High-Res Audio discussion: Blu-ray Audio, SACD, DVD Audio, and HI-Resolution audio files discussion (1 Viewer)

[Wes Candela]

The new version contains a BD concert disc that includes a great documentary of the entire Russian tour, as well as a CD of the concert. It's a terrific package.

Really…
Great to hear.

I’m in. It’s on my wishlist now.

 

[Wes Candela]

Yes, it's an expanded version of the concerts in Russia that was originally on the Kohuept album. The new version contains a BD concert disc that includes a great documentary of the entire Russian tour, as well as a CD of the concert. It's a terrific package.

My sister had this disc.
"Serrano's got the discs!! Serrano's got the discs!!!!"
- Midnight Run, 1988

I drove by and grabbed.

2014???

I had no idea they re-released it until you put it on the post Scott...

Scott, thank you for bringing it up.

.

You're the man.

OK, so we're going a little bit off topic here, but I'm just gonna say:

it's so good to see this in 1080p.

The crowd... going berserk.
They’re so happy
I remember watching on HBO almost 40 years ago, it didn’t look or sound anything like this.

I can play a little piano, and I have tried since seeing Joel play "Angry Young Man" in this concert to play the opening as far as he does.
I get close to the speed...
But I always fumble after the opening.

His speed...

I was born and raised on Long Island, New York
Moved to the city and came back here to raise my daughter and start our family.
Billy Joel is a hometown hero here, here being all of Long Island.
So this is just a treat to watch

To you Scott and
To the Piano Man...Billy Joel.

 

[jcroy]

Yeah, depending on the music, I just like the thump and bass drum
I like to hear those frequencies tight
And I like to hear the high hats
Tsss tsss tssss tssss
Aerosmith and run DMC walk this way

I found this ^ was only really the case when the drums/percussion was produced well. In contrast the stuff I listened to a lot back in the day, the producers/engineers were somewhat incompetent or outright clueless when it came to recording the drums.

It runs the gammut. On one end, the crash cymbals and hi-hat were cranked up in the mix with a extremely unnatural sounding high end. On the other end, the bass drum didn't have any peak-limiting and the really low end (below 50 Hz or so) was not rolled off with a high-pass filter/eq. So as a result, boosting the bass/treble knobs or 12band equalizer just exacerbated the already crappy mix to the point of being completely unlistenable, such as an extremely unnatural "boomy" sounding bass drum that drowns out everything else in the mix at the low end.

Over the years I realized this had a lot to do with microphone placements, where the original incompetent producers didn't know where to place the mics around the drum kit.

 

[jcroy]

Yeah, these mixes sound like oasis – what's the story Morninglory super audio CD 5.1 mix

Without really going down the rabbit hole of brickwalling, there is no point in a higher resolution version of this Oasis title.

It would likely require going back to the original 24track studio tape, and doing an entirely new remix to be worthwhile.


Similar story with the official Metallica "Death Magnetic" title. Though there exists several unofficial remixes on youtube which shows how it can actually sound without the brickwalling. Likely due to some hardcore folks who first extracted the individual instrument tracks from a guitar hero video game, and did their own remixes.

 

[jcroy]

Do you appreciate high-resolution digital audio music? (192kHz 24bit, DSD, Dolby Atmos, 96kHz 24bit 5.1 soundtracks and albums?

Back in the day, my primary interest in dvd-audio has more to do with data integrity issues on the computer, and not so much musical fidelity per se. (Fidelity was a secondary issue for me in those days).

(A long rant).

Almost 30 years ago, I tried writing my own computer code which extracted the data sectors from audio cd discs. (There were not really any effective ripping programs in those days on linux). What I discovered very quickly, was that reading a particular disc sector did not always return back the actual correct sector. The returned data might be from a neighboring sector, which is known as "jitter". On a standalone cd player, minor jitter issues are usually not noticable. I ended rewriting my code to do "forced rereads" of batches of consecutive sectors, to check whether the cdrom drive was returning back the correct sectors.

In contrast, reading data cd-rom discs did not have this issue, largely due to each sector having a "header" which explicitly stated which sector it was. Audio cd discs only had the sector "label" in the subchannel data, which led to some ambiguity (ie. manifested as an "offset" in cdrom technical vernacular).

When I first read about dvd being also a data disc format, I figured each disc sector would have a header which explicitly stated which sector it was precisely. So in principle, dvd-audio wouldn't have these issues with jitter and "offsets", which was one of the big reasons why I hoped dvd-audio would become ubiquitous.


