a powerful tasteful selection but with "loudness wars" treatment
582653
Morrissey's Greatest Hits is an extremely well arranged album which sounds very impressive as a complete unit. It's a thoroughly enjoyable journey right through to "I Have Forgiven Jesus" which perfectly sets up "The First Of the Gang To Die" - so the strong temptation is to just leave the CD on repeat (as my car stereo does by default).

The two new tracks are certainly of the same calibre as the other 13 and are right at home here. I couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job of collating and arranging a representative selection to celebrate Morrissey's 20 solo years.

It is important to be aware that the tracks from before the worldwide "loudness wars" which are "Everyday Is Like Sunday" (1988), "Suedehead" (1988), "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" (1989) and "The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get" (1994) - all have been doubled from their orignal volume (and equalised) in order to compete with the loudness of the 21st century tracks. That huge volume increase comes at a cost - making them sound significantly muffled (especially "Everyday Is Like Sunday") when you compare them to the original CD versions.

I'm quite happy to live with that compromise in order to have the whole album sound as good, and as powerful, as it does. The main point is that even if you already owned all of these tracks on CD, you wouldn't be able to re-create the sound of this compilation without a great deal of trouble (and skill).

Morrissey's Greatest Hits is a valuable addition to any Morrissey collection - and the bonus live disc is just icing on the 20th anniversary cake.
876907
I have enjoyed the C86 expanded reissue so much that I was excited to learn of the release of C87.  It turned out largely and highly satisfying.  Sure, there are a few so-so tracks on it, but that's inevitable with this kind of immense variety in artists.  What I love most about this set is that there are so many bands I've never heard of! (More than half were unknown to me.)  And the tracks by familiar bands of the day (ex., Primitives, PWEI, the awesome Wedding Present) are topnotch.  By the way, I'm amused by how many of the band names on here are "the" something(s) -- THE Flatmates, THE Dentists, etc.
1957762
I like a wide variety of music, Megadeth to Union Station and I appreciate fine audio recordings. Jacintha seemed like she maybe out of my scope of my preferred styles, but purchased "The Girl From Bossa Nova" based on reports of good sonics and that I was looking for that style of music for my collection. That album enticed me to buy more Jacintha because her vocals and execution are compelling. Being an audiophile nut I found the audiophile content to be most enjoyable. The arrangements are fresh, cool and interesting.
Mix a dry Martini with two olives(stirred NOT shaken), turn the lights down very low, slide Jacintha into your expensive SACD player, sit back and just listen.
Be careful she gets under your skin; I have 3 of her albums now.
3827082
Hard to take issue with this box set, with 4 of Mozart's operas including Don Giovanni, Cosi fan Tutte, and Le Nozze di Figaro. The sound is good, though as noted in the headline there will be more modern versions of these. Are better individual recordings available? No doubt, and because I'm no opera expert, I hesitate to award the fifth star. But if you check reviews on these operas separately, you'll find they're highly regarded. Maybe the best thing to be said is that if you own no Mozart opera, you truly cannot go wrong here. These are 9 CDs of rather authoritative versions--and I paid $20 delivered. This being said, I do recommend Rene Jacobs' and Arnold Ostman's period-performance takes on Cosi fan Tutte, and also Ostman conducting Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro. Hearing these operas with small forces and original instruments is enlightening, not so much because of the instruments as the small forces. For example, it really is worthwhile to hear Mozart symphonies (Mackerras) and especially Beethoven symphonies (Immerseel) with appropriately modest crews. The sound is so much more detailed and intricate than when instruments are doubled or tripled for the sake of majestic power.
2704770
A great collection of songs, and a humbling experience (in the sense that you see just how hard the man and everyone else on stage works during the concert!)

I knocked my review down a half star each, for two issues. One issue is that the camera angles and stage lighting sometimes were at war with each other - fair bit of "flare" as cameras over-exposed. Second issue is that the music's bottom end (bass) is a bit lacking - had to manually raise bass level to get it closer to studio album sound.

Now note that live sound recording is MUCH harder to control than studio recordings.. So I'm willing to live with occasional loss of clarity as he talked away from the microphone. But for me (having a sound system that can shake the walls), the overall deficiency in bottom end (while easy to fix) was a bit off-putting.

