HiRez Poll Lennon, John - IMAGINE [Blu-Ray Audio]

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Rate the BDA of John Lennon - IMAGINE

  • 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 Content, Surround Mix, and Fidelity

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    62
I have the German SQ and the Japanese RM version of Imagine, but nice to hear the 4.0 discrete version. This was never an overly aggressive mix but what would you expect when Mr. Mono (wall of sound) was involved, still it has it's moments. The 5.1 mix however was very disappointing, might as well turn the rear speakers off! The vocals are more pronounced and clearer on the 5.1 remix however, from reading the book I guess that was the main point of the remix. As others have stated Blu-ray disc 2 (Raw Studio Mixes) is the one to listen to.
 
I'm hearing not great things on other forums. Is there really no ambience or soundstage between the front three channels? Also sounds like the mix has the same issue as Sgt Pepper, where the rear channels are attenuated. Anyone confirm this?
I’m always ok with little to no bleed between speaker channels because my room can achieve that, and our two ears pick up several channels each.

Back some months ago I got a different (used) old AVR to try out, and I’m not sure it’s perfect by any standards but it does let me raise or drop the volume of any of the 5.1 channels without using a monitor, but simple front display. Same with tone controls, no video monitor needed. My other AVR, the Onkyo requires a monitor to see where the settings are at, and to change them. So now I never get panties in a twist over a set of channels needing a touch up. Nothing has ever been so bad I could not just bump something up or down and achieve something near perfect.
 
Can't believe I forgot to rate this. I'm going to go ahead and give it a 9. It's not the most perfect 5.1 mix I can think of, but I enjoy it more than the Sgt Pepper's 5.1 mix, and about as much as The White Album's mix. Yoko should authorize more of Lennon's albums in surround, that way his catalog would have a leg up on McCartney's, who doesn't seem to like blu ray for some reason.
 
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I give the new surround mix a 9, and like it a lot - but the 5.1 raw mix is revelational. It knocked my socks off. I can only hope we see more of this. The raw mix is a 12. Which is interesting as it was easiest mix to do - just put everything into 5 channels exactly as they were originally recorded. No reverb, no compression - the pure sound. Overall box set is a 10 because of all the extras.
 
I got the John Lennon Imagine box set for Christmas and am underwhelmed by this box set. The 1st blu ray mix is very conservative,not very active or discrete but has good fidelity. I differ with many members here about the 2nd blu ray raw surround 5.1 mixes. The raw surround mixes on blu ray disc 2 are very discrete but not very balanced IMO. My main problem with the raw surround mixes are the drums locked in the rear left surround speaker without any panning or variation are distracting. The missing instruments in the raw surround 5.1 mixes also make me prefer the conservative 1st blu ray disc. The vast extras are great though.
Considering all of the great extras with this box set I vote a low 8. JMHO
 
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I got the John Lennon Imagine box set for Christmas and am underwhelmed by this box set. The 1st blu ray mix is very conservative,not very active or discrete but has good fidelity. I differ with many members here about the 2nd blu ray raw surround 5.1 mixes. The raw surround mixes on blu ray disc 2 are very discrete but not very balanced IMO. My main problem with the raw surround mixes are the drums locked in the rear left surround speaker without any panning or variation are distracting. The missing instruments in the raw surround 5.1 mixes also make me prefer the conservative 1st blu ray disc. The vast extras are great though.
Considering all of the great extras with this box set I vote a low 8. JMHO
Look at the picture on p102 of the book that comes with the set. It shows the band crammed into the room as they were recording. Then imagine (no pun intended) you are the guy standing in the middle [the guy from the film crew with an orange cravat who looks like Charlie Watts]. That is pretty much the layout you get on the raw mixes. I got goosebumps when I saw that photo and realised that's what it was like. It's often said of a recording that "it's like being in the studio" but these are the live takes, no overdubs, surround sound laid out as it actually was in that room. I agree it's not the surround we usually demand but as verite it is amazing. YMMV, of course, but it's pretty cool if you listen to it with that in mind.
 
