HiRez Poll Alan Parsons Project, The - THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD [Blu-Ray Audio]

[albertop]

After listening multiple times and comparing with my old DAD, I'm voting a 9. After volume matching, the hi-res stereo on blu-ray sounds virtually identical to the old DAD, with the 24/192 just edging out the blu-ray in fine detail and lower noise floor. The 5.1 mix is just a touch brighter than I like when first starting to listen, but I quickly adjust and don't notice it as the album goes on. However, to me the surround mix is just stellar, exhibiting tons of detail and frequent directionality within a fully immersive soundfield that makes great and pretty much constant use of the surrounds. It's definitely going to be my preferred way to listen to this album going forward. The extra video content is nothing too special but worth seeing once or twice. However, getting the album in hi-res stereo, 5.1, and with a comprehensive booklet at this price is pure value we don't see enough of in this era of bloated and way overpriced box sets. Kudos to Alan Parsons for supporting ALL his fans with these standalone blu-ray releases.

I assume you are referring to the 24/192 HDAD release. Apologies if not.

The 2023 hi-res remaster sounds significantly different from the HDAD disc. I don't want to discuss our personal tastes in mastering, but simply comparing the EQ of these two remasters shows some radical differences. For example, in Games People Play, the 2023 hi-res remaster has a 3dB boost between 500Hz and 3kHz, and about 1dB above that frequency. It's also about -2/3dB at 80/100Hz. These differences are audible and result in a quite different presentation, definitely mid-centric, brighter, less punchy, with less bass overall.

Most tracks in the HDAD disc also have speed issues. Assuming the 2023 hi-res remaster runs at the correct speed (it's very close to all other releases), the HDAD runs slower on many tracks, and this is also quite audible.

All I am trying to do is to provide some objective measurements that these two releases do not sound virtually identical. They are quite different, and it's probably best to hear them both before picking up your favourite mastering. I'm not a fan of this new remaster. Dynamics are intact and the waveforms look very good, but I am disappointed by how it sounds. Given the quality of the hi-res remaster of Eye in the Sky, my expectations were higher. I'll stick with the DSD download mastering.

 

[ar surround]

The 2023 hi-res remaster sounds significantly different from the HDAD disc. I don't want to discuss our personal tastes in mastering, but simply comparing the EQ of these two remasters shows some radical differences. For example, in Games People Play, the 2023 hi-res remaster has a 3dB boost between 500Hz and 3kHz, and about 1dB above that frequency. It's also about -2/3dB at 80/100Hz. These differences are audible and result in a quite different presentation, definitely mid-centric, brighter, less punchy, with less bass overall.

The only track that I have found really annoying on this 5.1 set is Games People Play. As you have noted, the EQ is awful. The rear voices have a lot of 'grain,' as if it was an obnoxious DD master, and the bass sounds like it was sucked out of the mix. A very close listen to the same track on the HDAD, also reveals the 'grain' in those voices. But it really becomes grating now that they have segregated the voices in the rears AND boosted the EQ.

Other than that, the rest of the tracks sound OK. However I did find myself lowering the volume as the album progressed...possibly due to listening fatigue? I suspect that our resident audio engineers can probably tweek the EQ on this set. The mix is really good.

Oh, and for those who are interested, that middle section of Games People Play on the HDAD is pretty wild when upmixed with Dolby Surround.

[Edit: Would rate this 5.1 a 9 but knocking off a point because of the fatiguing EQ as noted above.]

 

[albertop]

The only track that I have found really annoying on this 5.1 set is Games People Play. As you have noted, the EQ is awful. The rear voices have a lot of 'grain,' as if it was an obnoxious DD master, and the bass sounds like it was sucked out of the mix. A very close listen to the same track on the HDAD, also reveals the 'grain' in those voices. But it really becomes grating now that they have segregated the voices in the rears AND boosted the EQ.

Other than that, the rest of the tracks sound OK. However I did find myself lowering the volume as the album progressed...possibly due to listening fatigue? I suspect that our resident audio engineers can probably tweek the EQ on this set. The mix is really good.

Oh, and for those who are interested, that middle section of Games People Play on the HDAD is pretty wild when upmixed with Dolby Surround.

I was just comparing the two stereo remasters in my comments, but yes, I do agree that the EQ on the 5.1 can lead to listening fatigue. I would have been otherwise happy with the remix.
The stereo remaster is another story, and I much prefer the DSD download or the original CD

 

[sf49erjohn]

I rated the blu-ray TOAFC a 9. I have always loved the DAD and the surround sound mix is very good. A welcome addition to my surround sound library.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I personally loved it. A clear cut case of

Thank you Alan! A 10 from ME!

 

[key_wiz]

After listening multiple times and comparing with my old DAD, I'm voting a 9. After volume matching, the hi-res stereo on blu-ray sounds virtually identical to the old DAD, with the 24/192 just edging out the blu-ray in fine detail and lower noise floor. The 5.1 mix is just a touch brighter than I like when first starting to listen, but I quickly adjust and don't notice it as the album goes on. However, to me the surround mix is just stellar, exhibiting tons of detail and frequent directionality within a fully immersive soundfield that makes great and pretty much constant use of the surrounds. It's definitely going to be my preferred way to listen to this album going forward. The extra video content is nothing too special but worth seeing once or twice. However, getting the album in hi-res stereo, 5.1, and with a comprehensive booklet at this price is pure value we don't see enough of in this era of bloated and way overpriced box sets. Kudos to Alan Parsons for supporting ALL his fans with these standalone blu-ray releases.