Finally, packaging states clearly that this is mixed as Dolby 2.0 - meaning no surround or separate bass channel.. Your receiver [like mine] may have to have it's settings changed to avoid weird-sounding music effects...
614605
I auditioned the Polk RTi4s at home against the Infinity P153s.  They are quality speakers worth the current asking price, and a real steal at the deep discounts sometimes available.  (for the full comparison review, search Amazon for "Infinity P153".

PROS:
- fairly flat frequency response.
- bass can be very good for a 5" woofer, IF carefully placed.
- nicely extended highs.
- no offensive peaks, dips, or distortion.
- well constructed and attractive with grilles on or off.

CONS:
- needs subwoofer to cover range under 100Hz or so.
- perhaps too polite, feels like it's "holding back".
- not as emotionally involving as I had hoped.
- for me, the less expensive Infinity P153 were better overall.

In terms of accuracy, the Polk's won the comparison against the Infinity P153s due to their more extended low end and flatter response overall.  However they did not elicit the emotional involvement I normally experience with my favorite music. The Infinities were simply more satisfying to listen to for most types of music.  I listened to all types of music, and in many cases I preferred the Polks.

Conclusion:  I chose the Infinity P153s since my system is for enjoyment first, accuracy second.  These Polks may well be perfect for some people.  My co-worker is also a critical listener, and bought the Polks from me after listening to them.
2980393
A surprising mix of cool stuff on this intriguing soundtrack.
4959575
This collection is an exciting mess, with terrific live stuff and demos from 78-82 when they were at their peak.  Too bad the mastering engineer went overboard with compression and volume.  Damage seems worst on the album tracks, since weve heard them before.  A few songs (Riding With Mary, Breathless, Wild Thing) have a painful amount of treble.  Flaws aside, youll want to cherry-pick this comp for rarities.  Most are excellent.
4440909
In short: Lots of inputs, solid class-D amp, crystal-clear highs but lows are definitely missing.

The good:
- Speakers, class-D amp and a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) all in ONE package!
- You'll pay a lot more for these components separately.
- Wide variety of inputs means you'll always have music (optical + Bluetooth especially nice).
- Sleek, modern design (exposed speakers).
- Came packaged really well (swaddled in cloth-like fabric, generous foam padding).
- Matte finish looks really slick.
- DAC chip (AK4388) has 24-bit / 192kHz sampling rate.
- Acoustic grade MDF cabinet feels study.
- Bulky but usable remotes lets you "reset" bass/treble/balance adjustments.
- Back panel is study and well-designed.

The bad:
- Surfaces scratch/scuff easily (but comes with rubber protectors for bottoms corners).
- Powered speaker has LED status lights (yellow = standby, blue = on). To me, they felt unsophisticated and take away from the otherwise sleek/minimalist design. They also are quite bright. I like to fall asleep to soothing sounds, so I have to cover it with electrical tape each night. Unfortunately, it's also where the IR-receiver is located too.
- Plain medium-gauge speaker wire to connect to passive speaker (with such nice speaker posts I had hoped for something more substantial, maybe with banana plugs, etc.).

Good or Bad? You decide.
- Designed in Canada, made in China.
- No speaker grill (in case you have young kids that like to poke things).
- No source-selected indicator means you have to toggle through sources (quickly push in the volume button) until you hear something. When toggled to the Bluetooth source the second LED turns on, so that's at least one point of reference. I find myself using the remote 99% of the time.
 Thankfully the remote has dedicated buttons for each source input (no hunting).
- Remote is the only way to adjust tone and reset the Bluetooth pairing. Don't loose it.
- Slightly lighter than expected (the passive speaker lost a couple pounds from the similar YUMI model).
- DAC chip isn't the popular PCM1794A from Texas Instruments, but thankfully has a dynamic range that is close.
- Unless your device supports the aptX audio codec (to my knowledge no current Apple products do), Bluetooth audio won't sound as great as it could.
- Unit goes to sleep after a period of inactivity. Eco-friendly, but sometimes a pain.

