New High-End CD Format...

"FIM K2 HD" Anyone heard or know about this format? Sounds very interesting. I may try it.



http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=FIMHD078

George that Links didn't work for me.

Is this a redbook compliant disc (i.e. 16/44.1) with high quality mastering, or is it a totally new format (using CD data structures, like DTS discs do) ?

I sure hope it's not a new format, we need those like a hole in the head.

It's bad enough that we have BD and HD-DVD battling it out, both of which could make amazing high-rez audio transports (they both support 8 channels of lossless audio data).

According to this in-depth review...
http://www.dagogo.com/Music/FIM-K2HD-Sampler.html

K2HD is a step BEYOND the JVC developed XRCD process, yielding even BETTER resolution, yet still playable with Redbook CD players. Given my excellent experience with XRCD's, I'm excited to hear about this new technology. However, if the price point is even higher than the already outrageously expensive XRCD's, it will end up as a superb product with NO market!

Actually, this has been around for about three years now. Fully compatible with everything and has been used with a limited number of reissues, mostly 70s - 90's rock.

At this point, no new music is being done with this converter, so it may be a moot issue.

The big question is: do you need yet another copy of Pink Floyd's DSOM? Etc.

I picked a couple of them up back when the format first hit and felt that they didn't sound any better or worse than anything else I've owned. Over on the Steve Hoffman Music Forum, they've been going back & forth on this for a while now. Some claim they are great, others say they are crap, so it's pretty hard to make a decision.

There's a site called Stereomojo that claims that this is a "new format" and that they will be the first to get samples....

But it has been around for quite some time now.

And as always, CD's encoded with this process are priced at a premium. Most are in the 30-40 dollar range.

So, as always, you pay the money and take your chances!!!

Alas if HDCD had been backed by the magazines more..... the HDCD releases didn't cost extra