CD vs SACD in STEREO

@yoyoyaya 

in 85 it would have been impossible to produce a commercial multitrack album purely digitally because there was no software capable of doing what outboard compressors, equalizers, reverb do. 

Except that well-made classical recordings rarely resort to outboard compressors, equalisers or reverb.  From Mercury Living Presence through RCA Living Stereo and on to 2L today, many classical recordings use purist microphone techniques where sound quality is determined by the conductor and musicians, not some bloke on a mixing desk.

1985 is about 15 years before the SACD specification was released. But Pentatone, for example, has access to quadraphonic recordings made in the 1970s.

@richardbrand "Multichannel Support: The format was designed to support both high-quality stereo and multichannel surround sound (e.g., 5.1 surround). Multichannel SACDs provide a more immersive listening experience with discrete back and center channels.". - Chat GPT

ChatGPT is wrong. I suspect it's getting confused with DVD-Audio. 

@ericrhodes1 

ChatGPT is wrong. I suspect it's getting confused with DVD-Audio

No, I suspect you are the one getting confused.  To settle the debate, all you have to do is read the Scarlet Book but that costs money!

Only DVD-A was multi channel for a very long time after that. I sold them both in '99

Amazing 'cos the SACD defining document was only released in '99.  I suspect you are based in North America whereas SACD is a European / Japanese invention primarily designed for classical music.

SACD was always intended to support multiple formats, 5.1, PCM and Direct Stream Digital 64 imprinted in multiple layers on the disc which is why it immediately superseded DVD audio which I believe is only 96Khz PCM which also supported 5.1. I have a couple examples of those, Pet Sounds and Hotel California from when I had a Denon DVD player that supported the format. Much rather listen to them on vinyl!

Single layer SACD is also available of which I have a few Steely Dan Japanese SHM that are only mastered in stereo.

@richardbrand you "read it in a book that ’costs money?’

You do realize that sounds like, "I read it on the internet." Right?

Well I was among the first of those in the technologically ignorant "North America" to be trained by the distributors of and sell the first SACD player, the Sony SCD-1 in 1999.  An impressive piece indeed. Definitely only two channel unlike it’s competition from Technics (which I also sold and purchased) The DVD A10.