HiRez Poll Pink Floyd - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[Rob Bills]

I still found that “Us & Them” sounded odd - not in the same league as the rest of the album? I also found this while recently listening to the 20th Anniversary CD!

 

[JediJoker]

I still found that “Us & Them” sounded odd - not in the same league as the rest of the album? I also found this while recently listening to the 20th Anniversary CD!

In terms of fidelity? I definitely think the dense vocals in the loud sections have always sounded a bit distorted beyond what could be considered tasteful saturation, at least in the original stereo mix; I'd have to check the quad and 5.1 to listen for the same (don't have access to the Atmos). As for the rest of the arrangement and tune, I find it fits in pretty well with the fidelity of the other tracks.

 

[himey]

Us and Them have never sounded better.

 

[Daniel]

On the Atmos mix "Us and Them" sounds more like the original stereo mix tonally speaking, compared to the 5.1 which is different, has louder cymbals. Not bad, but that lack of cymbals in the last two tracks is well, inconsistent with the rest of the mix and sounds quite bad - to me, at least.
It's frustrating to see that they can't produce a proper 'definitive' mix. All they had to do is take the original stereo mix, re-create it with modern technology to improve fidelity and also expand on it in 5.1 and atmos. Maybe some minor changes here and there if need be. Otherwise the template of the stereo mix is excellent! But I guess there will be more "anniversary" issues at 55, 60, 65, and so on.
Charging so much for the 50th box with only the Atmos mix being new (and not quite amazing,imo) is basically selling expensive packaging. What a joke!

 

[elinter]

The Atmos mix is just phenomenal. Bluray is definitive. 10 for sure.

 

[markhess1958]

I voted a 10. The album was made for an Atmos mix. I would have preferred a stand alone blu-ray. The set was way overpriced.

 

[Sal1950]

Complete rubbish novelty reissue.

Humm, there's a number of us here that disagree,
Both with the mix and Atmos in general.
but your entited to your opinion.

 

[RustyM]

ATMOS MIX A 10. Immensely enjoyable experience.

https://www.hiresedition.com/review...ark-side-of-the-moon-50th-anniversary-bd.html

 

[cornwall198]

just got the stand alone Blu-ray. hmmm…. the Atmos feels quite front centric to my ears, and I’m enjoying the 5.1 version more as a surround experience. Eg Any Color You Like. Contrary to my expectations, the Atmos feels like the more conservative mix. hmmm…

 

[RustyM]

just got the stand alone Blu-ray. hmmm…. the Atmos feels quite front centric to my ears, and I’m enjoying the 5.1 version more as a surround experience. Eg Any Color You Like. Contrary to my expectations, the Atmos feels like the more conservative mix. hmmm…

I found the information under "Atmos and 5.1 setup" interesting in terms of speaker placement and connections--which may explain your situation. Hope this helps.

 

[cornwall198]

I found the information under "Atmos and 5.1 setup" interesting in terms of speaker placement and connections--which may explain your situation. Hope this helps.

Thank you Rusty M. Appreciate the suggestion. I will have another look through it to see if I can improve my Atmos experience. Cheers!

 

[SharpKnight]

Alright so I am currently listening to the Atmos mix and I am pausing the playback at "Money" and writing this to make an early opinion and quite possibly an everlasting one unless the second half of the Atmos mix has something very unique to offer.

But here's the thing, Guthrie changed the cash register sounds from the SACD mix. I'm not sure what Alan Parsons and the band intended for the quad mix but – the sound effects of the cash register and the coins etc literally formed the three corners of the prism with the rear-right, rear-left, front-right speakers and then the light entering with front-left speaker. (Attaching my geek-out video from Instagram stories for context). I also just confirmed that the 5.1 mix on the Blu-Ray preserves this, probably because its a direct conversion of the DSD to PCM.

I know it's too early to form an opinion about the Atmos mix, but the SACD 5.1 mix is just bonkers!

P.S. The Atmos mix also forms a triangle but rather an inverted one this time with the front-left, front-right and rear-right and the fourth sound effect is set on the front-left channel. If visualization is your thing, I still believe that this prism and the light entering it with sound effects is an easter egg that was intentionally thought out for the SACD.

 

[The Hoople]

Thank you Rusty M. Appreciate the suggestion. I will have another look through it to see if I can improve my Atmos experience. Cheers!

The Atmos test on the DSOTM disc rendered some strange results for me that differ from the speaker test I run on my Yamaha Aventage 1080 receiver. Granted, I have only front presence speakers with no surround back, but some sounds that should be coming out of my surrounds are in front where on the Yamaha test, they stay in the back. I also notice that on the Atmos version of Any Color You Like, through my setup in my music room the echoes/repeats during the synth solo at the beginning don't repeat as many times as in the 5.1 version, the stereo version, or even the Atmos version in Apple Music if I listen through my Airpod Pros. It's almost as if I'm missing a channel or something.

