Isao Tomita - Holst: The Planets (2012 Remastered Edition) | Classical Electronic Music Album for Relaxation, Study & Space-Themed Events

..... For this much money, one might as well get the SACD, even if you don't have a surround system to play it on. The new mix knocked my socks off. Much more about that below ...May 2017 Major Update!This is my CLASSICAL TOMITA GUIDE, but first some Exciting News... TOMITA has released NINE (Super Audio) SACDs in Discrete 4.1 Channel Sound – the very definition of QUADRAPHONIC (so much better than regular Surround Sound)!! FIVE of these are Classical re-releases and Mr. TOMITA himself created new sounds, music, and multi-track mixes for many original tracks, and added new tracks to most of them!* * * * * * * *CLASSICAL TOMITA GUIDE with REVIEWSIn TOMITA's music I have found serene beauty, relaxation, landscapes of wonder, mysterious spaces, thrilling excitement, fascinating dimensions, inspiration, and some fun. The music he creates is more natural, mellow, and rich, with more depth, color, imagery, feeling, and thought than any other synthesized music I have ever heard. He makes classical music come alive, with never before seen, heard, or felt images and sounds.As a person who began collecting TOMITA and other electronic music when I was 18 in 1978, plus the original symphony orchestra versions of the classical music that TOMITA used, I hope you consider me qualified to create the following list of TOMITA albums and review them as well. Thank you all so much for the votes.Scroll down for the IMPORTANT and HELPFUL SOUND QUALITY COMPARISON BUYER’S GUIDE, and more about Quadraphonic.SACD NOTEThe SACDs say DSD 4.0 on the cover, but they show DSD 5.1 when playing, and they DO use the Subwoofer, but NOT the Front Center Speaker, so they are actually 4.1, and that is perfect. (I just double-checked. That is accurate.)* * *MUSIC REVIEWSSNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING 1974 (Debussy)(11 Debussy pieces)I love the range of styles in this album, the relaxing beauty, the depth of colors. The Snowflakes album is very enjoyable; one of the few CDs that I listen to again and again. To me, SNOWFLAKES is in TOMITA's top three.The newly remastered HIGH PERFORMANCE CD from 2000 is 24/96 Audiophile Quality on any player, and adds “Prelude To The Afternoon of a Faun,” also by Debussy.CLAIR DE LUNE - ULTIMATE EDITION 2012 (SACD DSD 4.1 Surround Hybrid)Finally! A New TOMITA CD!! And it is superb. It adds the never before released “Second Arabesque” (which is delightful fun as it should be), “Whistle and Chime (The Art of Sound Creation)”, and “Nauges.” This QUADRAPHONIC SACD is a completely new experience. Several of the original tracks feature new and different mixes by Mr. TOMITA. “Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun” is missing, but this is a great new album!* * *PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION 1975 (Mussorgsky)For this album (also in the top 3) TOMITA created some of the most unusual, high quality electronic sounds ever heard. Then he used these sounds very effectively in some amazing orchestrations. The listening is as enjoyable as it is bizarre, quite an accomplishment in itself. (Unlike other synthesized music, I have never gotten a headache listening to this or any other TOMITA recording. Not even close. Not even when playing his music loud, which I love to do.)PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION - ULTIMATE EDITION 2014 (SACD DSD 4.1 Surround Hybrid)(Moussorgsky: PICTURES. Rimsky-Korsakov: SCHEHERAZADE- excerpt of Part I. Bach-TOMITA: Sea Named Solaris- excerpt).Finally!! For the first time ever, one of the most amazing Quadraphonic albums ever produced in magnificent Discrete 4-Channel Quadraphonic Sound!!!* * *FIREBIRD 1976 (various)(Stravinsky: FIREBIRD SUITE. Debussy: “Prelude To The Afternoon of A Faun.” Mussorgsky: “Night On Bare Mountain.”)FIREBIRD is one of TOMITA's best albums. “The Round of the Princesses” is beautiful. The “Infernal Dance of King Kastchei” is exciting, scary, and LOUD - much more so than any performance by any orchestra. The “Finale” is so awesome; TOMITA played it at the end of his live concerts.