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News on XRCD: The Ultimate Almost High Rez CD (1 Viewer)

Lee Scoggins

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Friends,
Some of you may know how great the JVC XRCD and XRCD2 CDs sound due to a better mastering process.
Recently, JVC announced its new version of XRCD called XRCD24 where they are now using 24 bit converters throughout. I don't believe any of these are out yet, but they should be worth keeping an eye out for.
In the past, some of my favorite jazz albums like Art Pepper and blues like Lightning Hopkins have sounded great on this specialty process.
Learn more at www.xrcd.com
:)
 

KeithH

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Lee, thanks for the news. I wonder if JVC is going to reissue some of the classics out on XRCDs and XRCD2s as XRCD24s. I've held off on buying many XRCDs and XRCD2s because of price (there always plenty of CDs and SACDs for me to buy anyway), and I might just hold off awhile longer to see how things develop with XRCD24s. Thanks again.
 

KeithH

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Lee, no question that there are some great titles on XRCD. However, at $25-30, they are simply overpriced. As I have said before, I feel $25 is too much for an SACD, so I am not eager to pay that much or more for a "fancy" CD. :)
 

Ron Reda

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While they are certainly pricey, they sound so damn good that it justifies the price (for me, anyway)! :D
 

Kevin C Brown

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I have to ask a stupid question here:

Regardless of the mastering, you are still stuck with 16 bit/44.1 kHz encoding because it's still a redbook CD.

So why would it sound any better?
 

Robert A. Willis Jr.

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XRCD's are expensive but worth every penny (to me). While I can't afford to buy most of the catalog, I do allocate funds to buy one or two when there are titles I want available.

I haven't heard any label consistently better XRCD's for sound AND content. Chesky comes close, Telarc has excellent sound but a lot of the content (for the Jazz titles I bought) is too homogenized.
 

Kevin C Brown

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Lee- But all of those can be done with normal CDs too. Just different equipment, attention to detail, and stuff.
 

LanceJ

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Jeez! Again, dvd-audio is capable of very high resolution too. And dvd-players are very common so I don't......oops.
Never mind. :b
LJ
 

Lee Scoggins

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But all of those can be done with normal CDs too.
Well yes and no. I'll explain.

Many good audiophile labels do most or all of this list. The exception is the low jitter production techniques that JVC has. My understanding is they have some proprietary techniques here. Of course, they make a lot (if not most) of the actual CDs for audiophile labels so they really control the production process for many labels.
 

Robert A. Willis Jr.

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I think that SACD/DVD-A's can easily sound much better than the XRCD's but that the LCD (lowest common denominator) factor always comes into play. I have listened to a few "Hi Res" disks of relatively new material that sound as bad as most CD's. Sloppy production values and greed will always mean that the preponderance of the product we receive will not live up to the potential of the format.

I also wonder if we will ever see SACD or DVD-A XRCD's.
 

Mike Broadman

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The only XRCD I paid the big money for is John Coltrane's Soultrane. While I love it, I just haven't been able to get myself to shell out 30 bucks for a CD.
I did happen to find a Tom Coster XRCD for $4 in a store once. :)
I would get more XRCDS, but that money ends up going towards SACDS instead.
 

JimChan

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Anyone got the Dire Straits Brothers in Arms XRCD.

How's the sound quality compared with the SBM version?
 

KeithH

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Jim, I have the XRCD of Brothers in Arms and greatly prefer it to the remastered (SBM) version.
 

Ron Reda

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I too have the Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" XRCD...sounds great! :emoji_thumbsup:
The Eagles "When Hell Freezes Over" XRCD is pretty sweet as well...
 

JimChan

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Thanks for the advice.

I may buy it but a price of HK$195 (US$25) seems a bit steep for a CD.
 

KeithH

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Jim, $25 USD is a good price for the Dire Straits XRCD. I have often seen it selling for $40 USD here in the States.
 

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