How it Sounds:
- Produces incredibly crisp highs!
- Easily fills a small to medium room.
- Bass is lacking.
- Unless you're used to audiophile quality speakers, they're probably good enough.
116003
A good selection for the casual not-really-fan who wants the music, but doesn't want to buy a lot of different albums.
333369
A very nice collection in very good but not great sound.  The performances themselves are variable; for my taste 3 and 4 were more appealing than 1 and 2.  Overall it is a nice set.  A wonderful document for Dorati fans (of which I am one), but not a must own if you already have recordings that please you.  If you are seeking a slightly different take on these works, you will be well pleased.
3938205
blurred lines indeed!  on this wonderful compilation, east (sort of) meats west; old meets new.  an ambitious hybrid of styles is the result of this project.  the music is big, dramatic, and demands attention. electronics are mixed  effectively traditional music and create a pleasurable listening experience. the BALKAN  half of this experiment may sound eerily unfamiliar to some listeners, but the overall  impact is, nonetheless, impressive.  not every
piece is a complete success, but the very idea of recording such an album deserves tremendous credit. i find that second half of this cd is remarkable .  the intensity and passion of the performances are nothing short of.......WOW
3417245
The use of different sounds pulled together is a new sound all in its own league.
4550725
I'm commenting here on the DVD-Audio version of "Audio." This has gotta be one of the most flamboyant "demos" around for surround sound. If you have friends who doubt surround is much of an advance over stereo, play this for them. The music is driving, pounding rhythms performed on the clever, self-invented BMG instruments. It's mostly percussive, with some generic guitar (and/or zither) thrown in that moves it towards a nondescript kind of rock. Personally, I wish they had just worked exclusively with their interesting percussion instruments, and explored them with more variety. While any one piece is fun, by the end you feel like you're hearing the same few pieces over and over ("exciting" rhythms, big bass drum whacks, always the Big Climax). The slides accompanying each piece are well chosen and give a clear idea of what the live show must be like; it looks quite entertaining. The DVD has worthwhile extras (about making the recording, the instruments, etc.). Of course it also plays on a regular DVD-Video player. (User note: the disc labeling is confusing. The labeled side you want to hear should face down - the opposite of the convention used for most DVDs I've seen.) Overall, this is a very well done DVD-Audio that dramatically presents (and pummels) you with surround sound. Although the music gets repetitious for me, I give it 4-stars for the excellent surround. This pop material album and the experimental music on "Immersion" are the 2 best DVD-Audios I know for showing what surround can do.
1135748
Uneven both in performance and sound -- Bob Weir's vocals are slighted by the microphones in places, while Jerry Garcia comes off well vocally.  Some of the backup vocals (Donna Jean Godchaux especially) suffer from some distortion -- but there are nine discs here and a lot of good stuff, along with an informative booklet and nice packaging (by the day) within a solid box.  Some of the songs seem to be rather dutifully done -- "Big River" and the first "Me and My Uncle" sound that way to me -- but in general the band seems engaged, and by the third night is playing with fire.  The long "Dark Star" (on the third night only) comes across clear as a bell, and all three "Weather Reports" ( a number that grows on me) are all good.  The second "Uncle John's Band" is better than the earlier one, and standards like "Deal," "Bertha,"  and "Sugar Magnolia" are fine.  There's a lovely account of "Me and Bobby McGee," and Jerry has a soulful "Stella Blue," a song of his that I hadn't heard before.

Of course, there's a question of whether a set this big is worth its considerable price, especially with so much good live Dead concerts out there.  I picked it up at Barnes and Noble at 50% off, and in addition was able to use my members's discount AND a 20% off coupon.  So I got a heck of a deal.  It sounds great in the car, which is where I play all my Dead stuff.  I'm not sure I would have paid top dollar for it, but I'm glad to have it.  The Dead are never boring.
4517580
I generally listen to music in two ways:
1. Turn the volume down low so I could pick every nuance of the music and let my soul blend in with the tune.
 This set delivers relatively well when you prefer "quiet music". The bass can still be gently felt even at very low volumes. But the very high frequencies seem to be rather muted.  My solution is to pair a pair of PC Works tweeters in the front and place the two tweeters from this 3-piece speaker in the back. The PC Works tweeters seem to render crisper high frequencies compared to this set. The resulting surround sound effect is extremely pleasing. Considering that you can get a set of PC Works for $50, it's worth the extra money.
The Yamaha speakers, unlike other PC speakers, has a broad listening range. You could be a fair distance away from your computer doing other stuff and still enjoy the music.