In the end, computer cd/dvd drives were designed better over the past 25 years with data integrity being upfront. So annoyances like jitter and non-constant offsets related to reading audio cd discs, are a thing of a past.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

Why 24 bits specifically ?

If 24 bits was chosen, it would have likely required a slightly larger disc diamater to hold 74 minutes.

I don't know how much the Beethoven 9th symphony story holds water, in regard to the disc size.

A CD can hold exactly 74 minutes of music – thanks to Beethoven

One of the greatest composers in history added to his musical legacy with the invention of the CD, over 150 years after he died.

www.classicfm.com

CD Length

Were CDs designed to be long enough to hold Beethoven's 9th Symphony?

www.snopes.com

Well, my first and fav Beethoven 9th is Böhm, at 78 mins, so my first copy was spread over two discs, coupled with the 6th.
I have since ripped it to a single disc.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

Has anybody got a list of their favorites? Limited to three.

What is your favorite, high-resolution, digital high-resolution, audio disk?

Multi-channel or stereo doesn’t matter
Blu-ray audio, SACD, DVD audio… Doesn’t matter

All right, here come mine...

0. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Social Network soundtrack Blu-ray audio 5.1 and 2.0
96 kHz 24-bit

Hypnotic, amazing, A feast and test your subwoofer, just incredible work

1. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray Audio
Details:
DOLBY ATMOS MIX

5.1 SURROUND MIX - 24bit/96kHz UNCOMPRESSED / DTS-HD MA

REMASTERED STEREO MIX - 24-bit/192kHz UNCOMPRESSED / DTS-HD MA

5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos mixes by JAMES GUTHRIE

Both the 5.1 and the Dolby Atmos mix are…
Stellar.

2. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms 40th Anniversary (May 2025) BLU-Ray audio

Details:
2022 Dolby Atmos Mix,
2022 Dolby Atmos Mix Instrumentals,
2005 5.1 mix,
CD version stereo mix 1985 vinyl version stereo mix and a booklet with exclusive liner notes by Guy Fletcher.

I'm just speaking about the 5.1 mix I've been listening to for 20 years, but apparently, next month comes the Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mix

Absolute reference quality and is a brilliant album from start to finish

3. Peter Gabriel – Passion: Music from The Last Temptation of Christ SACD 2.0

The soundtrack is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard, it was remastered in 2003 and put out on super audio CD in 192 kHz 24-bit

It blows my mind.

*** Special mentions
Fleetwood Mac – Rumors Blu-ray audio
Atmos
Dear God

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue SACD 2.0
Again… Dear God

And finally
The Beatles – LOVE! DVD audio
5.1 mix...wow.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds 50th anniversary Blu-ray audio 5.1

God only knows, yes

Nirvana – Nevermind MFSL 2.0
44,100 kHz 16-bit
The most faithful reproduction of an album that started a movement I was happily part of.

OK, that's me
Give it up

David Bowie - Heathen
Awesome SACD.

Agree on Pink Floyd - DSOTM, mine is the standard 5.1 SACD

Also Seal - Greatest plus acoustic on DVD-A

And although you said three, I'll add George Michael - Symphonica on blu ray audio, only stereo, but absolutely brilliant SQ.

And I need to mention Beatles - Love, totally brilliant. Basically the only Beatles album I play these days.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'm going to have to give your question about three favorite discs a good think as there are so many...

But the one that now gets top billing from me is:

Just phenomenal audio (and video).

 

[Wes Candela]

David Bowie - Heathen
Awesome SACD.

Agree on Pink Floyd - DSOTM, mine is the standard 5.1 SACD

Also Seal - Greatest plus acoustic on DVD-A

And although you said three, I'll add George Michael - Symphonica on blu ray audio, only stereo, but absolutely brilliant SQ.

And I need to mention Beatles - Love, totally brilliant. Basically the only Beatles album I play these days.

Yeah, you know I said three and then I broke the rule
How do you list three once you get rolling?

Awesome titles I’m not familiar with the Bowie album heathen I’ll try to check it out

If you get a chance to hear the Atmos mix of dark side, let me know your thoughts

The 5.1 mix does everything you need.
It’s perfect

The Atmos mix, though, it kicks it in the ass

 

[Wes Candela]

I'm going to have to give your question about three favorite discs a good think as there are so many...

But the one that now gets top billing from me is:

Just phenomenal audio (and video).

