isn't good enough for us anymore.

I finished playing this twice, then went on play What it Is Sailing To Philadelphia, Speedway At Nazareth, Baloney Again, 5:15 am, Postcards From Paraguay, and Boom, Like That. All highly recommended.

What a killer review. You have way more patience than I do.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

What a killer review. You have way more patience than I do.

He's a favorite artist. Wait till I get my hands on Past, Present, and Future

 

[jaybird100]

I gave it a 9. Knopfler's guitar and voice are in fine form, and the music is more laid back than some of his previous albums. I would have liked a more aggressive surround mix, but it ain't bad! I don't have Atmos capability, so I can't rate that. It definitely sounded great, though, and was well worth adding to my collection.

 

[Jim.olga]

First off, if you don't like the last few Knopfler releases, you won't like this either. It's the same style. I'm never sure how to describe it. Like Scottish Americana music. But its well made and beautiful music that is very laid back. It doesn't rock much but great lyrics. Great stories. Come for the fretwork and the storytelling. Get a drink and relax. There is nothing remotely intense here. Don't expect Brothers in Arms or even On Every Street.

Previous solo Knopfler surround includes Shangra-La and Sailing to Philadelphia. I'm in the minority in my thinking that the above titles have good 5.1 mixes. They are not in your face mixes. They are relatively subtle. But they do serve the music well. And they all have great sonics. Really great sonics. Keep in mind I run 5.1.4, and the rears are to the side and barely behind my MLP. I think that helps out subtle mixes. That said, One Deep River is even less adventurous that they are. Still great sonics though.

This entire album sounds unusually spacious. Very big sounding. When I get time I'm going to compare it to the stereo playback and see how much of that is Atmos and how much is baked into the recording. In Atmos, this album gives me a very tangible illusion of height on my system. Classical and Jazz fans will probably like this mix. It strives to give a realistic presentation above all else. Not a distracting gimmick in sight. Back in my stereo days, if I could have gotten a 3D image like this, I'd have been ecstatic.

It's not totally devoid of surround information, but there is precious little discrete height info. What is there tends to lightly support what's in the floors.

Standout tracks:
Two Pairs of Hands
Ahead of the Game - synths? In the heights?
Scavengers Yard - maybe the most adventurous mix on the album and quickly becoming my favorite track
Tunnel 13 - great storytelling, some subtle surroundy moments toward the end
Watch Me Gone - great song, background vocals in the heights.
I may add to this list as time goes by.

in terms of Knopfler solo material alone this wouldn't make it to a 10 for me. I think the material and mixes are better on Shangra-La and Sailing to Philadelphia. And I like those albums better than Privateering or Kill To Get Crimson. But One Deep River isn't bad at all. So it gets an honest 8 from me. If however we were rating it on how close you can get to the realism of an actual performance instead of how impressive and "entertaining" the mix is, it would fare much better. It's ironic, since realism should actually be the true goal of Hi-Fi playback. Maybe the real thing just isn't good enough for us anymore.

I finished playing this twice, then went on to play What it Is, Sailing To Philadelphia, Speedway At Nazareth, Baloney Again, 5:15 am, Postcards From Paraguay, and Boom, Like That. All highly recommended.

Great review!

 

[CINERAMAX]

I waited for the Sultan, and the Sultan arrived. The Sultan of Snooze him and Quadronuevo. Completely unimmersive. My little system is Atmos Heaven on Earth with the right mixes. Here everything stayed up front WTF.


In the Atmos hall of shame thread, the bottom tier should motivate excellence by extracting castration by pianowire for the mixer, throw this guy there.

 

[Jim.olga]

Sell it.

 

[DennisMabry]

I waited for the Sultan, and the Sultan arrived. The Sultan of Snooze him and Quadronuevo. Completely unimmersive. My little system is Atmos Heaven on Earth with the right mixes. Here everything stayed up front WTF.


In the Atmos hall of shame thread, the bottom tier should motivate excellence by extracting castration by pianowire for the mixer, throw this guy there.
View attachment 104665

Great set up!

 

[Mackspower]

I waited for the Sultan, and the Sultan arrived. The Sultan of Snooze him and Quadronuevo. Completely unimmersive. My little system is Atmos Heaven on Earth with the right mixes. Here everything stayed up front WTF.


In the Atmos hall of shame thread, the bottom tier should motivate excellence by extracting castration by pianowire for the mixer, throw this guy there.
View attachment 104665

Killer listening room, scathing review . . . it's like a perfect balance.

 

[himey]

I waited for the Sultan, and the Sultan arrived. The Sultan of Snooze him and Quadronuevo. Completely unimmersive. My little system is Atmos Heaven on Earth with the right mixes. Here everything stayed up front WTF.


In the Atmos hall of shame thread, the bottom tier should motivate excellence by extracting castration by pianowire for the mixer, throw this guy there.
View attachment 104665

Have you checked to see if the stereo mix is as dynamic as the Atmos mix?

 

[key_wiz]

Is this even a surround mix? I get better surround experiences listening to stereo through the Dolby Surround or DTS settings on my AVR.

Ok album. But far from a memorable classic.

This is a “6”.

 

[sjcorne]

Previous solo Knopfler surround includes Shangra-La and Sailing to Philadelphia. I'm in the minority in my thinking that the above titles have good 5.1 mixes. They are not in your face mixes. They are relatively subtle. But they do serve the music well.

Haven't heard Shangri-La, but I thought Sailing To Philadelphia's 5.1 mix fell more on the active side. For instance, the harmonica and backing vocals throughout "Baloney Again" are hard-panned 100% in the back corners.

 

[CINERAMAX]

Have you checked to see if the stereo mix is as dynamic as the Atmos mix?

Sorry on principle I am the enemy of Stereo, a 40 year uphill battle.

 

[weekendtoy]

...If however we were rating it on how close you can get to the realism of an actual performance instead of how impressive and "entertaining" the mix is, it would fare much better. It's ironic, since realism should actually be the true goal of Hi-Fi playback. Maybe the real thing just isn't good enough for us anymore.

There lies the rub. The 192/24 stereo layer is really really good. So this disc checks those boxes quoted above.

So why not give us something a little more 'entertaining' (so to speak) on the surround mix?

For this release, my Chane 753's throw out a huge holographic soundstage in stereo with an almost imperceptible difference from ATMOS. Pretty sure that will be my listening preference moving forward.

 

[DrKlahn]

I gave it an 8. Like I said in the album thread, the mix is clean and detailed. It's not an aggressive mix by any means, but I feel like it suits the material.