EMM LABS sacd vs cd

Yes you've finally come to your senses! :D SACD does the holographic surround effect with 2CH that redbook can't match. Not sure whether that's realistic but it's fun nevertheless.

I don't own the Emmlabs combo, but as good as the DCC2/CDSD combo is on redbook playback, what I think you're discussing here is SACD vs CD.

The Kind of Blue is a famous recording. A big part of the magic of the performance is listening to the subtle things that the artists do. While I do think the SACD version brings further clarity to the performance, it's hardly a showcase disc.

What you need to do is compare the best SACD recordings to the best redbook recordings that exist. I think you'll find that SACD is quite a bit superior. On a good Hybrid SACD recording, I find that the redbook layer frequently has an electronic warmth that at first seems to be more pleasing. When I compare the SACD layer with the redbook layer, I always get the feeling that the SACD was more digital sounding (high resolution) while the redbook layer was more electronic sounding (think a well recorded MP3). To me, the redbook layer, in comparison is like defocusing a projector to hide the projector's flaws or at times like instruments miked and being played through speakers at a live concert. Some people say that PCM is more fragile and I do find that the sound breaks up at frequency extremes more often than not. I sometimes prefer the redbook layer myself as it can sound softer and warmer can so it's easier to listen to.

At cruising speeds, a bigger engine tends to be quieter than a smaller engine. When accelerating lightly, you also tend not to notice a difference in power. Many times the car with the smaller engine will be much more comfortable to drive because you won't have the car lurching ahead when you happen to apply a bit more pressure than usual to the gas pedal. But when you need to accelerate quickly, you'll feel the smaller engine working harder and straining in comparison.

In music, a musician is never called a virtuoso unless they have absolute command and control throughout the entire range of their instrument. When redbook CDs stay within their comfort zone they can sound very good. But SACD's simply have a broader range of control, whether in frequency or in volume.