HiRez Poll Chicago - QUADIO [BluRay Audio]

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Rate the BDA of Chicago - QUADIO

  • 6:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Poor Fidelity, Poor Content, Poor Surround

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    151
We're always grateful, but we're also free to speak our mind as well, which you have to consider to be nothing more than feedback - info that might help shape a future release.

There's always room for feedback - (or is that Jello?) :)
 
Agreed. I am so grateful efforts are being made to get these mixes out in clean modern formats. EQ can be adjusted at home, if it is that bothersome. I would encourage any industry people reading these posts to focus on the gratitude many of us feel for hearing these mixes cleanly. Keep 'em coming!

I'm extremely grateful we got this set too, and that's part of why I waited more than two years to post my (relatively) minor criticism. As Jon points out, feedback can help shape the form of future releases, and that was my intention and why I tried to keep my tone respectful and cite what I thought were acceptable alternative approaches instead of engaging in the usual 'this sucks!' black-and-whitery.

I feel that I have at least some insight in to the behind-the-scenes work that goes in to these kinds of endeavours so the last thing I'd want to do is come along and make someone feel bad about their hard work. Yes, I can absolutely 're-EQ' these albums, I was just grousing because a) it probably represents a day of my spare time per album to do, and b) they'll never sound as good as what a pro like Mike Dutton or SH could achieve in the first place. I hope what (major) labels remember about these albums is that one of the reasons people fell in love with them in the first place, and one of the reasons they've endured is the warm and relaxed tonality - they don't need to be massaged in mastering in to sounding "punchy", "bright" or "modern" to make anyone happy. Like cooking with spices, a little pinch here and there (barring any major physical defects in the tapes) of EQ is all they need to shine.
 
I hope what (major) labels remember about these albums is that one of the reasons people fell in love with them in the first place, and one of the reasons they've endured is the warm and relaxed tonality - they don't need to be massaged in mastering in to sounding "punchy", "bright" or "modern" to make anyone happy. Like cooking with spices, a little pinch here and there (barring any major physical defects in the tapes) of EQ is all they need to shine.

Very fair feedback. I am also grateful to you for all your efforts and contributions!
 
Well I take this Chicago - QUADIO set over any Dutton release any day,just because of the fantastic mix and music.:phones

I second that(y)...there is SO MUCH music and it's quality...of course some people nit pick...but if you can't find enough quality music in that set you probably never will be satisfied with any of these box sets...unless you didn't like the music to start with.....I don't see another one coming to match that one...
 
i hope the Doobies don't get a bass boost in the Quadio process, that's the last thing those mixes need! :LOL:

"..what the people need
is a way to make them smile,
it ain't so hard to do
when you know how.."


:51QQ

I also would hope they don't tone the bass down. I like lots of gooey bass without the boom, and they fit that description.
 
I love the Quadio box as a set, but the more I listen to it, the more frustrated I am with the mastering. That isn't to say it's a trainwreck by any means, but for me the set is more of a 'close but no cigar' proposition.

The whole thing seems to suffer from a kind of uniform 'smiley face' EQ (and it seems like some compression has been applied to the low end too, making it more "thumpy" than the original albums) that for me (as it seems others too) buries the vocals in particular.

Craig Anderson may be a skilled Blu-Ray author, but I think his relative lack of experience as a mastering engineer shows in this release - lead vocals and lead instruments seem buried under the sizzle of high hats, and the brass seems too brassy as a result of the treble boost. I know it's a cliche but I would have much preferred a more audiophile style mastering that slightly boosted the upper mids (ie maybe a wide 2dB boost centered around 5kHz) rather than the ski-ramp boost he's applied to the top end. Bob Vosgien's original mastering of CTA for the old Rhino quad DVD-V was just about perfect (and didn't exhibit any of the "buried vocals" problems that Anderson's Blu-Ray does), as was Bruce Botnick's quad mastering of the Doors Greatest Hits Blu-Ray - I wish the Chicago Quadio box had been more like either of these.

So I love this set for what it is, and the packaging is superb, but every time I listen to most of the albums from it (I'll agree, VII does sound very good) I despair when I think of all the work I'd have to put in to re-EQ it to make it match the tonality of the albums as they originally sounded.

