DVD/DTS Poll Roxy Music - ROXY MUSIC [DTS DVD]

[par4ken]

I usually don't complain about surround mixes not sounding like the stereo version but one thing I don't like about this is the sax and synthesiser seem buried in the surround mix. The mix however is very immersive as are all of Steve Wilsons mixes that I have listened to. The sound quality of the 5.1 is excellent overall. I played the CD of the album through the QSD-1 for comparison and it sounds almost as discrete but was very distorted. I ripped the CD to see if it's brick walled and or clipped, the screen shot speaks for it's self. I would recommend getting the Japanese stereo SACD and playing in through the QSD-1 / QSD-2 or Surround Master.

 

[himey]

I usually don't complain about surround mixes not sounding like the stereo version but one thing I don't like about this is the sax and synthesiser seem buried in the surround mix. The mix however is very immersive as are all of Steve Wilsons mixes that I have listened to. The sound quality of the 5.1 is excellent overall. I played the CD of the album through the QSD-1 for comparison and it sounds almost as discrete but was very distorted. I ripped the CD to see if it's brick walled and or clipped, the screen shot speaks for it's self. I would recommend getting the Japanese stereo SACD and playing in through the QSD-1 / QSD-2 or Surround Master.

View attachment 43087

Silly recommendation. This 5.1 mix is great.

 

[par4ken]

Silly recommendation. This 5.1 mix is great.

To me it lacks the punch of the original, but to each his own.

 

[quicksrt]

Give up on the 5.1 mix because the stereo mix is bricked?

Then just create a faux surround from the Japanese SACD?

Btw many surround mixes can appear to be less “punchy” when things are spread out. Mono can seem quite punchy even with a loss of inner detail.

 

[Beefalo]

I'm a long time Roxy fan and it's amazing what Mr.Wilson was able to accomplish with this release.
Every other release (including Japanese SACD) sounds dull & flat to me.
The band was still in the learning stage and their sound was kind of crude. Like a great conductor Steve has put together the pieces and made something that wasn't there before.
My jaw dropped when the bass hit on the first song.
IMHO the only Roxy oriented release that beats this is Boys & Girls. Bryan Ferry had the cream of studio pros to choose from & more tracks.
With much less than that at his disposal Steve Wilson has produced a masterpiece.

 

[marpow]

I voted 9. Not for the music but the 5.1 DTS DVD 24/96 is superb. Lots of discrete stuff including some of it gimmicky which I happen to like. The whole point of listening in surround is to hear lots of moving parts which this has. If I was a big fan of the album it would get a 10. I can see myself listening again so who knows, maybe I will give it a 10 after some more listens. I didn't say but the overall fidelity started a little muddy and then shined up really nice, that could have been my ears adjusting from the previous disc to this one?
A solid purchase for the surround fan. I am glad I finally played and listened to this as RTBluray was very hot on it previously and glad I could share in his enjoyment.

 

[Matt Wilson]

Roxy Music mixed by Steven Wilson? Oh hell yeah!! I've been playing it for hours. Let's hope he does at least the next few albums in 5.1. Easily a 9. But what's the deal with the DVD, why couldn't it have been blu ray?

 

[par4ken]

Give up on the 5.1 mix because the stereo mix is bricked?

Then just create a faux surround from the Japanese SACD?

Btw many surround mixes can appear to be less “punchy” when things are spread out. Mono can seem quite punchy even with a loss of inner detail.

Give up on the 5.1 mix because it's terrible. The stereo mix included here is bricked as is common with a lot of newer releases. The original CD and LP both sound great.

Yes create a faux surround from SACD or LP or original CD. The Photolume (QSD-2 clone) sounds great, as does the QSD-1. Try it through Involve if you prefer, but that decoder doesn't have the Surround mode.

 

[himey]

Give up on the 5.1 mix because it's terrible. The stereo mix included here is bricked as is common with a lot of newer releases. The original CD and LP both sound great.

Yes create a faux surround from SACD or LP or original CD. The Photolume (QSD-2 clone) sounds great, as does the QSD-1. Try it through Involve if you prefer, but that decoder doesn't have the Surround mode.

It is one of my top 5 SW mixes...

 

[sjcorne]

Give up on the 5.1 mix because it's terrible.

