In my ongoing quest to get the most out of my Axioms (especially the M80v2's) I ordered an XRCD from Acoustic Sounds called "Best Audiophile Voices Vol. 1." It's a compilation of some top female vocalists including Eva Cassidy, Allyson Kraus, Cheryl Wheeler, etc., put together and manufactured onto an XRCD by JVC. It may be the best thing I have ever heard out of my system. Crystal clear vocals and stunning strings. Absolutely beautiful! It wasn't cheap, $34.99, but man does it sound nice.
I don't think I've seen anything from anyone here about the XRCD technology? Has anyone else had a listen to any of these? From what I gather this is something that JVC developed and has to do with the manfacturing process rather than the recording process. From their liner notes they talk about music that is well engineered in the studio but that is then sent out to be processed onto discs, and that process often leaves a lot to be desired. So they have directed their efforts at producing pristine discs from the master recordings. I'm sure that the original recordings from these artists are exceptional as the title of the XRCD indicates, but I have not heard anything as clear and detailed before. Like I said, they ain't cheap but wow!
Has anyone else had a listen to these? Any thoughts?