Look at the picture on p102 of the book that comes with the set. It shows the band crammed into the room as they were recording. Then imagine (no pun intended) you are the guy standing in the middle [the guy from the film crew with an orange cravat who looks like Charlie Watts]. That is pretty much the layout you get on the raw mixes. I got goosebumps when I saw that photo and realised that's what it was like. It's often said of a recording that "it's like being in the studio" but these are the live takes, no overdubs, surround sound laid out as it actually was in that room. I agree it's not the surround we usually demand but as verite it is amazing. YMMV, of course, but it's pretty cool if you listen to it with that in mind.
I understand what your saying about the layout of being in the room but I found that the drums loud in the rear left surround speaker distracted me from the music. I like drums loud in the front / center speakers or sometimes when drums are in both rear surround speakers. I have a 7.2.4 system with 4 Atmos in ceiling speakers so maybe the side surround speakers are located too close to 90 degrees causes me problems. The Atmos speakers are off when playing 5.1 music. ...Still processing the raw mixes. JMHO
 
Has anybody else had any problems backing up the second bluray disc of Imagine set ?? I only recently got round to adding it to Roon for easy playback but it fails every time 😠 The disc plays fine but I prefer to be able to stream to any room in the from Roonserver .

M
 
I voted 10. Before I start, I say, if you are not into lyrics and if you want a bombastic surround experience this is not for you. If you like the deep meaning of John's lyrics and are willing to experience what John and Yoko brought to the studio with very respectable sound quality, this 2021 release of the 1970 album should be a great experience for you. Disclaimer: I do not have software to anyalyze, etc, not my style to pick apart what others have done, I purchase, I listen, pretty simple. I do change levels on individual speakers almost daily depending on each recording I listen to.
Packaging: Stellar. A larger box set than Gimme Some Truth and Imagine. Very interesting writing and most importantly breaks down all the different mixes, the whys and hows. I love the enhanced picture compared to the muddy orginal. One thing I thought was a little weird, front cover. Page 44, 88 and 94 the book shows alternates, flipping John and Yoko at the tree, but no where else, like the two Blu Ray covers, both the same. The book is a must, a stand alone release would not do justice.
Six CD's: I did not listen. Finally a release where all the (CD material 125 songs) is on the (2 Blu Rays, 131 songs). A little extra on the Blu Rays. This usually does not happen, glad it did here for a better sonic experience.
Blu Ray #1: Atmos listen. Just right. The Atmos envelope was so enjoyable. I love the song "Remember" that piano just fills the entire room. Atmos surround is perfect for this music, very relaxing, I didn't need to wish for more or less. I believe the two stars of the Atmos mix are John's vocals and piano, then would be Ringo drums and Klaus bass. Guitar parts fit well in the mix.
My rip of the Atmos was a MKV Video file chapters, 24/48 and DR's of average 12.
Blu Ray #1 and #2: All the extras. Now this can be a hard listen as your listening to primarily the same 14 tracks over and over with different twists. But, this where you get to know John and Yoko, Klaus and Ringo. Really good to listen to the happiness, ups and downs of studio banter, how cool Yoko plays a big part. The jams and Yoko live sessions are great. A must is the Evolution mixes. My rip of the Blu Ray stereo versions all 24/192 with DR's range from 7's to 14's.
Closing: I love this release. John Lennon has always been big in my life. Watching Monday Night Football 1980 and hearing Howard Cosell make the announcement of his assination was crushing. All the material in this release brought John closer to me. Yoko, I never was a huge fan but this release brought me closer to her.
In the end, taking into consideration an orginal 1970 recording bringing it back to us in 2021 with all this material is quite a delight to hear the clear fidelity unmatched with an Atmos mix as a bonus.

Help keep polls pure. No shipping, off topic chatter, etc.
Hmm, this seems to be in the wrong poll thread.
 
I have only now picked up this boxset, as the price was very good on Amazon. The separate coffee table book was even cheaper, an utter bargain. They came together in the one box.

I was very surprised at how ordinary the 5.1 mix of the album is, so came looking at the QQ comments, and yep, pretty much everybody is in agreement. Quite like the quad mix though. Abd it's a fab box set overall, with lots of lovely extras. I'm very much looking forward to hearing all that other surround stuff, which clearly is where the action's at! Thanks everyone for your past comments. :)
 
1971 4.0 mix in high resolution deserves my 10. Detailed, discrete but coherent, deep, playful with the use of rears but not silly, never obvious, almost simple (in a positive way), lemme say raw. That's how John sounded like. Proves that 4 channels are pretty enough for multichannel music IF MIXED WELL. Nowadays they remix Lennon in Atmos with billions of channels 😁 but... lemme not say 😁 (or members react with shocked 😳 emojis to my comments 😁). Relax I'm joking of course
 
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