HiRez Poll Pineapple Thief, The - HOW DID WE FIND OUR WAY: 1999-2006 [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

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Rate the BDA of the Pineapple Thief - HOW DID WE FIND OUR WAY: 1999-2006

  • 7

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 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: Terrible Content, Surround Mix, and Fidelity

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    30

rtbluray

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Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new compilation of music from the Pineapple Thief entitled "How Did We Find Our Way: 1999-2006".
This massive collection features a Blu-Ray audio disc that includes SEVEN albums all remixed in both 5.1 surround & Dolby Atmos by the band's lead singer and songwriter @Bruce Soord.
The albums featured include:
  • "Abducting the Unicorn"
  • "137"
  • "Variations on a Dream"
  • "8 Days"
  • "10 Stories Down"
  • "8 Days Later"
  • "Little Man"
(y) :) (n)

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It's handy that I live in Norfolk, as I was able to collect this from Burning Shed this morning. Now listening to the first album, Abducted At Birth, in Dolby Atmos. From the first listen, I can say that it's simply great! Another excellent surround / Atmos mix from Bruce Soord 😁. Definitely voting a 10!

Only slight thing that I've noticed is that the track indicator doesn't seem to move but that's no real problem (and other, less packed discs have had that same quirk too)

Thank you Sir Bruce Soord. Roll on volume 2 of these boxsets!
 
...Only slight thing that I've noticed is that the track indicator doesn't seem to move but that's no real problem (and other, less packed discs have had that same quirk too)...

While I've definitely enjoyed the Atmos mixes of the first two albums, I too have found the Blu Ray disc's lack of track indicators somewhat frustrating...
 
While I've definitely enjoyed the Atmos mixes of the first two albums, I too have found the Blu Ray disc's lack of track indicators somewhat frustrating...
First world problems, once i’ve chosen what to listen to I switch the tv off so it doesn’t bother me at all, I have a lot of albums where the indicator doesn’t move so this is not unique
 
While I've definitely enjoyed the Atmos mixes of the first two albums, I too have found the Blu Ray disc's lack of track indicators somewhat frustrating...
With my Oppo 203, I press the info Button and get the OSD of the Blu-Ray chapters beeing played. In this case I get the "album" number first and then the "track" number.

I don't get the playing time for each track, just the playing time for the whole album. But that's enough to see what track is beeing played and look for info into the big and great Book to read about the song.
 
With my Oppo 203, I press the info Button and get the OSD of the Blu-Ray chapters beeing played. In this case I get the "album" number first and then the "track" number.

I don't get the playing time for each track, just the playing time for the whole album. But that's enough to see what track is beeing played and look for info into the big and great Book to read about the song.
On the remote, try pushing the PAGE button up or down, should change between, album time remaining, time played and then track time played and time remaining. Just realised mines a 103 so the 203 is probably different.
 
I voted 10.
In the world of audio and visual this likely will be my favorite surround release (box set) for 2023.
Like most Progressive type music I come to them through QQ. I read and trust other members and the pay off has been more than I ever expected.
This release has 7 albums both in separate RBCD's and one Blu Ray that has both a 5.1 and a Dolby Atmos versions of the 7 albums.
The star of the show for me was reading the Art Book, liner notes you would call them.
What you find out is in this "beginnings of" The Pineapple Thief is that Bruce Soord did it all, instruments and lyrics with some help coming in here and there.
This beautiful music, whether listening to one of the two surrounds or the stereo CD's is very calming and yet provoking for me, likely because I was able to read and hear Bruce communicate these albums and songs with his hindsight and depth. I read about, love, tremendous sadness, struggle, accomplishments and a rise of popularity. Much more, but that will be for you to read and listen.

I listened: 5 speakers on the floor, 3 subs, and 4 height speakers and less of course for the CD's and the 5.1.

Seven CD's: I have been listening to them via the rip on a USB drive in the car and continue to find them quite enjoyable. There sonic qualities in stereo sound great both in the car as in the home rig.
They play of course at 44.1Khz/16bit. The Dynamic Range across the 7 CD's hovers about 10.
The back of book calls them Hi Res Audio CD's, at first I thought are these special CD's? No they are not.
There are 3 Acoustic Bonus Tracks (12-13-14) listed for the album Little Man that are in the book track list, they are only on the Little Man CD, not the 5.1 or the ATMOS. They are not listed in the lyrics section either even though they have lyrics. As of this writing I have only heard speculation by another QQ member that was possibly due to the maxed out Blu Ray?

One Blu Ray: Many times on QQ I have heard others say, and I agree with them, this Blu Ray could have so much on it, due to the Blu Rays capacity, why didn't they add more? This Blu Ray, puts that question to bed, seven albums with both 5.1 DTS HD MSTR and Dolby Atmos, quite an accomplishment.
The sonic qualities of the music and vocals is superb. The 5.1 is superb for those who do not have a Atmos set up, no need to feel slighted, in fact my 5.1 rip plays like heaven in my hot rod. The 5.1 plays at 48Khz 24bit and has Dynamic Range hovering around 12.

