XRCD 'Carpenters Gold Greatest Hits'

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I'm skeptical about it. These Hong Kong pirates will slap any kind of logo on a disc to make it look like its a super-duper CD.

I DO recall a discussion where there was a legitimate release of some Carpenters title in an HDCD format - but XRCD2? Be wary.

Harry
 
There is a link on the page to "learn more about the XRCD process." It is a dead link. Further evidence this is probably bogus.
 
Thanks as I thought it didn't look very official especially with the back saying K2 and XRCD.

Scott B
 
I am the buyer of the XRCD in the link. It's legit. It's on the way to me....the seller is very trustworthy.

While it doesn't appear on the packaging, I am almost 100% sure the XRCD was commissioned by Hong Kong Universal. Do a search using my moniker "soundboy", you will find I've posted comments on the HK Universal DSD-remastered Carpenters 2 CD set from a couple of years back. Hmmm....I wonder if I took down my photos of it from that thread.
 
It'll be intersting to know how the quality is. I suppose "XRCD" is just another fancy way of packaging the same ol' technology...kind of like A&M used to put "Audio Master Plus" on all their CDs which were the same as everybody else's CDs.
 
Mike Blakesley said:
It'll be intersting to know how the quality is. I suppose "XRCD" is just another fancy way of packaging the same ol' technology...kind of like A&M used to put "Audio Master Plus" on all their CDs which were the same as everybody else's CDs.

XRCD is nothing more than a well-mastered CD. Supposedly, the master tapes are re-mastered in Japan by JVC and the CDs are pressed in some meticulous fashion. Given the praises received on the XRCD of Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" (also commissioned by HK Universal), it's not surprising that HK Universal will do a XRCD for the Carpenters.

Edit: I just did a search at elusivedisc.com for the Carpenters XRCD. Here it is.....

http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=JVCXRH0765
 
OK, so now we know that "XRCD" is not a bogus term and the ebay seller is not a crook (although his link is still dead.) What I wonder is, how much (if any) better could this be than the regular issue Carpenters remasters, or the SACD "Singles" compilation? Just how many times can completists be expected to buy the same material, anyway?!
 
I've never heard a "poorly" mastered official Carpenters disc, so I can't imagine this being any better than the standard issued CDs.

Harry
 
Mike Blakesley said:
Just how many times can completists be expected to buy the same material, anyway?!

mr. J said:
Who on earth cares? The last thing we need is another Carpenters Greatest Hits album!

You guys have to see this release from a different perspective. This XRCD, if proven true by my assumption, was commissioned by Hong Kong Universal Music to be distributed ONLY in Hong Kong. So it's not really meant for other people in other parts of the world. In HK, especially with Western pop music, the consumer tends to buy compilations for an artist instead of individual albums. While Carpenters fans in other parts of the world may wonder about the reason behind yet another greatest hits compilation, the reality is that this XRCD is meant for a whole different audience.
 
It's odd that they picked the British compilation, GOLD, to do it with. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that compilation from 2000, there WAS a Japanese/Asian version of GOLD that they might have picked to do it with, since those slightly different tracks were targeted for THAT audience.

Harry

P.S.: For what it's worth, this title was released yesterday, February 1st in Japan, according to the HMV website.
 
Soundboy,

I tried with zero success to get that 2 CD set with the DSD mastering as I remember seeing your comments about the great sound quality on that set. I think that the reason this title 'Gold' has been chosen is that when it came out on the UK it also came out in Asia in various formats (digipack, slipcase Gold plated CD etc) .

My guess is the mastering engineer took the UK disc and used that to work with the XR process to tweak up the sound. This is fairly common these days as many mastering engineers will not go back to the master tapes everytime but simply used a well mastered previously released CD and tweak it up from their(like the Dutch 'Ultimate Collection' which I'm sure was mastered straight from the Remastered Classics CD's.

Please let me know how this new XRCD sounds and of the older 2 CD DSD set is still available.

Thanks

Scott B







soundboy said:
I am the buyer of the XRCD in the link. It's legit. It's on the way to me....the seller is very trustworthy.

While it doesn't appear on the packaging, I am almost 100% sure the XRCD was commissioned by Hong Kong Universal. Do a search using my moniker "soundboy", you will find I've posted comments on the HK Universal DSD-remastered Carpenters 2 CD set from a couple of years back. Hmmm....I wonder if I took down my photos of it from that thread.
 
I went to the post office this morning to pick up my XRCD of the The Carpenters (I also purchased 2 SACDs from the seller, including a hybrid SACD of Peter Gabriel). The pic seen in the link is actually of the "unwrapped" XRCD; mine came wrapped in clear plastic with a sticker from Hong Kong Universal Music (written in traditional Chinese). As I expected, HK Universal did the commissioning for XRCD on this title. The XRCD comes in the familiar digipak and contains nothing special in terms of liner notes. Hasn't listen to the disc yet....will update when I do that.
 
Do let us know of your findings and whether or not we should all be sending money to Hong Kong!

Harry
 
Due to various family obligations, I've yet to audition the Carpenters XRCD. However, I just noticed a new DSD-remastered 2-disc "Carpenters - The Ultimate Collection" from HK Universal Music and it's available from US e-tailer yesasia.com. Click on "Product Zoom In" and the sticker mentioned a 22 page biography (in Chinese), complete lyrics in Chinese and English, and DSD remastering. Also something about ringtones and downloads....can't read, too small.
 
I would like to revive this older thread. Has anyone picked up the XRCD2 of Carpenters Gold? How is it?

What about this DSD-mastered Carpenters The Ultimate Collection? Is it worth having?

Is there anything special about these releases in terms of mastering or content?
 
XRCD2 (Made in Japan) mastered by Sugimoto;
I haven't bought Chinese pirates. Mine is Japanese edition, released by Universal MusicTV. (Although made in Japan, digii-pack(?) printed in Hong Kong.) If you are interested in mastering, you should get it, or wait for soundboy's or someone's review.
This was the 3rd hardest Carpenters album for me to get.

Carpenters glass CD has not been released yet, most persons who have listened to glass CD love the sound. However it's too expensive.

As for XRCD2 and SHM-CD, some loves the sound, others are not impressed. I think XRCD2 doesn't pay.

The Ultimate Collection (the first Holland edition) mastered by QS Sound Lab,
32 BIT
Digitally remastered


I sometimes hear The Ultimate Collection, but I have played XRCD2 only a few times so far.

Sakura
 
Here you go....

2979267614_c315e04e5c.jpg

2979268040_0f63e90612.jpg
 
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