Listening to Now (In Surround) - Volume 2

[Clement]

OK, just ordered a copy from Franck's website, Peachy Mango.

Well, if it's good enough for @J. PUPSTER and @GOS , you know i'm all over that!

 

[mandrix]

You KNOW that Vocalion sounds SWEET! I never A-B'ed them. I was going to make a shrine to the Epic SACD! I'll give them both a spin soon . . . that will bring me joy!

There's a post on the forum somewhere about the earlier SACD release. Some people thought the rear channels were reversed, but actually that is not so.

 

[Clement]

There's a post on the forum somewhere about the earlier SACD release. Some people thought the rear channels were reversed, but actually that is not so.

@fredblue and @steelydave both reference the Z-shape "swoosh" of the pans. Here are links to BOTH POSTS

 

[mandrix]

@fredblue and @steelydave both reference the Z-shape "swoosh" of the pans. Here are links to BOTH POSTS

I think there's another post by @steelydave about this further clarifying that the channel assignments on Ship Ahoy were intentional and not mixed up.
But I could be remembering wrong.

 

[Clement]

I think there's another post by @steelydave about this further clarifying that the channel assignments on Ship Ahoy were intentional and not mixed up.
But I could be remembering wrong.

You and me both – the old gray matter, it ain't what it used to be!

Edit: THIS might be the @steelydave post you reference

 

[JohnN]

See, now you're just showing off. You really listened to all that in one day? If so, why?

Over two days. Love the quad.

 

[barfle]

The Guess Who American Woman & Share The Land (Coloured (meter) lights can hypnotize)

You have more Guess Who albums than I have Beach Boy albums!

 

[bgf1973]

 

[steelydave]

I think there's another post by @steelydave about this further clarifying that the channel assignments on Ship Ahoy were intentional and not mixed up.
But I could be remembering wrong.

h/t to @Clement for sourcing the posts in a previous reply, but yes, I was mistaken back then suggesting that the channels were swapped, because I didn't understand the purpose behind 'diagonal pans' (putting elements in either the front left and right surround, or front right and left surround simultaneously) being to suspend something in the phantom center or "quad center" of the room while still conforming SQ matrix rules and regulations.

As far as how the Sony and D-V masterings compare, in my opinion (biased, maybe?) the D-V is the clear winner. There's more deep bass extension on the D-V, and it has the lovely upper-midrange slightly forward sound that's typical of Mike Dutton's masterings - it's this that really makes the phantom center (and other phantom placements) really pop, in addition to enhancing left/right separation. There are certain horn/string elements that I always perceived as being sort of 'middle' (rear or front) panned in the old Sony mastering that are clearly revealed to be hard left or right in the D-V. If you care at all about stereo, the D-V stereo mastering of Ship Ahoy is night-and-day better than what's on both the SACD and CD layers of the Sony. The Sony mastering (either by compression or limiting) is barely a DR10 (more than half the tracks are 9) whereas the D-V mastering is an exceptional DR14 ('For the Love of Money' is DR16!) which is right in line with the dynamics of the original vinyl.

Ship Ahoy and the Isley's 3+3 were probably my two most-listened to SACDs from the original SACD/DVD-A era, so I feel like I kind of know them like the back of my hand. The new D-V masterings of both of these albums are considerable improvements, and while 3+3 is more of a revelation (primarily because the Sony 3+3 was kind of butchered) I still think the D-V set that includes Ship Ahoy is a signficant upgrade. Not only do you get that album, you also get Message in the Music, which alongside Ship Ahoy is one of the best quad mixes (and probably one of the best surround mixes in any format) and a hot live album with plenty of rear-speaker action in Live in London.

I still pinch myself sometimes, as someone who paid nearly 300 bucks once for a lot of 6 Q8 tapes just to get the ultra-rare Message in the Music, that we've been so lucky to get all of these albums rendered in virtually perfect quality for an absolute bargain price. I know this kind of music isn't to everyone's taste, but I can't recommend this set (and the D-V Survival/Family Reunion two-fer) highly enough.

 

[bgf1973]

 

[Clement]

Taking Tori for a spin

No votes yet on our poll thread

 

[bgf1973]

 

[JohnN]

You have more Guess Who albums than I have Beach Boy albums!

I was at several Guess Who concerts back in the 1970s. Music memory bank won't let it go. For sure ?? I have fewer Beach Boys albums than you.

And ah now, eh: Cool quad.
Earth, Wind & Fire - Spirit & That's The Way Of The World

 

[Quad Linda]

Bursting Out - Jethro Tull DVD-V
Sergio Mendes CD-4
Apostrophe - Zappa BD
Unrepentant Geraldines - Tori Amos BD
Piano Man - Billy Joel Japan Quad SACD
Carnival Live in Japan - Sergio Mendes & Brazil '77 Japan only SQ
Divine Miss M - Bette Midler BD
Best of Doors BD

 

[4-earredwonder]

FINALLY inserted my Meridian Reference DVD~A/RBCD 800 spinner into my new system last night which was a Class A+ recommended Stereophile Magazine Component now upgraded with a new linear power supply and spun a whole lotta discs ... one of which was Monster Music's gorgeous DTS 5.1 remix of Miles Davis' classic SKETCHES OF SPAIN from Columbia Record's original 3 channel master tapes. WHOA! The clarity and inner detail were OFF THE CHARTS, the bass restored and the immersiveness tactile front to rear even extending into my self amplified Meridian side speakers!

Another unexpected 'beauty' was Nick Cave and the Bad Seed's DIG!!! LAZARUS DIG!!! Another DTS 5.1 remix which for the first time unleashed an amazing discrete immersion! Never a BIG proponent of lossy codecs, I must admit that through this magnificent component .... even LOSSY DTS sounded magnificent! Not to mention [but only in passing on this SURROUND thread] that all my Classic Records HDAD and 9624 Stereo DVD~As were uncannily replicated!

With its exquisite glass top, the 800 never fails to amaze me. It doesn't have HDMI outputs nor play blu ray audio nor SACDs but for the vast number of
older MLP DVD~As and even lossy DVDs with DTS/DD 5.1 it is my component of choice....even over my trusty OPPO 205!

 

[SHB]

Tim Bowness Powder Dry