Stuff that sounds amazing with the Surround Master

[rustyandi]

I have played FM or DAB+ radio and some of the adds do amazing things
it's almost good to hear them

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Nice to hear comparisons against discrete 5.1 (boo hiss).

Just wondering what your QQ TEAM observations are for home cinema comparisons running the SM through good ol stereo VS Dolby/ DTS discrete encode. We have done it with instant A/ B switching but we are so terribly biased!.

Regards

Chucky

Does VS stand for “Very Shitty” or Something??? I don’t collect movie discs like some here, but one I do have is an old DVD of Blade Runner which was always a disappointing listen in crappy stereo. So I’ll give that a go. Also would have bought the wonderful SACD soundtrack for that if it wasn’t so gosh dang it expensive

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I have played FM or DAB+ radio and some of the adds do amazing things
it's almost good to hear them

Hey RON, wish you’d come out and play some; and let us know what tickles you for Surround Master decoding

 

[Scott65]

I have played FM or DAB+ radio and some of the adds do amazing things
it's almost good to hear them

FM and DAB+ sound great on the SM..like most stereo stuff

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Nice to hear comparisons against discrete 5.1 (boo hiss).

Just wondering what your QQ TEAM observations are for home cinema comparisons running the SM through good ol stereo VS Dolby/ DTS discrete encode. We have done it with instant A/ B switching but we are so terribly biased!.

Regards

Chucky

I think I posted something about this earlier. In general, and with all due respect, a good discrete surround sound experience is preferable to movie dts/Dobly down mixed to stereo & then through the SM. That way you are getting the surround sound experience as intended. Fidelity/tonal balance wise the SM has no deficit; it is as clean as the discrete surround.

Now where I really value the SM is the marginal or poorly done discrete surround sound. And many movies are in plain old DD stereo. Interstella 5555, Razorback (you might know that one), Neon Genesis Evangelion (Netflix), Black Heaven, and Big trouble in Little China are all great on the SM v2. All except Razorback have 5.1 soundtracks & all sound pretty bad. BTiLC doesn't have a lot of panning you know it's mostly dialogue, gunfire or explosions & they didn't get too adventurous. But man the SM just makes John Carpenter's music come to life! There is much anime I enjoy that is either 2ch or some odd mix of English 5.1 or subbed Japanese (which I prefer) 2ch. The SM is a real miracle worker for things like this.

I have not yet listned to any discrete surround music yet down mixed & played on the SM. Guess I've got something to check out!

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Ahhhh, so nice! Mike Nesmith 1992. Wonderful selection of music, it's classy & fun. If there's one concert I've missed & would like to be able magically attend it's this. Awesome talent on stage. Besides Nez I always get a kick out of seeing Jon Hobbs & Red Rhodes.

Predictably it's mainly up front sound even with the SM. The basic audio fidelity is very good & the SM adds some nice width and puts the ambient & audience sounds at just the right level.
I wish the SM could work it's magic on improving composite video as well as it does audio!

 

[4-earredwonder]

View attachment 42882

Ahhhh, so nice! Mike Nesmith 1992. Wonderful selection of music, it's classy & fun. If there's one concert I've missed & would like to be able magically attend it's this. Awesome talent on stage. Besides Nez I always get a kick out of seeing Jon Hobbs & Red Rhodes.

Predictably it's mainly up front sound even with the SM. The basic audio fidelity is very good & the SM adds some nice width and puts the ambient & audience sounds at just the right level.
I wish the SM could work it's magic on improving composite video as well as it does audio!

And it's a CX encoded Laserdisc ......... Ah, those were the days but in all honesty BD~V and most especially UHD4K is miles better! I must have 500 laserdiscs in storage.

 

[chucky3042]

View attachment 42882

Ahhhh, so nice! Mike Nesmith 1992. Wonderful selection of music, it's classy & fun. If there's one concert I've missed & would like to be able magically attend it's this. Awesome talent on stage. Besides Nez I always get a kick out of seeing Jon Hobbs & Red Rhodes.

