JVC XRCD's

TheChairGuy · « **on:** 29 Jan 2005, 06:42 pm »

I just bought my first (a sampler) the other day and, setting the musical content aside, I was not impressed with it. It sounds unnatural to me.

A lot of the commercial CD's do also, but at less than half the price typically, I can understand it. Overall, I'm surprised I'm not 'wowed' by it.

Of course, I am considering the more dynamic content may be exposing weaknesses in my system (probably the lowly Maggie MMG's I'm using now), but I really expected to be blown away by it and I ain't

Anybody else chime in wth XRCD listening experiences out there?

PhilNYC · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Jan 2005, 01:54 pm »

I'm actually a very big fan of XRCDs, particularly XRCD2 and XRCD24 (the original XRCD tended to be slightly tilted up IMHO).

Which sampler did you get?

Bingenito · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 Jan 2005, 02:34 pm »

Brothers in Arms on XRCD is one of my favorite recodings. That includes all of the SACDs I own.

Eric · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 Jan 2005, 05:57 pm »

I won several XRCD, XRCD2 and XRCD24 discs. They are wondeful

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 Jan 2005, 09:46 pm »

It's an XRCD2 sampler.

I threw it in my player kinda' quick, without my normal ritual of cleaning the disc, and demagnetizing it, so I'll due diligence this time and see if my observations are still valid.

I kinda' fingured everybodies reactions would be positive (the reviews are typically excelent on XRCD's)...so now I now I either had too high expectations, was in a pissy mood that day, my system isn't up to the dynamic challenges of XRCD, or the disc may need even more TLC than standard ones because of it's greater resolution

I'll clean and demag that puppy today and report back.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 Jan 2005, 09:49 pm »

It was this one, actually (from this fella'on A-gon)....

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?softjazs&1109966432

PhilNYC · « **Reply #6 on:** 31 Jan 2005, 03:42 pm »

Chairguy,

I have that same sampler, but don't feel that it sounds unnatural. Note that XRCDs are generally remasters of recordings that are typically older, so much of the praise they get tends to be in comparison to the original releases (for example, the Jazz At the Pawnshop XRCD is almost universally considered to be a better version than even the SACD, as well as others like Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms, and others).

That said, despite it being a sampler, I don't think that that sampler is the best representation of XRCD. Try some from the Three Blind Mice (TBM) or First Impression Music (FIM) labels. Another one of my favorites that I think has great sonic presentation is Sonny Rollins' Way Out West or Bill Evans' Sunday at the Village Vanguard. And of course, Jazz at the Pawnshop, Brothers in Arms, and (Eagles) Hell Freezes Over are also excellent.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #7 on:** 31 Jan 2005, 05:37 pm »

I cleaned the XRCD sampler with Kodak Optical Lens Cleaner (excellent tweak), and used C-Diamond on it (a coating like Mikro-Smooth that I finds works modestly well) and am playing it now...it sounds fine, maybe even great.

So, I was either in a pissy mood that day, the disc required a good cleaning for me to enjoy it, or.....and I'll have to check later.....Herbie's Grungebuster CD Mat, usually the best sound enhancement tweak on standard CD's, seriously degraded the performance this time.

If you tap the XRCD, you can tell it's made to a different standard than commercial CD's. It 'thuds' where others 'ting'. It could be that Herbie's mat overdamped the disc, causing what I heard to be unnatural. I'll have to try Herbie's mat on it later to see if that's the culprit

Horizons · « **Reply #8 on:** 31 Jan 2005, 07:08 pm »

I have really liked every XRCD that I have ever heard. That said, I find the price structure for XRCD to be crazy overpriced.

I think XRCD has the potential to rival DVD/A and SACD but they are priced above both of these formats. A shame.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Feb 2005, 04:03 am »

Allright, I used Herbie's mat on it..it sounded fine indeed (slight improvement - not the order of magnitude that it provides on most commercial discs, tho, interestingly).

I think it needed a cleaning. I listen to my sytem 8-10 hours daily when I'm in the office, so I hear every nuance when it's off kilter. I think the XRCD is of such high resolution, it sounds mucked up witout proper cleaning.

I think, yeah, I'll try a few more...but this sampler has some cuts that aren't my mood, either, adding to my initial dissatisfaction.

That or, I WAS in a pissy mood a few days ago

hifitommy · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Feb 2005, 01:59 am »

rbcds. sorry, wont pay $26 for one or $16 used. ptooey! give me sacds, and they sell at regular prices for the most part. oyeah, screw mofi $30 sacds too.