Amazing XRCD I just purchased....

As far as I've been able to tell, the K2s and XRCDs are using the same masters, so they ought to sound very similar. I think the distinction is mostly a marketing one. K2s you can find in any music store, and they are priced for the masses. XRCDs are available only through specialty audiophile outlets, where they can command a premium. (Now, what does that say about audiophiles?)

Well I guess I'm a cheap audiophile then! I've been loading up on K2's but still have yet to buy an XRCD. I'm pretty sure the difference is mostly price and marketing. On the other hand the difference between K2's and regular cd's is staggering. I was given a k2 of John Coltrane's "Lush Life" for xmas and already owned this on regular cd. I expected the differnce to be noticeable but subtle, it wasn't! The k2 was infinitely more transparent, dynamic, it was even a bit louder. I made sure to match levels to even the playing field, but it still wasn't even close. It's now my goal to acquire every k2 cd that's put out, luckily it's all great music too!

can anyone link me to an online source for k2 cd's? I live in Toronto and I don't know of any stores that carry them.

Thanks

Mikes,
Try going to www.fantasyrecords.com. They produce k2's and you can buy direct from them. Somewhere on the website is a list of all currently available k2's, I can remember the exact link but if you cruise the site you can figure it out. Good luck!

I'm pretty certain that Bomarc is correct that K2s use the same masters as XRCDs. The difference is in the manufacturing process (and of course the packaging).

As an aside, I have the XRCD version of Everybody Digs Bill Evans and it has the distortions that Hdm mentions on his K2 version. Presumably the problem is on the master tape which I suppose is why you never see Everybody Digs featured in Stereophile advertisements that way Moonbeams and Waltz for Debbie are. It may not be an audiophile classic (which begs the question of why JVC bothered to produce an XRCD version), but the music is damn fine.