 

[CPR]

Well, finally got the Atmos/BluRay yesterday
I've heard all the other versions, including the Quad
Run, don't walk, & buy the BluRay/Atmos, ASAP
It's the best $20/Amazon/U.S., you'll ever spend
Even with my Sonos Arc, the clarity, sonics, & dynamic range, are surreal
Money, Us & Them, & Time, are standouts
Nothing like an uncompressed BluRay disc, to maximize sound
My verdict: 10!; worth the wait

 

[cornwall198]

The Atmos test on the DSOTM disc rendered some strange results for me that differ from the speaker test I run on my Yamaha Aventage 1080 receiver. Granted, I have only front presence speakers with no surround back, but some sounds that should be coming out of my surrounds are in front where on the Yamaha test, they stay in the back. I also notice that on the Atmos version of Any Color You Like, through my setup in my music room the echoes/repeats during the synth solo at the beginning don't repeat as many times as in the 5.1 version, the stereo version, or even the Atmos version in Apple Music if I listen through my Airpod Pros. It's almost as if I'm missing a channel or something.

Goodness - that is how I feel too. One other moment of disappointment for me is that the cash registers on the 5.1 sound so much better than the remix on Atmos. BUT will check my speaker setup later - to see if I can improve the Atmos experience. There are clearly a lot of people that just love it. I want to as well!!

 

[ar surround]

I just listened to the standalone blu-ray in Atmos a couple of times. The first run through was with my normal speaker balance settings. The second listen included some level tweeks using the pink noise test tones in the blu-ray disc set-up menu.

Either way, I got the impression that I was still listening to "Big Stereo James" expanded to Atmos. Overall it does sound really good. Guthrie has neat effects and random voices (a bit too loud) spread around the 7.1.4 soundstage. That spreading around of effects is similar to what he did with the 5.1 and there are a few instances in the Atmos mix where he places instrumentation in other spaces besides the front. But mostly the instrumentation sounds like Dynaquad*...to take a comparison to an extreme. I guess I just don't like Guthrie's mixing philosophy; and I'm not a real fan of much of Giles Martin's work either.

In an earlier post, I stated that I really liked the 5.1 of DSOTM upmixed to 5.1.5 Auro 3D. So I listened to a few segments of the 5.1 using Auro 3D upmixing. I still really like that listening experience and I feel that the presentation sounds a bit more tonally balanced and satisfying than the Atmos.

I followed up this session listening to a few tracks from Who's Next in Atmos. I feel that Steven Wilson's Atmos mixes on Who's Next are much more exciting than Guthrie's DSOTM.

*Back in the day, DSOTM upmixed to four channels using Dynaquad sounded fantastic.

 

[JohnN]

I just listened to the standalone blu-ray in Atmos a couple of times. The first run through was with my normal speaker balance settings. The second listen included some level tweeks using the pink noise test tones in the blu-ray disc set-up menu.

Either way, I got the impression that I was still listening to "Big Stereo James" expanded to Atmos. Overall it does sound really good. Guthrie has neat effects and random voices (a bit too loud) spread around the 7.1.4 soundstage. That spreading around of effects is similar to what he did with the 5.1 and there are a few instances in the Atmos mix where he places instrumentation in other spaces besides the front. But mostly the instrumentation sounds like Dynaquad*...to take a comparison to an extreme. I guess I just don't like Guthrie's mixing philosophy; and I'm not a real fan of much of Giles Martin's work either.

In an earlier post, I stated that I really liked the 5.1 of DSOTM upmixed to 5.1.5 Auro 3D. So I listened to a few segments of the 5.1 using Auro 3D upmixing. I still really like that listening experience and I feel that the presentation sounds a bit more tonally balanced and satisfying than the Atmos.

I followed up this session listening to a few tracks from Who's Next in Atmos. I feel that Steven Wilson's Atmos mixes on Who's Next are much more exciting than Guthrie's DSOTM.

*Back in the day, DSOTM upmixed to four channels using Dynaquad sounded fantastic.

Interesting post, thank you. Atmos sounds extra clear. Package made in Italy, disc made in Japan. Need more time with this.
Cheers!

 

[TiberiusSpock]

I don't get it. I really don't. This Atmos mix is absolutely outstanding. When the discussion turns to which instrument comes out of which speaker at what volume now you're talking about another issue which is musical preference, not the actual mix quality.

I remember when The Beatles would put out two albums, one mono and one stereo. The mixes were quite often completely different and sometimes actually mixes of different takes. It's what the producer and artist prefer. I can sit here and say I like The Beatles "Rain" but hate the song mix because the drums aren't more prevalent. Obviously The Beatles and George Martin disagreed with me, at least at that time.

Atmos has been a great opportunity to increase the awareness and enjoyment of what is going on in the song and occasionally the footprint of the song changes due to over or under emphasizing certain aspects. Granted it is a little unnerving but who's to say the way we hear it now is what was originally intended? I look at it as it's just different. Not good different or bad different, just different.

 

[JohnN]

Always loved the sound of the ticking clocks on the quad LP. Atmos is perfect.

 

[JohnN]

In terms of fidelity? I definitely think the dense vocals in the loud sections have always sounded a bit distorted beyond what could be considered tasteful saturation, at least in the original stereo mix; I'd have to check the quad and 5.1 to listen for the same (don't have access to the Atmos). As for the rest of the arrangement and tune, I find it fits in pretty well with the fidelity of the other tracks.

Atmos is a very comfortable listen. Nothing bothers my ears here as it has mildly before.