Dolby Atmos: Wow, just wow, fully immersive, discrete with moving instrumentation, vocals always center front, a big bubble of ATMOS surround, plays well loud. The ATMOS plays at 48Khz/24bit.
The Dynamic Range for the Atmos over 7 albums probably hovers at about 13-14, pretty good for a remix.

My favorite was 8 Days and 8 Days Later, something about the feelings I was getting, reading Bruce's words and the fact he had two MIC's outside on the window sill recording street sounds overlaying his music that he was building in his apartment, I felt like I was listening to myself, brilliant.

On Screen Menu: I'll speak for myself only of course, the menu was fully functional and worked well, except the track cursor would not move with the changing tracks, so if you went out of your room or lost your place, I would not know where I was on the track list.
A QQ member remedied that for me with a suggestion, that I did, and that was to go into the settings of the BD player, and punch up the track sequence reader, problem solved. When all disc are ripped, this of course becomes a non issue.

Ripping the discs: I ripped the CD's using Windows Media Player to FLAC. The 5.1 ripped using MakeMKV to a MKV file and the used Music Media Helper and turned them from MKV to FLAC files.
The ATMOS ripped same as 5.1 but when using Music Media Helper, split the root file into MKV Chapters (Tracks).
When playing back the MKV files I have no onscreen visual, just black screen, this is not common. It is likely due to the maxed out Blu ray.
I play all using the JRiver player, and plays exceptionally well.
One small negative with JRiver is, not yet, it will not play MKV chapters gapless, FLAC it will. I am sure there working on this. I may go back and load the root file (no chapters) for 8 Days and 8 Days Later which are gapless?

Negatives: I can't spend as much time on a listening and reading project without pointing out some flaws. They do not detract from my 10 vote.
To be simple all the flaws, whether the customer perceives them as flaws is up to each customer. Does not make me right or wrong, but as customer feedback for the company producer of the product.
The only flaws of this box set are all due to putting all this music material on one Blu Ray disc.
They are, the menu and the time ripping the disc for home and car playback was a pain, the Blu Ray info on one disc actually was too big. I would have been more than happy to pay an additional $30.00 and get two Blu Ray discs and all problems, as big or as minor as the customer may feel are gone.

After failed attempts from online vendors I purchased this with tax $109.61 and it is NOW CHEAPER AT AMAZON my copy arrived in one day after ordering.

This was a big review on the Poll Thread for me, but I spent a week of reading and listening, and fell in love with it, I hope my experience helps you.
If you would like to comment, agree or disagree we have this QQ THREAD FOR YOU.

Please keep poll threads pure with your own listening experience only.
 
This set chronicles Bruce Soord’s growth in all aspects, songwriter, musician, engineer and surround mixer. The 5.1 mixes are really well done, and I seemed to enjoy the mixes more as they progressed from album to album, culminating with the fantastic Little Man. And you certainly can’t beat this set for value - you get the first 5 albums (and 2 bonus discs) all mixed in surround and all on one Blu-ray disc! In addition to that, you get all seven albums on separate cd’s, a 60 page art book chock full of photos, lyrics and an album-by-album essay chronicling the history of the band, expertly written by noted journalist Anil Prasad. Oh, and for those ordering early from Burning Shed, an art print signed by Bruce. It took some time to get through the massive content, but it was well worth the effort. This is a 10 from me. Extremely well done.
 
Easy 10. It's interesting to listen to their progression from one album to the next. It's never jarring and fairly subtle. The songs are solid and the albums good. The overall package here is engaging and quality, with the liner notes on each album being worthwhile reading. This is in contrast to the last Porcupine Tree box, where the book was just fluff.

One small complaint is that when playing the albums on BRD, I never know which song it is on because the marker doesn't move past the first track when you start playing the album. But the 5.1 mixes are immersive and crystal clear.
 
This was almost all new to me, as I've only started listening to TPT over the last few years. What makes this box different for me is that there is no unessential music. This made listening to it a formidable task. With over 8 hours of music it has taken some time to just get a couple of listens out of it. I was concerned that there was just too much there, but listening to all of this just flew by, each time I listened. It really is just a perfect box: Sound, mix, song quality, the book. I rarely buy these big boxes because most of the material I'll only listen to once. But I'll be listening to all of this a lot; at least until I can figure out which discs I like more than the others. This is a 10 all the way around.
 
Just listened to this for the first time, I mean, in whatever format. My relation with TPT starts with Someone here is missing, so it was a helluva experience to discover their early catalog, as well as listening for the first time in Atmos.

Major Kudos to Bruce for putting all this into 1 Blu ray. Tremendous job he did mixing this. Liked the organic sound of it. I compared some songs off Give It Back to the original version and man, did Gavin brings so much to the table.

Voted 10 out 10.

Can't wait for the 2nd Part, from Someone Here Is Missing onwards.
 
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