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My first encounter with K2 Mastering

I'd like to share my first experience with K2 mastering. I received Chinese music CD "Red Cliff Capriccio" featuring Wei Li renowned Guzheng player. Guzheng is a string instrument (zither family) that is large horizontal box (size of electric piano) with approx. 20 strings on the top (four octave range). Recording was made in Skylark Studios known for low background noise with close miking that gives more of "orchestral" quality. Expressive power of this instrument is absolutely incredible with powerful transient and loudness while at the same time soft passages are clean and delicate. I've never experienced such purity and dynamics in any recording I have. I don't know what is better in K2 mastering but result is incredible on standard redbook CD. I'm sold - what is your experience with K2 mastering?
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bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,957 posts
 
I believe that there are 2 K2 masterings available now - the original (JVC) K2 which used 20-b mastering & today you can get K2H2 which I believe uses 24-b mastering. Just reading your post, I believe that you got the older/original K2 mastered CD (which is excellent sonic quality).
Yup, I have several K2 20-b mastered CDs & they are all superb sonically. Definitely worth their price IMHO.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki OP
3,575 posts
 
Bombaywalla - I found that it is K2HD. Do you know what they do different from regular 24/192 mastering. I can understand better dynamics since they most likely use less compression for "high definition" CDs but purity of sound and air especially at higher pitch string sounds is astounding.
rja's avatar
rja
2,112 posts
 
I have purchased 3 K2HD CDs in the last several months; Miles Davis-Kind of Blue, Eagles-Hell Freezes Over, Cat Stevens-Greatest Hits.

I'll admit they are on the pricey side but they're the best CD versions of Kind of Blue and Hell Freezes Over I've ever heard.

Although the Cat Stevens is excellent I don't think it sounds as consistently fine as the other two.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki OP
3,575 posts
 
I wonder if magic of K2 HD lies in better mastering-downsampling or it is whole recording-mastering-downsampling process. Such recordings like Kind of Blue cannot be re-recoded.
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,957 posts
 
Kijanki,
I meant to answer your question but it slipped my mind! Anyway, better late than never....
In the original K2 & in the newer K2HD processes the key does lie in the A-D conversion from the master tapes/original digital recording and then in the subsequent down-conversion & truncation to 16 bits. Here is some info on the K2HD mastering process:
http://hificable.dk/k2-hd-mastering/
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