The Legion of Boom DVD-AUDIO [EXTRA TRACKS]

The Crystal Method

Product Details

• DVD Audio (August 3, 2004)
• Please Note: This is a DVD-Audio disc which is playable on most DVD players as well as all DVD-Audio players. Click here for additional information regarding compatibility.
• Original Release Date: August 3, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: DTS Entertainment
• ASIN: B0002F6BKQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,473 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Crystal Method's music isn't exactly the stuff high-resolution audio demos are made of, but it certainly provides excellent fodder for a surround sound demo. Perhaps that's why DTS choose not to include a single 24/96 track on the new Legion of Boom DVD-Audio. Both the 5.1-channel DVD-Audio and 6.1-channel DTS ES soundtracks are 24-bit/48-kilohertz, while the PCM stereo track is 16/48. No matter. The audio quality is good, but DTS is banking on the surround mix to draw people in. In keeping with the surround theme, the DVD-Audio's extras are all in DTS ES, including 16:9 versions of the original and director's cuts of the "Born Too Slow" video, directed by Gore Verbinski (The Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring). There's also a run-of-the-mill 11-minute making-of featurette, a photo gallery, a bio, and an interesting breakdown of the "True Grit" mix: You can listen to drums only, drums, and bass, everything but the vocals, and the final mix. It gives you a glimpse of how the duo work their mixing mojo. 5.1 Producer: Jeff Levison

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Legion of what boom?, February 13, 2006

By	C. Smith (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I need to make one thing quite clear about this review: I have more complaints about the quality of the audio on this disc than I do the actual music it contains.

The biggest problem facing this disc is it is sold as a DVD-Audio disc. One would hope that the DVD-A portion would then not suck. Unfortunately for Legion of Boom that isn't the case. The depth and impact the tracks have simply does not exist. Whoever was working at their soundboards must have fallen asleep or been stoned.

If you listen to the DTS portion of this disc you get a much more enjoyable experience. The bass exists and is in fact deep, strong and vibrant. In fact overall the entire range of sound is better on the DTS side than the DVD-Audio side. This simply shouldn't be, and if this were only marketed as a DTS disc I wouldn't be slamming it as much as I am.

I'd give this a 4 for the music but as a product I have to say I am heavily disappointed by the shortcomings of the DVD-A section of this disc.

For those of you who haven't got DVD-A playback you'll never know the difference.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crystal Method come back with a bang, September 13, 2005

By	S. Strasburg "riotivoxmradio" (slc utah) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of CM since Vegas came out. For those with a high-end home theater this DVD is a must. With DTS and Pro Logic decoding you will get an incredible sound and it will be perfect for showing off the power of your system. My walls shake when playing "Born too slow". Its quite an ear-trip.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Imperfect, but still great., February 27, 2006

By	Dave - See all my reviews

As mentioned in other reviews, the audio on this disc isn't of the highest resolution, at least compared to what is possible using the DVD-A format. However, compared to a standard CD, the audio is far superior in quality.

When you consider that the disc also gives you music in 5 or 6 distinct channels compared to 2 from a CD, and that this disc only costs $5 more than the CD, there is no question that it is the better choice for those of us lucky enough to have a DVD-A player.

Technical aspects aside, this disc a lot of fun. If you've been to a TCM concert like I have, this is probably the closest you'll ever get to reliving that experience at home. In some ways, the sound is even more immersive than a concert. Conventional rock bands use multichannel audio formats to send different instruments to different channels, reproducing the sensation of being in the recording studio or on stage at a concert. TCM, not being a conventional band has more freedom to play with the sound. If your surround setup is carefully tuned you'll hear sounds swirling around you, whipping back and forth between speakers, or creeping in over your head. If you're an audiophile, this disc demands more than casual listening. You'll want to stop what you're doing and listen to all the little audio tricks and games being played. As I said, it's a lot of fun.

The video content is also worthwhile if you're a big TCM fan. The content is mainly interviews about the making of the album and the making of the video for "Born Too Slow". It isn't thrilling, but it should be interesting to any true fan.

Amazons editorial review says that The Crystal Method's isn't exactly the type of music that DVD-A was intended for. It may not be Tchaikovsky or Miles Davis, but the TCM do more with the format in terms or sound placement and audio shenanigans than any other multichannel music I've listened to. I'm giving the disc 4 stars. If they boosted the bit rate and included more video content, I'd give 5.