HiRez Poll Pink Floyd - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this new 50th anniversary edition of one of the biggest and best selling albums of all time, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon".
This new 50th anniversary edition contains a brand new Dolby Atmos mix of the album from the band's long time engineer and producer James Guthrie.
James Guthrie's 2003 5.1 surround mix (previously released in 2003 on SACD and 2011 as part of the Immersion Edition) is also included on a separate Blu-Ray Audio disc.
Please note that unlike the 2011 Immersion edition, this new 50th anniversary edition does NOT contain the original 1973 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of the album.
The 50th anniversary Dolby Atmos mix is also available to stream on all Dolby Atmos streaming providers:

 

[edisonbaggins]

Strong 10.
Blu-ray Atmos mix sounds amazing.
Perfection, to my senses.

 

[himey]

Strong 10.
Blu-ray Atmos mix sounds amazing.
Perfection, to my senses.

Considering how great (5.1) Animals is, I'm not at all surprised JG hit this one out of the park too. Now bring on the Wall please, in Atmos of course!

 

[Klaus Rosenthal]

Gave it a stream, no box set for me. Pretty solid, leans more to the atmospheric (hah) side than discrete but it is has a very room filling immersive sound in most parts though a bit front centric at others. I experienced a few small volume inconsistencies between tracks, probably not an issue on the blu. Guthrie has gotten very good at surround mixing in recent years, this an improvement over his original 5.1 mix no doubt. I would say 8-9 for the mix, -1 for the $300 price tag, give us a $22 stand alone blu ray to match the Animals release, please.

 

[RustyStatic]

Just got through listening to the Blu-Ray... was torn once again on whether or not I wanted to like/love this because of disagreeing with how it's being made available (or more accurately, not). But no matter what has transpired since '73, the content is just so unassailable, someone would really have to bork it up bad to get low marks, I think. Forgetting the box and just going with the Atmos mix itself, it's pretty damn hard to argue with. I'm not an expert on the quad or the 5.1 although I've listened to both a few times, and know the stereo like the back of my hand of course. Notables for me would be:

1. The menu is pretty damn thrilling, FWIW.
2. "On The Run" definitely has some different tonal qualities in it that I think go beyond just things getting pulled out of being buried in the mix. There are a few moments of "huh, that sounds/feels new". But all in a good and not jarring way. had the same thing happen but a little less so in "Any Colour".
3. Throughout, the recorded quotes are easier to hear and separated out maybe more than ever before. Often in the overheads, too.
4. There are a few pedal tones in the beginning of Time that are like WOAH in the LFE. 1-2 of them are hitting as overkill in my particular setup, same was true with Animals for me though.
5. Had a WTF at the fade out of "Great Gig" - with the pronounced pitch shift in the held piano chord as it's decaying... at first thought "uh-oh, here comes the avalanche of complaints and replacement discs and all of that jazz", but it turns out I guess I don't know this like the back of my hand because it's on every other version I could stream, the 5.1, the 4.0, etc. What the...? How in the world did I never...? I'll see myself out, thanks.
6. It's all pretty thrilling, but as stated already, the vocals during the chorus of "Us and Them" along with the crisp pedal tones is pretty freakin' sweet. There's some cool overhead movement on the vocal delays in the verses too. Similar feeling on "Brain Damage/Eclipse".

I'll have to go back and revisit the quad again in short order to see what would be my automatic go-to version going forward, but in truth, right now it's hard to imagine it being anything other than this. The quad placement may certainly be preferred by some... but the mastering on this is just insane. @Sal1950 maybe got into my head a little about the top end being soft due to the age of the tapes... am not sure I would have said that myself without being predisposed to listen for that by him, but I do think it's fair to say I felt it a little compromised in Eclipse for sure.

Anyways, at minimum, a keeper for me. Now if only these old dipshits could just get along and listen to what they were on about all those years ago.

 

[ted_b]

I love this Atmos version but cannot give it a perfect score. My only issue is some of it being ever so slightly rolled off, which in certain passages is a welcome relief from any digititis, but in the few times I missed the more dynamic punch, I had to deduct. Since my real score is like 9.6-9.7 I cannot give it a 10, so it's a 9. By the way, if James Guthrie really did the Atmos mixing he knows what he is doing. And in perspective, it is easily my favorite mix, with quad being 2nd.

 

[Strilo]

Am I the only one who thinks the first solo in Money is too quiet/buried in the mix? Sounded that way on my Atmos system, as well as in AirPods Pro.

