Layla SACD (1 Viewer)

[Phil A]

Only listened to about half of it. Taking a quick break. Compared a few cuts in MC vs. Stereo SACD and definitely liked the MC better so far. Would call the mix ambient and it seems to take a veil off the music vs. the 2-channel SACD on what I have listened to. Have not listened to the CD Audio on it or compared it to the original CD. But so far I am quite pleased.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

It's a good disc but the original recording had lots of problems. In 2 channel mode, Eric Clapton's voice is often recessed.

 

[Phil A]

Lee, had not listend to the 20th anniv. CD I got for a while but from my brief listen to the SACD on 2-Channel it was a bit recessed. The voices and depth seemed to come alive more (from the 3 tracks I experimented with) on multi-channel. It seem to lift the veil off the vocals in multi-channel. There was some brief instances I wish the rears were a hair lower (maybe just even a single DB) but from what I heard last night, I was quite impressed with the multi-channel. On many things I find the opposite that with multi-channel the voice imaging does not seem as good. Then I usually plop the disc in one of my other systems. I'll probably do that later too with a couple of cuts in the basement system.

I picked up the Peachtree Road (for $9.99 at BB) SACD and will listen it tonight and then afterwards perhaps compare some tracks on (the Layla) CD both on the hybrid and the regular CD and give the multi-channel another listen.

 

[KevinJ]

i listened to this disc[cd layer only]all the way through and eric's voice was not recessed at all as far as i could tell[maybe they remixed it a bit]

 

[Phil A]

I just did an interesting experiment. I took out the 20th anniv. edition CD and listened to the 5th cut - "I am yours"

I then stuck the hybrid in and listened to the CD layer.
Observations:

1) output levels are a bit different - no big deal
2) on the old CD the lead guitar is more shrill and bright.
The rhythm guitar seems to come from just inside the
right speakers and the bongos and bass are not that great
kind of sloppy. The hybrid CD layer has the rhythm
guitar appear to come from near the center. The bass
and bongos (on the right) seem better defined and have
more weight as does the voices.
3) On the 2-channel SACD layer the above qualites were
even noticed more and separation seemed a bit better and
the presentation a drop more relaxed,
4) on the multi-channel SACD layer the rhythm guitar was
coming from the area it was on the 20th anniv. edition
CD and depth and separation and forwardness of the voice
were easily better than on the 2-channel SACD layer.

I'll listen to other cuts more eventually (my friend is coming over with his XA-9000ES tomorrow to compare with my modded XA-777ES and I'll likely be getting the Elton John SACDs on Friday and have lots more stuff on the way) but this shows me what can be done that can even make something satisfy more of a 2-channel audiophile in the multi-channel mode. I have not tried it in my other systems yet but the main system has Thiel 7.2s as the left and right, 2 Rel Storm III subs, Bryston 14BSST amp, Bryston SP 1.7 pre along with the Modwright XA-777ES - so it is not something that horribly lacks the ability to reproduce something decently on 2-channel playback. While a disc such as this may not be to everyone's taste, it does show there can be differences that some prefer in multi-channel.