Blu-ray Review #76: Concert Videos

Music to Show Off Your Theater We received an email from Martin who asked us to take a look and listen at the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds concert that is available on Blu-ray. According to Martin: The sound is astonishing, like you are sitting right there. I have heard many concert discs but this is something else. Shows off my system even better than a pacific rim or transformers.  Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall [Blu-ray] (2007) We totally agree with Martin’s assessment. So we thought it would be fun for one episode to pick three concert Blu-rays and discuss them on a show. All six will put you right in the middle of the concert and will make you happy that you invested in Blu-ray!   Rodney’s Picks Adele – Live at The Royal Albert Hall Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Even though this concert is performed in front of decent sized crowd, it sounds great and still feels intimate. Adele has an amazing voice and this Blu-ray captures it perfectly, it almost sounds better than the studio recording. There isn’t much subwoofer action, but the audio is extremely crisp and clean. (Buy Now $24.87) Alicia Keys – VH1 Storytellers Audio: LPCM 5.1 This concert has a small crowd and has a very intimate setting. Colorful curtains and backdrops set the scene for Key’s soulful music. The low-end is tight and sometimes even vibrates the couch. Her voice is sometimes sounds strained and a little congested but she still gives a solid performance. However, the star of the show was listening to her play the piano. The room was filled with every keystroke and making it more of an experience than just watching a concert. (Buy Now $13.88) Foo Fighters – Live at Wembley Stadium Audio: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) There’s nothing like being a huge concert. Screaming crowds filled with energy and loud blaring rock music. This Blu-ray is the quintessential rock concert captured on Blu-ray.   The Foo Fighters have so many hits, this concert runs 2 hours long and even had a special appearance from Jimmy Page. The audio performance isn’t the best though. Vocals are a little echoy and muffled, low end is a bit muddy, however this is what most rock concerts sound like. (Buy Now $20.34) Ara’s Picks The Eagles - Farewell Live From Melbourne Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 If you like the Eagles then this Disc is for you! Not only do you get the classic Eagles you also get the best from the band member’s solo stuff. The concert was in 2004 so no need for restoration. Just crystal clean audio and video. I couldn’t help smiling through the whole thing. Audio was clear and tight! My favorite by a long shot! (Buy Now $16.88) Heart - Live Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 This was a Soundstage concert made specifically for DVD/Blu-ray which made me leery of buying it. I was worried that they wouldn’t bring the energy. Fear not! The ladies brought it and put on a great show that included their classic songs as well as some great Zeppelin covers. The video was good quality but the audio put you right in the middle of the audience. Mixed with the music coming from the front and crowd from the surrounds mad for an enjoyable disc. (Buy Now $9.99) Dire Straits - Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 I bought the Album and recorded it to cassette. Then I bought on CD and played it over and over again. I had never seen the concert but I knew it like the back of my hands. Seeing the concert made me so happy as now I could accurately imagine the scene. Unfortunately the video was 4:3 and not really the best. It was still better than SD but not on par with the other discs on the list. The audio wasn’t as good either. But it was certainly as good or better than the CD. I think I enjoyed this disc the most even though it was not technically as good as the others. That just goes to show you how powerful music is! It should always be enjoyed in the highest quality you can find!     (Buy Now $25.78)