DVD/DTS Poll Santana - Abraxas [DTS CD]

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Rate the DTS-CD of Santana - ABRAXAS


  • Total voters
    50
yes, except with this one all the woofers on every speaker don't work much at all.

I need to give this another listen! I remember enjoying it the last time I played it!

is it that the LFE is crossed over too high on the DTS CD? or there's not enough low-end info in the whole mix to energise those cones?
 
Me, I like the 'acrobatics' of this one a lot...an early showcase quad album to give novices an idea what they might be in for compared to the stereo they were used to. I know not everyone liked that approach. As for the bass, this is where a sub and graphic equalizers (and even a range expander) come in handy, since you can make up for any lack of bass inherent to the mix.

ED :)
 
even with no EQ engaged, all channels set to crossover at 80hz, centre channel shut off, there's healthy bass from the 4 main channels. not prodigious but enough.

although I would say that to my ears (and visible woofer activity) there's more mid-bass energy going on here than anything, which is just as well cos this one's pretty bright.. not painfully so, mercifully.. but I get the feeling the mid is over-egged which is colouring the bright top-end, at least to my ears on my setup.

if I set my Front pair to "Large", with the sub still on, there's even more low-end, possibly too much.. with the sub off its about right.. but then my mains go down to approx 30hz so they're nearly as capable as my sub and easily go low enough for any of the pop/rock/schlock I throw at them! :yikes

I'm really enjoying this!! ..but then I am a fan of mega discrete quad, even if the mixes make no sense musically they're just so much FUN ..and this is one of those crazy whacky fun ones! :D
 
Tech specs of my mains..

Specifications:

HF unit: 25mm soft fabric dome, ferrofluid cooled and damped.
Magnetically shielded.

MF/LF units: 90mm polymer-pulp diaphragm cones with 32mm high-power
voice coils. Magnetically shielded.

Crossover: 3-way, 8 element 12dB per octave slope at 300Hz and 3kHz.
High power low-distortion toroid inductor for bass.

Power Handling: 150 watts max

Overall frequency response: 35 Hz - 22 kHz

Frequency Response +/- 3db: 55 Hz - 18 kHz

Sensitivity: 90 dB/1 w/1 m

Impedance: typically 6 ohms

Terminals: gold-plated 2-way binding posts bi-wired

Weight: 20kg each

Dimensions: 180x840x250mm


attachment.php
 
The DVD-A transfer from Mike Robin reel of this is insanely good. Sonically, it beats the bajingos out of the Q8 and dts versions. Of course, its the same "look-at-what-I-can-do-with-a-quad-pan-pot" mix. But superior nonetheless.
 
Bass is not bad through my REL T-9, (10" active, 10" passive, 400 W) although this recording is far from bass heavy.
av-world-rel-t9-subwoofer.jpg

With 4 full range Mission 775's, bass is rarely an issue. Those Brits make great speakers!
775e.jpg
 
Bass is not bad through my REL T-9, (10" active, 10" passive, 400 W) although this recording is far from bass heavy.
View attachment 10559

With 4 full range Mission 775's, bass is rarely an issue. Those Brits make great speakers!
View attachment 10560

OOH!! GORGE-DIDDLY-UMPTIOUS..!!!

my first serious pair of speakers were Mission 760i's (got for my 16th Birthday.. aaahhh.. them were the days..).
dinky little bookshelf numbers.. I always kept the grilles off.. the number of people who remarked "oh! your speakers are upside down!" HA!!
http://www.hifiengine.com/gallery/images/mission-760i-bookshelf-speakers.shtml

I'm going to get these for my 40th..
http://www.a1-sound.co.uk/product/acoustic-energy-radiance-2-floorstanding-speakers

I've already got the matching centre in anticipation! (God willing I'll make it!) :yikes
http://www.avbristol.com/product.php/395/88/acoustic-energy-radiance-7-centre-speaker

It weighs a bloody ton for such a modest looking speaker!

these AE Radiance babies all extend upto 47khz, that'll get more out of DVD-A/SACD etc., while keeping the lovely warm mid & bass of my old AE's.. not that I'll be able to hear the difference! my hearings already tailed off to about 16k (thanks to work - and karaoke! - in equal measure!) ah well.. :eek:)
 
play "Oye Como Va" then play the first 2 tracks...the lower bass difference is huge

Will do! I'm out now so I can't but I'll do it tonight if I get a mo.

I noticed a fair bit of 80hz (& above!) bass in rear right on a couple of tracks, so I guess it's another one of those quads were lots of bass is behind you (couple of Doobies quads are exactly the same, lots of bass rear right).. kooky innit!? :p
 
The mix is straight off the Q8. It is one of those very early Columbia style mixes where there is no logic. The drums are split all over and get lost in the mix. Kicker back right, snare front left, cymbals back left, overhead front right. Spreading the drums thin like that doesn't work and they get lost in all the commotion.
It's cool if you like "all around the world" Quad, but it lacks any type of logic or focus.

Having said that, yes, the DTS disc is overly harsh in the high ends and suffers from some pretty serious noise artifacts. It's like listening through a glass of water or a very lowly encoded mp3. I've heard home-brew DTS discs that will blow the doors off this disc in terms of sonic quality. Tab's DTS discs are flawless. This one, should've been re-done like the Paul McCartney DTS.

I hate the way the drums are mixed on this. Annoying to say the least.
 
The DVD-A transfer from Mike Robin reel of this is insanely good. Sonically, it beats the bajingos out of the Q8 and dts versions. Of course, its the same "look-at-what-I-can-do-with-a-quad-pan-pot" mix. But superior nonetheless.

Is that the one that advertises as 'Q4'?
 
I am listening to a custom made Abraxas DVD. It has the original quad mix, SACD mastering and Original LP mastering stereo mixes.

The SACD version has SUPERIOR bass to any other version. This is not a bass shy recording by any means.
 
Yes, the Q4 was the Mike Robin....I love the quad mix of this...including acrobatics, the SQ LP not great separation but the tone is fine, the DTS disc? great separation but the glissando makes my fillings explode. The Q4 is the best. A very good candidate for someone to make a great legit release of, IMHO. AF, where are you? John
 
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