The Jitter Bug


I've really been floored by the JVC XRCD. As I dig into what makes these disks so special, it has become quite clear JVC has taken an overall *process* view to the creation of these disks (which may be contrasted against a product design view - e.g. SACD, etc.). The result of standardizing the clock rate throughout the mastering & production process seems to have removed the jitter component *inherent in the disk itself.*

The upshot is interesting - in my view - because it reinforces the Redbook standard was not a fundamentally bad choice: in theory. The problem is it does not account for the variation in the end-to-end reproduction process. Thus, while a valid theoretical limit, in practice it is quite vulnerable to any weak link in the overall chain and is not robust enough to withstand less than a perfect manufacturing process.

But if you can control the entire reproduction chain, the result is quite respectable. I would like (though am not hopeful) to see this standard rolled out across the industry - paying $26 a disk sucks.
mprime
Yeah they are amazing CD's and I agree $26 a cd sucks... Wish the big music makers spent 1/100 of the time in the pressing of CD's then again the recording they do now days are pretty poor to begin with..(especially anything popular and new).

Try Mapleshade recordings also they are pretty amazing and only $9.99 each or less depending on what you buy.
I have heard the Mapleshade and find the performance substandard. And Mapleshade still suffers from the glass-mastering and stamping variations in the existing manufacturing process (which is exactly what the XRCD process has improved). This is why I call it the 'Jitter Bug': unless your equipment reclocks the incoming stream, CD playback will have a level of jitter *in* the disk which can't be removed.

Best,