I dont know if your Sony was bought new or used but for some reason SACD players take an insane amount of time to burn in. After 2-300 hours their were discs I really could not tell much of a difference in from the redbook. Now that Ive had the player 6-8 months, and Im guessing their is more like 700 hours on it, those same discs I can hear the difference. And Yes some discs are recorded poorly, some are amazing, you have recieved some good suggestions.
"Must-have" SACDs Out There
I just got a Sony XA-777ES SACD player. I was initially disappointed with the performace. I could not hear much difference between the CD layer and SACD layer on the Sample CD that comes with the player. I went out and bought the "Norah Jones: Comes away with me" SACD and started listening, then I begin to realize the advantages of SACD. As far as I can tell so far, the music is smoother, less harsh, and has a overall quieter background. What else should I be listening to? What are the "must-have" SACDs out there?