* * *THE PLANETS 1976 (Holst)THE PLANETS is a completely different mood for TOMITA, but he did a fantastic job on it. Each time I hear any part of THE PLANETS performed by Symphony Orchestra, it sounds very two-dimensional and just falls flat compared to TOMITA’s. It is as if Holst composed THE PLANETS for TOMITA, even though the Holst family would not allow this album to be released in England. They didn’t like that Uranus and Neptune were abridged, but the blending and poignant ending are pure genius, even more so in the new SACD...THE PLANETS - ULTIMATE EDITION 2011 (SACD DSD 4.1 Surround Hybrid)This New QUADRAPHONIC PLANETS album on SACD has a nice long new Introduction with Control Room, Spaceship Interior, Pre-Launch Communications, and beginning of Mars that knocked my socks off! There’s even a brand new track called “Itokawa and Hayabusa” about the exploration of the Asteroid Belt between Jupiter and Saturn. The whole new PLANETS album is just astounding. The Discrete 4-Channel Sound is phenomenal. I couldn’t have been more surprised, amazed, and delighted.* * *KOSMOS or COSMOS 1978 (various)(“Star Wars” Title. “Space Fantasy” - R. Strauss: “Thus Spake Zarathustra,” Wagner: “Ride of The Valkyries” and “Tannhauser Overture.” Honnegar: “Pacific 231.” Ives: “Unanswered Question.” Rodrigo: “Aranjuez.” Grieg: “Solveig's Song.” Dinicu-Heifetz: “Hora Staccato.” Bach-TOMITA: “The Sea Named Solaris.”)A Science Fiction album without a theme, and quite a variety of experiences...In this album: “Star Wars” is cute. The “Space Fantasy” awesome and exhilerating. “Pacific 231” exciting and fun, a quality piece. You can see and feel the mechanical motions of the locomotive flying through space after the train speeds up, leaves the tracks and goes to another dimension... TOMITA's interpretation of the mystery and solitude of “The Unanswered Question” is far better than any orchestral performance. “Hora Staccato” is lots of fun. And Carl Sagan respected the amazing “Sea Named Solaris” so much, that he used it in his COSMOS. All TOMITA fans and collectors should enjoy most of this CD.SPACE FANTASY 2015 (SACD DSD 4.1 Surround Hybrid)Tomita was 83 when he re-arranged and re-mixed his KOSMOS album for SACD. I think it’s remarkable that he was still working, but I feel I must reluctantly share why you may want to skip this one...1. No “Thus Spake Zarathustra” (the 2001 Movie Theme) which had worked so well at the beginning of his “Space Fantasy” piece on KOSMOS.2. No “Sea Named Solaris” because 5:19 of the original 12:26 was on The PICTURES SACD.3. Two random tracks from THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE indicates that it may never have its own Quadraphonic SACD release. (Someone please re-release the entire Bermuda Triangle in Quadraphonic on SACD. It is my all time favorite album from any genre.)4. On CD 2 we have some never before heard tracks from Walt Disney’s FANTASIA, but with only one part from THE PASTORAL SYMPHONY, three parts from THE NUTRACKER SUITE, and no “Dance Of The Hours” or RITE OF SPRING... The whole CD is only 22:05 long.5. The “Waltz of The Flowers” fades abruptly a full minute before it’s done.* * *THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE 1979 - A MUSICAL FANTASY of SCIENCE FICTION(Sibelius: “Valse Triste.” Williams: “Close Encounters.” Prokofiev: “Romeo and Juliet,” “Scythian Suite,” “Symphonies 5 and 6,” “Violin Concerto 1.”)After nearly 30 years of listening to THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE off and on, I have decided that it is my all time favorite record album, CD, concept album, and my all time favorite synthesized music.Inexplicably, the U.S. Dolby Surround CD releases stopped with KOSMOS. THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE is much better than KOSMOS. I could type pages on THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE, and you can find many pages on various websites. But I will just say that the orchestrations and performances of the music itself all fit together masterfully to tell a story that is part thrilling Science Fiction and part Impressionistic Dream. I especially like the second half - the exceptional, exciting Prokofiev music. The sounds TOMITA created for this album are his most sophisticated and fascinating yet (maybe ever). The quality of the recording is bright, full, deep, clear, and clean. The whole experience is extraordinary. I am so grateful the album is on CD.Another reviewer is absolutely right... “Turn off the lights, put the phone on silent, turn the volume way up, and sit down and listen!” Really listen!! Because THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE is an Experience: A Phenomenal, Powerful, Enlightening, Enjoyable Experience!!