Predictably it's mainly up front sound even with the SM. The basic audio fidelity is very good & the SM adds some nice width and puts the ambient & audience sounds at just the right level.
I wish the SM could work it's magic on improving composite video as well as it does audio!

Look up Darbee.....it does sharpen up the video

 

[bigbillquad]

Hi. All

Another great 4 corner sound from Donovan`s Greatest Hits.

 

[DuncanS]

I gave the Repertoire Records re-issue CD of Stretch's 1975 album "Elastique" the 4.0 SM2 treatment today, and it sounds great, discrete instruments in the rears.


Saw Stretch a few times in the mid-late 70s really good bluesy, funky, souly, rocky a la Average White Band/Climax Blues Band with a touch of country a la Man/Grateful Dead. The guitarist Greg Kirby went on to Curved Air, and a later incarnation of the band had on drums one Nicko McBrain who went on to Iron Maiden!

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I gave the Repertoire Records re-issue CD of Stretch's 1975 album "Elastique" the 4.0 SM2 treatment today, and it sounds great, discrete instruments in the rears.

View attachment 42902
Saw Stretch a few times in the mid-late 70s really good bluesy, funky, souly, rocky a la Average White Band/Climax Blues Band with a touch of country a la Man/Grateful Dead. The guitarist Greg Kirby went on to Curved Air, and a later incarnation of the band had on drums one Nicko McBrain who went on to Iron Maiden!

Thanks Duncan, never heard of this band, guess I'll need to check 'em out from your description!

 

[DuncanS]

Thanks Duncan, never heard of this band, guess I'll need to check 'em out from your description!

If you like that style of 70s UK bands you'll like the album - its available at Stretch - Elastique on amazon.co.uk and you can sample the tracks there

 

[Scott65]

C

FM and DAB+ sound great on the SM..like most stereo stuff

Currently listening to Bop Girl by Pat Wilson on DAB+ radio - very discrete

 

[Scott65]

Hi. All

Another great 4 corner sound from Donovan`s Greatest Hits.

View attachment 42890

A collection of great songs...I must find my CD and try it through the SM

 

[ar surround]

Re: Donovan's Greatest Hits...

The CD that I have also contains Atlantis and a number of the songs are in mono.

 

[Scott65]

Re: Donovan's Greatest Hits...

The CD that I have also contains Atlantis and a number of the songs are in mono.

Is it the same album as above? I also have The Essential Donovan on CD and some tracks on that are mono. I haven't played the one above or a few years but I think it was genuine stereo except Sunshine Superman(?) which was electronic stereo or something similar?

 

[beerking]

Borrowed Bro's CD

Living Colour
Vivid

This one:
https://www.discogs.com/Living-Colour-Vivid/release/385392
I have to admit I had never heard of this band before he played their music to me.
No idea why..
They sure do rock
And sound amazing through the SM2

Them rears are humming with heavy guitar licks and panning about!!

 

[beerking]

Some Reggae to get my dreadlocks waving about....yeah rite on man.

The Front Line
Reggae Classics

This one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Front-Line...=the+front+line&qid=1567096879&s=music&sr=1-1
Great separation
Reggae suits the SM2

 

[ar surround]

Is it the same album as above? I also have The Essential Donovan on CD and some tracks on that are mono. I haven't played the one above or a few years but I think it was genuine stereo except Sunshine Superman(?) which was electronic stereo or something similar?

It looks the same as Pupster's LP shown above, but has four bonus tracks, and some of the earlier tracks are mono. It's not specified in the verbiage which tracks are mono, however. Can you imagine Sony having the balls to do something like that?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

It looks the same as Pupster's LP shown above, but has four bonus tracks, and some of the earlier tracks are mono. It's not specified in the verbiage which tracks are mono, however. Can you imagine Sony having the balls to do something like that?

Uh, you mean BBQ?