Why does my music sound better in movies than Hi-Fi?

[joz]

It's been a while since I have A/B tested the two formats ( vs CD) but at the time with what I had on hand I found little if any benefit of going BDA.

When I get a chance I'll give them another spin but that will have to wait till after my summer break.

 

[powerav]

Martin Logan understand.

 

[TheBrightSide]

Interesting thread, as I have noticed and wondered about this too.

Music in movies and even tv shows sound way better than just listening to the cd.

I don’t think it has anything to do with higher quality formats, I often watch lower quality rips, and still experience the same thing.

My 2 theories so far are that the visuals add to the impact of what we perceive, and also that the music is mastered much louder in movies/television.

Or maybe a combination of the two.

 

[allthumbs]

11 minutes ago, TheBrightSide said:

My 2 theories so far are that the visuals add to the impact of what we perceive,

Not sure about your second theory, but as to the first I disagree as I am sometimes struck by the richness (almost voluptuous character) of the music during the end credits, especially orchestral music, or small string combo's and the like, and I listen in stereo only.

 

Bandwidth?

[audio_file]

I find it strange how some people prefer the sound from video, I don't remember ever preferring that over a stereo hifi using a cd player.

[DoggieHowser]

Have you tried the soundtrack CD vs the original CD?

In Runaway Bride, I remembered listening to Miles Davis - It Never Entered My Mind being played (on a record if I remember correctly)

And I’d never heard that version before.

I scoured many copies of that track. None of them sounded like they did in the movie.

Till I found the soundtrack CD.

It is definitely derived from the original recording - similar nuances in the brass section that is often hard to replicate exactly - but the mastering felt different. Slightly different EQ or emphasis on certain instruments. And definitely cleaned up a lot more than my other versions. They also changed the way it started - taking away some of the improv style intro in the original and faded the ending before Miles went into another improv section.

[rantan]

1 minute ago, audio_file said:

I find it strange how some people prefer the sound from video, I don't remember ever preferring that over a stereo hifi using a cd player.

Me either.

 

If your movie sound is subjectively better than your cd sound you really have something wrong with your cd player or it isn't very good at all. Even a half decent CD should be vastly superior, let alone something of good quality

[DoggieHowser]

The original

Which I have on SHMSACD.

My recollection was faulty. The intro wasn’t improv. Just different. Maybe a bit off key? Miles Davis did record 3 albums in a hurry. Back to back [emoji51] to fulfil a contractual obligation before he moved to a new recording company.

And maybe it was a different recording after all

YouTube attributes this to the Lost Recordings.

I’ve got to see where I can get the album.

[audio_file]

10 minutes ago, DoggieHowser said:

Have you tried the soundtrack CD vs the original CD?

In Runaway Bride, I remembered listening to Miles Davis - It Never Entered My Mind being played (on a record if I remember correctly)

And I’d never heard that version before.

I scoured many copies of that track. None of them sounded like they did in the movie.

Till I found the soundtrack CD.

It is definitely derived from the original recording - similar nuances in the brass section that is often hard to replicate exactly - but the mastering felt different. Slightly different EQ or emphasis on certain instruments. And definitely cleaned up a lot more than my other versions. They also changed the way it started - taking away some of the improv style intro in the original and faded the ending before Miles went into another improv section.

If both are in the same format (CD) and sound different, then it might just be a different master that sounds more to your taste, and nothing to do with blue ray or DVD sounding better than CD, as some people suggest.

 

[powerav]

16 minutes ago, rantan said:

 

If your movie sound is subjectively better than your cd sound you really have something wrong with your cd player

Really? I don’t understand this. If the movie is on bluray it will be dtsma or Dolby true HD both far superior to CD surely.

[rantan]

4 minutes ago, powerav said:

Really? I don’t understand this. If the movie is on bluray it will be dtsma or Dolby true HD both far superior to CD surely.

No.

 

Not in my experience.