* * *DAPHNIS AND CHLOE or BOLERO or “THE RAVEL ALBUM” 1980 (Ravel)(Ravel: DAPHNIS AND CHLOE, “Pavane for A Dead Princess,” “Bolero,” MOTHER GOOSE SUITE.)This is a very good album with the best performance of THE MOTHER GOOSE SUITE that I have heard, by far. I love the range of musical styles in it. You can actually hear the fairies in the “Fairy Garden” (they sound like hummingbirds). Plus, this DAPHNIS AND CHLOE is better than some orchestral performances.OKHOTSK FANTASY 2016 (SACD DSD 4.1 Surround Hybrid)Many of us Tomita fans wondered why he put a mono recording of an old cartoon on the OKHOTSK FANTASY album, instead of doing a DAPHNIS AND CHLOE - ULTIMATE EDITION in discrete 4.1 channel Quadraphonic sound... Now it is clear, the OKHOTSK FANTASY album was his last. It was released in March 2016, and he passed away two months later. So he probably wasn’t able to finish it. Knowing this, we can wish that he had started putting his Quadraphonic albums on SACD sooner, but we can’t blame him for the last two SACDs, because he was 83 and 84 when he did them.So, there is no DAPHNIS AND CHLOE SUITE on this SACD. But thankfully, the entire MOTHER GOOSE SUITE is on this album with spectacular Quadraphonic sound. “The Fairy Garden” is just unbelievable in Quadraphonic.(Please RCA or Denon: Remix and release Ultimate Edition SACDs of ALL of Tomita’s wonderful Quadraphonic Classical Albums with complete FIREBIRD SUITE, DAPHNIS AND CHLOE, GRAND CANYON, and the complete BERMUDA TRIANGLE in 4.1 Surround on SACD.)* * *THE GRAND CANYON 1982 (Grofe)(Bonus track: “Syncopated Clock” by Leroy Anderson is not on the Japan Import CD.)The average music critic might say that this performance of THE GRAND CANYON Suite is not as good as a symphony orchestra's. But it is worth checking out, as parts of it are far more colorful, magical, and entertaining than any symphony orchestra version I have ever heard. TOMITA's “Painted Desert” gives a feeling of flying low over vast mysterious, enchanted, moonlit sands. “On The Trail” is a lot of fun, although some orchestra performances may be a bit better. And the “Thunderstorm” is exhilarating and even a little frightening, especially when turned up Loud. You can actually HEAR the Lightning, FEEL the Thunder, and then SEE a Rainbow at the end. Only TOMITA could do that!! This is the shortest TOMITA album. It would easily fit on a CD with CANON OF THE THREE STARS.* * *CANON OF THE THREE STARS or DAWN CHORUS 1984 (various)(Pachelbel: “Canon.” Rachmaninoff: “Vocalise.” Albinoni: “Adagio.” Bach: “Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring.” Three movements from Villa Lobos: BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS Suites 2, 4, and 7.)Sweet is the word I would use to describe pretty much this whole album. Some tracks are even cute, although at least one is solemn and another poignant. The quality of this album is not nearly as great as his early albums... It almost seems that TOMITA did this one in his sleep, but some tracks are very good, and since all the tracks are individual pieces, it is very worth owning as a reference CD.* * *LIVE AT LINZ, AUSTRIA 1984 - THE MIND OF THE UNIVERSE (various)(Live concert with huge speakers on both sides of the Danube River. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and Live Soloists. Plus 5 Totally New Pieces... Stravinsky: “Dance of the Young Girls” from THE RITE OF SPRING. Japanese Traditional: “Cranes In Their Nest.” Vaughn Williams: “The Lark Ascending.” Wagner: TRISTAN UND ISOLDE – “Liebestod.” Beethoven: ODE TO JOY with full Choir and soloists.)In my opinion, this is in TOMITA's top five best albums. It contains some of the most beautiful and unique performances ever put on a disk. The live violin solo (Mariko Senju) of “The Lark Ascending” at least equals the best performance I ever heard. The same violinist does an outstanding job on Prokofiev's VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1.” This is the part of THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE near the end that gets so exciting, and with the live violinist and TOMITA's magical orchestral creations, it is truly one of the most thrilling musical experiences I have ever enjoyed.I also love the Wagner: TRISTAN UND ISOLDE – “Liebestod” (which first appeared on this album). So much depth and feeling, it is hard to describe how lovely it is. This album also has an extended version of “Cranes In Their Nest” (probably because it is also on the Voyager Interstellar Record) a very good performance by Goro Yamaguchi on the Shakuhachi (a Japanese end-blown flute made of bamboo).Of the two concert CDs, this one has more awe-inspiring