HiRez Poll Switchfoot - THE BEAUTIFUL LETDOWN [SACD]

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Rate the SACD of Switchfoot - THE BEAUTIFUL LETDOWN

  • 9:

    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: Bad Mix, Bad Fidelity, Bad Content

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    13

JonUrban

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Please post your thoughts and comments on this disc! (y) :phones (n)
 
Should the thread title refer to SACD, instead? I have the DualDisc of "The Beautiful Letdown" (from an earlier purchase about a year ago), but there isn't any hi-rez DVD-Audio---just Dolby Digital.
 
I have the SACD and am blown away by the excellent sonics and the nice surround (Elliot Mazer, of course). Favorite track is "More Than Fine," not only for the great 5.1 effects but because it's a stinking great song :) Love this disc!
 
Eugenius said:
Should the thread title refer to SACD, instead? I have the DualDisc of "The Beautiful Letdown" (from an earlier purchase about a year ago), but there isn't any hi-rez DVD-Audio---just Dolby Digital.

Thanks! I Screwed that one up.... :mad: :rolleyes: :eek:
 
This SACD should have been called "The Big Letdown". It has achieved the status as being the worst sounding SACD I now own closely followed by "Master of Disaster" (at least that title is accurate) and "Final Straw" by Snow Patrol.

The sonics are a mush. While it is not a purely "stereo wrap a round", the mix fails to excite any of my aural senses that I have come to expect from SACD.
Sorry about the negative rant but somehow I feel a lot better for it.

I still gave it a 7 as some of the tracks are tolerable.

Get it at your own peril.
 
I just got this today because it was only $9.89 at CD Universe, and because I've always enjoyed the CD.

I honestly wasn't expecting much because this style of music doesn't really lend itself to creative surround mixes - it's mostly wall-of-heavy-guitars arrangements - but I'm pleasantly surprised at this one.

I'm posting mostly for those people who seek out this thread because they're considering buying this SACD and aren't sure if they're going to get more than an ambient mix or double stereo. I'm assuming that if you're reading this you're already familiar with the content.

While not the most interesting surround mix, it is definitely NOT just ambient or double stereo. There are moments that clearly demonstrate that the annonymous 5.1 mixer is hip to the fun that 5.1 can be. And as I progress through this first listening (I'm now on the last track) I'm finding that the discrete use of the surrounds is more than occasional.

I'm really enjoying this! It's much better than I expected it to be.:banana: Another great find as I scrape the bottom of the hi-res surround barrell.

(y)(y) Paul
 
Ironically, I just bought the SACD of this a few days ago. (I already had the DualDisc and didn't mind the surround mix. Not super awesome, but still better than the lame surround mixes from The Donnas and Simple Plan, etc. Besides, I liked the music enough to figure it was worth buying again; and, at least with the SACD, I won't have any trouble ripping the music to my iPod. I haven't listened to the SACD yet, though.)
 
Just listening to this now for the first time. Never heard Switchfoot before (to my knowledge). I had seen the Dualdisc and was tempted to buy it many years ago, but the lack of HiRez Lossless MCh (I seem to recall the sticker said DD only for 5.1) put me off. I saw this thread and thought "I wonder if Amazon has this cheap on SACD?" Yep. $8, free shipping. Hard to argue with that as an experiment into the unknown - I pay more for crappy US domestic mega-brewery beers at some bars...

As an aside, the music is pretty good - more dynamics and use of samples and other non-guitar noises than i would have expected. A little pop-alt-rockish, I suppose, but better than most stuff.

I would say the surround mix is not super-discrete (a la Flaming Lips), but isn't just ambiance like some recordings - it more like an enveloping surround mix. Not trying to do a direct comparison, but similar in how Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet is enveloping vs the more discrete sounds of Deadwing and In Absentia.

I'd have to basically agree with dr. simple:

I'm really enjoying this! It's much better than I expected it to be. Another great find as I scrape the bottom of the hi-res surround barrell.

As the years go on, finding new interesting music that is mixed in MCH is getting more and more difficult. Fortunately, Steven Wilson is keeping the faith. Bring on the new PTree and remastered King Crimson!

Gets an 8 overall.

shinksma
 
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