HiRez Poll Soundgarden - SUPERUNKNOWN [Blu-Ray]

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Rate the BDA of Soundgarden - SUPERUNKNOWN


  • Total voters
    30
If you set your expectations too high on this release, especially considering the price, you will be disappointed. If, like me, you read how bad this is on the forum for a couple months, and fear the possibility of blood emitting from ones ears, you can be pleasantly surprised. After one listen in a not ideal setup, I really enjoyed this one. I have always loved this album and I love it even more after listening in surround. Yes the SQ is far from great but the mix does not suck and the music holds up after all this time...Will vote after a few more listening sessions.
 
If you set your expectations too high on this release, especially considering the price, you will be disappointed. If, like me, you read how bad this is on the forum for a couple months, and fear the possibility of blood emitting from ones ears, you can be pleasantly surprised. After one listen in a not ideal setup, I really enjoyed this one. I have always loved this album and I love it even more after listening in surround. Yes the SQ is far from great but the mix does not suck and the music holds up after all this time...Will vote after a few more listening sessions.

You are correct sir. I voted 1 in anger at how they f'd up a great album, BUT this is not the worst 5.1 release I have heard, actually far from it. I would now rate it 4.
 
Surround music is littered with a multitude of disappointments. Whether they be the mix, mastering, price, or resolution. The surround field as a whole is disappointing as it was never properly launched to the masses and leaves one perpetually shaking their head over what could have been. In the face of all of this with my expectations having been beaten down repeatedly Superunknown manages to uncork a very special sense of despair that makes the bottom give way once again. There is one bright spot: Josh Graham, you seem to be the only person who rose to the occasion on this project. Your visuals are outstanding. The best I've seen on a music release. Do you know anything about 5.1 mixing or mastering? If not, don't worry as even your first attempt at either endeavor would easily ace out the hack and inept attempt bungled out by STEPEHEN MARCUSSEN. I will never again buy any album bearing his mark of cain.

Fortunately most of the drudgery has already been covered in previous posts. A couple of low lights worth mentioning:

I was shocked this was a DR10. This sounds like a DR5. I don't ever remember there being any other dynamics than loud.
The mix is so disappointing. There was so much here to work with. Someone like Simon Heyworth would have knocked this out of the park. Instead we get 2-3 second snippets of excitement in only a few songs like "Fell on Black Days" and "Half". Then again even if there was surround activity it would be buried in the overcompression. Also the price for this was ridiculous. Half of what they're asking would have been right. Soundgarden seems to have entered this very forgettable phase of their history where they're overly interested in talking about their legacy in interviews. I have as much respect for this as friends of mine from junior high who tried to give themselves their own nickname.
Congratulations Marcussen, you turned wine into piss.
Music: 10
Mix: 5
Sonics: 6

I'll give it a 5. "The horror...The horror."
 
OK kiddies I am reopening this can of worms with a possible revelation and redemption for the Blu-ray of SUPERUИKИOMИ, a few days back while listening to the Badmotorfinger, again, (which I thinks sounds superb) using DTS-HD Master as I do with most Blu-ray content I decided to then play SUPERUИKИOMИ (via DTS-HD Master also) I was even more dissapointed by comparison, sad :(

Then on a whim I decided to switch to Dolby TrueHD (via ONKYO TS-SR606) and lo' and behold SUPERUИKИOMИ sounded.....much better! :yikes. Via DTS-HD Master it sounds kinda dull and somewhat squashed but when I switched to Dolby TrueHD the whole sound brightens up (and not in an overly harsh way tho I haven't had a chance to crank it up to see how it fairs at higher volume) the surround seems to open up considerably the rear speakers seem to have more activity and discreteness and movement across speakers (or at least you can hear it better) the bass seems less boomy/muffled and more defined with the front soundstage vocals and drums opening up to wider spread. So in conclusion at least for me SUPERUИKИOMИ sounds a lot better using Dolby TrueHD so if any of you have this option and could give this a try and report back on your results I would appreciate it, you know just to rule out I'm nuts. It's got me thinking there is a problem with the DTS-HD Master mix because Badmotorfinger sounds fantastic using DTS-HD Master. I was discussing this with member "cutter" but he does not have the ability to play Dolby TrueHD so I decided to bring it to the forum, I think this turd can be polished.
 