moments, and more depth. It is also the longest TOMITA album ever made, which is nice, since it is so enjoyable.Note on LIVE AT LINZ Recording QualityI think that since MIND OF THE UNIVERSE was a live concert with speakers on both sides of the Danube River, a helicopter carrying a speaker above for a UFO effect, and a huge choir on a boat ... there is no way the sound quality could have been perfect. TOMITA's mixing choices could have been a bit better but even though I am particular about sound quality, I do enjoy listening to this CD very much. And when I play my old 1985 Domestic Release CD (made in Japan with a black cover) Loud on my car sound system, it sounds great to me. The most important parts are clean. There is reverb at times, but it is natural, bouncing off things in the area. I have always given this one album more slack, because the oddities that occur make me FEEL as if I am at the Live Concert, and for me this is a plus.* * *LIVE IN NEW YORK 1988 - BACK TO THE EARTH (various)(Live concert with live soloists. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and live soloists. Plus Dukas: “Fanfare.” Mahler: SYMPHONY 3 IN D MINOR – “5th Movement.” Traditional: “Chinese War Lord Going Home.” Gershwin: “Rhapsody In Blue.” Fisher-Dvorak: “Goin' Home.”)LIVE IN NY is almost as good as the LIVE AT LINZ concert (above). Parts of it are great. And the music is less demanding than LIVE AT LINZ, which makes it more suited for playing in the background.These last two CDs are my all time favorite live concert albums.* * *BACH FANTASY 1996 (J.S. Bach)10 separate Bach pieces, which include only two tracks from previous albums, and part of “The Sea Named Solaris” is mixed different.Too bad this is hard to find and was not included in the big Box Set, but you CAN find it used on Amazon Japan, and G..... Chrome translates automatically, then with a little perseverance, you can figure out how to order from a seller who says they ship internationally. Once I figured it out, it was easy, a great price, and in perfect condition.This CD features some new sounds, moods, and musical styles for TOMITA Classical - a really wide variety of them. Several of the tracks are most enjoyable. The popular “Toccata and Fugue” is a very good, virtuoso straight performance on very cool sounding Synth Organ (which I normally would not appreciate, but TOMITA gets away with it splendidly). My subwoofer liked it too!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *SOUND QUALITY COMPARISONS OF MOST RELEASESWITH RECOMMENDATIONSHOW I COMPARED THE SOUND QUALITY OF VARIOUS CD RELEASESListening with Beyerdynamic DT990 Studio Headphones plugged into my Mac Pro, I played tracks from each pair of CDs using QuickTime Player 7 opened in two windows, and a keyboard command to switch back and forth (many times) for the comparisons. I compared the SACDs and Surround CDs on my Surround System in the living room.* * *SACD NOTEThe SACDs say DSD 4.0 on the cover, but they show DSD 5.1 when playing, and they DO use the Subwoofer, but NOT the Front Center Speaker, so they are actually 4.1, and that is perfect. (I just double-checked that. It is true.)* * *SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING 1974CLAIR DE LUNE – ULTIMATE EDITION 2012 [SACD - DSD 4.1 Surround] YES!Finally, True Quadraphonic for the first time ever for some of us! Extraordinary Discrete 4-Channel Sound on my surround system. Ultra clean, pure and bright with deep bass.[2000 High Performance Audiophile 24bit / 96KHz Super CD] YES!This ONE TOMITA CD was mastered at 24bit / 96KHz for truly superior sound on ANY CD Player. It is very bright and clean. Smooth highs, deep bass, no distortion. Very nice.CLAIR DE LUNE - ULTIMATE EDITION 2012 [SACD Hybrid - Regular CD tracks] OKThe standard CD tracks (playable on any player) sound very close to the same quality as the 24/96 Audiophile CD above. Just a little tape hiss in some places.[2006 CD from Box Set, 1986, 1991, 2004, or 2007 Japan CD] NOMore tape hiss than Audiophile CD. Less bright. A little distortion.[Dolby Surround CD] NOThe Surround Sound does not work on this CD.* * *PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION 1975PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION - ULTIMATE EDITION 2014[SACD - DSD 4.1 Surround] YES!Finally! For the first time for some of us, PICTURES in True Quadraphonic Sound. And it is spectacular!! In fact, after waiting decades to hear this album in 4-Channel Sound, the “Ballet of The Chicks in Their Shells” and “The Great Gate at Kiev” are incredibly stunning. And of course, the DSD tracks are very clean, pure and bright with deep bass.