Am I the only one purchasing hybrid disc's.......

Pawlowski - I'm listening to a two channel redbook system. My point of reference is other well recorded redbook recordings. I do not have either a SACD player or a multichannel system. But I'm very much into audio and I have a large collection by any standard to judge by.

I have a reasonable amount of hybrids (approx 45) and I only listen to the redbook layer.
Simply because my CD player(Ayre CX7) is better than my SACD player (Sony DVPNS900V).

Interesting I have had just the opposite experience, I have found that the redbook layer on the Hybrid disc is superior to the redbook only disc. And I always buy the Hybrid disc over the redbook only version when it is available.

I think it depends. I think if the Hybrid SACD is being re-mastered, the Redbook layer can potentially sound better. that's what I've discovered. Some are better, some worse.

Sad issue is I have had some stuff that I got on hybrid, ran in SACD, and then my friend had very recent redbook remasters from around 2002' up for the same disc, and in SACD vs. the remastered Redbook the Red sounded more dynamic, had better bottom end, and sounded less edgy on my redbook dac, now again this was mostly rock stuff, and things like peter gabriel, Roxy music, Bowie, Steely Dan, Floyd, Aerosmith, Alice in chains etc… Also my friend had a Roxy SACD hybrid, and vs. my Standard brand new at the time Remaster Redbook, it Got stomped, he went and dumped the Hybrid immediately to get the new Redbook version..

But yeah I have since eliminated SACD and all the universal machines from my system that have been battling with me for the last 4 years.. I know people swear by SACD with mostly the Jazz and classical stuff, I have a few Jazz CD's that also in remastered form . Now for me if you want SACD the reality is from my experience worry about getting the surround format of it working and you might gain something different from them in 5.1, 2 channel they are rendered pointless vs. Vinyl or excellent redbook in my opinion. I went deep into DVD-A as well for a while on my surround setup, most were Horrible for some reason, and actually DTS DVD's were better in general. So unless you have found some that are in fact better in SACD, and I am not saying it is not possible, than don't worry about it.