SACD/DVD-A and 2-channel recordings

Pard, you're right. When you said "layer," I thought of hybrids, but yes, a multichannel SACD includes a 2-channel version on the SACD layer, whether or not it's a hybrid disk.

It's on the DVD-A side that you get a mixdown if you've only got a two-channel set-up.

There's still the question of the quality of the mastering on the 2-channel version. See the recent storm over Dark Side of the Moon.

Bomarc, I thought the DSOTM storm was about dynamic compression on the CD layer, not about the 2 channel SACD layer...?

Quite true, Cal, in this particular case, but I think it's symptomatic of a larger danger. When the primary product is a multichannel recording (as the DSOTM SACD release certainly was), any included 2-channel version may be just an afterthought. And when there are SACD boomboxes and SACD Walkmen, will 2-channel SACD mixes be as awful as most pop mixes are nowadays?

I am fairly sure it is in the specs, (what are they calling it, scarletbook?) that all SACDs are required to have a 2 channel mix. The multichannel and hybrid are optional.

I don't know of any DVD-A that include 2 channel mixes, but then again, I dont own any.

I might have been a little sloppy in my language use when I used the term "layer" instead of "mix". It appears that atleast for SACD's, there will always be a newly mixed 2 channel SACD version even when there is also a multichannel version.

Thanks all,