 

[IveAlwaysBeenMad]

I gave it a 10.
Inserting the disc, it take 20+ seconds for the main menu to really get going, but you know you are in for a treat. It has a slow build like the beginning of the album. Once the menu audio starts, it is really viby and atmospheric. The menu buttons are wild. The non-selected buttons are almost invisible like they are on the dark side of the moon, very clever! First, I went to the SETUP page and there is a diagram of an Atmos setup. I was able to check my system and be sure everything is correct. I know they do the 5.1 setup on other PF discs, but this Atmos setup is very useful!
I eventually get back to the main menu and hit play. The classic dark side logo fades in and you hear that heartbeat. It is a sonic masterpiece! Everything is perfectly balanced and placed throughout the album. The effects are clear and appear above, behind and all around. On The Run used to be my least favorite on this album but now sounds are swirling above you and other sounds are moving to keep me interested. Moving through the album from start to finish is an experience and I can't wait to listen again.
I guess my only gripe would be the lack of the center channel, but not enough to drop it a point. Wow, this is such a great Atmos mix!

 

[edisonbaggins]

On the point of serving the song with the mix, I love how Great Gig in the Sky is basically piano front right of center, female vocal left of center, bass guitar down the middle.
Sounds very intimate, like Torry is lounging against the piano, jazz club style.
Such a sweet moment, amidst a generally dazzling surround experience.

 

[beerking]

Who's the daddy now?

Well, not the Who but the then and now, Pink Floyd

James Guthrie has gotten into Atmos in a big way.
Is this his first Atmos attempt?

Yes, there are quirks and it's not aka 'Steven Wilson', in its overall mix style.

But and it's a big but...

It's just mind-blowing in how the Atmos opens up this album to new and better techniques to the listening experience without losing the overall brilliance of the original album.

Thanks James for a stellar Dolby Atmos Mix

Nothing less than a 10 as this will be on replay for ever!!

 

[marpow]

I voted 10 for the ATMOS Mix as the title of this POLL states ATMOS, but for the box set in general I voted 7 as it is over bloated and too expensive.
Box Set Packaging: Not really planet friendly. For the amount of content, they used a lot of paper, and the weight of the box set comes from that excessive amount of paper. The large photo book, the main thing I got out of it was how friendly the 4 where to each other, hanging out and laughing, not like what you hear now a days. All the other stuff, well at least it wasn't toys, and of interest to many I am sure, just not that interesting to me.
Blu Ray Atmos and two stereos: Obviously the star of the show, the Dolby Atmos mix, definitive, unless the next version is holograms of the band playing in your room. While listening on screen video is just of rainbow pyramid, no text, no song title, comes out this way on the MKV video rip also which is a drag. Love the sound, so huge, LFE is nice and strong and the subs tend to go right through you.
Blu ray 5.1: I did listen was not impressed either positive or negative, heard it a million times.
Comparing different versions: I could tell there where differences in how the mixer laid out the music in the speakers when I was having a hard time ripping and comparing the versions. Unfortunately I am not patient enough to listen to all with pen and paper and tell you the vocals start here in 5.1 and there in ATMOS. There are many on QQ that can do that.
DVD: Did not listen.
Pink Floyd CD: Did not listen.
Pink Floyd Live At Wembley CD: Waiting for my CDJapan order.
All LP's: Did not touch, look, or listen.
Ripping: I really had a hard time using MKV for the initial Blu Ray rip. I believe there is a new protection on this disc, I am sure MKV will update there software. MMH used for tagging had a hard time also, I believe mainly due to the root file from MKV. In the end all is fine, but probably took me about 1.5 hours to get what I wanted and to understand what I was getting.
There is a 9:25 rip (5.1 Only) that you can add of the instrumental menu music that is very cool.
Overall: I find when I buy Pink Floyd box sets, I get tired of them pretty fast as I have heard the music my whole life, for me it will be The Wall or nothing from this point forward. I do have the Live At Wembley and the 50th SACD ordered from CDJapan, still can't shake the collector out of me.
Big question, is this expensive box set worth it, even if you bought it just for the ATMOS? That is what friends are for.

Please poll threads pure, only post your personal listening experience.

 

[Albert Dagger]

I voted 10.

Although the box set was far too expensive, and I didn't need the book or the live album, I am happy with the 2023 stereo remaster of the studio album and I think the Atmos mix is the definitive way to listen to The Dark Side of the Moon. I have already listened to this mix quite a number of times! It's such a joy when great music and excellent mixing choices collide. I couldn't have voted anything less than a 10. A must own.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Box Set Review


After a deeper investigation of this Atmos mix, it is still a strong 10. The strongest 10 imaginable.

 

[bayards]

Having most of the SDE Atmos releases to compare, this is there with a solid 10. Us and Them is smoky - the sax solo appears in the middle like smoke oozing up from a bearded jazz listener's pipe. Heard so many little things in the mix I had missed before. Amazing bass. Well done Mr Guthrie.

