...This record actually decodes better than some of the proper SQ LP's I have! :banana:
Yes, I know this is a very old thread, but, this recording is a gem. My first experience with this album was about 25 years ago. My neighbor loaned me a copy of the CD. At that time I had my
Sansui QRX-9001 set up in the living room with four identical Celestion SL-12si loudspeakers arrayed in a half-circle configuration. When played through the
QS decoder, the results were amazing. This recording actually did decode better than many (most) of the QS or SQ records that I owned.
Just recently, my neighbor again loaned me this CD (MCA
MCAD-37196) and I have been listening to certain cuts this morning on my current 5.1 channel music system. I am not a Neil Diamond fan by any means, however; the nearly 20 minute
Childsong suite is something different and well worth hearing. Here are my thoughts on the sound quality:
Two-Channel Stereo: This is one of those stereo discs that projects a sound field beyond the outsides of the left and right speakers. One can get some sense of being enveloped in a surround sound field listening with just two-channels.
Dolby Pro-Logic II: Played through the Pro-Logic II decoder, the sound stage opens up a bit more than the two-channel stereo. The effect is in keeping with the music and is a pleasant and worthwhile enhancement.
Circle Surround: :banana: One is immersed in the sound field to a degree that is seldom experienced from a non-discrete multi-channel recording.
I recommend this disc as an excellent example of a two-channel stereo disc that decodes well when played back through a matrix type decoder. Even if you are not a Neil Diamond fan, it is still worth a listen to the Childsong suite.