OK kiddies I am reopening this can of worms with a possible revelation and redemption for the Blu-ray of SUPERUИKИOMИ, a few days back while listening to the Badmotorfinger, again, (which I thinks sounds superb) using DTS-HD Master as I do with most Blu-ray content I decided to then play SUPERUИKИOMИ (via DTS-HD Master also) I was even more dissapointed by comparison, sad :(

Then on a whim I decided to switch to Dolby TrueHD (via ONKYO TS-SR606) and lo' and behold SUPERUИKИOMИ sounded.....much better! :yikes. Via DTS-HD Master it sounds kinda dull and somewhat squashed but when I switched to Dolby TrueHD the whole sound brightens up (and not in an overly harsh way tho I haven't had a chance to crank it up to see how it fairs at higher volume) the surround seems to open up considerably the rear speakers seem to have more activity and discreteness and movement across speakers (or at least you can hear it better) the bass seems less boomy/muffled and more defined with the front soundstage vocals and drums opening up to wider spread. So in conclusion at least for me SUPERUИKИOMИ sounds a lot better using Dolby TrueHD so if any of you have this option and could give this a try and report back on your results I would appreciate it, you know just to rule out I'm nuts. It's got me thinking there is a problem with the DTS-HD Master mix because Badmotorfinger sounds fantastic using DTS-HD Master. I was discussing this with member "cutter" but he does not have the ability to play Dolby TrueHD so I decided to bring it to the forum, I think this turd can be polished.

Very interesting.
Never tried, but will.
Badmotorfinger sounds great!
 
OK kiddies I am reopening this can of worms with a possible revelation and redemption for the Blu-ray of SUPERUИKИOMИ, a few days back while listening to the Badmotorfinger, again, (which I thinks sounds superb) using DTS-HD Master as I do with most Blu-ray content I decided to then play SUPERUИKИOMИ (via DTS-HD Master also) I was even more dissapointed by comparison, sad :(

Then on a whim I decided to switch to Dolby TrueHD (via ONKYO TS-SR606) and lo' and behold SUPERUИKИOMИ sounded.....much better! :yikes. Via DTS-HD Master it sounds kinda dull and somewhat squashed but when I switched to Dolby TrueHD the whole sound brightens up (and not in an overly harsh way tho I haven't had a chance to crank it up to see how it fairs at higher volume) the surround seems to open up considerably the rear speakers seem to have more activity and discreteness and movement across speakers (or at least you can hear it better) the bass seems less boomy/muffled and more defined with the front soundstage vocals and drums opening up to wider spread. So in conclusion at least for me SUPERUИKИOMИ sounds a lot better using Dolby TrueHD so if any of you have this option and could give this a try and report back on your results I would appreciate it, you know just to rule out I'm nuts. It's got me thinking there is a problem with the DTS-HD Master mix because Badmotorfinger sounds fantastic using DTS-HD Master. I was discussing this with member "cutter" but he does not have the ability to play Dolby TrueHD so I decided to bring it to the forum, I think this turd can be polished.

I ripped both the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA to flacs and compared them both. Both were the same basic size (4.29GB) and after listening to about 15 seconds of each track and switching to the other source within less than 2 seconds of silence, they sounded pretty much exactly the same to me.

One thing that may have possibly affected your experience: With my receiver, I have it set to automatically recall the last settings for a particular audio codec, and Dolby TrueHD always has an option to turn off 'Night Mode' or some stupid shit (I always turn it off). Also, if you use any type of processing in your receiver at all, you need to re-check your settings for each input and/or codec, and even then, different qualities of processing can possibly effect the sound.

All that said, I'll probably keep the TrueHD source and delete the DTS-HD. Probably placebo... :smokin
 
I also tried both Dolby TrueHD and the DTS HD master....both sound the same....brickwalled and like crap.
 
The idea that there would be separate masterings for Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio is....hard to believe. More likely, a single mastering would just be encoded by two different codecs. And add to that: they're both lossless, so on playback there should be *no difference whatsoever*.
 
The idea that there would be separate masterings for Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio is....hard to believe. More likely, a single mastering would just be encoded by two different codecs. And add to that: they're both lossless, so on playback there should be *no difference whatsoever*.

'Should be' no difference. I think most A/B comparisons with any opinion on differences probably have to do with different settings for different codecs in their receivers that most people are unaware of. Now I'm officially drunk again. Goodnight. :)
 
Which one is loudest, the Dolby True or the DTS HD MA?
Whichever of the two, I betcha that'll be the one with Dialog Normalization implemented.
 
I'm happy with the audio quality of this one. Honestly, for the genre and knowing what Soundgarden sound like - I think it's good. I've heard all the complaints. I just do not necessarily agree with most of them. For my preference, when I want to listen to this style of music...I'm wanting to jam. I mean, I want to turn it up. I want to be the TDK dude with his hair blowing straight back. That's what I get when I play this.

