Thanksfor taking the time to provide your feedback gents.
Sofar, I've found that it's the people in charge of the restoration /remastering process that make the largest impact. It doesn't reallymatter whether or not the final product comes wrapped in XRCD, K2HD,SACD, HDCD, or whatever packaging. All that matters is the care andattention that each recording is given in the lab.
That said, I'm going to drop a bombshell of an opinion by saying that even the best efforts may not necessarily result in a disc that sounds better than the original release. To support this opinion, I'd like to use the following examples:
Mariah Carey - Music BOX
Alright. While I admit that Mariah Carey has never produced a 'great audiophile recording', I think her 'Music Box' album is actually quite commendable when you consider that it's a chart-topping pop album that was released in the early to mid 90's. Anyway, when I compared the redbook CD to the K2HD CD, here's what I found:
RedBook CD: Dynamic. Proportional. Not bad in terms of balance, but not amazing either. An overall very listenable disc with great music on it.
K2HD CD: Total and utter garbage. It's as if somebody imported the original album into Fruity Loops, screwed with the EQ, and then wrapped the final product up with pretty packaging. The recording is so harsh and bombastic that I barely find it listenable. And to think that it retails for 4x the price of a regular DC. Unbelievable.
Dave Brubeck Quartet's - Time Out
Redbook CD: Lively. A bit thin sounding. Good bass. Overall, it's a solid recording that's chalk full of musical goodness.
Analogue Productions SACD: Ah, here we go. This recording isn't as loud. It's also more organic, and more natural sounding. There's also less tape noise.
The funny thing is that I wouldn't say the Analogue Production version is necessarily better. I prefer it because my listening bias leans more towards the organic side of the aural spectrum. That being said, I know there are people who there who would prefer the redbook CD's more lively presentation. It's louder, the bass is stronger, and it's slightly more "in your face" than the audiophile-approved disc.
Duke Ellington's - Masterpieces
Redbook CD: Quite good. I honestly have no real complaints. This redbook disc gives this old 1950 recording a sense of air and life. For the $5 that I spent on it, I'd say that it's a mighty fine sounding disc.
Analogue Productions SACD: Also very good. It's slightly more organic sounding, yet softer and less lively. It's not better or worse than the redbook disc. It's just...... different.
Anyway folks, that's just my take on those three discs. When you step beyond the factors that nobody can control (such as the recording itself), I think a lot of this boils down to the gear that we own and our personal listening preferences. Are audiophile recordings worth it? I think that many of them are, and I shall continue to collect them - albeit rather selectively.
