SACD vs. CD - Unfair competition?

[skeptic]

I have many very fine cds I enjoy both DDD an ADD. Deutche Gramaphone does an excellent job most of the time. Phillips is very good too although I must admit that there are more flaws in their discs than most other labels. These flaws however seem to me to be the result of poor quality control, not bad recording practice which IMO is also usually excellent.

[Feanor]

I have many very fine cds I enjoy both DDD an ADD. Deutche Gramaphone does an excellent job most of the time. Phillips is very good too although I must admit that there are more flaws in their discs than most other labels. These flaws however seem to me to be the result of poor quality control, not bad recording practice which IMO is also usually excellent.

I'm refering to Philips: 456575, Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra Sz 116 / Ivan Fischer & Budapest Festival Orch.

In this case, though, the quality is due to the recording methods I'm certain. The recording portrays the sound of a real ensemble performing in an actual space. So few producers and engineers even attempt to that, it seems to me!

Maybe I'm wrong, but I attribute the failure to too many, too closely-placed microphones plus complicated mixing and equalization. Fewer, carefully placed mics works better judging by the likes of the Mercury Living Presence recordings for example. From your seat in the concert hall you don't get the same sound as a mic placed a foot away from the violin will pick up -- very different mix of direct and reflected sound for one thing.