There are a few nay-sayers among the reviews of this album, and to them I say:

This album is billed as the 30th Anniversary Edition. That's "edition", not re-release. The word strongly implies "somehow different" and this album is definitely different. The only reason to buy it, in my opinion, is to upgrade your historical collection of "Dark Side" to the newest and dramatically improved technology, and perhaps to hear a different opinion on how the mixdown should be done. Audiophile purists continue to sneer at "CD" technology, and for a few good reasons. The sampling frequency is such that subtle overtones in the uppermost registers which contribute to spatial imaging are lost or trashed. SACD essentially solves that problem. But the big deal with this release is in the 5.1 track.

Surely, Pink Floyd intended to flabbergast the listener with spatial imaging of sounds, both eclectic and traditional, when this album was first released. But the technology just wasn't up to the task, to say the least. Now, however, the technology is unquestionably up to the task, and this album is a completely stunning example of a "blow you away" example of what 5.1 (or higher) surround is meant to provide.

For anyone who has found the motivation (and $$) to upgrade their system to high quality audiophile grade components configured for 5.1 (or higher) surround sound, this album is an absolute MUST HAVE!

The only indication on the album cover to suggest this is anything other than a regular CD is the tiniest of notices in a little square on the back which states, if you have a microscope to read it, that this album is a hybrid SACD. Oooooh, what a massive understatement! The subsonic information from the original tapes is ALL there! The image field is huge and constantly in motion. This is a new acoustic experience! Particularly for the fortunate folks who have ability to reproduce the lowest fundamentals of pipe organ, this album will rock your listening room! Please, do not expect to "appreciate" this album in your car... this album was not intended to be schlepped into a car CD player or, God forbid, an MP3 player. Yuck.

I was 17 when this album was released, and I continue to enjoy it after all these years. It's part of the soundtrack of my life!

first off let me say that no i have not heard the origanly let me tell ya what's going on. I always knew aoubt Pink Floyd but i never really heard any of their music until a friend i met over the summer was like "dude you GOT TO check out pink floyd" Finaly i was able to get myself to an FYE. now the only CD i knew was of course "dark side of the moon" and the guy was like "here ya go son here's the 30th annaverasry" so i got it and went home and let me tell you this CD is far out man. it's like all the songs are connected it makes for grat surround music let me tell ya the main tracks that i really like though

track 2 breathe- this one is pretty cool the lyrics are alwasy and the lead guitar is pretty aswome

track 4 time-this is probaboy my favorite pink floyd song the lyrics rock and that david gilmore plays a mean guitar

trakc 6 money-like i said that david plays a mean guitar

ya know what everything after money rocks so whatever look some people aren't going to like this kind of music in fact one of my friends to me "it's music that you kind of have to aquire a taste for" people that don't like pink floyd are "in my opion" people that just want somthing aswome here and now they can't just "wait until they see it" trust me it's a pretty cheap CD just buy it and after a few listins you're be hooked on them believe it

CD was in excellent shape and arrived sooner than expected. Will buy from this seller again.Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition

I have never bothered to listen to this Hybrid SACD in stereo.
On my first listening I was blown away with surround sound where there are many instances where the the 3D sonic events take this album to a newer high. The most notable for me is "On the Run" where the footsteps criss cross not just from side to side but from back to front, and where a plane or something crashes it travels from rear left to front right. There are numerous instances throughout the album where surround sound has added a dimension which I am sure Messrs Waters, Gilmore and Wright would have wished was available when they orinally recorded this title.
The second thing I noticed was the sound was much clearer and there were things I had never heard on my cd version. I has been along time since I have owned a turntable, and when I did I didn't have a high end sound system.
On a couple of occasions when I have had friends over for dinner I have put it on and all have remarked at how they are blown away by this version of Dark Side of the Moon
I would say if you have an SACD compatible DVD player and 5.1 channel amplifier with 6 analog channel inputs this album is must have, particularly if you are a fan on Dark Side of the Moon.