I think the new layout will tell the story. And not scare off the Stereo SACD & CD fans.
The stereo fans were confused and frightened...... They know about SACD format, and understand the various layers I would hope, yet a special feature is added, and they get their panties into a twist, and they state that they ain't buying due to this confusion.
I think that some of them just hate surround, and resent it that AF gave that market some product. Surround haters will often say that they don't like it even done for that market, as if time and effort on the stereo mix has been shortchanged.
I recall the haters started an early rumor that the SACD of Tapestry, the issue without the surround layer had better "stereo" mastering than the second issue which included surround. Yes, they did in fact start this. Then one of the Sony mastering guys stepped into the conversation and stated that they are one and the same stereo mastering. Just weird.
Now who would an AF customer be who buys their product normally, sees an album that they are interested in, yet gets cold feat (or terminally confused) because it contains a (red sticker) 4.0 mix? I think they are just starting B.S. for the sake of it, just like the Tapestry SACD multi-chan haters who claimed it sounded worse with that added layer.
The reason some folks can't get into quad is because it requires a brain that can listen to additional various parts of a recorded program (separated) at the same time. Not everyone listens like this. It feels to some like 3-D movies with the glasses on, you get a headache after a while. I have a friend with ADHD, and has a hard enough time concentrating on a stereo recording for more than a song or two (it's sad), and multi-channel is like a nightmare to him, he can't listen like that.
But imo listening to multi-channel recordings is a privileged position, like sitting listening to a playback in the recording studio while additional vocal over-dubs are being performed. The sound is less "mixed" and more separate, and for me like an in-studio playback. To not be able to appreciate that at all is a drawback I think. But to state that (they are) not sure it will play on your stereo equipment, and you won't buy it, seems to me kind of weird. I would think that SACD buyers at this point all know about the format, and are hardly confused. But I can easily see quad haters expressing their disapproval, it has happened previously as I cited.