I hadn't spun this one in a while, so I pulled the DVD-A off the shelf last weekend to make a DTS-CD for playback in my car. It has not left the car since.
I've always found that the Acura system can reveal flaws in surround mixes that aren't present on my home system. For instance, the center-channel isolated vocals on the Steven Wilson 5.1 mixes sometimes seem buried, or the rear channels on the old CBS quad mixes can be overpowering. It's nothing that can't be solved with some quick balance adjustments.
What's interesting (but not really surprising I guess, as his initials are on the sound system) is that anything mixed by Mr. Scheiner sounds absolutely perfect, and this title is no exception. I have to assume that his 5.1 mixes were done specifically to take advantage of the Acura system.
As others have mentioned, the 5.1 mix is classic ES in that previously-obscured elements are brought to the fore, yet the songs still sound familiar. Standouts for me are "Gimme Three Steps" (the overlapping guitar tracks are split between the front and rear) and "That Smell" (the main riff is locked in left rear).
My one (minor) gripe with the mix is the famous guitar solo section in "Free Bird". It's really cool hearing the layers peeled back - what I used to think was only two guitar parts is revealed to be at least four, if not more - but something about it sounds oddly underwhelming to me. It's like all the guitars are at equal level in the surround mix, while the stereo mix favored some parts over others. I do appreciate getting the extended ending on the surround mix though.
I'm going with a 9 on this one - it's a must for any surround collection.
"Gimme Three Steps":
"That Smell":
I've always found that the Acura system can reveal flaws in surround mixes that aren't present on my home system. For instance, the center-channel isolated vocals on the Steven Wilson 5.1 mixes sometimes seem buried, or the rear channels on the old CBS quad mixes can be overpowering. It's nothing that can't be solved with some quick balance adjustments.
What's interesting (but not really surprising I guess, as his initials are on the sound system) is that anything mixed by Mr. Scheiner sounds absolutely perfect, and this title is no exception. I have to assume that his 5.1 mixes were done specifically to take advantage of the Acura system.
As others have mentioned, the 5.1 mix is classic ES in that previously-obscured elements are brought to the fore, yet the songs still sound familiar. Standouts for me are "Gimme Three Steps" (the overlapping guitar tracks are split between the front and rear) and "That Smell" (the main riff is locked in left rear).
My one (minor) gripe with the mix is the famous guitar solo section in "Free Bird". It's really cool hearing the layers peeled back - what I used to think was only two guitar parts is revealed to be at least four, if not more - but something about it sounds oddly underwhelming to me. It's like all the guitars are at equal level in the surround mix, while the stereo mix favored some parts over others. I do appreciate getting the extended ending on the surround mix though.
I'm going with a 9 on this one - it's a must for any surround collection.
"Gimme Three Steps":
"That Smell":
.. 
