Customer Reviews

Sector 2

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As with my previous review on Sector 3, Sector 2 does not dissapoint. This set includes Rush albums from A Farewell To Kings to the live album Exit...Stage Left. Each album sounds fantastic, like a breath of fresh air has been breathed into each album. The packaging is really neat, but like others have said it can be a pain. Some of the CD's did have small scratches present on them, but nothing too major. The artwork on this particular set is pretty close compared to the way the original vinyl album appeared. Now for the sound, as I said before, each album sounds excellent. Starting with 'Kings', it begins with a sound, probably Alex beginning to play the acoustic intro, that was not present on the '97 remaster. Very interesting. As for Hemispheres, the more I listen to it, the more apparent it is to me that the '97 remaster must have used 'no-noise', as this 2011 has more hiss like the original album, where as each song segues into one another. According to other reviewers, the version of Moving Pictures in the Sector 2 box set and the one released previously as a CD/Blu-Ray edition are the same remaster, although I cannot personally confirm this, other than the 2011 version definately sounds superior to the '97. And finally, and maybe most importantly, 'Exit' has never sound better. As many of you are aware of the less-than-stellar production for the album which there really can be nothing done about, this remaster really packs a punch and sounds miles ahead any previous edition. As for the AFTK Audio-DVD, as far as I know there is a problem with the mix on 'Closer to the Heart' and possibly another issue stated by other reviewers. Hopefully they can resolve these issues in due time, along with the issues present in Sector 1. Other than that, these sets are definitely worth it for the sound alone, along with the neat packaging and a great booklet with photos/lyrics/credits. If you're a Rush fan and wondering if these remasters are worth it, let your ears decide!

I took what I was playing at home on my cd and matched them to the Sectors. WOW what a difference. I dont understand what everyone is complaning about... I just wish there was sectors 4 and 5. The packaging is really cool and I like the books.

What you might call "Hidden" albums can be found in all three Sector box sets AND in the "Moving Pictures" DVD-Audio disc. If you have a portable DVD-Audio player or have the ability to hear the "Surround" versions of the music only decoded in "Stereo" through your system you will discover fun and interesting versions of some of our favourite Rush albums. The Sector box sets are worth the price for these versions alone. Particularly interesting are: "By-Tor & The Snow Dog", "Xanadu", "Cygnus X-1" and "YYZ". Most fascinating of all are the versions of "Witch Hunt" (minus the crowd), "The Camera Eye" (incredibly clear dialogue!) and especially "Countdown", with ALL the NASA dialogue removed. The latter can be a strange and disconcerting experience but is unforgettable. If you are a musician or are just fascinated with hearing all the notes played or each drumskin hit and roll you won't be disappointed. Geddy's bass and Neil's drums are showcased distinctively in these versions. A welcome and invaluable addition to the best work in the RUSH catalog. I can only hope that when the rest of these Mercury albums are soon released as high resolution downloads they will also be released as physical DVD-Audio discs as well. Enjoy!

Just got Sector 2 which comprises my favorite Rush era. The sound is a huge improvement from the old CD's - awesome! Though it's kind of baffling why only A Farewell to Kings is the only album that comes in surround (DVD-A). I know Moving Pictures is available in surround but oddly not included here so you have to buy it separately...

Seeing all these negative reviews are quite odd to me as I have had absolutely NO trouble at all w/ any of these cds! Sector 1 was superb! Sector 2 working on Disc 3 so far..... so, so far, so good!! Very pleased! :)

The new remasters sound wonderful, I like them better than any previously released recordings. A Farewell to Kings in 5.1 is a gem!

The packaging however is an unmitigated disaster!

Every single disc in my Sector 2 box set has feathered scratching on the disc playing surface. They either came out of the factory that way or the plastic sleeves are the cause. Either way, this is totally unacceptable. I ended up putting the entire set in jewel cases to avoid any further damage to the disc surface. The plastic sleeves are a joke. The playing surface of any CD should never be in contact with anything period.

5 stars for the remasters....they sound absolutely superb.

1 star for packaging only because Amazon doesn't allow 0 stars which is what it should be.

If you were excited by the DVD-A of moving pictures, then this one should have you jumping for joy. It rocks much better and is a better surround experience. 5 stars for the sound and mix. Since I already have the CDs and LPs several times over, it was an expensive purchase...

Like Duane, I have the same problem with the "A Farewell to Kings" DVD-Audio. The only way it will play is in DVD Video mode. I bought Sector 2 to get the DVD-Audio. It is very discouraging to hear that Duane returned it only to get another one with the same problem. I will be returning mine today. I was going to exchange it for another copy, but that may be fultile as it now appears these discs may all be faulty. I also have the Oppo BDP-83 and have no problems with any other DVD-Audio disc. I tried this disc in an older model Pioneer Elite DVD-Audio player and while it would spin it, the sound was totally messed up. The sub was extremely loud and the front channels were extremely low. Something is seriously wrong with the authoring on this disc. It will play surround in DVD-Video mode but you loose the hi rez audio and the lyrics. Trying to play the dvd-audio results in the player locking up. I have to unplug the player from power and plug it back in to eject the disc. This is unacceptable. If anyone buys this and the dvd-audio (not the 5.1 dvd video) works fine, please post it and let us know where you purchased it. I would love to get a working copy. This should easily be a Five Star set, but with these problems I can only give it one star.

*** Update. The latest Public Beta Firmware from Oppo corrected this issue. Note that the latest approved firmware did not work. My only problem with this set was the inability to play this disc. This is now resolved and the rating changed to 5 stars.

just finished listening to Sector 2, and like Sector 1, the sound is the cleanest, crisp, mastering ever for any Rush catalog to be placed on cd, ( Finally) Never has A Farewell to Kings , Hemespheres, and Permanent Waves sounded so fantastic. As For Moving Pictures, well this is the same version ,that was just released a few months back in a special deluxe edition, so for those who already have that one, well then you know that it is already superb. listening to Signals on sectore 3, but I'll save that for the S# review.

Rush posted on their site that there was some error in the production of some of the discs. They will be making good on it. The corrected versions are in production now. Go to their site to read about it:

[...]