HiRez Poll Yes - CLOSE TO THE EDGE [DVD-AUDIO/BLU-RAY]

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rate the DVD-A/BDA of YES - CLOSE TO THE EDGE


  • Total voters
    143
Btw, for those seeking the 'dry' mix of 'America'...the single version included on this set is 'dry', at least.

I can't believe how much reverb SW *added* to his remix of 'America'! It's more than on the Yesterdays version!
 
This is really not working for me. Perhaps I have a bad copy of the DVD-A.

I find this to be bright to the point of harshness when played loud, (peaks of 95-100db), lacking balance between soft and loud passages (the "I get up, I get down" lines during the organ break are so soft as to be almost inaudible, requiring a volume bump that has to be turned down once the organ kicks in), and the 4-channel spread is fairly conservative, where IMO there is ample opportunity to really have at it. The "I get up, I get down" lines could have been sent to the rears at volume.

Steve's work on Benefit and the KC 5.1s are among the best 5.1 mixes I own. If I am the only one experiencing these problems, than maybe it is a faulty copy.

Have you ever resolved your issue? Are you listening through analog or HDMI? The reason I bring this up again is I just listened to my blu-ray and using the analog outs from my Oppo 93 to multi channel inputs on my Yamaha receiver the lead vocals during the second section (around the 5:30 mark) were almost inaudible. It sounded like just the reverb was coming through. I switched back and forth between PCM and DTS-MA with the same negative results so I switched from analog outs to HDMI and it sounds just fine. So, if you are still having issues with your DVD-A then this minor adjustment may solve your problem. Has anybody else noticed different vocal levels depending on which outputs are used on either the DVD-A or Blu?
 
Have you ever resolved your issue? Are you listening through analog or HDMI? The reason I bring this up again is I just listened to my blu-ray and using the analog outs from my Oppo 93 to multi channel inputs on my Yamaha receiver the lead vocals during the second section (around the 5:30 mark) were almost inaudible. It sounded like just the reverb was coming through. I switched back and forth between PCM and DTS-MA with the same negative results so I switched from analog outs to HDMI and it sounds just fine. So, if you are still having issues with your DVD-A then this minor adjustment may solve your problem. Has anybody else noticed different vocal levels depending on which outputs are used on either the DVD-A or Blu?

I really don't see why HDMI vs other inputs should make a difference in a properly adjusted system, nor DVD-A vs Blu. Certainly there is no inherent reason they should sound different.

But the original poster's point about the dynamic range (what he calls 'balance') matches my experience. As listeners to digital classical music have known for decades, most home listening environments don't really support a 'full' dynamic range. Natural differences between the quietest and loudest passages of orchestral music are typically too loud at the high end, if listening levels are adjusted to hear the quiet end. This could be what's happening for CttE , though rock recordings typically do not exhibit the extreme dynamic range of acoustic symphonic recordings.

As for the 'brightness', that could be room EQ issues, though if other recordings sound 'right' and CttE does not, that would suggest something about the CttE recording. (I have not found it to be too bright. I have found the vocal balance to be too aggressive in some parts, which is likely a mix issue -- I simply disagree with SW's choice there. THe SW mixes of the title track do not 'work' for me either, for that reason.)
 
I know it does not make sense for the output of my Oppo to make a difference but it is what it is. Yesterday I listened to Moondance, Wish You Were Here (both Quad and 5.1) and Damn The Torpedoes, all blu-ray and all using analog outs and they all sounded brilliant. Then I put in CTTE and the vocals in the middle part are there in HDMI and missing in analog. So I will play with my setup at some point to try to figure it out but at this point I am at a loss. Luckily, CTTE still sounds brilliant over HDMI.
 
Differences heard on the same material played via HDMI versus the 5.1 analog inputs might be caused by a couple factors. One would be AVR bass management via HDMI that, depending on your receiver's 'speaker size' settings, might route signal from the '5.0' channels below the crossover frequency to the sub; in the case of my Integra receiver, at least, this doesn't happen when listening through the analog 5.1 inputs and it does sound different. Some receivers might let you set different eq/speaker size settings for HDMI versus analog inputs, and there's also the possibility that eq/delay/speaker size settings in the Oppo could be getting added to the equivalent AVR settings via one input and not the other, which would make them sound unlike each other.

