Home Theater Forum - View Single Post - HTF BLU-RAY AUDIO REVIEW: Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV

Michael Osadciw · 05-31-2008, 10:37 AM

Hi Steven

I was not using the BD player as a transport. I was using the internal DACs and used the analogue outs to the Ayre K-1. There currently is no external DAC we can feed the 24/96 (or 24/192) PCM from Blu-ray. But even if so, any player cannot be used as a transport and still sound good. There are audible differences between transport designs too.

You are correct that the SACD/DVD-A 5.1 mixes are different than the 2-ch CD. They must be as there have been 4 more channels added! But I disagree with your assessment of the 5.1 mix being superior regardless of sweet spot. This is about personal taste. While the 5.1 mix does sound more breathable, I'm very used to the surround placement in the stereo mix and didn't find myself as willing to accept the changes in the new 5.1 mix. Sounds can be very channel specific and rely less on phantom imaging between loudspeakers. To me it sounds less fluid and immersive. The stereo version uses a lot of phantom imaging to make a huge soundstage. I'll pick on "Ruiner" as an example. The bass guitar is placed to the right of the right channel. It's not heard as "hard right" and it floats in the space to the side of the speaker. The other guitar is placed hard left. The drumming then starts right of the bass guitar and upon it's intro to the mix, each tom is banged on to the right of each other, so you can hear the sticks hit from front-right to rear-right. The percussion continues in the rear-right location. The vocals "you didn't hurt me, nothing can hurt me..." switch between rear-left and rear-right. This song isn't mixed the same in the 5.1 mix. It's different. I understand that it's Reznor-approved because he helped create it, and therefore it is the artist's vision, but the 2-channel mix is also the artist's vision working withing those boundaries. I'm just happy to have a choice between the two. When given the choice, for this album I choose the stereo version. With Teeth on the other hand, I choose the 5.1 mix.

Personal preference!

Mike

(BTW: awesome re: the autograph. I would have loved to have that opportunity. The most personal I've ever got was with the special Spiral performance during soundcheck.)

05-31-2008, 10:37 AM	#8 of 9
Michael Osadciw HTF Fox, Anchor Bay DVD Reviewer Join Date: Jun 2003 Local Time: 05:06 AM Local Date: 10-08-2008 Posts: 1,125	Re: HTF BLU-RAY AUDIO REVIEW: Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV Hi Steven I was not using the BD player as a transport. I was using the internal DACs and used the analogue outs to the Ayre K-1. There currently is no external DAC we can feed the 24/96 (or 24/192) PCM from Blu-ray. But even if so, any player cannot be used as a transport and still sound good. There are audible differences between transport designs too. You are correct that the SACD/DVD-A 5.1 mixes are different than the 2-ch CD. They must be as there have been 4 more channels added! But I disagree with your assessment of the 5.1 mix being superior regardless of sweet spot. This is about personal taste. While the 5.1 mix does sound more breathable, I'm very used to the surround placement in the stereo mix and didn't find myself as willing to accept the changes in the new 5.1 mix. Sounds can be very channel specific and rely less on phantom imaging between loudspeakers. To me it sounds less fluid and immersive. The stereo version uses a lot of phantom imaging to make a huge soundstage. I'll pick on "Ruiner" as an example. The bass guitar is placed to the right of the right channel. It's not heard as "hard right" and it floats in the space to the side of the speaker. The other guitar is placed hard left. The drumming then starts right of the bass guitar and upon it's intro to the mix, each tom is banged on to the right of each other, so you can hear the sticks hit from front-right to rear-right. The percussion continues in the rear-right location. The vocals "you didn't hurt me, nothing can hurt me..." switch between rear-left and rear-right. This song isn't mixed the same in the 5.1 mix. It's different. I understand that it's Reznor-approved because he helped create it, and therefore it is the artist's vision, but the 2-channel mix is also the artist's vision working withing those boundaries. I'm just happy to have a choice between the two. When given the choice, for this album I choose the stereo version. With Teeth on the other hand, I choose the 5.1 mix. Personal preference! Mike (BTW: awesome re: the autograph. I would have loved to have that opportunity. The most personal I've ever got was with the special Spiral performance during soundcheck.) 20th Century Fox DVD/Blu-ray Reviewer Anchor Bay/Starz Entertainment DVD/Blu-ray Reviewer mike@hometheaterforum.com (temp. unused, PM me)