Beatles Revolver Box Set (NO BLU-RAY)

[darkblueme]

Forgive me if this is against the forum rules but I thought it was worth noting that all Beatles deluxe editions until now have included a Blu-Ray disc with surround options. Comments from users on the website are quite negative about this, so I thought I would share.



Source: https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/...e-order-links/

Controversially, there is no blu-ray with the CD box set. Every Beatles CD box set since the album reissues started back in 2017, has contained a blu-ray with a spatial audio mix (Sgt. Pepper actually had a blu-ray and a DVD) so to omit this from Revolver is a truly bizarre decision. An Atmos Mix has been created but it is simply not being made available physically, which is going to disappoint many fans. No blu-ray also denies us a hi-res stereo version of the new mix on a physical format.

[BobbyMcGee]

Unless this ends up in the bargain bin, it is a total pass for me.

Maybe later down the line they will do right by their fans who have been purchasing these superdeluxe sets and include the Blu-ray with an Atmos mix like they should have from the start.

[keenly]

Lol Giles surround mixes suck anyway. Taxman Atmos is on Apple and sounds like stereo.

[Egbert Souse]

Puzzling why they're omitting the Blu-ray since that's been the main selling point for the other albums. Also, after including the Glyn Johns Get Back album in both LP and CD form, this would have been a perfect opportunity to include the US Yesterday and Today album between fans finally getting a chance to own a new LP of the butcher cover and perhaps including the US mixes.

Maybe they will end up doing a separate Blu-ray release like Pink Floyd is with Animals. Of course, one can buy a deluxe Animals set with LP, CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs all in one package for a lower price than this.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by keenly

Lol Giles surround mixes suck anyway. Taxman Atmos is on Apple and sounds like stereo.

Giles' surround mix of Abbey Road is one of the best surround mixes I have in my collection - it's pure dead brilliant.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by darkblueme

No blu-ray also denies us a hi-res stereo version of the new mix on a physical format.

Not only that, but from the white album onwards the three Blu-ray Discs have included the 24/96 vinyl cutting master (no peak limiting) whereas the CDs, downloads and streaming services have all used the peak limited mastering regardless of what bit depth and sampling rate is being used.

Really poor call here overall.

[albertbj]

I still want to get this, but I'm certainly not paying $140 for it. I hope the price comes down considerably for Black Friday like the previous sets have. Even if it did include the Blu-ray, $140 would've been a tough sell.

[sfmarine]

Definitely waiting for a sale. Odd how they're not including the Blu-ray w/Atmos track as they did with the previous sets.

[GaragePoet]

wow, what a flop.

it was stupid when they did it w/ the "Let It Be" box set, but including a CD w/ only 4 songs is a ridiculous and irresponsible waste of everything

i'll be just as happy downloading this from hdtracks, this doesn't seem worth the shelf space

[Carbo3D]

Wait, EMI/Apple Records etc. is LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE?! Absolutely insane. What’s the point of living in 2022 and NOT hearing the surround mix? Was it really THAT bad? What, not discrete enough? We’re all ready to float downstream…in SURROUND SOUND!

[Deciazulado]

No Blu-ray, no sale. I say this as a lifelong beatlemaniac and my best friend, who is too, said the exact same thing.





You're giving me the same old line.

I'm wondering why

I've got a word or two
To say about the things that you do
You're telling all those lies
About the good things that we can have
If we close our eyes
Do what you want to do
And go where you're going to
Think for yourself
'Cause I won't be there with you

No, not a second time.

[keenly]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Giles' surround mix of Abbey Road is one of the best surround mixes I have in my collection - it's pure dead brilliant.

I think the AR Atmos is pretty compressed, very loud compared to many pther Atmos mixes I have, but yet the mixes are good.


Original 5.1 of Sgt Pepper is terrible
White album 5.1 sounds harsh, compressed and is just ok
INXS kick Atmos is poor
INXS Best of is poor
Goats head is crappola, but bonus 3 tracks are ok
The Beatles Let it be is Pretty good.

Giles is too inconsistent.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by keenly

I think the AR Atmos is pretty compressed, very loud compared to many pther Atmos mixes I have, but yet the mixes are good.


Original 5.1 of Sgt Pepper is terrible
White album 5.1 sounds harsh, compressed and is just ok
INXS kick Atmos is poor
INXS Best of is poor
Goats head is crappola, but bonus 3 tracks are ok
The Beatles Let it be is Pretty good.

Giles is too inconsistent.

Are you listening to both the INXS via streaming (I only ask as I know the hits is only available lossy streaming which is why I haven't heard it)? I think Kick sounds great but I've only listened to the Blu-ray. I've compared a couple titles I have between BD and streaming and find the streaming sounds noticeably like arse compared to the Blu-ray. It's why I dislike streaming Atmos for music as I can only conclude it's the low bandwidth they're trying to squeeze all that information in, unlike movies where all channels aren't often active at the same time and the compression can be used on a per channel basis to be more efficient.

