Hi,

It's only better if it has been remastered, and album reissues on hybrid SACD are remastered. I experienced this with the famous Roxy Music album "Avalon", "Oh, Mercy" and "Infidels" by Bob Dylan, "461 Ocean Boulevard" by Clapton. SACD layer sounds much better than CD layer, and as far as I know, there's only one player which SPDIF is enabled for SACD playback (SPDIF output set on PCM, stereo only) and I own it. It's a cheap DVD player, and the original firmware enables digital output for SACD, newer firmwares have been "corrected" and digital output for SACD is off.

Hello,

Yes it seems like the sound quality has more to do with the mastering than the issue itself. If no remastering I've never been able to hear any difference between the hybrid PCM layer and the CD on any recording. For example, the gospel music by T Minus 5 on IsoMike Recordings: originally a DSD recording, the CD and the SACD hybrid issues of Precious Lord, Take my hand are exactly identical. Both issues have a nice sound but I prefer the DSD playback.

what type of player you are using then+?