HiRez Poll Soundgarden - SUPERUNKNOWN [Blu-Ray]

[4-earredwonder]

I have read all the Poll posts and I believe all have valid points, but also taken out of context by just having a Poll based on one of 5 discs, this is not how you put value to a box set, or in this case a book set. I'll give you my opinion that is solid with all discs and packaging, with the hopes that I raise the level of enjoyment of what Superunknown can bring you.
Packaging: A stunning coffee table book with hologram front of Superunknown, fine art print, pictures, lyrics, the making of and a timeline of coming in and out of this masterpiece of music.
Menu of Blu Ray: Simple, 3 choices, easy to read, and 3 choices for sonic delivery.
RBCD Discs: 1 remastered 2014, Disc 2 B sides and more, the more are live recordings, dance mix, etc, Disc 3 Demos, all great, the pure recordings, Disc 4 kind of like a continuation of 3, real good.
Performance: Solid, a top rock disc that has a huge fan base, dedicated and ready to fight for the importance of this music, for me it does die out after Spoonman like a two disc set, first half great, second not so great.
Blu Ray Audio 5.1, I listened per other poll suggestions, Dolby True HD, I usually don't, but I went back and forth with DTS Master, I could hear a slightly better punch in the rears, fronts where equal. Volume was 74.5db from start to finish. Once I got over the excitement of how great this sounds about 3 songs in I realized I was having a bit of ear fatigue, but as a long time rock dude, it's not that big of a deal, as an audiophile hobbyist it is a big deal.
Before I forget the artwork that is live on the TV screen, while listening is fantastic, super great.
So we all know by now the DR Values are 10, which is barely transition, we have to put that aside and let it be a factor. The MIX is actually quite GREAT, it has it's dual stereo moments, it's fantastic discrete moments , the bummer is the compression, remember 10 DR Value, so what this means is all the music is so squashed within the 5.1 spectrum that some people just can't appreciate the mix. If you where to read the liner/recording notes "Thayil says, laughing but not kidding- and the groups impatience with the time and labor that went into something that sounded too much like polish", so there it is, artists wanting to just fucking turn out whats in them vs a producer wanting to make something shiny and different, this the reason Superunknown is not a sonic masterpiece but a musical masterpiece. It is a hard rock disc in any form you like it, yes I have the original RBCD, but this is 5.1 baby and I love it.
I write all this just after Chris Cornell's death and I am sure I maybe adding more props due to his death, but I certainly am aware of this and still trying to be a real audiophile and not slam the door on a wonderful release that I am very happy to own.
After all that I give this a 8 on the poll, I so much wanted to give it a 10, all the parts are absolutely perfect, but the compression and my ever so slightly ear fatigue blows it for me. Don't be a dummy buy this release, get past whatever, assuming you are a hard rock fan of good fucking music.
My final advice, if a box set of whatever kind of music gets released, don't short change your self by only wanting the 5.1 disc, you'll lose, The words, pictures, RBCD's, whatever, it is all part of the ultimate experience that we love.

Mark, after your splendid review [and minor misgivings] I pulled the trigger on this one. About $58 delivered, brand new, from AmazonUK. Not a bad price, IMO.

 

[marpow]

Mark, after your splendid review [and minor misgivings] I pulled the trigger on this one. About $58 delivered, brand new, from AmazonUK. Not a bad price, IMO.

The good news for you Ralph is that you have a fantastic listening machine and as we both know, that can make a HUGE difference to the listening experience.

 

[4-earredwonder]

The good news for you Ralph is that you have a fantastic listening machine and as we both know, that can make a HUGE difference to the listening experience.

Thanks, Mark, but a great system can also be challenged by a poor recording or the addition of compression to the remastering process. :yikes I have been adding a +5db bass boost lately and find that it helps to tame some of those 'fatiguing' recordings.:banana:

 

[edisonbaggins]

I could try some "demastering" on this. Worked great on Tusk.

Hmmm... in regard to demastering, there is bad news, but mostly good news. Bad new is, I don't think demastering would do much good.
The good news is because it was mastered pretty well. All channels are pushed to their maximum without limiting. So, the peaks are at zero and there is doubtless some compression. But it isn't brickwalled.
By comparison, this is a way gentler mastering than Tusk. And it looks similar to Sgt. Pepper's.

One issue with this mix is that the surrounds are not very discrete. The center is the most discrete, because it has relatively few drums sounds and no guitars (mostly vocal and bass). It carries the dry vocal. Ambient vocal appears in all other channels except the LFE. And guitars all prominent in all corners. The bass is present, but lower in all corners. Were this my baby, I think I would have favored the drums to the front and favored the guitars to the rear. Favor the vocal and bass to the center and I think that'd be about as good as this gets. The way this is mixed it's as though the band is situated toward the center of the listening space (ie. nearer the listener), rather than spread out near the walls. More in your face, less breathing room.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Digging the shit out of this before the Mrs. and I switch over to Haunting of Hill House for the night.
Yeah, it's loud, but I set a db meter for all reference listening now, between 75 and 85 db. If it's a bit compressed, I just turn it down... Yeah, you miss some dynamics.
Anyway, all tracks up to Blackhole Sun sound better than on CD and Blackhole Sun and Spoonman are great surround tracks and worth the price of admission, to me (around $40, IIRC).
Wife approved recording (WAR).
\m/

 

[edisonbaggins]

I voted 8.
Compressed, boxed-in sound. Decent mix, at least on several songs.
Review video is in the Life in Surround thread. Thanks for watching and liking, if you get a chance.
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...ion-youtube-channel.25274/page-17#post-439065

 

[salsdali]

just got a chance to listen to the Demos CD included in this box set and it's pretty cool.

Good Fidelity and it's interesting to hear Black Hole Sun for instance. It's actually more Hard Rock and simpler (and better IMO) than the version the album version they settled on whereas Black Days demo is weak compared to the ablum version.