I know I'm a couple years behind the curve on this, but I just recently got an SACD capable player. I bought some of the Stones hybrid SACD releases when they first came out, so I put one of those in when I got the player hooked up.

It's almost like hearing the music for the first time again! I heard details that I never heard before, even through headphones. For example, on Sympathy for the Devil (from Beggars Banquet) I could hear differences in where Charlie was hitting his cymbal (closer to the center sounds more like metal on metal).

It was honestly a revelation!

So now I'm wondering what other material I should be looking for on SACD, for a similar experience... any recommendations?

You might get some good ideas here:

http://www.sa-cd.net/toprecommendations

I've only started listening to SACD myself. So far David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, John Coltrane Blue Train and Elton John's Madman Across The Water.

What kind of SACD unit do you have? I have found that the degree of sacd quality seems to vary from company to company, Sony, Abkco, etc, but, man, you're right, when it's good it's very good!

The Stones SACDs, released in 2002, are already out-of-print (OOP). They are SACD/CD redbook hybrids. This is the early Stones stuff (DECCA/London/Abkco years). Later Stones is on Virgin, but they just switched to Universal. Stones on Virgin is generally pretty good, but you may want to wait on the Universal offerings - rumor has it there may be bonus tracks ("Criss Cross Man," etc.) Of course, they could be mastered too "loud" and then you'll want the older CDs.

What you can pick up now re: Abkco is only the DSD remastered redbook layer - still darn good, but the SACDs are worth getting if you have the player. Many stores still have them and they are plentiful on the auction site. If sealed, you can tell it is an SACD because it is in a digipack rather than a jewel case. "Let it Bleed" is the hardest SACD to find.

Another thing about the Beggar's Banquet SACD/CD is that they finally got the tape speed right.

Ken

I purchased the Aftermath one and love the sound. Paint it Black sounds great.....

What happened to the London CD's? No these are not the standard Abkco Releases. These were made in West Germany, and or Japan in the 80's. They all sound great, and at last check I could not find them. They sound every bit as good as the SACD's. If not better.

What happened to the London CD's? No these are not the standard Abkco Releases. These were made in West Germany, and or Japan in the 80's. They all sound great, and at last check I could not find them. They sound every bit as good as the SACD's. If not better.

OOP.

You are correct that they sound wonderful. Some of the analog to digital transfers were done by MFSL. They usually fetch about $50 (usually more)on the used market.

My West German (WG) London "Aftermath" is a dead ringer for my original pressing, Full Frequency Stereophonic Sound (FFSS) Decca "Aftermath" LP in wide S-T-E-R-E-O. Note - the SACD is not the wide stereo version, but is still really darn good, IMO.

The WG "Let it Bleed" (LIB) CD is so natural and non-fatiguing, and darn close to the FFSS LP. The clarity (guitar strings) on the LIB SACD can be amazing, though.

With digital Stones, it is hard to lose. Even the old US Abkco CDs are mastered quite well. For later, non-Abkco digital Stones, you will do fine with either Columbia or Virgin. While I seek out the Virgin UK "mastered by Nimbus" CDs for later Stones, I have an obvious Stones problem. Please don't get me started on a vinyl, mono, stereo discussion...

So now I'm wondering what other material I should be looking for on SACD, for a similar experience... any recommendations?

These 2 come to mind first....

Steely Dan - Gaucho
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Responding to the OP (rather than blathering on about the Stones), I would also check out the Dylan SACDs. They are hybrids. I believe they are OOP, but they are certainly not rare.

Also, "Dark Side of the Moon" on SACD is a classic. "Wish You Were Here" has been mastered for SACD (with a surround mix), but no release date has been announced.

"Wish You Were Here" has been mastered for SACD (with a surround mix), but no release date has been announced.

Artwork for the SACD has also been done. The SACD has been confirmed by both David Gilmour and Nick Mason in separate interviews, the most recent being the DG interview in the current issue of UK music magazine "Mojo".

The other Abkco SACDs are also excellent....Sam Cooke, the Animals, and Herman's Hermits.

Most of the SACD released by Sony were very good. However, you should consider those as OOP and if you see them, get them. Excellent titles include Billy Joel's "The Stranger" and Carole King's "Tapestry". And if you find the below SACD, buy it at all cost (because it was never officially released)....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/soundboy/IMG_0115.jpg

Cool, thanks everyone.

I have a number of the Stones SACDs (when they came out my plan was to get most of them if not all, but I got sidetracked somewhere along the way and only recently found out they were OOP). I have:

Out of Our Heads UK
Big Hits (High Tide & Green Grass)
Between The Buttons
Flowers
Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
Metamorphosis

and some more in progress. Pretty easy to find them, and not too bad on price either, if you're willing to navigate an auction instead of outright buying.

My player is an Oppo 980H, hooked up to a Pioneer A-35R and a pair of Platinum Audio PT-808(? company is long gone, but they are tower MTMs).

I have a lot of their stuff on LP as well. So nice to have choices!

....a pair of Platinum Audio PT-808(? company is long gone, but they are tower MTMs).

Platinum Audio? Is this the company that was founded by Phil Jones, formerly of Boston Acoustics? If so, his current speaker company is AAD.

Yes, that's the one. I think these were fairly low in the Platinum line. I got them for a very good price on closeout from Audio Advisor. His new stuff doesn't seem to have a lot in common with them. But they still sound good, and that's really what counts.

Cool, thanks everyone.

I have a number of the Stones SACDs (when they came out my plan was to get most of them if not all, but I got sidetracked somewhere along the way and only recently found out they were OOP). I have:

Out of Our Heads UK
Big Hits (High Tide & Green Grass)
Between The Buttons
Flowers
Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
Metamorphosis

and some more in progress. Pretty easy to find them, and not too bad on price either, if you're willing to navigate an auction instead of outright buying.

My player is an Oppo 980H, hooked up to a Pioneer A-35R and a pair of Platinum Audio PT-808(? company is long gone, but they are tower MTMs).

I have a lot of their stuff on LP as well. So nice to have choices!

Try and find the London Pressings in the used bins.