SACD 2 channel vs Hybrid SACD

I'm confused!!! So what's new?!

I have an Arcam cdp that plays both redbook and HDCDs. Does anyone issue HDCDs anymore? Anyway, when I play a HDCD, a red light comes on.

I've picked up a couple of SACD titles (Dylan reissues) and they sound great on the Arcam. Here's the strange thing (to me, anyway):

When I play a Dylan SACD sampler (the one that comes with the "Masked and Anonymous" soundtrack), the red light on the Arcam comes on. When I play one of the reissued Dylan titles, the red light does not come on.

So, is my Arcam playing the CD layer or the SACD layer? If it's playing the CD layer, why does it sound so much better than the original redbook disc? I presume the CD layer itself has also been remastered... yes?

If it's the SACD layer, what is the difference between SACD and HDCD?

You are playing the remastered redbook.

Dave

Your Arcam cannot read the SACD layer of the discs you mention, but they are hybrid discs, with a CD layer as well as an SACD layer--you're hearing the CD layer. I think the big difference between the old and new redbook discs is that the new Dylan discs were remastered much better than before. I didn't know that the Dylan CD layer was HDCD encoded, but there are apparently a number of such discs that are HDCD but not labeled as such, so maybe this was one of them. HDCD is still alive (Reference Recordings is its biggest proponent, but other labels use it too), just hadn't heard of Sony using it till now!

Chris all the CD layers on the Dylan reissues are remastered.
Strange quirk with the Arcam/HDCD I would guess there is something on the sampler disc which causes the HDCD chip to think it is a HDCD-I doubt very much it is indeed a HDCD disc as well as a SACD.
For what it's worth like the Stones reissues I don't think the SACD layer on the Dylan discs sound that different from the CD layer-I haven't listened to them all in detail but I stand by my previous impression on hybrid discs that they are pretty much self-defeating because of this.

Thanks Rcprince and Ben! That clears things up greatly!