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Thread: Mahavishnu orchestra "Birds of fire" SACD sound quality

  1. #1

    Mahavishnu orchestra "Birds of fire" SACD sound quality

    I just discovered that there is an SACD version of this great album. I'll never forget the first time I heard it when it was initially released back in the early 70's. I was a freshman in high school on Long Island and an older classmate brought to school what I would call the first version of the boom box. It was a portable 8 track player with 2 speakers for stereo sound with Birds of fire playing. I immediately became a fan as I was already into the classic prog acts but never heard anything like this before.

    I am a big fan of SACD and 5.1 and have no problem spending the money to buy it but only if it's excellent quality and a significant difference from the CD. Can anyone advise or comment on the quality of this version.

    http://www.cduniverse.com/productinf...53&style=music

  2. #2
    Bought it from Amazon.ca for 18.99 Canadian.Clean,crisp sound with (finally)very prominent bass lines. Worth every penny,best version of this monster I ever heard.Buy it!

  3. #3
    Thanks that's exactly was I was hoping to hear.

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    The SACD Stereo layer sounds incredible but I wasn't too enamoured with the 4.0 mix (it is the original Quad mix that is on the multichannel layer, not a 5.1). Don't do MC (but have an DVD/SACD for high res stereo) but took it to a friend of mine who has a sweet set up and halfway through we switched to the Stereo layer and found that a much more satisfying listening experience.

  5. #5
    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    I would be interested in hearing this dense, complex masterpiece of the early Prog era "un-muddied".
    Does one need a player that says SACD or is a Bluray player adequate?
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post
    I would be interested in hearing this dense, complex masterpiece of the early Prog era "un-muddied".
    Does one need a player that says SACD or is a Bluray player adequate?
    It's a hybrid SACD,playable on all cd/dvd/sacd/bluray players.Tried it on every player I have,sounds amazing on every single one(don't have bluray,so...)

  7. #7
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    I already have the 24bit remaster and have been very happy with the sound on that.

  8. #8
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    I like the 4.0 mix, but it's a bit unusual, because the drums are mostly in the back-speakers.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Rand Kelly View Post
    I already have the 24bit remaster and have been very happy with the sound on that.
    I agree that the CD is a good listen, but the 2000 release was a 20-bit remaster down-sampled to 16-bit for the red-book CD, same version used on the 2011 boxed set. I was hoping t0 hear that the SACD would be worth a listen, so I'll go make a purchase. I can't see a clear release strategy, with BOF out on SACD, TIMF on HDTracks 24-bit, and the others still on CD, so it's all over the place.

  10. #10
    I still like the album I bought back in the 70's.
    NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF STUPID PEOPLE IN LARGE GROUPS!

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by ljubaspriest View Post
    It's a hybrid SACD,playable on all cd/dvd/sacd/bluray players.
    Unless your cd/dvd/sacd/bluray has actual SACD playback capability the only thing you are hearing is the standard Red Book layer of this SACD, which does sound very very good but the SACD layer has an additional clarity and wider soundstage that really surpasses the standard layer.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by ChrisXymphonia View Post
    Unless your cd/dvd/sacd/bluray has actual SACD playback capability the only thing you are hearing is the standard Red Book layer of this SACD, which does sound very very good but the SACD layer has an additional clarity and wider soundstage that really surpasses the standard layer.
    Exactly. I will say the redbook CD layer sounds better than the previous Legacy remaster of the album. But it's the SACD layer that really makes the difference.

    Im so happy I bought the OPPO player...not only does it play SACDs, but I learned yesterday by accident that it also plays PAL format DVDs. Woohooo!!!! There are a lot of PAL format live concerts I've avoided buying because I couldn't play them except on my computer.

    Right. Just what I need. An excuse to buy more stuff

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by jcarr73729 View Post
    I agree that the CD is a good listen, but the 2000 release was a 20-bit remaster down-sampled to 16-bit for the red-book CD, same version used on the 2011 boxed set. I was hoping t0 hear that the SACD would be worth a listen, so I'll go make a purchase. I can't see a clear release strategy, with BOF out on SACD, TIMF on HDTracks 24-bit, and the others still on CD, so it's all over the place.
    That's because different labels/online sites decide they want to release whatever material tickles their fancy, so work out a licensing deal with whoever owns the masters (in this case, Sony).


    If Sony were driving this, there might appear to be a plan, but because it's not, it's whatever some guy somewhere wants to release.

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