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Since it has been five years since the debut of SACD, one might think that the debate as to where it fits within the audiophile food chain would have been put to rest. But as with most things audio, reality conspires to make rational comparisons between formats tough. One is never sure if two releases on different formats have been rendered from the same source, or, as we discovered with the recent Dark Side of the Moon hybrid SACD, from completely different masters.

For years, Stereophile's John Atkinson has been sorting through these issues while simultaneously receiving letters and email from readers asking when he was going to try his own hand at a high-resolution digital release. JA has been involved in dozens of recordings over the last two decades, both analog and CD, but had not released anything in high-rez digital with his name on it—until now.

Available this week via our secure web page are a pair of discs produced by JA and recorded in collaboration with engineer Tony Faulkner and Musical Fidelity records. The full name of the recording is K622: Mozart Clarinet Concerto, and it features Musical Fidelity's Antony Michaelson on clarinet (his last public recording) with the Michaelangelo Chamber Orchestra conducted by Robert Bailey.

But here's the fun part for audiophiles: One disc is a hybrid SACD, and the other a vinyl LP. And it gets even better. Not only was exacting care taken in choosing the very best in recording technologies from the likes of Tim de Paravicini and others, but everything was recorded directly to DSD and analog tape at the same time, and then transferred to disc with a variety of methods.

As a result, each track can be compared five different ways using three different formats. On the SACD there are two DSD versions of each performance (one direct to DSD, and one converted from analog) and two PCM versions (one downsampled from DSD and one converted from analog). And then there is the direct from analog, 180gm LP version of the same performance, mastered by Stan Ricker and pressed by RTI in Camarillo, CA.

The entire process is documented in depth in JA's article about the sessions, including a fascinating interview with Tony Faulkner, who reveals what he likes and dislikes about DSD, PCM, and analog. Compare formats—or simply sit back and enjoy this masterful performance and recording.

Please note: we'll be asking for reader comments about the various formats available with this release. If you pick up either the SACD/CD, LP or both, send your observations about how the formats compare to Jon.Iverson@Primedia.com.