A dedicated ,good quality CD will almost always sound better than a Blu Ray or universal player. ( on 2 channel and with music )  This is assuming that the CD player in question is of decent quality and not an el cheapo.

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by rantan

[Guest Sime]

It’s all about the data, not what the data is being stored on (And mastering)

Edited December 28, 2017 by Sime

[audio_file]

37 minutes ago, powerav said:

Really? I don’t understand this. If the movie is on bluray it will be dtsma or Dolby true HD both far superior to CD surely.

Why do you think Dolby true HD and dtsma are far superior to CD?

[DoggieHowser]

If both are in the same format (CD) and sound different, then it might just be a different master that sounds more to your taste, and nothing to do with blue ray or DVD sounding better than CD, as some people suggest.
 

Which was my point exactly. Different mastering. Cleaned up recording.

[powerav]

1 hour ago, audio_file said:

Why do you think Dolby true HD and dtsma are far superior to CD?

This DTS MA bluray turns my meagre home theatre set up into something very similar to very expensive hi end systems that I have heard in hifi stores. 

 

[audio_file]

1 hour ago, powerav said:

This DTS MA bluray turns my meagre home theatre set up into something very similar to very expensive hi end systems that I have heard in hifi stores. 

 

Do you mean when those systems you heard played the same disc?

[powerav]

7 minutes ago, audio_file said:

Do you mean when those systems you heard played the same disc?

No classical music on CD. My theory is better the source you can get away with a lesser system. You need a lot of dollars to match this quality from CD.

[audio_file]

4 minutes ago, powerav said:

No classical music on CD. My theory is better the source you can get away with a lesser system. You need a lot of dollars to match this quality from CD.

My point is that if it's just a very good recording, then it might sound even better on that expensive store system using a CD player. Disc 1 is a hybrid SACD, which means it can play on a CD player as well.

[TerryO]

I must be missing something, music from movies through our 7.1 system doesn't sound as good as the same tracks played on vinyl using the same front speakers. It sounds different and louder but not better.

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by TerryO

[Guest Sime]

@audio_file don’t worry, your logic is spot on 

 

and thats the sad thing about this thread……………

Edited December 28, 2017 by Sime

[Satanica]

1 hour ago, audio_file said:

 Disc 1 is a hybrid SACD, which means it can play on a CD player as well.

In this case I don't think so.

It appears there are two formats on this disc being Multi-Channel 5.1 DSD and Stereo DSD.

 

Also always be aware that the CD layer of an SACD hybrid that has one is quite likely mastered differently.

A good example of this is Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms.

Edited December 28, 2017 by Satanica

[rantan]

Any hybrid CD can also play on any CD player.

You may not get the same result,but it will play. I used to have an SACD player, but I sold it and my Rega Saturn plays the hybrid SACDs without any problem

[Satanica]

2 minutes ago, rantan said:

Any hybrid CD can also play on any CD player.

You may not get the same result,but it will play. I used to have an SACD player, but I sold it and my Rega Saturn plays the hybrid SACDs without any problem

In the above example it appears they have called it a Hybrid SACD but it only specifies two DSD formats.

I could be wrong but I don't think there is PCM on this one.

It probably doesn't deserve to be called a "Hybrid" if so.

[Snoopy8]

22 minutes ago, Satanica said:

In the above example it appears they have called it a Hybrid SACD but it only specifies two DSD formats.

I could be wrong but I don't think there is PCM on this one.

It probably doesn't deserve to be called a "Hybrid" if so.

I have the disks. It does have a 16/44.1 layer, so it is a proper Hybrid SACD

[Satanica]

2 minutes ago, Snoopy8 said:

I have the disks. It does have a 16/44.1 layer, so it is a proper Hybrid SACD

Thanks for clearing that up. To sound like a broken record one can never be sure of equivalent mastering in terms of compression applied and volume overall levels of "Hi-Res" verses CD unless thoroughly investigated.