Just played this SACD on my system, and wow, I am speechless.

Amazon.com: Hotel California: Eagles: Music

I listened to the 5.1 SACD layer first, then the 2 channel SACD layer, and I can't really definitely say that I prefer the 2 channel SACD.

Some recordings, like the Norah Jones SACD, sounded more natrual in 2 channel SACD than the 5.1 SACD, that is not the case with the Eagles. If you prefer the 2 channel, it is only because that is your preference, not because of any technical issues of the recording or mixing.

If you like their music, and has the equipment, get it, you won't regret it.

 

I have a great white paper someplace (might be a hard copy that I will have to dig in my storage for) by Bob Stuart, founder of Meridian Audio, the goes back to the very beginning of stereo design. As the the industry moved from mono technology into multi channel music reproduction they wanted to create a seamless front stage. The challenge was the limitations of phono and the fact that a needle could only pick up left and right of the sound stage. From the very beginning the engineers wanted 3 channels of music but the technology wasn't there to support it. Meridian created MLP (Meridian Lossless Package) compression in the 90's and that ended up becoming the codec for SACD.

In '98 I went to England for Meridian training at the factory and was fortunate to be in a small group of 8 people. Bob an the entire day with us explaining how this compression might be hated by the audiophile groups but if they only knew the history of multi channel music reproduction they would realize this is what the engineers were trying to create from the start. What a great day, drinking beer and having open conversations with someone who was writing history and listening to track after track of great audio on all different brands of products as well as the Meridian Digital systems.

I have a real hard time listening to music from behind me. The Egales mix did an excellent job of creating a realistic listening experience with crowd noise and just a little reverb off the back walls of the hall, but 90% of the signal comes from the front stage as it should be. Unfortunately that is one of a very few recordings out there that I can listen too with all channels turned on. I will use 3 channel, if mixed correctly or back to just 2 channel because most mixes just dont "get it".

 

A quick search found this. But it isn't the same white paper I explained. I will try to find it tonight if anyone is interested in reading it. It is very technical and boring to most, but I find this stuff fascinating.

http://www.meridian.co.uk/ara/multips3.pdf

 

Linn does a fantastic job with their multi channel classical SACD recordings. I have never been disappointed with them.

But yeah, most of the time for the older recordings I use the 2 channel SACD layer for the increased resolution over redbook. The Norah Jones stereo SACD layer is night and day better than the redbook it aint even funny, and the redbook was not half bad.

 

Would love to read it. I have an EE degree, and actually stayed awake for the Nyquist lecture.

 

LOL. I am a huge Linn fan as well. I also got to spend a week long training with them in Glasgow a number of years ago. I had a Linn Movie with Tukans in my bedroom and in my main room I had Majik system running 5140's acktive. I loved that system!! The musicality was nothing short of amazing.

Then I moved to a multi channel system with Meridian 500 headend and DSP5000's and DSP3300's. I enjoyed the Meridian system for music but I didn't have the money to invest or the space for a 3rd DSP5000C in the center and it just never really sounded balanced. I only had that set up for 18 months or so before I sold it, I haven't spent any real money on audio since.

I have never owned B&W or Wilson and I love them both, very different but yet very similar. I have nothing to speak of today and the next system I build will be 2 channel with either 802D's or Puppy's with a nice monster amp. I'm going deaf in my old age so it is time to go for some slam and volume