XRCD?
XRCD or eXtended Resolution Compact Disc is a technology owned by the Victor Company of Japan. They claim that they can obtain better playback on compact discs, through their proprietary mastering and manufacturing process.
So, I decided to try an XRCD by Dadawa or 朱哲琴. She came to fame around 1994 for her recording of 阿姐鼓 (Sister Drum), which infused Tibetan music and imagery. I have always like the album, because of its sheer sense of space and image. It is also highly-demanding of playback equipment, since it covers a huge dynamic range. The title track varies from the quiet whispers to the heavy drums that come in during the chorus.
I ripped the XRCD and then compared the waveform with the original that I bought so many years ago.
Lo and behold, the original compact disc is actually better! Quieter, perhaps, but it does not squash any of the dynamics on the louder portions of the chorus. So much for the XRCD mastering process! I guess there is little point of great manufacturing process and quality control, if your recording engineer is intent on driving the music louder at the expense of dynamics!
Buyer beware, is the warning I will give to people who are attracted by the mumbo-jumbo about XRCD then. It all depends on the person behind that mixing desk as they master the music.
So, I decided to try an XRCD by Dadawa or 朱哲琴. She came to fame around 1994 for her recording of 阿姐鼓 (Sister Drum), which infused Tibetan music and imagery. I have always like the album, because of its sheer sense of space and image. It is also highly-demanding of playback equipment, since it covers a huge dynamic range. The title track varies from the quiet whispers to the heavy drums that come in during the chorus.
I ripped the XRCD and then compared the waveform with the original that I bought so many years ago.
Lo and behold, the original compact disc is actually better! Quieter, perhaps, but it does not squash any of the dynamics on the louder portions of the chorus. So much for the XRCD mastering process! I guess there is little point of great manufacturing process and quality control, if your recording engineer is intent on driving the music louder at the expense of dynamics!
Buyer beware, is the warning I will give to people who are attracted by the mumbo-jumbo about XRCD then. It all depends on the person behind that mixing desk as they master the music.