 

[relaxing]

2. "On The Run" definitely has some different tonal qualities in it that I think go beyond just things getting pulled out of being buried in the mix. There are a few moments of "huh, that sounds/feels new". But all in a good and not jarring way. had the same thing happen but a little less so in "Any Colour".

5. Had a WTF at the fade out of "Great Gig" - with the pronounced pitch shift in the held piano chord as it's decaying... at first thought "uh-oh, here comes the avalanche of complaints and replacement discs and all of that jazz", but it turns out I guess I don't know this like the back of my hand because it's on every other version I could stream, the 5.1, the 4.0, etc. What the...? How in the world did I never...? I'll see myself out, thanks.

I had never noticed the pitch shift on the piano either! Oops!

One curious difference in On The Run, where the final dive bomb previously sounded like guitar, now sounds mainly synthesizer. On the other hand, earlier in the piece I noticed some really cool guitar work I'd never heard before (just before the sound of the jet engine spooling up, which also sounded cleaner and more present -- as did the footsteps sfx.)

If I had to nitpick, on "Any Color You Like" the synth and guitar comps and leads seem further back in the reverb, which makes the track overall feel distant... but perhaps has the effect of highlighting Rog's bass work?

But on Us and Them, the way the vocal echo moves around the sides and heights is just exquisite, where in the quad mix it ping ponged from speaker to speaker... Really highlights what's possible with the new technology.

Overall, a much cleaner, modern mix and an entirely new listening experience.
10

 

[zeerround]

Having decoded to individual channels and listened to those, It was interesting that most of the sound is really Quad. All the other channels (7.1.4 - 12 channels - seems the most you can get our of this encoding) are pretty sparce.

Don't get me wrong, the overall results is great and I enjoy it, but it could have been so much more aggressive with more parts coming from Center, Sides, and heights.

I think some surround producers mix for the minimum setup, and/or assume that C isn't suited for music (a Dialog Center channel speaker), but my approach would be go for the max capability and then check your mixdowns to insure that 5.1 and stereo still sound great.

As a side note, I don't agree with the default mixdowns for Atmos from 9.1.6 to 7.1.4 to 7.1, to 5.1 etc., but atmos lets you encode different mixes for 16, 8, 6, and 2 channels and I would take advantage of that to "fix" the downmixes.

 

[zeerround]

e.g. "Money" 7.1.4 waveforms:



Channel order is LF, RF, C, LFE, Lss, Rss, LS, RS, TLF, TRF, TLS, TRS

Note: if decoded in 9.1.6 the extra channels are silent (WF, WR, TLM, TRM)

 

[edisonbaggins]

e.g. "Money" 7.1.4 waveforms:

View attachment 90308

Channel order is LF, RF, C, LFE, Lss, Rss, LS, RS, TLF, TRF, TLS, TRS

Note: if decoded in 9.1.6 the extra channels are silent (WF, WR, TLM, TRM)

Thanks for that.
If you can, would you up Us & Them?
Maybe Great Gig?

For the record, I'm among those who care not about what is in whatever channel. Only if the experience is enjoyable. This album in Atmos is intensely enjoyable, for me.

I love crazy mixes too, but I don't believe they're always best for certain material.

 

[zeerround]

I want to say a little about the what is in what channel comment; for me the "WOW" factor in surround vs. stereo is that when you split instruments out into separate channels they become more distinct, more "clear", and standout on their own. In listening this makes it easier to here the different components and appreciate them all.

So it's not, a certain sound should come from the rear, or what have you, but that you split everything up as much as you can, and then arrange it a pleasing way.

For instance, in a stereo mix there's a bunch of stuff that ends up sounding like it's coming from a phantom C. All the low-frequency stuff so bass, lower toms, kick, etc., and those then must compete with leads sounds one would want in the center of a stereo mix. In an immersive setup, you can pan (and use other tricks) to get those sounds out of C or virtual C so they distinct and different from each other and from lead instruments or vocals.

Instead of doing frequency filter tricks to get everything to "sit in the mix" on their own in stereo, you have the source directionality (and other things) to play with so "sit in the mix" becomes 360 degrees and less dependent on EQ.

...
Great Gig...


Us and Them:

 

[edisonbaggins]

Oh, for sure. I understand about getting some improved fidelity with utilizing multiple channels.
Comma, however, this Atmos mix sounds simply amazing. We don't know that it would hold together well with increased separation.
E.g. Steven Wilson's Close to the Edge separating the main vocal from the harmonies. Sounds bad, to me. Pretty sure I haven't listened since those first few days. Even though I love the album.

Thanks for upping the additional pics.