I think it rocks. This is not intricate multi layered music. It's dark, foreboding and loud. I like that and they held true to that sound. Oh, surround you say? Yes, I can tell it's surround and it is super tame - but with all 5.1 speakers blasting, I'm happy with the outcome.

At lower volumes, it just doesn't work. Loud? Then yeah, it's bad...ass. IMO of course.

I voted a 7, and really, it's a strong 7. :)
 
I also tried both Dolby TrueHD and the DTS HD master....both sound the same....brickwalled and like crap.

same mastering on the DTS HD MA as the True HD I guess, just the Dolby True HD on this BD-A will flag up "x" no. -/+ dB Dialog Normalization on certain systems/setups and that's what I think some people are perceiving as differences between the two codecs?
 
I want to be the TDK dude with his hair blowing straight back. That's what I get when I play this.

Maxell was the dude with the hair. TDK was with people showing their hot bodies. ;)

You could be both. :D


Maxell%20Cassette%20Ad_zpsqlnukgzs.jpg



TDK%20Hot%20Bodies_zpsl0wragvo.jpg
 
Which one is loudest, the Dolby True or the DTS HD MA?
Whichever of the two, I betcha that'll be the one with Dialog Normalization implemented.
From my testing, they both sounded absolutely identical, but that was with flacs of both the TrueHD and DTS-HD.
 
From my testing, they both sounded absolutely identical, but that was with flacs of both the TrueHD and DTS-HD.

Equipment setup dependent, if your BD player is doing the conversion to PCM there ought be no difference, if you're bitstreaming the codecs from your BDP then your receiver will detect the Dial Norm flag in the True HD, say and +/- by "x" no. dB.
 
I have read all the Poll posts and I believe all have valid points, but also taken out of context by just having a Poll based on one of 5 discs, this is not how you put value to a box set, or in this case a book set. I'll give you my opinion that is solid with all discs and packaging, with the hopes that I raise the level of enjoyment of what Superunknown can bring you.
Packaging: A stunning coffee table book with hologram front of Superunknown, fine art print, pictures, lyrics, the making of and a timeline of coming in and out of this masterpiece of music.
Menu of Blu Ray: Simple, 3 choices, easy to read, and 3 choices for sonic delivery.
RBCD Discs: 1 remastered 2014, Disc 2 B sides and more, the more are live recordings, dance mix, etc, Disc 3 Demos, all great, the pure recordings, Disc 4 kind of like a continuation of 3, real good.
Performance: Solid, a top rock disc that has a huge fan base, dedicated and ready to fight for the importance of this music, for me it does die out after Spoonman like a two disc set, first half great, second not so great.
Blu Ray Audio 5.1, I listened per other poll suggestions, Dolby True HD, I usually don't, but I went back and forth with DTS Master, I could hear a slightly better punch in the rears, fronts where equal. Volume was 74.5db from start to finish. Once I got over the excitement of how great this sounds about 3 songs in I realized I was having a bit of ear fatigue, but as a long time rock dude, it's not that big of a deal, as an audiophile hobbyist it is a big deal.
Before I forget the artwork that is live on the TV screen, while listening is fantastic, super great.
So we all know by now the DR Values are 10, which is barely transition, we have to put that aside and let it be a factor. The MIX is actually quite GREAT, it has it's dual stereo moments, it's fantastic discrete moments , the bummer is the compression, remember 10 DR Value, so what this means is all the music is so squashed within the 5.1 spectrum that some people just can't appreciate the mix. If you where to read the liner/recording notes "Thayil says, laughing but not kidding- and the groups impatience with the time and labor that went into something that sounded too much like polish", so there it is, artists wanting to just fucking turn out whats in them vs a producer wanting to make something shiny and different, this the reason Superunknown is not a sonic masterpiece but a musical masterpiece. It is a hard rock disc in any form you like it, yes I have the original RBCD, but this is 5.1 baby and I love it.
I write all this just after Chris Cornell's death and I am sure I maybe adding more props due to his death, but I certainly am aware of this and still trying to be a real audiophile and not slam the door on a wonderful release that I am very happy to own.
After all that I give this a 8 on the poll, I so much wanted to give it a 10, all the parts are absolutely perfect, but the compression and my ever so slightly ear fatigue blows it for me. Don't be a dummy buy this release, get past whatever, assuming you are a hard rock fan of good fucking music.
My final advice, if a box set of whatever kind of music gets released, don't short change your self by only wanting the 5.1 disc, you'll lose, The words, pictures, RBCD's, whatever, it is all part of the ultimate experience that we love.
 
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