I have to disagree, with the caveat being that I probably don't know the original stereo mix as well as you do. On my system, the 5.1 has excellent clarity & separation--I particularly like the breakdown part in "Re-Make" where the solo instruments call out from different speakers (bass fronts, synth center, sax rears, guitar front left, etc). The middle section of "The Bob" with the war sounds in the rear channels is demo-worthy for me. I don't know if I'd say it's one of Wilson's best mixes, but I like it a lot.

 

[par4ken]

I have to disagree, with the caveat being that I probably don't know the original stereo mix as well as you do. On my system, the 5.1 has excellent clarity & separation--I particularly like the breakdown part in "Re-Make" where the solo instruments call out from different speakers (bass fronts, synth center, sax rears, guitar front left, etc). The middle section of "The Bob" with the war sounds in the rear channels is demo-worthy for me. I don't know if I'd say it's one of Wilson's best mixes, but I like it a lot.

The mix needs the sax and synth to be brought up in level to match what's on the stereo recording, not buried in the mix!

 

[par4ken]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I can tell anyone what I like or dislike about any recording or any mix (or about any flavour of ice cream). Usually I don't care if the surround mix is radically different from the stereo version, but in this case I do. Again it's the sax and synth parts that have to be blaring away that's what I've always loved about this recording. To subdue those parts is to create something bland for the masses, elevator music! Anyway I still gave it an 8, so I didn't hate it, just that I'll always turn to the stereo version in synthesized quad, which does sound very very good to me.

 

[Marcsten]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I can tell anyone what I like or dislike about any recording or any mix (or about any flavour of ice cream). Usually I don't care if the surround mix is radically different from the stereo version, but in this case I do. Again it's the sax and synth parts that have to be blaring away that's what I've always loved about this recording. To subdue those parts is to create something bland for the masses, elevator music! Anyway I still gave it an 8, so I didn't hate it, just that I'll always turn to the stereo version in synthesized quad, which does sound very very good to me.

Reminds me of when I tracked down an SQ copy of Get Your Wings by Aerosmith. As a longtime fan who had all their stereo releases before they came out in SQ, I Was very surprised by the differences. I still prefer the stereo mixes but enjoy the surrounds too. Same goes for the BTO Q8s. There were differences in solos from the stereo LPs I'd had for quite a while before the quads.

 

[quicksrt]

I tracked down an SQ LP (on eBay) as a birthday present to myself about 10 years ago. Such a cool youthful Rick album and great to hear it anew.

Anyway, about this Roxy Music album and the SW mixes. The band and Phil in particular liked how he opened it up and revealed so much detail that got crushed in the original stereo mix. And felt that the 5.1 is definitive.

Now the sore spot to this day is a double whammy. The price was exorbitant, and we did not get high-res media. This hurts the band’s income on sales and the likely future of more Roxy getting the SW treatment. It encourages the ripping and trading and flipping of the deluxe sets. We all can’t tie up $100 a pop on each our surround purchases..

 

[humprof]

Interrupting this poll thread to post a link to Marc Myers's short piece commemorating this album's 50th anniversary. Unlike a lot of Wall Street Journal content, I was allowed to read the whole article without being asked to pay:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/roxy-musics-debut-album-turns-50-11655242499

 

[par4ken]

Interrupting this poll thread to post a link to Marc Myers's short piece commemorating this album's 50th anniversary. Unlike a lot of Wall Street Journal content, I was allowed to read the whole article without being asked to pay:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/roxy-musics-debut-album-turns

For me It comes up as page not found.

 

[humprof]

For me It comes up as page not found.

Link corrected.

 

[aardvark2300]

Can’t believe I was able to resist buying this for 6 years - but I was looking for a price drop that never happened, and copies are definitely drying up in terms of availability. The recent Atmos Avalon announcement with (evidently) no physical release gave me FOMO so bad I finally sprung for a copy.
Well it’s a 10 in my book. Steven Wilson did an extraordinary job with this material - it’s made listening to this album that I have owned for 50 years seem fresh again! It’s still too overpriced but some things just have to be overlooked.

 

[Lord British]

Can’t believe I was able to resist buying this for 6 years - but I was looking for a price drop that never happened, and copies are definitely drying up in terms of availability. The recent Atmos Avalon announcement with (evidently) no physical release gave me FOMO so bad I finally sprung for a copy.
Well it’s a 10 in my book. Steven Wilson did an extraordinary job with this material - it’s made listening to this album that I have owned for 50 years seem fresh again! It’s still too overpriced but some things just have to be overlooked.

Aww, man. You should have let me know. I would have sold you mine for a song.