I agree with all of this. I think the surround mix is stellar. Demo-worthy mix

And this is my favorite APP album for content. Been waiting for this one forever. But it IS too bright. Backing off the top end helps. Is Alan losing his hearing in his old age? So it’s not a perfect disc.

So for that I’ll knock off a point.

Can’t wait for the next one!

 

[fetchmybeer]

I posted this to the release thread and not this one, so cutting and pasting here. I may go back and delete the other one.

This is a good mix, great fidelity, though a fairly unadventurous and static one. I have no problem with static mixes when it comes to your standard rock n roll unless I feel there were some missed opportunities to play with the surround field. The two big songs off this album-- Games People Play and Time-- both have opportunities to play with the surround panning that were not taken advantage of, IMHO. The pre-solo part in Games, and just a good chunk of Time in general.

I have no problem with the dynamics in this album. I'll play Slippery When Wet if I want a pretty good example of a compressed Blu Ray, and this one doesn't come close to that (and I still love the Slippery mix too). The climax of Time is particularly beautiful and uplifting and I don't think that the dynamics in that track suffer in the least.

Giving this a 9 overall. Great fidelity, balanced mix, just wish they would've been a bit more adventurous.

 

[ar surround]

This is a good mix, great fidelity, though a fairly unadventurous and static one. I have no problem with static mixes when it comes to your standard rock n roll unless I feel there were some missed opportunities to play with the surround field.

Now that's a thought...especially on the psychedelic part of Games People Play.

Giving this a 9 overall. Great fidelity, balanced mix, just wish they would've been a bit more adventurous.

Sounds like a description of many successful marriages.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

The Cymbals seems too bright and harsh, and Audacity is showing quite a bit of clipping in the Fronts especially. I get a weird kind of hollowness from how this sounds (hard to explain.)
The Center channel has a lot of the same information as the Fronts; seems like a lazy way to mix to me - couldn't they have given the front soundstage a bit more discreetness of the various elements?

Also, the cover art shows the 5.1 logo with what looks like an empty LFE (blank); what's up with that?

I had to go with a 7 vote on this; it's just not comfortably crankable.

 

[sjcorne]

The Center channel has a lot of the same information as the Fronts; seems like a lazy way to mix to me - couldn't they have given the front soundstage a bit more discreetness of the various elements?

As usual with AP, it's more of a quad presentation. You could probably drop the center channel and not notice much of a difference, though I haven't tried that yet.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

As usual with AP, it's more of a quad presentation. You could probably drop the center channel and not notice much of a difference, though I haven't tried that yet.

I believe you might lose some of the vocal presence if you totally got rid of the Center, but that could be avoided by just having more of the vocals in the center (sans the other instruments) to begin with. Not sure, I'll have to try it, but I'm getting tired of tweaking these "pro" mixes; unless of course I'm totally clueless

 

[ar surround]

but I'm getting tired of tweaking these "pro" mixes; unless of course I'm totally clueless

Ditto. And you sir are most definitely NOT clueless.

 

[James Jay]

Way too bright IMO. Not bothered by the Bass though. Bass seems solid, maybe a little thin. Kinda short album. I voted a 7.

 

[wavelength]

On my system, lowering the center channel helps reduce the brightness. Normally you wouldn't want to reduce any channel relative to the others but here it seems ok to do it because most if not all of the content in the center channel is repeated in the left and right channels.

 

[Plan9]

On my system, lowering the center channel helps reduce the brightness. Normally you wouldn't want to reduce any channel relative to the others but here it seems ok to do it because most if not all of the content in the center channel is repeated in the left and right channels.

I'll try this, but I fear the brightness is really baked in the mix and you would have to apply EQ to all the channels to tame it.

 

[perzon57]

I'll try this, but I fear the brightness is really baked in the mix and you would have to apply EQ to all the channels to tame it.

I'm not hearing the brightness, but my ears are old and have a natural brightness filter. Maybe AP's ears have this filter too?

 

[ar surround]

I'm not hearing the brightness, but my ears are old and have a natural brightness filter. Maybe AP's ears have this filter too?

Probably, but these new recordings issued by old people like AP should be mastered with EQ that is for people with perfect hearing...20Hz to 20kHz. For everyone else, tone controls to the rescue.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

As usual with AP, it's more of a quad presentation. You could probably drop the center channel and not notice much of a difference, though I haven't tried that yet.

Just tried dropping the Center off (so far only "The Games People Play") and I didn't seem to notice a ton of difference. I also tried EQing some high end off the Fronts and Rears from about 4K-20K at a pretty hefty drop and it did smooth it out some (also you could see most of the Clipping disappear.)

Just sayin'!

Anyone else try this yet? @Plan9 ?

 

[ar surround]

ust tried dropping the Center off (so far only "The Games People Play") and I didn't seem to notice a ton of difference. I also tried EQing some high end off the Fronts and Rears from about 4K-20K at a pretty hefty drop and it did smooth it out some (also you could see most of the Clipping disappear.)

What size decibel drop per octave did you use, Pups?

 

[barfle]

My copy arrived on Friday, but I’m swamped with very little time for listening room use (and I’m RETIRED, FFS!), so it’ll probably be a week or so before I get a chance to spin it up.