The Peppers release has far too much dynamic range compression, but they quickly moved away from that by The Beatles with both the surround compression and the stereo compression (offering the vinyl cutting master on the BD).

I love the Atmos mix of Abbey, really great use of the height channels. Sun King sounds so trippy and modern it's hard to believe it's from the late 60s. And the oohs and aahs in the surround channels of Bathroom Window at the second verse, so good. It does have some compression, but even isolating the fronts of Bathroom Window it's still measuring DR9 which is very acceptable.

Some of the Atmos mixes have unnecessary amounts of headroom, here's Higher Power from Coldplay's latest album Music of the Spheres, the 24-bit "audiophile" (slammed) version on top, and the Atmos downmixed to stereo on the bottom:



The bottom looks like what most mastering engineers hope the mix files they're being sent look like, lots of headroom to do their thing.

[aviosis]

Thanks for saving me like $150, Apple! No blu-ray = no sale. Hopefully they realize this outcry soon and course correct for this and the rest of the box sets down the line.

[keenly]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Are you listening to both the INXS via streaming (I only ask as I know the hits is only available lossy streaming which is why I haven't heard it)? I think Kick sounds great but I've only listened to the Blu-ray. I've compared a couple titles I have between BD and streaming and find the streaming sounds noticeably like arse compared to the Blu-ray. It's why I dislike streaming Atmos for music as I can only conclude it's the low bandwidth they're trying to squeeze all that information in, unlike movies where all channels aren't often active at the same time and the compression can be used on a per channel basis to be more efficient.

The Peppers release has far too much dynamic range compression, but they quickly moved away from that by The Beatles with both the surround compression and the stereo compression (offering the vinyl cutting master on the BD).

I love the Atmos mix of Abbey, really great use of the height channels. Sun King sounds so trippy and modern it's hard to believe it's from the late 60s. And the oohs and aahs in the surround channels of Bathroom Window at the second verse, so good. It does have some compression, but even isolating the fronts of Bathroom Window it's still measuring DR9 which is very acceptable.

Some of the Atmos mixes have unnecessary amounts of headroom, here's Higher Power from Coldplay's latest album Music of the Spheres, the 24-bit "audiophile" (slammed) version on top, and the Atmos downmixed to stereo on the bottom:



The bottom looks like what most mastering engineers hope the mix files they're being sent look like, lots of headroom to do their thing.

I have the Kick Blu Ray.

The drums sound bad, and several tracks have nothing in rears. Devil inside is weak, with toms and lead waaaaay vocals too low. The last 3 tracks have nothing in rears except 1 second for Kick intro. Mystify only has finger snaps in rears. Overall 4/10 for me.

DR of 9 for AR is pretty bad. Let it Be is better for sonics, although the material is not on the same calibre.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by keenly

I have the Kick Blu Ray.

The drums sound bad, and several tracks have nothing in rears. Devil inside is weak, with toms and lead waaaaay vocals too low. The last 3 tracks have nothing in rears except 1 second for Kick intro. Mystify only has finger snaps in rears. Overall 4/10 for me.

DR of 9 for AR is pretty bad. Let it Be is better for sonics, although the material is not on the same calibre.

There's got to be something up there, here is Kick with the fronts, centre and LFE removed, mixed and rendered to stereo:



Calling All Nations has lots of guitar and synth vocals prominently in the surrounds.

[keenly]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

There's got to be something up there, here is Kick with the fronts, centre and LFE removed, mixed and rendered to stereo:



Calling All Nations has lots of guitar and synth vocals prominently in the surrounds.

Double stereo, reverb and nothing discrete.

Guns in the sky has guitar reverb in rears. Kick the song has the intro which moves from back to front then is not discrete for the rest of the song. No isolated elements.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by keenly

Double stereo, reverb and nothing discrete.

Guns in the sky has guitar reverb in rears. Kick the song has the intro which moves from back to front then is not discrete for the rest of the song. No isolated elements.

The synth vocals in track 11 don't appear in any channels outside the surround channels, same for the rim clacks of the snare. There's lots of discrete elements in Mediate, if you solo each channel one at a time you can pick them up. The "do do dooo do", percussion, isolated synths, all coming through surrounds.

I like the mix, glad it has lots of low end too and tonnes of dynamics.

[dmh84]

I'm in the "No blu-ray, no sale" camp for Revolver.
Too bad. And really just plain dumb decision by them, whoever "them" is.

[rltilley]

I am a huge Beatles fan and Revolver is likely my favorite album of theirs. So it pains me to say I will likely pass on this unless the price drops dramatically. No surround disc makes it a no go for me.