Seems like the treble boost you mention would bring the vocals more up front rather than the result of seemingly being buried in the mix.
 
Seems like the treble boost you mention would bring the vocals more up front rather than the result of seemingly being buried in the mix.

No, because the area that gives vocals "presence" (4kHz to 6kHz, roughly) is below where the treble boost starts to take off, which is probably starting around 8kHz and increasing as you go upward - the hi-hat and cymbal stuff is usually because of an excessively boosted 10kHz to 12kHz range.
 
No, because the area that gives vocals "presence" (4kHz to 6kHz, roughly) is below where the treble boost starts to take off, which is probably starting around 8kHz and increasing as you go upward - the hi-hat and cymbal stuff is usually because of an excessively boosted 10kHz to 12kHz range.

Although I am still a bit skeptical that the issue is ONLY EQ related, my mind is open and when I am in the mood, I will mess around with it. You have manipulated enough recordings with positive results that I am inclined to think you are probably right.
 
No, because the area that gives vocals "presence" (4kHz to 6kHz, roughly) is below where the treble boost starts to take off, which is probably starting around 8kHz and increasing as you go upward - the hi-hat and cymbal stuff is usually because of an excessively boosted 10kHz to 12kHz range.

oh i've missed you... :giggle:
 
I should clarify, I don't think the problems are only EQ related - I do think there are some albums where the rears are a bit too loud. Anecdotally, X and VII seem just about perfect to me but I've had to turn down the rears on the others to varying degrees - I just think that would be lessened with the EQ changes I outlined earlier.
 
Interesting discussion...

I'd agree this isn't the best-sounding remaster of quad material out there (I still can't get over how good Dutton got those Billy Paul quads to sound), but it's a thousand times better than digging out the old conversions. I was very familiar with several of the SQ discs and a few really good Q8 conversions prior to this set being released, and it blows them all away.

It's true that the DVD-As of II and V sound better than the Blu-Rays in this set, but I hardly listen to them because to me they're barely surround. In my opinion, double stereo with some guitar and brass solos through the center speaker doesn't make for a good surround experience. I'll take the sonically inferior quad mixes over that any day of the week.

Even if it's not totally perfect, I still absolutely love this set and I think I'll always consider it one of the top surround releases ever. Maybe the fidelity is variable, but content, mix quality, and overall value are to die for. Thanks again, Rhino!
 
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Interesting discussion...

I'd agree this isn't the best-sounding remaster of quad material out there (I still can't get over how good Dutton got those Billy Paul quads to sound), but it's a thousand times better than digging out the old conversions. I was very familiar with several of the SQ discs and a few really good Q8 conversions prior to this set being released, and it blows them all away.

It's true that the DVD-As of II and V sound better than the Blu-Rays in this set, but I hardly listen to them because to me they're barely surround. In my opinion, double stereo with some guitar and brass solos through the center speaker doesn't make for a good surround experience. I'll take the sonically inferior quad mixes over that any day of the week.

Even if it's not totally perfect, I still absolutely love this set and I think I'll always consider it one of the top surround releases ever. Thanks again, Rhino!

Best sounding quadraphonic remaster! Now that is an interesting discussion! The DVD-A's don't do much for me either. Sound quality wise or surround sound wise...
 
So I've read most of this thread
Sh*t on tv tonite...put on cta

Im running thru oppo 203 analog into older pioneer avr
Polk rtiA s fronts polk moniter 60s rears/surround s

Alot of times ill raise the surround s 2-3db to compensate for mismatched speakers....however on this one playing again and after reading thread ii lowered the surround s to 0...raised the fronts n walla
...theres my m.missing vocals on cta

Much Better. Thanks guys

Think i neef to pay attn to some mch n start making cliff notes on avr settings
 
Im voting a 9 ...listening to V now

Will play this set often...its saturday in the park....yeah
Cost me $124 n change.

Damn that sales tax

It’s worth it. I forget exactly what I paid for it now but even at $124, that means you paid less than $14 for each disc with the nice packaging each has.

Had these all been released separately as individual BDs? We’d all have no problem paying more than that for each.
 
Finally heard it today, well played the second release today. One song had a bass burp 1/3 of the way in the song ( I will have to get the info from my friend exactly where it was so that others can check it out.
 
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