Doing my first listen of the new Patrica Barber - Cafe Blue unmastered. As far as comparing to the earlier SACD, overall I think it may not be as impressive sounding. By that I don't mean it does not sound good, in fact, in many ways, I like it better. It's just that it does not force my speakers to do dramatic things at the level the earlier one does. The new SACD may actually have more dynamic range than the other but only because the quieter parts are more quiet? It has a little less emphasis to the higher volume portions of the tracks. The earlier SACD really takes these elements over the top. I think this newer unmastered SACD is more natural sounding and possibly more raw with some improved acoustical qualities. If you want an SACD to show off the performance of your system, I don't think you can beat the earlier SACD. If you want to hear some musicians perform in the studio, the newer one does it exceptionally well. Sort of like unplugged so to speak. I love this album and this disc is well worth owning!
Yamaha CD-S2000 > Modwright LS 36.5 DM > Modwright KWA 150 SE > Soliloquy 6.5