Pixies box set announced for Blu-ray

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

That article does not reference it, but all I said that the article was about was the measurement of jitter. The research about the optical properties of gold and aluminum cds are easily available through Google.

The point I was driving home was that your statement about a gold cd sounding better than an aluminum cd with the same master is not possible, and is not true in the slightest. Didn't need, nor ask for a lecture on jitter.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by btf1980

The point I was driving home was that your statement about a gold cd sounding better than an aluminum cd with the same master is not possible, and is not true in the slightest. Didn't need, nor ask for a lecture on jitter.

I have seen your stated position on other audio boards from various people. There are some who simply refuse to believe in pressing differences between cds. Unfortunately that position has not corresponded with my experience on the matter or of other experienced audiophile listeners. The sound difference is not large I grant you, but I suspect no amount of research I post here would sway you.

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I have seen your stated position on other audio boards from various people. There are some who simply refuse to believe in pressing differences between cds. Unfortunately that position has not corresponded with my experience on the matter or of other experienced audiophile listeners. The sound difference is not large I grant you, but I suspect no amount of research I post here would sway you.

Hmm. I own many Gold CDs myself, and they are fantastic. Most are Mofi and DCC, so they have been mastered by great engineers like Steve Hoffman.

The arguement about a gold disc sounding better than a standard cd is a moot point, unless you have copies of gold cds and standard cds that have the same master, by the same engineer.

What many "audiophiles" have done in their comparison is compare a superbly mastered gold disc, and a previous standard cd pressing of that album, and then miraculously come to the conclusion that, yes gold discs are better. Failing to recognize that it was a different pressing, probably not from the master tapes, and was done by another sound engineer.

If you have any examples of gold discs and standard cds both from the same master analog tapes, mastered by the same engineer, and yet found the gold disc better, I'm all ears.

Anything else from this scenario is a flawed comparison by default. I hope you understand that.

[bangy38]

I'm happy to be wrong about the final specs for this: it turns out that the albums will have 5.1 surround mixes after all, and the concert footage will be released on a blu-ray disc as well.

I got to attend Vaughan Oliver's Minotaur art gallery show last monday (where I also met the band and saw them play), and the new artwork looks pretty cool so far.

https://secure.infomercial.tv/www_v2...42/store2.html

[mywhitenoise]

Man, I was going to buy it because of the 5.1 mixes, but shipping and tax kill it for me.

it comes out to $42 an album...that's for the cheapest option.

[dobyblue]

Hopefully the price comes down a bit before then through other retail channels like Amazon.

I wish they'd offer a Blu-ray only package, I'd pay $100 for that. I don't need sodding gold CD's and if I've got 24/192 Blu-ray's then why on Earth would I need DVD-A discs?

Pshaw!

[BROCK22]

i want one! but hella expensive! why! I didn't read if it had like live footage, does it?

[Clark Kent]

I would love to pick this box set up, but so many expensive items are coming out in the next few months. I already have the three Pixies' albums that MFSL put out on SACD, so those will have to do for now.

[dobyblue]

OUCH! I was hoping Amazon's price would be more reasonable than the Artists in Residence website as they usually are...but...

Deluxe - $249 - http://www.amazon.com/Minotaur-Delux...3045123&sr=8-1

Super - $649 - http://www.amazon.com/Minotaur-Pixie...3045123&sr=8-2

Bah!! I want these albums in 24/192 surround on Blu-ray, release them separately you gits!

[phansson]

The Pixies are one of my favorite bands. I saw them in Dallas when they opened for U2 in '92. Incredible show.

Ordering box set now.......

[kefrank]

the pixies are great, but these are just way, way too expensive in my opinion.

[KAT]

I used to have the 91 Brixton show on vhs and I could have sworn this show was shot on video. I find it doubtful that it was shot with high def cameras, so what is the point of putting it on blu-ray?

Don't get me wrong, it's a great show. In fact it is awesome. But even if the show is being released for its audio on blu-ray, I still think it's pointless.

I love the Pixies, but this set is rediculous. Each of the albums released on CD, LP, Blu-ray and DVD in the same set! Plus the Brixton show on both dvd and Blu-ray in the same set!?

If you have a blu-ray player, how often are you going to listen to the albums on dvd? Same goes for the concert. I'm surprised they didn't throw in 5 SACD's, 5 SHM-CD's, 5 Blu-Spec cd's, 5 HDCDs, 5 Minidiscs, 5 cassette tapes and 5 8-tracks in as well. How about a Beta and Vhs version of the Brixton show as too?

And since they love wasting material, why not a harcover, sofcover and pocket book of the Vaughan Oliver book as well as a floppy coppy.

Sorry to be overeating, but I just want the Brixton show. I already have their studio releases and have pretty much played them to death. I might have picked up each on on blu-ray eventually, but both of these sets are too much both in price and the redundancy of the material within.

By the way, the 8-track comment isn't too out of the question. Cheap Trick actually released their latest on 8-track.

[dobyblue]

Amazon's price has dropped to $154 with Free Shipping.

I know the price is high because of the limited availability, but it irks me because I just found out that there's only 2 DVD's and one Blu-ray.
The albums are all on one DVD-A and the Brixton concert is on the other.
The single Blu-ray Disc contains everything on one disc. Go 50GB!!!!

But seriously, $154 is still $38/album and that's too much.

[bangy38]

Ok, I finally got my limited edition delivered today, and if you're like I was and very frustrated at the general lack of any information anywhere about the blu-ray in the set, let me give my impressions.

There is only one blu-ray disc in the box set which contains the following:

- All 5 Pixies albums (Come On Pilgrim through Trompe Le Monde) in 2.0 and 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio, accompanied by a 1080p slideshow of the Minotaur art.

- All of the band's music videos in 480p standard definition, 2.0 DTS-HD MA audio.

- The 1992 Brixton Academy live show in 480p standard definition and 2.0 and 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio. In the Minotaur packaging itself the blu-ray is not listed as having the Brixton gig but it is contained when you load the disc up.

The 2 DVDs in the box set are identical to the blu-ray in terms of content, just spread out over 2 discs. Contrary to what I've seen posted around, they are both regular DVD video discs, not DVD-Audio discs.

I'm pretty happy with the surround mixes of the albums. The surround speakers are used pretty much to just help the sound fill the room as if you were in a practice space with the band. The music doesn't really lend itself to fancy use of the surround speakers and they thankfully don't try to force it here.

The Brixton video quality is definitely a step up from what you can currently find of the Brixton gig on Youtube, but it's not spectacular. The audio quality also sounds pretty great though again not on the level of something like the recent Stop Making Sense blu-ray. The DTS-HD MA track on the blu-ray sounded noticeably better than the DTS/Dolby Digital track on the DVD. The blu-ray and DVD share the exact same video footage in 480p.

So for those people interested in the blu-ray component of this box set, just be aware that it constitutes an audio-only upgrade over the DVD, and not video (unless you count the HD slideshow during the albums).

[Clark Kent]

Thanks for the review. I wonder if the last album will ever show up as a hybrid SACD, as I really do not want to fork out the cash for this set.

[Johk]

I wish they sold a blu-ray only version...