Talking Heads - Brick set Dual Discs

As someone who can play DVD-Audio in surround I have to disagree. The DVD-Audio portion (stereo and surround) really and honestly sound several times better.

Trust me.

I have a fair system (Pioneer 47ai, Harman Kardon Signature Series 2.0 amp and 2.1 amp, Carver 5.2 speakers that has two 10" sub woofers) and it sounds really really really much better in DVD-Audio.

But I know my non DVD-Audio friends will still appreciate the Dolby Digital Surround on the discs. I just don't think they'd shell out $150 for the set.

If you're near San Diego come over and listen at my house.

-Tom

 

For anyone who hasn't yet managed to hear samples of the bonus tracks...

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?userid=O04SqmUBJM&ean=81227472221&ALLDISCS=Y

 

Blame Canada!


From Cd Universe:
Talking Heads Brick Box Set CD
Regular Price: $119.69
Sale Price: $115.99US

From Amazon.ca

Talking Heads Dualdisc Brick [Best of] [Box set]

Our Price: CDN$ 216.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A 100% exchange rate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At current values, it should be around $140 CND.

We sure do get F'd!!!

 

I just want to add to this thread that I listened to the first 4 albums in the Brick on DVD-A 96/24 5.1 surround and the mixes are excellent. It ALMOST makes me forgive Rhino for not including the bonus tracks on the DVD-A side. Still I would rather have seen these albums released on CD+DVD-A (or better yet SACD - which maybe we can hope for in Europe!!! (the only problem being that I will have to buy them all over again if that happens)). Overall, discounting the fact that the bonus tracks are not on the DVD side of these discs, I am happy with the quality of the DVD-Audio side of these releases - so I probably should just be happy that they came out at all in a hi-rez format. OK I am happy (but only 90% happy.)

 

This isn't like Dire Straits, Warner does indeed own the Europe rights to Talking Heads. SACD ain't gonna happen.

 

I picked up the brick set today.

Unfortunately, I have only 2 speakers on all of my setups - and no 5.1 capability. Thus, I cannot take advantage of the Advanced Resolution 5.1 tracks these DualDiscs offer. With a stereo-only setup, I have a choice between Dolby Digital 5.1 (downmixed), Dolby Digital Stereo and the CD side on the discs. (There is no Advanced Resolution 2-channel stereo track at all whatsoever on these DualDiscs.)

 

Wrong.....
There is Advanced Resolution Stereo on every disc.....96/24!!!
Not a downmix...Are you using a DVD-A player?

 

If you aren't seeing the 24/96 Stereo, you either don't have a DVD-A player, or it is acting up.

 

Sorry, but the only device which can play DVD-A's is my main computer rig with a Creative X-Fi sound card. It's a software problem (Creative's DVD-Audio Player) which makes me not see the stereo tracks. And the newest version of WinDVD - WinDVD 7 - now no longer supports DVD-A playback.

And I'm not planning to purchase a DVD-Audio player right now; the only ones available at my rigid maximum price limit all downsample DVD-A to only 48kHz even if the discs were recorded at 192kHz or 96kHz. And the ones which truly play DVD-A's at their native rate all cost at least four to five times more than the amount I want to spend right now.

Oh, wait a minute: I found a way to set 2-channel stereo with that Creative DVD-Audio Player. I had to use the Alternate Track function of the player software, and select the "2ch" option. Thus, I'm no longer blaming the software or hardware for my problem - but user error instead.

 

My 60 yr old mother has an Acura TL - awesome car - 270 hp, 6 speed manual - it flies. It also has the ELS stereo with XM. It is amazing. I have never been a big car stereo guy, but this is incredible.

 

This looks great...another TH box set to pick up. The track listing looks very comprehensive...

 

If the software that comes with the Creative X-fi is as bad as the Audigy 2 (which I have), its not your fault. It blows.

 

Well, the X-Fi's DVD-Audio software isn't quite as bad as the Audigy2's. (Though it could still be more convenient to operate.) The only problem that I have with the software right now is that it wouldn't detect the stereo and mono DVD-A tracks on my Pet Sounds DVD-A - but then again, those tracks are available only via an onscreen DVD-Video-like menu selection. And setting those options would require a DVD-Video player with DVD-Audio playback capability (the X-Fi DVD-Audio software cannot access onscreen menus, while most DVD-Video software cannot detect DVD-Audio tracks). And without access to onscreen menus, only the 5.1 multichannel tracks are accessable.

On another note, even if the X-Fi's software can detect stereo tracks, the playback will default to 5.1 multichannel mode until I change the mode selection manually.

 

I listened to more of this set this morning.....the more i listen the more i like it.

 

I have my order in at Amazon for $119 flat. Can't wait to hear this in 5.1!!!

 

Sorry, haven't read the whole thread, maybe this was covered. Who is credited with remastering? Hopefully it's Bob Ludwig, whose work on the recent Heads box set I found to be reference level. Also, can anyone comment on sound quality of the CD layer/version rather than multi-channel?

 

Mastered by Ted Jensen and Ryan Smith (stereo), Ted Jensen (Surround)

 

Oooh, that's great, I love Ted Jensen's work.

 

By the way, there's a decent, not earth-shattering price with fye.com. They have a Columbus day coupon code (COLUMBUS2005) through tonight that takes 14.92% off. Brings their $120 price down to $102 before tax and shipping. My total came to $112. Again, nothing amazing, but cheaper than the others.

 

When I see some of these prices on this thread, I am so glad I got mine for free !!
But it is so good, I would have paid for it if I had to

 

Similar to a previous poster, the Brick locks up my Pioneer 578A dvd player when trying to play the DVD-Audio...no problems with the video content or the dolby digital 5.1 or stereo (but who wants to listen to that). I don't own many dvd-audio or sacd's but all work the way they should. This is the first dual-disk I've bought. Am I missing the boat here or do I have to resign myself to not hearing these in dvd-audio?

-Scott

 

A few other posters will suggest that you should just buy another player.

I think the phrase "it won't kill you" was used at one point...

Wish I had the resources to upgrade hardware every time some must-have gadget software is barfed out.

Dual Disc is rush-to-market junk... exactly in the same mold as Microsoft.

And apparently this time they will take the good name of the Talking Heads down with them.

 

The sad thing is that I paid more canadian for the Brick than I did when I bought the dvd player last year! The only good news is that my computer isn't having problems with the cd layer, so I'm putting it on my ipod and then considering selling the discs to my used record store. Any entry level players work with the Brick? Will dual-disks work with the new high-def dvd players or gaming consoles coming on the market in the future?

-Scott

 

Finally ordered mine yesterday (used some Yahoo Visa points for a $100 BN gift certificate....I love Yahoo Visa) and can't wait to hear TH in full glorious hi-rez. There has been little talk about the sonics of the 2 channel hi-rez layer, though (lots of arguing whether it exists, how to find it, etc, but little about the sound vs redbook). I plan to listen to both hi-rez layers and wondered what poeple thought about the MLP 2.0. A couple of folks over at the Asylum thought it was veiled and compressed, but were later described as folks who ALWAYS think the MLP 2.0 layer is veiled and compressed compared to the 5.1 layer....I'm more interested in finding out what you folks think about it versus what's been available to-date in the TH redbook catalog (btw, I could care less about the cd side of the DD's).

Thx

 

Could it be you need a Pioneer firm-ware update. I understand certain Pioneer DVD-Audio players need a firm-ware upgrade to function correctly with newer DVD-Audio discs. You should check that out before giving up.