The Computer Audiophile Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 View full article Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Popular Post The Computer Audiophile Posted January 11, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 11, 2023 11 hours ago, ted_b said: "Hearing these items has more to do with a mix that's equivalent to an exploded-view drawing/image, than anything else." Chris, that is a perfect analogy for immersive music (done right). I really appreciate these immersive music articles cuz, frankly, I worry that folks think it's gimmicky or ping-ping in 3D. Or worse, they hear a bad Atmos mix (all Warner stuff, for example) and are underwhelmed at best case. It's not gimmicky (when done right, as I like to caveat). And the good mixes are a revelation. It's a view into music that actually has always existed in three dimensions anyway. And now we get to hear it. I had a buddy over yesterday (the carpenter/master woodworker that built the room to my and Jeff Hedback's spec, in fact) and he was blown away (a phrase used unsparingly and overtly dismissed in most examples). He really was. For example (and I have many but will hold back) when I played him an Apple Music-compressed fifty year old live concert......and I introduced it that way.....he could not get over the fidelity, the creativity of the mix, and the ability to pick out his favorite guitar licks (left surround with some height). He was mesmerized that a seemingly average, normal Grateful Dead concert could turn out to be one of the best things he'd heard "in a LONG time". Steven Wilson's middle-of-the-band mix of Europe '72 deserves a physical (or, like Mr Big, at least a TrueHD uncompressed download) release, as does American Beauty. And yes, I own just about every remix and remaster of American Beauty that includes vinyl, cd, DVD-Audio and now compressed streams. And I'll take the compressed stream, thank you! It's revelatory, as is Europe '72. Moreover, there is SO much new music that I am experiencing lately, some of which I've had laying around here for years (more than one 2L bluray disc, listened for awhile and then used sparingly as demos in 5.1). Now, the entire catalog, in Auro-3D (and Atmos, but I lean toward Auro-3D when I can; probably a processor sweet spot) is unfolding in front of me and I can't get enough. Whole evenings spent lost in beautiful spheres of real live music (not literally, but you can't tell my brain that). Amazing! Anyway, thanks for the new immersive music article. Hi Ted, thanks for the kind words. That analogy just came to me as I was listening. I think it's perfect and really hits home once people hear immersive audio done right. Us audiophiles always talk about hearing what is heard in the studio or as close to a real event as possible. Immersive audio gets us 20 steps closer to that ideal, than anything possible with stereo. When we first got high resolution stereo, many of us thought we'd hit the jackpot. It was unreal to then get stereo high resolution streamed from Qobuz. The whole time, we had many new developments in hardware and software to make stero even better. In my experience, nothing that has come before, even comes close to the huge leap of immersive audio. I still absolutely love stereo and can't wait to publish my review of the dCS Rossini Apex, but would love a 12 channel dCS :~) As you said, there are some bad mixes, but I don't think there are more bad immersive mixes than there are bad mixes/masters in stereo (on a percentage basis). It's funny you mention Grateful Dead. That's another band I couldn't get into. I liked the pop-esque Touch of Grey, but never anything more. Once I heard America Beauty in Atmos, it was game over. Now even my 10 year old daughter knows Grateful Dead. She asked for Truckin' on the way to school this morning. Not only that, she wanted to know why Truckin' was more popular than some of the other tracks, becuae they are better. Immersive audio was the gateway to my new appreciation and enjoyment of Grateful Dead. I'll be in heaven is we get a lossless TrueHD Atmos of American Beauty. Last note, sometimes I publish these articles and think "nobody" likes them. I'm happy to read your comments. I believe in immersive audio so much, that I will continue writing about it until I run out of ink. This time is very different from multichannel efforts of old. I realize it's not trivial to install such a system, but 99% of the world thinks the average audiophile two channel system is way beyond trivial as well. A little research, a little planning, and a little creativity are what's needed to take the plunge. ted_b, Jud and El Guapo 3 Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted January 12, 2023 Author Share Posted January 12, 2023 58 minutes ago, sandston said: Speaking of immersive audio and the Dead. We are just about to board a plane to Mexico to see the 3 of the remaining members work it out for three glorious nights in the sand. Doesn't get anymore immersive than this. ;-) WOW! Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Popular Post The Computer Audiophile Posted January 12, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2023 1 minute ago, bobfa said: Thank goodness there is an infinite amount of digital ink We have it stuck in our collective heads that Stereo is “all we can do”. As you said above: “My musical world has opened up very wide since I installed my system. “ Does it feel odd that we have to be “advocates” for Immersive Audio? 100% Bob! We are listening to music like it has never been heard, and in the case of some recordings, identical to the multitrack studio master. Onehalf5150 and El Guapo 1 1 Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
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