XRCD Redux: Elusive Disc to the Rescue!
News doesn't get much better than this! Elusive Disc, Inc recently announced its appointment as the exclusive distributor of the JVC XRCD product line for North America. They assumed operations in November of 2006. With the help of former JVC employee Kevin Berg, the Elusive Disc staff, has been able to restore XRCD operations in the USA to their previous levels and beyond. Always Elusive Discs’ best selling digital format by a margin of 4 to 1 they currently have 100's of titles to choose from with more on the way. Additionally, Elusive Disc has created the Audio Wave label to release the discs. For many audiophiles the XRCD process, is still considered the gold standard of 16-bit/44kHz technology. The first wave of discs will be a series of classic jazz Blue Notes to be followed by are an ever expanding selection of classical, other jazz, and pop/rock. Alan Yoshida continues on at the helm handling the digital mastering duties. Joe Harley will be producing and selecting Blue Note titles. Not all will mirror the Music Matters LP releases, but the first four will. They are :
Horace Parlan: Speakin' My Piece
Tina Brooks: True Blue
Sonny Clark: Cool Struttin'
Hank Mobley: Soul Station
The dedicated should also check out the audiowavemusic.com website for a Blue Note subscription where as a bonus the 25th Blue Note title is free. And be sure to look for Wayne Garcia's full and comprehensive coverage and reviews in an upcoming TAS.
Comments
Now, if they would only give us the 24 bit masters at 192 khz sample rate downloads or discs.
How is xrcd better than redbook?
XRCD is Redbook. It's JVC's proprietary K2 mastering and manufacturing protocol that produces the superior sonic results.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Neil, I started a thread on A'Gon on this same topic before seeing yours. I have three of the four new XRCDs you mention above. The music stands on its own merit; some of the best jazz ever. The sound of this set of new XRCDs is phenomenal! I purposely did not buy the Hank Mobley XRCD since I own the RVG remaster of Soul Station and I wanted to do a comparison. No contest. The XRCDs have better air/space, better musical timbre, better dynamics and better frequency extension at both ends of the spectrum. Another A'Gon member described the RVG remasters as having "that damned underwater piano" sound. I agree. Not the case with these XRCDs. I'm ordering Soul Station today. Just wish they were not $30+ a pop!
thanks for the mini-review. I'm looking forward to checking these out as well.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
I am wondering if one can truly tell the same song played from XRCD and other Redbook CD (w/o XRCD K2 mastering & manufacturing protocol) in a controlled blind and/or double-blind test. In the past, there was studies comparing Redbook and SACD under a controlled environment and the subjects could not reliability tell the difference. Any such test done with XRCD and regular CD?
JVC also released other K2 mastered discs that have excellent sound, but not the price and lavish packaging associated with the XRCDs. I wonder if the choice of which got the full-on XRCD treatment was a assessment of master tape quality, or size of market.
Post new comment