Will,
I will offer my opinion and attempt to compare the Miles Davis "Relaxing" CD transfers. I am comparing the Red Book transer, against the Prestige limited edition transfer, against the JVC XRCD edition.
The red book has a higher gain (loudness or volume
increase introduced into the transfer process) than the JVC. This is also true of the Prestige transfer. The red book and Presitge are close in terms of transfer gain. This results in the JVC having a softer or more relaxed sound at the same volume setting compared to the others.
The Prestige beats the Red Book in terms of presence, tightness, and the reproduction of the higer and lower registers.
In other words, the Prestige is better than the Red Book CD.
Now for what you asked for. You will play the JVC
at a higher volume setting on your system to match
the same level of presence you would have had your
Prestige set at. The Prestige will sound more sharp and almost becoming etched at a very high level of volume than you would have played the JVC at.
I prefer the Prestige recording because of the
enhanced detail and presence. While you may appear to be able to crank the JVC up to a much higher level w/o offense, it does not provide the same bandwidth and presence.
The JVC clearly produces a much more pleasurable reproduction of the piano, while the Prestige
is much better on the trumpet and stringed bass.
In this case, the main attraction is Miles Davis.
I also clearly enjoy the Bill Evan's "DCC" gold cd recordings over the JVC.
At a higher price, you get a better package and
a "Tube" like sound, with limited bandwidth, from the JVC.
I personnally have bought as many of the different Prestige CDs that I could find while they are still available w/o paying collector prices(I assume your are refering to the limited
edition Prestige anniversary cds).
Both are good and offering different advantages and disadvantages. I hope my response has potentially helped you choose which one may be best for you.
Lee
