These are all hybrid SACDs:

     

     

     

    

  

http://www.amazon.com/s/?node=5174&fiel ... g=imwan-20

Audio Fidelity's 2014 release schedule kicks off with these two hybrid SACD stereo remasters, both due at Amazon on January 21st:

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H2IM51U/?tag=imwan-20

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Scorpions - Blackout



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H2IJY0K/?tag=imwan-20

Two albums that are my favorites by both artists. Too bad they're not in surround.

Want 'em both. Money???? WTF's that?

My AF AC School's Out (Still Sealed) was one of the discs stolen by the crooked Craig's list "electrical contractor" that started all my financial problems about this time last year.

Jon Anderson's Olias Of Sunhillow has been added to the January 21st releases:



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HB54FUS/?tag=imwan-20

Kind of a left field release from my point of view.

Left field for your own collection, you mean, or for an Audio Fidelity release?

Left field for Audio Fidelity.

How so? Wouldn't any Yes-related album be a natural for them?

The Yes albums were bigger commercially and are more well-known. It's cool that they're doing this, but I was surprised by the choice, that's all.

I wouldn't have expected that one either.

My Yes CTTE Bu is supposed to be here today. I am anxious to compare it to the Hoffman SACD.

And I will be curious to read what you think.

Double posting, as it could belong in either thread...........

Since I haven't read ANY direct comparisons between the AF (Hoffman) SACD CTTE & the Panegyric (Wilson) blu-ray here are some thoughts.

First The one major 1 negative on the Panegyric: The blu-ray is in cardboard packaging with hard paper inner sleeves.

The pop up menu is also a bit hard to read if you want to switch in the middle of one version to another.

Beyond that..........

This didn't take all that long. I've owned the AF SACD for quite sometime, & I've heard rips of the Panegyric; but I didn't want to do any direct comparisons out of fairness until I had the official blu-ray in my grubby little paws. The also have only 3 songs in common: the 3 original mixes of the original album.

And that was my 1st surprise: I planned to compare the Wilson "Flat transfers" of the original to the Hoffman, & than the winner of those 2 to the Wilson remix.

Well to my surprise (Caveat is one is an SACD & one is a blu-ray; & I have no idea if the Oppo 95 uses different circuitry to decode the 2 formats) Hoffman did not even come close to doing a flat transfer. His version is much louder than Wilson's flat transfers (& about the same volume level subjectively as Wilson's remixes); is brighter than any of the Wilson versions & soundstages better than Wilson's "flat transfers".

That said, Wilson's remixes blow away both of the other versions.

My preference from best to worst is thus (all 2.0):
1. Wilson Remixes
2. Hoffman SACD
3. Wilson "flat transfer"

I will state that any of the 3 is better than any other digital version I've ever heard; in fact I have no plans to play the Panegyric cd or to keep my expanded Warner cd. I haven't yet decided if I''m going to keep the AF.

I haven't even touched on all the other features on the Panegyric. First if you own a br player, buy the blu; the instrumental version of America is worth the price of entry all on it's own. Second as previously discussed here, both Panegyric's have tons of extra material not on any other version, with the Blu having a bit more. And for those unlike me into surround, the Panegyric also has numerous hi res surround options

I didn't necessarily expect to prefer the remix of an album I've owned since the early 70's, but this was the case, & by a fairly wide margin.

Just linking to the Close To The Edge versions discussed above:

Hoffman SACD
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A93ENI8/?tag=imwan-20

Wilson CD/DVD-A Set
US - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EG0MVR0/?tag=imwan-20
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EG0MVR0/?tag=imwan-21

Wilson CD/Blu-ray Set
US - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EG0MVMA/?tag=imwan-20
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EG0MVMA/?tag=imwan-21

Great comparison, Thanks Geoff

I have the AF CTTE and wasn't impressed.
But I don't like the album enough to bother with another version that will get played a couple of times then filed along with the AF.
Definitely makes me think I need to buy more of SW's work, all I have are the two ELP's (along with the Porcupine Tree DVD-A''s)

You're welcome. There's a longer 2 part version of the post in the Yes CTTE thread.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=84202&start=143

While I am bored by what I've heard from AF, doing Blackout is a kick-ass choice.

That is one fuck of an album! That to me, is one of the greatest Metal albums ever made and still sounds fresh.

Bump: The Scorpions disc is still scheduled for January 21st, but Jon Anderson and Alice Cooper have been pushed back to February 4th ...

   

I'm really interested in the Scorps as it's SACD & previous releases sounded pretty bad.

These hybrid SACDs are now pencilled in for February 18th. (Would it be too much to hope for the original version of Magazine?)

Heart - Magazine



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUG74GK/?tag=imwan-20

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Peter, Paul And Mary - Peter, Paul And Mary



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUG74RO/?tag=imwan-20

The song line-up on the disc follows the standard album, not the original withdrawn version.

My guess is Yes, it is too much to hope for; though how cool that would be: both versions on an SACD!