I believe the Connoisseur series was 20bit mastered and SBM. I own a large percentage of those issued. The RVGs are 24bit mastered and IMO sound excellent and as mentioned are reasonably priced. I also own a number of Japanese RVGs in mini LP sleeves that are a slight step up but are on the pricey side. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these. The original Connoisseur series was more costly than American RVGs. Both the Connoisseur and RVG series were issued in Japan first although the US Connoisseurs were not labeled as such in Japan. I own the 2 Blue Trains and possibly a XRCD but have never sat down and compared them all. If I do I'll try to report here. It is amazing how good some of these CDs sound especially since many were recorded in RVGs parents living room. Go figure!