Close to the Edge in 5.1 sounds well balanced and well mixed on my setup to me, but maybe I'll give it a comparison comparison run on my Oppo via HDMI vs. Yamaha DVD-a changer via 5.1 analog and see if anything goes missing in the mix.

Another useful check is listening to the DTS (which gets the AVR's speaker settings/bass management/eq applied in most cases) and compare it to the MLP (which sometimes doesn't) and see what differences you hear.
 
Have you ever resolved your issue? Are you listening through analog or HDMI? The reason I bring this up again is I just listened to my blu-ray and using the analog outs from my Oppo 93 to multi channel inputs on my Yamaha receiver the lead vocals during the second section (around the 5:30 mark) were almost inaudible. It sounded like just the reverb was coming through. I switched back and forth between PCM and DTS-MA with the same negative results so I switched from analog outs to HDMI and it sounds just fine. So, if you are still having issues with your DVD-A then this minor adjustment may solve your problem. Has anybody else noticed different vocal levels depending on which outputs are used on either the DVD-A or Blu?
I'm using the analog outputs of an Oppo 95 and I don't experience any issues with the vocals dropping out on the DVD-A (MLP audio). And the harshness reported by the original poster I do not hear either. Indeed, the CTTE remix is wonderfully lacking in excessive brightness, which I have had a problem with on a number of surround remixes. I found the rear channels a tad hot so I lowered the volume of the rear channels by 1 dB from the remote of my Parasound pre-amp and then everything was fine. Possibly a calibration issue, though I just calibrated my system recently.
 
I have listened to the 5.1 LPCM twice. I'm very confused by all the comments about "lacking bass" because I find there is too much of it, and I'm usually the one to crank it up! I turned off my sub completely and still found it too bassy. So after reading the comments here, I think there may be something "wrong" with my setup. I use an oppo 93 with analog outs and my amp (Harmon Kardon) does not allow any eq or bass management with the 6-ch input. I don't have this issue with other BD 5.1 LPCM mixes (2112, storm corrosion, the raven...) so I find it odd. The only way I found to bypass this is using the regular dts stream, as my HK does not accept sound from hdmi (I know, upgrade!). So I feel cheated having to use a stream suited for dvd-v when I have this on blu-ray!
So I won't vote until I hear the mix like it's supposed to sound!....but right now, it would be a 7
The drums are way too low. I can barely make them out! Vocals, guitar and keyboards sound great. the mix (placement, balance, etc, ...) is also great, if I forget about the bass...
I know this is minor, but they could have used different background pics for each song, and also during each song. Having to stare at the same image for 48 minutes (if you include America) is annoying, and a waste of technology ;)
That's why I put a game on with the audio muted. Stationary images are taboo for video screens, due to image retention.
 
I played the needle drop of the LP that is on the Blu-ray and it sounds really clean except for some distortion on the louder parts.
 
Never posted a review for this disc yet, so here it goes:

First, I think it's fair to say that this release was not only a dream come true for me but for so many other Yes/prog fans on this board who were hoping that the Yes catalogue could be given the same 5.1 surround treatment as King Crimson, Genesis, etc, so I'm glad there will be more to come!
My favorite thing about the 5.1 mix of the album is the spread of the background vocals across the surround channels. This is particularly effective in part 3 of "Close to the Edge" ("I Get Up, I Get Down"). All of the instrument and vocal placements throughout the entire mix help to represent an enhanced but faithful representation of what we have all heard and grown to love before. And to top it off, we have a great SW 5.1 mix of "America" along with a TON of bonus material!
An obvious '10' from me and I hope the rest of the releases in the series live up to the expectations. Bring 'em on! :)
 
My first exposure to Yes! Nicely done. 9 for me. Would of been a 10 but i prefer a little more bass and louder drums. Anymore Yes in 5.1?
 
My first exposure to Yes! Nicely done. 9 for me. Would of been a 10 but i prefer a little more bass and louder drums. Anymore Yes in 5.1?

Yes there is, Fragile and Magnification are out on dvda, but long out of print. As you may have heard, Steven Wilson will be mixing a large part of the catalogue in 5.1, with more coming out this year.
 
Back
Top