HiRez Poll Blue Oyster Cult - SECRET TREATIES [SACD]

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Rate the SACD of Blue Oyster Cult - SECRET TREATIES


  • Total voters
    48
I'm always surprised when I see a pole that I thought that I'd already voted on but haven't yet. I've had the disc for awhile. I thought I'd give it a listen to in the van through the Sony MEX-DV2000 (equalization set flat) before casting a vote. The mix is very good (most Columbia Quad's are very good to excellent IMHO). I did notice the lack of bass however, going from memory I always thought that BOC was always bass heavy, could just be because the high end is also rolled off a bit. No complaint about the treble however, it doesn't pierce the ears like many CD releases do!
 
I'm always surprised when I see a pole that I thought that I'd already voted on but haven't yet. I've had the disc for awhile. I thought I'd give it a listen to in the van through the Sony MEX-DV2000 (equalization set flat) before casting a vote. The mix is very good (most Columbia Quad's are very good to excellent IMHO). I did notice the lack of bass however, going from memory I always thought that BOC was always bass heavy, could just be because the high end is also rolled off a bit. No complaint about the treble however, it doesn't pierce the ears like many CD releases do!

I believe those Sony car units (at least this was true of my DV2200) don’t allow EQ when playing SACD. Nor do I remember them allowing for bass management either. When I play this on my carputer with the sub kicked up some I do have decent bass.
 
I believe those Sony car units (at least this was true of my DV2200) don’t allow EQ when playing SACD. Nor do I remember them allowing for bass management either. When I play this on my carputer with the sub kicked up some I do have decent bass.

Yes you are correct the EQ doesn't work on SACD (why, because SACD is perfect already, or the DSD would have to be converted to PCM???) it also doesn't work on AM radio, I just thought it important to mention that I was listening to it flat, while describing tonal quality. If I were to update the vehicle sound system I'd likely Bi-Amp and maybe add a sub and some sort of outboard equalization or tone control.
 
I’m not sure why Sony decided not to allow any processing on playback of SACD but I’d assume it would have to do with degrading the high quality playback to PCM or whatever.

I have an outboard USB Creative 5.1 sound card that I use with my Intel NUC, which does bass management and EQ for my 5.1 material. The output is sent to a 4-channel Alpine 200w amp and the sub and center are sent to their own amps.
 
My experience and appreciation of Blue Oyster Cult was limited to the album Agents of Fortune, and mostly the song (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

I really want to like this. My first Secret Treaties listen was a bit of a downer. Interestingly though, it grows on me with each play (I'm on #3 now). I'll wait a while before voting.......

The mix and sound quality are decent, if slightly flat. Just need to let the songs sink in a bit.
 
Perhaps not an Audio Fidelity option, but this year marks the 45th anniversary for Tyranny & Mutation - wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate with its quad on a sacd or bluray!
 
Perhaps not an Audio Fidelity option, but this year marks the 45th anniversary for Tyranny & Mutation - wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate with its quad on a sacd or bluray!

I know I'll be celebrating with a couple of nice conversions and that one track from The Collection...
 
I don't know, the quad mix is pretty good but not revelatory. I'm not worried about the bass as one can always just turn it up. The production might have something to do with it as BOC always sounded somewhat muted or flat in the studio, or at least the early albums did. The music, however, is special. All of these songs (save maybe "Cagey Cretin") are among their best. Riff-fests all. I'm gonna give it an 8.
 
I fear the while the T&M BOC album is available for licensing in quad, it’s too dark and too metallic for a DV reissue. If it’s fine by them, then they need to step up and hit that one homer.
DV should just know that time is running out for us and them, and that the right thing to do is get this out there in quad on SACD, and then consider Ray Conniff, Peter Nero or whatever else they are thinking about.
 
A decent surround sound mix marred by especially poor drum mixing, which I believe is an issue with the original mix as well. The drums are puny, mixed strangely quietly, and the snare is often hard to differentiate among the rest of the kit.

The surround sound separation is sensical without being distracting, and seems faithful to the original release, but I found myself rather unimpressed. Feeling a good 5 for this, as I feel it stands between being a good and bad surround sound mix.
 
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