Looking to compare SACD sound with redbook

I have a question that is directly related to this topic. I got into SACD because some of my favorite artists were being remastered (Police, Peter Gabriel, Dylan, Miles Davis, etc.) into the format. To my ears, the SACD of Ghost in the Machine is far better than one of the earlier redbook versions of that same album. Now, sticking with the Police for the moment, there discs have been remasterd several times since there original transfer into digital back in the 80's. So, in cases where discs are hybrids and contain both SACD layers and redbook layers, is the redbook layer the most recent remastering pre SACD?

I owned an Exemplar Denon 2900 for 5 months before I just sold it. Before that I owned the Sony XA777. The Exemplar completely bested the XA777 on redbook, but I found the two equivalent on SACD. The redbook performance of the Exemplar 2900 had me buying the recently remastered version of several Miles Davis CD's instead of looking for the SACD's. That player made me think twice about my investment in SACD.

I have about 140 SACD's now, and only about 25 of them are non-hybrid. Most of it is music I did not repurchase but was new music to me. My experience with the Exemplar Denon 2900 has me questioning what kind of player will be next for me, an awesome redbook player, or, a Universal of some kind.

Good thread, thanks,

I heartily suggest that you check out SACD. You can find threads on here that will direct you to great recordings, or if you request, I'll suggest two or three for you. Especially if you like jazz or classical, there are many, many great SACD recordings. In my experience, the best SACD stomps the lights out of redbook CD.

Moreover, you can get this killer performance in a relatively inexpensive unit.

But that's just my experience. You owe it to yourself to check it out for yourself and make up your own mind.

Tvad,funny you should mention DSOTM.That SACD caused some grumbling.
the multichannel SACD remix has been done with care and taste, and the two-channel SACD version is a straight digital transfer from the analog master tape. But the CD layer...?

JI describes it as sounding "less detailed and more congested...more forward than the SACD layer, and much louder than my original Harvest/EMI (Japan) CD

The Multi/SACD layer is considered revelatory as you say,and glorious.Many things on the masters formerly left off concurrent releases where included in this Multichannel SACD mix
However they chose to aim the redbook layer mix towards listening for mobile or noisy enviroments.Then only did a straight transfer from DSD archive mastering for 2channel SACD,no touch ups or even cleaning the hiss!
It is cooked.
Compressed and limited to the point that many prefer even the more congested of other versions.
Wealth of Dark Side ink on this link
http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/851/

sorry that block of text from review should be in quotes as follows(I hit submit vs edit!!)

"the multichannel SACD remix has been done with care and taste, and the two-channel SACD version is a straight digital transfer from the analog master tape. But the CD layer...?
JI describes it as sounding "less detailed and more congested...more forward than the SACD layer, and much louder than my original Harvest/EMI (Japan) CD"