DVD/DTS Poll Symphony X - Paradise Lost [DD DVD]

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rate the Audio-DVD of Symphony X - PARADISE LOST


  • Total voters
    14

Bob Romano

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Moderator
Since 2002/2003
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
5,743
Location
Viva Las Vegas
Please post your comments on Symphony X - Paradise Lost (DD DVD)
 

Attachments

  • 1225019642_symphony-x-paradise-lost-5.1.jpg
    1225019642_symphony-x-paradise-lost-5.1.jpg
    48.4 KB · Views: 345
Pretty disappointing effort as far as the surround mix goes. It sounds pretty bad. The CD is much better. I couldn't recommend anyone buy this, and this is from a Symphony X fan, particularly this album.

This could have been spectacular, even in DVD res, but the insistence on using DD only tracks (no option for DTS) which were mixed and mastered poorly makes this album a waste of plastic.

In fact, the rating I gave it, a 6, should be lower, but the musicianship and song writing, IMO, are so high that I couldn't bear to give it a lower rating.
 
Perhaps the lack of new material makes me less picky these days, but I do rate this higher than the previous poster.
The surround mix is discreet, perhaps could be more aggressive, but decent surround mix in my opinion
DD 5.1 on the DVD + 2 videos, I did not listen to the CD.
I am unfamiliar with the group, so cannot comment whether or not this is one of the better Symphony X releases or not.
Music genre is metal.

vinylguy4
 
Agree with e:leaf completely. I gave it a 4, though I really like the content. The mix has some interesting moments, in fact, enough of them to make me very sad that the production and sound of it is complete sh*t. I mean, it really sounds very bad. There is next to no bass at all and it is incredibly muddy. A real shame.

As far as the album itself is concerned: I have almost all Sym X albums and they are all the same to me: every single one is awesome. By now, I know what to expect from this band, and I have always got just that. It's just really good prog metal.
 
Great music. Muddy sound I agree. As far as 5.1 mixes I think it is really good. Poor mastering, recessed mid range, no clarity.
 
It's actually a pretty good mix. Lots of interesting sounds coming from the rears... mainly keyboards and harmony vocals, but it's cool to hear some of these virtuosistic key/guitar solos flying around the room. Symphony X wanted a really heavy album this time so the synths are somehow buried in the mix, but the 5.1 brings them to life a little bit, and that's nice as Michael Pinnella is an amazing keyboard player.

I noticed the centre and rear channels sound a little lower than usual, but rising their level about 1 dB on my AV receiver gives a balanced and very good sounding mix. I don't think it sounds particularly muddy and definitely not lacking bass. It's up there with the best Jens Bogren surround mixes, which are not excellent, but not bad at all either.

I prefer Symphony X at their most symphonic/progressive so this is not my favourite SX album, but the top notch musicianship is still there. So 8 for the music and 8 for the mix as well. My vote is a 7, though, for being only Dolby Digital and sounding louder and more compressed than I'd wish.
 
Errr, gonna have to side with @Thonolan and @vinylguy4
Sounds fine and I know the CD mix rather well.
I have it cranked. I hear everything I'm expecting and then some. Bass might be a wee bit shy, but not as drastically as ...And Justice for All, for example. Plenty of kick especially and I can tell the bass guitar is there. Listen for the break down in The Walls of Babylon. That bass guitar level is consistent throughout.
This could sound better, were it extended DTS or lossless, but ohs to the well.
This mix couldn't be more discrete unless your surrounds are in another room...
This is a nice change of pace to my many listens in stereo to this ultra cool metal offering.
 
Last edited:
I gave this one an eight. Love the music and the surround mix, while certainly not reference, is very serviceable. I play this alum with the Dolby Surround upmixer to ATMOS and bump up the side surrounds a couple of db. IMO, this really helps bring out the surround mix.

I'm not really hearing a muddy mess as others have stated. Not to dismiss those opinions but it 'sounds' great to me.
 
I gave this one an eight. Love the music and the surround mix, while certainly not reference, is very serviceable. I play this alum with the Dolby Surround upmixer to ATMOS and bump up the side surrounds a couple of db. IMO, this really helps bring out the surround mix.

I'm not really hearing a muddy mess as others have stated. Not to dismiss those opinions but it 'sounds' great to me.
I didn't try Atmos or boosting the surrounds - good ideas, both - but I did notice that is sounded somewhat indistinct, compared to the CD I know well, until I freaking CRANKED it. Fairly loud, I was hearing everything I expected, plus elements of the album I never knew were there. And everything sounded well-balanced.

I think an 8 is quite reasonable.
 
The spatial mix is discreet, but the vocals in the middle are very drowned out. It was necessary to strengthen the central channel in "the Audacity" program.
 
Back
Top