The Blu-ray Music/SACD Purchase thread (AUDIO ONLY)

[Johnny Vinyl]

I am starting this thread as I've seen a significant amount of interest in members wanting to experience multi-channel audio. This thread therefore is about the AUDIO experience that these multi-channel formats offer.

Please feel free to discuss your most recent purchases (pics are always appreciated) and let us in on your impressions of the auditory experience you received from them.

Additionally, feel free to discuss equipment, connection methods/preferences, comparisons to other sources (CD/Vinyl), pricing, availability and perhaps most importantly..the future of multi-channel audio. Can multi-channel ever be delivered properly from downloads or is this purely the domain of physical media? The questions are endless.....n'est pas?

Have fun and educate this 2-channel vinyl old man!

John

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by John72953

I am starting this thread as I've seen a significant amount of interest in members wanting to experience multi-channel audio. This thread therefore is about the AUDIO experience that these multi-channel formats offer.

Please feel free to discuss your most recent purchases (pics are always appreciated) and let us in on your impressions of the auditory experience you received from them.

Additionally, feel free to discuss equipment, connection methods/preferences, comparisons to other sources (CD/Vinyl), pricing, availability and perhaps most importantly..the future of multi-channel audio. Can multi-channel ever be delivered properly from downloads or is this purely the domain of physical media? The questions are endless.....n'est pas?

Have fun and educate this 2-channel vinyl old man!

John

Are you really made of vinyl?

Rich

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Are you really made of vinyl?

Rich

As I age the skin is certainly projecting that...or is that leather?

John

[Johnny Vinyl]

I only have 4 SACD's right now, but I'm a prolific media buyer so that will change quite a bit over the days and weeks to come.

This is what I have so far:

Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms
Roxy Music: Avalon
Moody Blues: In Search Of The Lost Chord

My intial impressions are favourable, but I need to do more critical listening and some direct comparisons with regular CD.

I would like to pick up a classical SACD (Yo Yo Ma is a favourite - thx Rich for the links) and also some Jazz or Blues. Any suggestions?

John

[Clark Kent]

If you like Dire Straits, you have to check out this hybrid SACD by Mark Knopfler.

http://www.amazon.com/Shangri-Mark-Knopfler/dp/B0002V4SXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1244947836&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shangri-Mark-Knopfler/dp/B0002V4SXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1244947805&sr=1-1

A superbly recorded album that sounds great in both stereo and multi-channel surround.

[Gremal]

Edit: I didn't realize this was a thread about multichannel recommendations when I posted this, but the Wispelwey is 5 channel and the Piatigorsky is 3 channel. The others are 2 channel stereo only.

Originally Posted by John72953

I would like to pick up a classical SACD (Yo Yo Ma is a favourite - thx Rich for the links) and also some Jazz or Blues. Any suggestions?

John, if you like cello, check out this Peter Wispelwey SACD:
https://store.acousticsounds.com/bro...?Title_ID=9096

or Janos Starker:
https://store.acousticsounds.com/bro...Title_ID=13128

or Piatigorsky:
http://www.amazon.com/Dvor%C3%A1k-Wa.../dp/B0006PV5V2

For jazz, there are dozens of great choices but here are three recommendations.
Gil Evans + 10:
http://www.amazon.com/Gil-Evans-Ten/...4955548&sr=1-1

Art Pepper and 11:
http://www.musicdirect.com/product/74957

Lee Morgan--Leeway
http://www.jr.com/product/music/pm/_1067954/

[Johnny Vinyl]

Thanks guys for those recommendations. Been perusing several sites to get a handle on what's out there and I'm trying to source some local B&M's whereby I may have some luck. So far my vinyl purvayor (Sunrise Records) has been able to get me most of what I've requested and did get me my first 3 SACD's.

I do indeed like the Cello Gremal, which is why I'd love to get a YoYoMa title and thanks Clark Kent for those suggestions on Jazz. Am out for most of the day and I may yet come back with one or 2 more titles.

John

[Gremal]

Originally Posted by John72953

I do indeed like the Cello Gremal, which is why I'd love to get a YoYoMa title.

Yeah, there are three good Yo-Yo Ma SACDs: Solo, Silk Road Journeys and Obrigado Brazil. Solo is arguably the best one, but it's two-channel only (which is perfectly fine and I think the best audio experience of the bunch). The others cannot really be called classical, although Silk Roads has some fascinating performances. The Brazilian title isn't as successful at integrating cello, but if you like sambas you should check it out.

The reason I recommended the three in my earlier post is that I find the cello playing on those to be superior to YM's playing.

[BIslander]

I'd recommend giving a listen to the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet's "Guitar Heroes". It's a Telarc release mastered in DSD with the four guitars arrayed around the listener in the SL,L,R,SR speakers. A beautifully recorded and engineered disc with an interesting mix.

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by John72953

I am starting this thread as I've seen a significant amount of interest in members wanting to experience multi-channel audio. This thread therefore is about the AUDIO experience that these multi-channel formats offer.

Interesting that you refer to SACD as a multi-channel format. 90% of my discs are stereo only, and even on the multi-channel discs, most of the time I choose the stereo layer.

IMO - Outside of classical music, and a few notable discs - The stereo sound is always better than multi-channel. It always seems forced, matrixed and artificial. Stereo on many discs to me has better imaging, and believe it or not, a better 3-D effect. I think many people automatically assume that more speakers equates to better. It's an attraction to those new to the format, but after a while, they will realize that many of the better discs are stereo only.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by btf1980

Interesting that you refer to SACD as a multi-channel format. 90% of my discs are stereo only, and even on the multi-channel discs, most of the time I choose the stereo layer.

IMO - Outside of classical music, and a few notable discs - The stereo sound is always better than multi-channel. It always seems forced, matrixed and artificial. Stereo on many discs to me has better imaging, and believe it or not, a better 3-D effect. I think many people automatically assume that more speakers equates to better. It's an attraction to those new to the format, but after a while, they will realize that many of the better discs are stereo only.

I agree with you and I should have clarified my initial post in more detail. Stereo is in fact multi-channel and like you, after listening to the Dire Straits and Roxy Music SACD's, I find the 2-channel layer to be more satisfying. It should be noted, and I stand corrected, that SACD is NOT to be solely identified as a 5.1 format with a 2.0 layer inclusion. It is about the (hoped for) superior quality over standard redbook CD.

Forgive me, but I am just learning about and discovering this format.

John