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Author Topic: XRCD from JVC  (Read 2073 times)

Roland Storch

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XRCD from JVC
« on: March 31, 2006, 05:28:22 AM »

A friend ppinted me to the XRCD from JVC and I took a look at their webside.

They state:
xrcd is the optimization of CD mastering and manufacturing. The care and time put into the creation of an xrcd far exceeds that of any other compact disc.

Is it only marketing or what stands behind that?
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Viitalahde

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Re: XRCD from JVC
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2006, 06:17:59 AM »

The consumer doesn't give a damn. Funny how manufacturers try new formats every day when it's pretty clear that people like MP3's - the more they can squeeze on their players the better.

Most would probably say a CD, XRCD, SACD, DVD-Audio, whatever, sounds better to them than an MP3 but when they have to make a choice between an iPod and a SACD player, what are they going to choose?

I just had a client (good mixes done with good ears, nothing wrong with them) who said he actually prefers MP3's to CDs. He said an MP3 does something similar to audio that compact cassette does. Go figure.
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Jaakko Viitalähde
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Jerry Tubb

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Re: XRCD from JVC
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2006, 11:57:36 AM »

Roland Storch wrote on Fri, 31 March 2006 04:28

They state: xrcd is the optimization of CD mastering and manufacturing. The care and time put into the creation of an xrcd far exceeds that of any other compact disc.

Is it only marketing or what stands behind that?


Sounds like a load of marketing crap to me, but here's their explanation:

http://www.xrcd.net/Shopping/process.asp

cheers
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Terra Nova Mastering
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crna59

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Re: XRCD from JVC
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2006, 01:19:24 PM »

XRCD has been used for years in Audiophile labels. It enhances the CD replication about the same amount as HDCD does, though you don't need a decoder like HDCD. What was interesting is that since XRCD sounds better, more is better. They decided to run it through the process twice and call it XRCD2... Go figure. I can't hear the difference between XRCD and XRCD2.

Regards,
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Puget Sound Studios
Bruce A. Brown
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jtr

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Re: XRCD from JVC
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2006, 01:30:29 PM »

Roland Storch wrote on Fri, 31 March 2006 02:28

A friend ppinted me to the XRCD from JVC and I took a look at their webside.

They state:
xrcd is the optimization of CD mastering and manufacturing. The care and time put into the creation of an xrcd far exceeds that of any other compact disc.

Is it only marketing or what stands behind that?




This is what they were formerly calling the K2 process.  It's marketing if by reading the description you thus presume that no other replicator has taken the time to develop proprietary systems for quality replication.  The description sounds impressive- but as a former replication (sony) guy I've always felt that the plant should be like a straight piece of wire (pick your flavor). The idealistic goal is this:What comes out of the plant should sound like what went in. Not better, not worse, but the same.  And, as others will confirm, the performance of the resulting discs will be influenced by plating chemistry in the stamper room and replication machine performance as much as it is the signal feed process.  

What JVC did for the industry at that time was to generate competitive attention to the signal feed process. There are other proprietary systems and processes in use elsewhere.  Not all of them are touted publicly. I don't think any of them use the now extinct Sony PCM 9000 M/O drive noted on JVC's description. At Sony Disc Manufacturing we had the task of satisfying the specifications  of Sony Music in a multiplant environment.  Not easy when four, I mean three, oh, no wait, now it's two  plants had  different generations of replication lines.  Our non-Sony customers benefitted because we then applied lessons learned to everything we replicated. There wasn't a special "inhouse" signal feeder.

However, (as I brutally learned the day our plant closed) the customers  (Brokers, mostly) were more interested in haggling over the cost of each disc than talking about sound quality or value of customer service. We had one huge replication account that was lost to an Asian replicator for a price difference of a half cent per disc.

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dcollins

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Re: XRCD from JVC
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2006, 08:46:29 PM »

Roland Storch wrote on Fri, 31 March 2006 02:28

A friend ppinted me to the XRCD from JVC and I took a look at their webside.



I probably know as much as anyone about XRCD (at least as done at A&M) and can say for sure that a tremendous amount of care was taken in the mastering.  The entire analog chain, from tape repro, eq, etc. was all custom built, and there was no expense spared.

Personally, I never thought what went on in the manufacturing had much influence, but the attention to detail, didn't make it any worse.  

Naturally, it was an audiophile product so there was a certain amout of BS in the marketing, but that's the law.

DC

Roland Storch

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Re: XRCD from JVC
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2006, 05:07:25 PM »

Many thanks to all of you.
I think my question is answered.
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jtr

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Re: XRCD from JVC
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2006, 11:42:30 PM »

dcollins wrote on Fri, 31 March 2006 17:46

Roland Storch wrote on Fri, 31 March 2006 02:28

A friend ppinted me to the XRCD from JVC and I took a look at their webside.



I probably know as much as anyone about XRCD (at least as done at A&M) and can say for sure that a tremendous amount of care was taken in the mastering.  The entire analog chain, from tape repro, eq, etc. was all custom built, and there was no expense spared.

Personally, I never thought what went on in the manufacturing had much influence, but the attention to detail, didn't make it any worse.  

Naturally, it was an audiophile product so there was a certain amout of BS in the marketing, but that's the law.

DC



Interesting. The only part I had any exposure to was the K2 part, they were still pushing that in replication at AES around 1999 or so. I didn't realize it was part of a much bigger puzzle. Sounds like a sort of THX approach to CD's with the marketing folks in full bloom.
Thanks for the info.
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