Ok, so the thing is I possess a rather massive hi-end album collection (SHM-Cd, HD-Cd, Blu-Spec, 24/96 rips, 24/192 rips and plenty of japanese releases, remasters) of my favourite artists. I'm coming from the Metal World as it's still makes up 80% of my listening experience along with Hard Rock. (The other 20% is classical stuff).
My favourite sub-genre is USPM along with Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, some progressive (a'la Shadow Gallery, DT, Fates Warning, Tool) and mininal Thrash (Heathen, Metallica, Nevermore, Slayer) and Death (Bolt Thrower, Hypocrisy, Massacre). But USPM is first and foremost: ManOwaR, Savatage, Jag Panzer, Vicious Rumors, Zaxas, early Virgin Steele, Metal Church, Omen, Warrior, Iced Earth, Jack Starr's Burning Starr, etc.
So, as I have easy access to these rips, I have built up a massive collection of them, and I had a chance to listen to many others but I decided not to keep'em. Oh, and all of these rest on my laptop's winchester (flac, ape and wav).
So my source is my laptop using my Fiio X3 as a DAC along with an Ultrasone Pro 750 which I just obtained no too long ago. Long story short, I now can afford to invest into Hi-end headphones and the Fiio X3 + Ultrasone is my portable "system" - the first step if you will. (The next, in-home system will be either an LCD-2+Schiit Lyr+Schiit Byfrost OR a Grado perhaps a Stax system (lambda series) - I have yet to conduct researches in that matter - a lot.)
So, after a 100 hours break-in time for the Pro 750 and a few days of (almost) constant llistening I came to a conclusion that certain SHM-cd's are excelling as far as detailed musical experience concernced and they just stand out among regular lossless cd-rips.
Megadeth - SFSGSW (Toshiba, TOCP-95117, SHM-CD, Japan) - I have heard details like never before and the overall enjoyment of the music was priceless.
Same goes to:
Slayer - Show No Mercy (Japanese Remastered SHM-CD) (2009)
Dream Theater - Awake & SDOIT (Both SHM, 2009 japanese editions)
Tool - Lateralus (original cd, HDCD, USA UPC-614223116020)
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Marching Out (SHM-CD) [Japan](2007 Reissue)(WAV) (Guess it's the max you can get out of this album)
Spartan Warrior - Spartan Warrior (1984) (24 Bit Digital Remaster 2010) (Not SHM, yet the difference is vast between the regular cd and this remaster. Btw, it's a NWOBHM gem, check it out if you like the genre)
DIO - Diamonds - The Best Of DIO (1992) [2008, UICY-90921] (SHM CD)
Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972) [Japan Mini LP Remastered 2008, SHM-CD, WPCR-13112]
Styx - Paradise Theatre & The Grand Illusion [FLAC] {Japan SHM-CD}
Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972) [Japan Mini LP Remastered 2008, SHM-CD, WPCR-13112] (Simply orgasmic, it gives me constant goose bumps)
I have yet to audition the Black Sabbath 2010 japanese SHM series though along with Rainbow's first 3 releases & Metallica.
Judas Priest - Painkiller (2013, Japan BSCD2, SICP-30377) The Judas series are my only Blu-spec ones in my collection and the difference is not that big compared to SHM-cd's but definitely visible - I mean audible!
Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny [VICP-75045] (2012 - HQCD K2HD Mastering, Japan) A really unique breed, this remaster format gives new meaning to this classic even through my Pro750 - can't wait to get my in-home system!!!
I have yet to check my all-time favourite bands' releases: ManOwaR & Savatage. From the latter I have the first pressing japanese editions along with some remasters & Silver Editions. Now ManOwaR is more complicated as I have all the original editions (French, Dutch, English, US, Japanese etc. first releases) along with the Reissues and many different 24/48, 24/96, 24/192 rips and SACD editions.
So in time I will go through these as well but it will obviously take more time. And it's only about 35% of my personal collection, the albums closest to my heart.
I'm curious if anyone has an SHM or Blu-spec cd player..if so does it add to the enjoyment combined with a proper head-fi system?
There are many defects in the recording and they have not been fixed here either... It sounds like a scratchy CD! Personally, I cannot listen to such sound... but everyone decide for themselves 