2. Turn the volume so high that my liver turns black by the booming bass.
 The bass for this speaker set wouldn't disappoint even its harshest critics. The subwoofer could fill the entire room with the volume half-way up. I usually turn the volume to half its maximum when I want to listen to loud music, and it's LOUD at that level. The sound nevertheless becomes somewhat distorted after you turn it over three quarter to the maximum. Unless you want to die a deaf man, though, you should not try listening music at such a high volume.
The sound this set of speakers deliver is sweet given its price point. The rebate also came back to me after a 3 week waiting period, which is fast for PC rebates. I find this to be the best $100 I spent on PC equipment since the time I purchased my Voodoo 1 card (Yep, I got a deal back then for the real stuff;). You won't be disappointed.
4587095
This super audio disc can be highly recommended on three grounds.  One for the sound, and one each for each of the two composers.  First off the sound and technical production of the recorded performance are quite up to the high standards this label sets for itself.  Multi-channel play is subtle but surrounds the listener in an encompassing and embracing manner.  This sound most likely recreates the acoustic of the venue, presumably, and that venue would be the Sala Sao Paulo, Brazil.  It sounds to be a medium sized hall with good frequency balances and a good balance between resonance and reflections which localize.

The Tchaikovsky performance emphasizes the piano concerto's musical claims.  Though Sudbin and the band led by John Neschling (a film composer, including Pixote) are completely up to the technical and virtuoso demands of the music, sheer flash is never the point.  At first hearing that approach may strike a listener as too low key, but I suspect that repeated hearings will wear well over the long run.

Nevertheless, the recorded competition in the Tchaikovsky first piano concerto is stiff.  Even restricted to super audio, we have the likes of the famously famous Van Cliburn debut (remastered), Arkady Volodos out-Horowitzing Vladimir, Olga Kern on HM USA (rather dim and diffuse sound for SACD), Nikolai Lugansky on Pentatone (hampered a bit in Romantic effusiveness by Kent Nagano's strict competence), Scherbakov burning with heart and fire on Naxos, and that current high representative of worldwide piano flash, Lang Lang.  Of this super audio group, surely the Cliburn and the Volodos and the Scherbakov will hold their own as time marches on.

If we widen our comparisons to include red book CD, then the field gets very crowded - including my own favs, Lazar Berman, Andrei Gavrilov, Nelson Freire, Gary Graffman, Peter Donohoe, Sviatoslav Richter, Martha Argerich , Emil Gilels, and Earl Wild under Fistoulari on Chesky.

Then the new disc moves on to give us the Medtner Piano Concerto 1, and the comparisons immediately shift.  The amazing Scherbakov reappears in this group also.  And we add in, Geoffrey Tozer, and Geoffrey Douglas Madge.  One wonders why Barry Douglas is missing, or John Lill, from the recorded catalogue of these concertos.  But the explanation is probably all about the reputation Medtner has for being hard to like on first hearings, although this same reputation admits that Medtner grows on people, both players and listeners with increased exposure.

I like Medtner, and so for me, this new recording of the first piano concerto is very welcome.  I am a Scherbakov fan, too, but Sudbin and Neschling and Sao Paulo more than hold their own.  In fact, I think this Medtner first piano concerto is a better reason to buy the disc than is the Tchaikovsky per se, just because we have so many other fine choices in that field.  Not only does Medtner deserve the exposure, but given the sort of expert and loving attention Sudbin and associates give the composer in this recording, we could expect for his music to come even more out of the repertoire's margins.  In addition to long and luscious Russian melodies, Medtner offers a modernized feel for evolving harmonies - rather like, but still different from, say, Nielsen - and a ability to juggle and mesh textures which like Reger try to bring polyphony back into the Late Romantic gesture.  If fine performances like Sudbin's cannot aid the cause, then surely Medtner's cause is still lost.  But this recording offers hope, just because it shows the composer is such a good light.

Tchaikovsky recommended, then, and Medtner highly recommended.  Five stars.  Hope this team gets around to the other two Medtner concertos, if not also the Tchaikovsky second.  Kudos to the production team and the engineering team at BIS.