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Blue Note Jazz XRCD Series

I'm posting this in the vinyl forum because I think it might well be of interest.

I got the first four titles in this series a couple days ago. In short, they are so much better than any other redbook digital I have heard it's pretty stunning. Surely they beat most SACD recording as well; they are consistently the closest thing to vinyl I have heard on digital, via my Audio Note DAC.

I believe good vinyl probably has more detail but what's pretty revolutionary here is the total, complete absence of ANY kind of digital glare or hardness AND instrument timbres that seem dead-on accurate. Digital not being able to do horn (especially sax) tonalities right has been my biggest complaint with it and the biggest reason I've stuck with vinyl.

Just wanted to throw that out there.
paulfolbrecht
9 responses Add your response
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Have some jazz Ella,Basie,Vaughn many classical to me they are among the BEST sounding CDs out there i have LEVINSON 390S CD player!!
ras422
182 posts
 
Foster 9 --you can get them at elusive disc--rich
foster_9
1,638 posts
 
What's the best price available for these Blue Note XRCD's and where should you buy? I buy most of my cd's at amazon and I know the cost there will not have much of any discount.
paulfolbrecht OP
603 posts
 
Jazz at the Pawn Shop, eh? I am now very interested in other good jazz XRCDs and will be seeking them out.

When I had an SACD player I thought Companion was very nearly as good as the vinyl. I should get the XRCD.
ras422
182 posts
 
best of my xrcd are jazz at the pawn shop --much better than the sacd/count bassie 88bassie st --holst the planets--flamenco passion and eagles -hell freezes over---the p barber companion sacd and xrcd were about equal-also the Ray Brown k2hd --happy coat is quite good---feel that my esoteric does cd and sacd quite well--interesting discussion---will have to try the Trane settin the pace---my blue note xrcds are in transit I am sure they will be good as yoshida and harley are masters at what they do --- A wilson sacd is jack of hearts ---
paulfolbrecht OP
603 posts
 
Have any of you guys heard the Blue Note XRCDs in particular? These are the only XRCDs I have.

Comparisons to SACD can only be made when you've got equipment of the same caliber for both formats. In my experience many excellent SACD players are NOWHERE near as good on redbook, making SACD to XRCD comparisons on such players quite moot.

My AN DAC, on the other hand, does wonders with redbook.
smholl
190 posts
 
I have compared the following titles XRCD vs. SACD: Bill Evans: Waltz for Debbie & Sunday at the Village Vanguard, Wynton Kelly: Kelly Blue, Art Pepper: + Eleven, Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane and a few others. I found the SACD much better across the board. Maybe this is due to these titles being re-mastered more recently for SACD.
There are XRCD titles I really enjoy like Coltrane: Settin' the Pace, Blue Mitchell: Blue's Moods and many more.
ras422
182 posts
 
thanks for the heads up -- My first two have been shipped--looking foward to comparing the Horace Parlan xrcd with my HP reg cd--Smholl very interesting response on the xrcd vs the sacd--I have found some of the xrcd far superior to the sacd and with others they are close--btw the anthony wilson recent sacd is very good.
smholl
190 posts
 
I beg to differ. I have many XRCD's, with some titles also on SACD. I've done extensive comparisions of the same titles. SACD is miles ahead of the XRCD. XRCD is still "Redbook". SACD has much more dynamic range, wider soundstage.
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