XRCD vs. Prestige 20th Anniversary 20 bit recordings.....

Posted by: Will on 26 July 2001

So, I am trying to update my jazz collection, and am trying to update some of my old (circa 1987) jazz CD pressings with some of the newer remasters. Much of the music I am looking for is available in both the JVC XRCD process and the Prestige 20th Anniversary series, both of which use the JVC K2 20 bit mastering process. Does anybody know if the XRCD versions add anything over the 20th Anniversary versions?

Also, has anybody done direct comparisons between these two processes? I already own a couple of each, and much prefer the remasters to the originals, but I don't have any recordings in which I have copies of both the XRCD and 20th anniversary versions to compare.

The XRCD's cost about twice as much as the 20th anniversary series discs, but for some of the classic recordings, I don't mind paying a little extra if there is a difference.

Thanks in advance.

Posted on: 27 July 2001 by woodface

I think the cost of these enhanced CD's is far too high for the performance on offer. True they are better but no way worth double the money. I suppose they have a more vinyl type sound with a greater sense of realism; in the end I have found very few remasters that do what they say!