[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YESBrighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and a little less distortion than previous releases.PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION - ULTIMATE EDITION 2014[SACD Hybrid - Regular CD tracks] NOI don’t know what happened here, but listening with my headphones, the 2006 & 2007 JVC K2 CDs have a lot more depth and warmth, and sound a lot better than the regular tracks on the SACD.[1991 Dolby Surround CD] NO!Some sounds just fade to nothing when trying to move to the rear channel no matter what you play this CD on.* * *FIREBIRD 1976[1991 Dolby Surround CD Dolby 5.1] YESThere is no extreme Discrete 4-Channel separation on this one, but the Surround Sound is actually pretty good, and all 5.1 Channels are used.[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YESBrighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and a little less distortion than previous releases.* * *THE PLANETS 1976THE PLANETS - ULTIMATE EDITION 2011 [SACD - DSD 4.1 Surround] YES!Finally! True Quadraphonic for the first time ever for some of us! Extraordinary Discrete 4-Channel separation on my surround system. Ultra clean, pure and bright with deep bass. The cleanest of the SACDs!THE PLANETS - ULTIMATE EDITION 2011 [SACD Hybrid - Regular CD tracks] YESThis CD is the brightest and cleanest of all the regular CD tracks of THE PLANETS.[2016 & 2012 blu-spec CD2, 2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YESBrighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and less distortion than previous releases.* * *KOSMOS 1978Note that this is the ONLY Tomita CD that is better on the Dolby Surround release.[1991 Dolby Surround CD] YESThere is no extremely Discrete 4-Channel separation on this one, but the Surround Sound is actually pretty good, and all 5.1 Channels are used. This One TOMITA CD sounded best after manually choosing Dolby Pro Logic II. Also, it is brighter and cleaner with more full range than the CD in Box Set.SPACE FANTASY 2015 (NOT an ULTIMATE EDITION of KOSMOS)[SACD] OPTIONALCD 1 has amazing Quadraphonic sound, but several tracks are missing.CD 2 is just Stereo, and only 22:05 long.[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] NOMore tape hiss and a little sharp with too much midrange.* * *THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE 1979[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YES!Brighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and a little less distortion than previous releases.* * *BOLERO or DAPHNIS AND CHLOE 1980 (Ravel)[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YES!Brighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and a little less distortion than previous releases.OKHOTSK FANTASY 2016 (NOT an ULTIMATE EDITION of THE RAVEL ALBUM)[SACD] OPTIONALNo DAPHNIS AND CHLOE.* * *THE GRAND CANYON 1982 (Grofe)[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YESBrighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and a little less distortion than previous releases.* * *CANON OF THE THREE STARS or DAWN CHORUS 1984 (various)[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YESBrighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and a little less distortion than previous releases.* * *LIVE AT LINZ, AUSTRIA 1984 - THE MIND OF THE UNIVERSEThis is the only TOMITA CD that got THREE completely different releases a long time ago...THE BEST ONE IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE (RCA Records RCD1-5461) YES[1985 U.S. CD Made In Japan (70:31) Black front and back.]Starts with “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” Has “Saturn” and “Mars.” Very clean and bright, as if mastered from original master tapes. Sound quality almost exactly the same as 1991 Japan Import. Make sure you get exactly this one with this number: RCD1-5461.UNUSUAL, EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE (BMG Japan BVCC 2512) OK[1991 Japan CD. Gold front. Pink back.]Starts with “Unanswered Question” and announcements in Austrian.No “Mars” or “Saturn.”Very clean and bright, as if mastered from original master tapes.Sound quality almost exactly the same as the 1985 U.S. release.EXCESSIVE TAPE HISS (BMG Japan BVCC 37514) NO[2006 Japan CD. Gold front and back AND the CD in the Box Set (70:13)]Starts with “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” Has “Saturn and Mars.” Dull music and Tape Hiss all the way through, as if mastered from a cassette. Note that with identical content, this 2006 Import and the CD in the Box Set are both 18 seconds shorter than the 1985 U.S. release, supporting the theory that this release was mastered from a cassette.