Oh wow, this must be beautiful

These are good picks.

Must watch and listen to this one Clapton is a genius.

 

[Wes Candela]

Almost 30 years ago, I tried writing my own computer code which extracted the data sectors from audio cd discs.

whoa.
I take my hat off to you, sir.
I’ve never written computer code.
Bravo for your dedication.

For me…(Rant below… apologies for boring you to death here )

My passion for high resolution, digital audio, began with being introduced to MP3s in 2000 or so.
A friend was teaching me how to use a windows computer, showed me Napster.

He downloaded The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” in MP3 @ 128 kbps

Started to rip my cd’s to my computer in MP3 (80gb HD)
It was an itch.
“ something is off, there is a difference, why is this song 50 MB on the CD but only 5 MB in MP3? I’m losing something.”

Long discussions at the bar I worked at with my friend Sunthar about sample rates, bit rates, what MP3's did to an audio file to make it smaller and why it was called "Lossy" and CD’s were “Lossless”

it was went to Tower records and got

What the hell was 96 kHz and 24 bits?
5.1? What like DVDs?

Played it back, I heard what it was.
I’ve never heard anything so beautiful
I’ve been hooked since.

Then onto HD-DVD...

Lossless audio, Dolby TrueHD !!

Then Blu-ray audio
Pink Floyd immersion box set six discs one Blu-ray audio disc with the album in 5.1 96/24


So I was just completely hooked hard drives got bigger. I had to re-copy all of my CDs and get rid of the MP3s.

Then you could start downloading high resolution audio files in.FLAC

I bought the Van Halen collection remastered in 192 kHz 24 bit in 2015

So a long story short is
It’s evolution, baby

I want my music to sound good, as good as available

Now my ears hear the difference immediately

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it
And by the way, HD DVD rocked
I don’t have the player anymore, but I’ve got a bunch of the discs still.

 

[Wes Candela]

Yes, it's an expanded version of the concerts in Russia that was originally on the Kohuept album. The new version contains a BD concert disc that includes a great documentary of the entire Russian tour, as well as a CD of the concert. It's a terrific package.

Scotty, just wanted to tell you that now I’m watching the documentary

It’s just priceless bringing a tear to my eye to be honest with you.

It's so emotional
Right at the end of the Cold War, thank the gods
The people are wonderful, and Billy is visibly touched by the experience

Thank you for the great tip thank you so much

 

[Wes Candela]

I was just comparing the new Beatles remixes
Especially Sergeant peppers

To the remastered versions from 2009

I have to say, I prefer the remasters to the remixes

That's my statement for the day unless somebody else has a thought on the matter?

 

[jcroy]

Remixes are a mixed bag for me. I have rarely ever come across a remix that I liked a lot more than the original mix.


The few I came across, were almost always an album where the original producer/engineer completely botched up the original mix that is was practically unlistenable. The most extreme case of this is an album I really liked back in the day, is from an extremely obscure little known German speed metal band Living Death's first album "Vengeance Of Hell".


- 1984 original mix




- an entirely then-new different remix from mid-late 1985

 

[Wes Candela]

Remixes are a mixed bag

They are
The Doors did it really well with their catalog,
They made all of the songs come to life

I just noticed how different the stereo mixes were from the remixes

It wasn't broken, no need to fix it

 

[JohnRice]

Where remixes are concerned, I do like the Steven Wilson remixes of Pink Floyd. The only two I recall are Animals and Momentary Lapse of Reason, but there might be more. Not significant changes, but changes I like.

 

[Wes Candela]

Where remixes are concerned, I do like the Steven Wilson remixes of Pink Floyd. The only two I recall are Animals and Momentary Lapse of Reason, but there might be more

Yes, they did one of Meddle
If you listen to the original release of fearless
And you listen to the remix
The frequencies are broaden
The highs are there
better clarity overall

 

[JohnRice]

Yes, they did one of Meddle
If you listen to the original release of fearless
And you listen to the remix
The frequencies are broaden
The highs are there
better clarity overall

Yeah, I forgot Meddle. Floyd’s weirdest album.

 

[Wes Candela]

Yeah, I forgot Meddle. Floyd’s weirdest album.

Weird.

but fearless is from heaven.

It’s a little sign of where they would go, with their songwriting. It’s incredible.

 

[JohnRice]

I did get the remix. I hadn’t listened to it in years, and the first thing I said once it was over was, “I forgot how weird that album is.”