HiRez Poll A Bad Think - X [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[sjcorne]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2022 release from A Bad Think entitled "X".
The Blu-Ray disc contains a Dolby Atmos mix of the album by Bob Clearmountain.
High-resolution Dolby Atmos files can be purchased at Immersive Audio Album.
The Dolby Atmos mix is also available to stream on all Dolby Atmos streaming providers.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/x/1633802894




Pre-release thread for all shipping/ordering queries and non-poll related posts:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-8-19-with-bob-clearmountain-atmos-mix.32733/

 

[Sal1950]

Holy Cow, this polls been up since Aug and no ones voted?
I just seen it myself, I don't cover things as well as I should.
Anywho I'm not a huge fan of Bad Think but the cost of the download from IAA was right so I got it some time back. I'm enjoying the album quite a bit and the Atmos mix is good but my biggest complaint is the large discrepancies in volume level between tracks? The largest change is going from Track 3 to Track 4, it will have you leaping for the volume control, with T4 being so much louder. Wish I had a way to do a dynamic range measurement on a Atmos .mkv file or something but the difference isn't subtle?
I need to check this against Apple if it's there in Atmos?
In any case I can't vote until I find out what the problem is?

 

[Sal1950]

Update,
I just checked the version on Apple TV and the issue seems to not exist or if it does it's much less disturbing-drastic ? Strange.
I'm hoping someone else will post about their IAA file, it just seems off to me. I'll vote based on the Apple music Atmos file. I gave it an 8 but might have gone to a 9 if I wasn't being so confused by the IAA file
Sorry

 

[sjcorne]

The largest change is going from Track 3 to Track 4, it will have you leaping for the volume control, with T4 being so much louder. Wish I had a way to do a dynamic range measurement on a Atmos .mkv file or something but the difference isn't subtle?
I need to check this against Apple if it's there in Atmos?

You had me worried for a second there that the dialnorm level was not consistent across all tracks (I prepped & QC'd these files), but everything seems fine on my end? I added the Apple Music link to the first post if you want to compare, but there shouldn't be any difference - all versions are sourced from the same ADM master.

"Hungry Eyes"


"The Avenue"

 

[Sal1950]

Music link to the first post if you want to compare, but there shouldn't be any difference - all versions are sourced from the same ADM master.

I guess it's me then, something just doesn't seem right with the IAA download file, the Apple stream is ok. ???

 

[Sal1950]

I wasn't familiar with A Bad Think AKA Michael Marquart until I started hearing about him on this site. The more I listen to him the more he grows on me. I just thru him on again tonight and really starting to get into the X album. I understand he is a one man show on the Bad Think releases with him playing and singing it all, he really is a major talent IMHO.

 

[edisonbaggins]

At least on Lifelike he had a lot of musical guests.
You sure he plays everything on this one?

 

[Sal1950]

Sure, absolutely not.
Just what I read on IAA and I may have read more into it than was there, my apologies if incorrect.

"A Bad Think​

A Bad Think is a project driven by the one-man wonder and many talents of Michael Marquart. Marquart has been making his living as a musician and producer all his life."

 

[riskylogic]

Holy Cow, this polls been up since Aug and no ones voted?
I just seen it myself, I don't cover things as well as I should.
Anywho I'm not a huge fan of Bad Think but the cost of the download from IAA was right so I got it some time back. I'm enjoying the album quite a bit and the Atmos mix is good but my biggest complaint is the large discrepancies in volume level between tracks? The largest change is going from Track 3 to Track 4, it will have you leaping for the volume control, with T4 being so much louder. Wish I had a way to do a dynamic range measurement on a Atmos .mkv file or something but the difference isn't subtle?
I need to check this against Apple if it's there in Atmos?
In any case I can't vote until I find out what the problem is?

I have the IAA download too. It's not just that track 4 is louder - it's louder in the rear. It's seems to me that the first three tracks are very front heavy, but then you get blasted in the rear on track 4, and after that it settles down to a normal mix.

 

[Sal1950]

I have the IAA download too. It's not just that track 4 is louder - it's louder in the rear. It's seems to me that the first three tracks are very front heavy, but then you get blasted in the rear on track 4, and after that it settles down to a normal mix.

Something is going on there. I never claimed to be a golden ear and I couldn't peg exactly what I was hearing so I just dropped the subject.
In any case I still love the album and really enjoy the Atmos mix.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Anyone hearing these issues on the blu-ray?

Marquart's publicity company was supposed to send me one, but they fell off the face of the Earth and I got busy (and interested) in other stuff.

 

[riskylogic]

It had not occurred to me that the loud rears on the fourth track aren't intentional. On my 7.2.4 system it's the true rears that blast away. Yes, it's jarring but perhaps it's supposed to be. Also of note is that it's the one track that makes significant use of either the true rears or the heights.

 

[Sal1950]

I'll do another close listen late tonight?

 

[mandrix]

I just listened to the download MKV files finally. It was definitely jarring to me. Some tracks I thought too quiet. Who knows? After you get used to one volume level then get blasted it's hard to say.

 

[Sal1950]

What a crazy world we live in.
When was the last time you heard audiophiles complain about too much DR. LOL

 

[mandrix]

What a crazy world we live in.
When was the last time you heard audiophiles complain about too much DR. LOL

Well I don't know what the sound levels are like on the BD. I do know on some of the Tidal stuff the levels tend to go up and down. A lot of Atmos is just plain too quiet. When you suddenly get something that gets above a certain level it really stands out. Now my listening room is not large at all so maybe that has some small thing to do with it, though I don't think so. When you jump to change the volume something is off, no?

 

[mandrix]

Maybe we're just getting old. lol.

 

[Sal1950]

A lot of Atmos is just plain too quiet.

That may be because we've grown so used to hearing recordings that have been dynamically squashed by the "all loud all the time"
mixing engineers.
Thankfully most of the stuff being mixed or remastered for Atmos is being done by people who hate the loudness wars and mix for a DR value greater than DR9

OTOH There is something a bit weird about T4. Maybe it's mostly about the heavy use of the rears on that track as already mentioned?

 

[mandrix]

That may be because we've grown so used to hearing recordings that have been dynamically squashed by the "all loud all the time"
mixing engineers.
Thankfully most of the stuff being mixed or remastered for Atmos is being done by people who hate the loudness wars and mix for a DR value greater than DR9

OTOH There is something a bit weird about T4. Maybe it's mostly about the heavy use of the rears on that track as already mentioned?

Well when I normally listen with the 'ol volume knob at 60'ish and have to turn it to 75 then I know I'm getting in the quiet realm. Real scientific, huh? lol.

 

[Sal1950]

Real scientific, huh? lol.

Good enough, it works for you.