* * *LIVE IN NEW YORK 1988 - BACK TO THE EARTH[2006 CD in Box Set, 2004 & 2007 JVC K2 Japan CD] YESBrighter, warmer, louder, more powerful, with more Stereo Separation and less distortion than previous releases.* * *BACH FANTASY 1996 (J.S. Bach) YESThere was only one Bach Fantasy release, and it is sparkling clean, bright, and deep.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *MORE ABOUT QUADRAPHONIC SOUNDSURROUND SOUNDSound effects and reverb (echo) that you occasionally hear in the rear channels.QUADRAPHONICTotally different from Surround Sound: Whether listening to an orchestra, a band, synthesizers, or nature sounds, a Quadraphonic recording is Discrete 4 Channel Sound that puts the instruments or sounds separately, but at equal levels, into all 4 speakers around you all the time.Note: An old album recorded in Quadraphonic does not become “Surround Sound” just because you are playing it on a Surround System. The above definitions apply no matter what.THE POPULARITY OF DIFFERENT SACDsI think I know why SACDs never became popular… First, they can only be played on a blu-ray player that plays SACDs. And even if a person already has a player that can play SACDs, and it is connected to a Surround System in the living room where Quadraphonic music would be perfect, most SACDs only have a little bit of reverb in the rear channels, so they don’t take advantage of that perfect set up.Now that I have heard TOMITA’s SACDs though, I want to try Quadraphonic SACDs and DVD Audios in other genres. But time and time again, I find that true Quadraphonic discs are very expensive, while the price of most SACDs with nothing in the rear channels is WAY down. What does THAT tell you??QUADRAPHONIC ON A BUDGETIf you’re like me and never heard true Quadraphonic sound from a music album before these TOMITA SACDs... Now you have to! And you can do it on a budget! On Amazon do a search for “blu-ray player sacd” in electronics, and choose 4 Stars under Avg. Customer Review (on the left)... Then do the same kind of search for “receiver 5.1”... Then search for the best you found for a good price and... When buying used, make sure you can return the item, and test it right after receiving it.If there are no HDMI connections on one component, that’s OK. Just make sure the blu-ray player and receiver have the same kind of output and input for Digital Sound, whether it’s Optical or RCA Coax... Then add a good pair of speakers at ear level behind you, and a subwoofer. Then connect the speakers with thick enough wires. Then set your Receiver or Surround Decoder to auto detect the surround encoding, or set it to DSD, and be amazed!When Quadraphonic sound began, 4 large speakers were required and were usually placed in the 4 corners of the room with the listener in the center of the room. Surround (Rear) Speakers these days are typically smaller, so it’s best when SACDs use the Subwoofer, and Tomita’s SACDs do.* * *ON PRODUCING JVC K2 CDs (2004, 2006, and 2007)“The source material was first converted to digital via JVC's patented K2 24-bit / 96kHz analog-to-digital converter, which uses advanced dither algorithms (without noise shaping). The musical information is next encoded on a magneto-optical disk for transport to JVC's Yokohama manufacturing plant. The musical signal on the disk is down-converted to 16-bit through a K2 "super-coding" process before going through a proprietary "Extended Pit Cut" DVD K2 laser technology to produce a glass master. This optimizes the linear velocity of the glass master, giving precise pit lengths to eliminate time jitters, controlled by an extremely precise Rubidium Clock. All CDs are finally stamped directly from this glass master.” These CDs are noticeably THICKER than the average music CD is now.* * * * * * * * * * * * *IN CONCLUSIONOther reviewers on Amazon have done a more eloquent job than I of describing TOMITA's amazing musical style, but I have enjoyed creating this guide. I hope you enjoyed it too.I’m flattered that this was copied and pasted to so many websites, but I would like you to know that I Am the original author. Check the dates. I first posted this on Amazon in March 2002. Thank You so much.And THANK YOU MR. TOMITA!There is no collection of music I enjoy more. Not even close.Jeff Nielson, Modesto, CA