Hdcd

TroyD
TroyD Posts: 13,077
edited March 2005 in 2 Channel Audio
Ok, so I'm sitting in the cave, still playing with the Denon/Parasound combo and I happen to put in a Dire Straits 'best of' CD and all of a sudden...WHOA....I've never heard it sound like THAT before.

Lo and behold it is HDCD. Now, I really don't have a clue as to what this is but it sounds pretty damn cool.

What's others experience with HDCD??

BDT
I plan for the future. - F1Nut
Post edited by TroyD on
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Comments

  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2005
    They sound great, even on non-HDCD decoding cdp's.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited February 2005
    I have that DS cd. Great cd!

    As far as the HDCD thing and players.. I don't know. I have a Rotel HDCD player and several other cd players that are not HDCD capable. Just to name a few, Myryad and Jolida. I've made exact copies of the HDCD disk and swapped back and forth with the players to compare. It seems that the characteristic of the player dominates more than the HDCD part. i.e. a little more bass or sweeter highs. In other words it is highly dependant on the listener and what he / she prefers because it all sounds pretty good. I don't hear the HDCD player having an advantage over the other players.
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  • Danny Tse
    Danny Tse Posts: 5,206
    edited February 2005
    Regarding HDCD, you can go to HDCD.com to find out the technolgy and a list of titles. However, HDCD-encoded CDs are not always marked on the packaging or the actually disc themselves. There's an ongoing thread at head-fi.org that tries to identify those HDCD-encoded CDs that aren't listed. Here's the link.

    BTW, since HDCD was purchased by Microsoft several years ago, MS has installed HDCD into its Windows Media Player. If you load a HDCD-encoded CD into you computer and has the disc played back thru WMP, you can have HDCD-decoding. And if you burn a copy of that HDCD-encoded CD, the copy will also be HDCD-encoded.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited February 2005
    Troy ,

    There is another cool type of cd that sound awesome. there called XRCD. These are made by JVC and have many good titles. they are re recorded and suppost to be as close to the orignal recording as possible.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,546
    edited February 2005
    Dan, you've been sleeping in class again. ;)

    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23144&highlight=xrcd

    BTW, the teacher might want to check their spelling, there's a E missing.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited March 2005
    I get the gist of what HDCD and XRCD (which I have a few of those).....I had just never paid HDCD any mind as I've never had an HDCD capable machine, until now.

    Without getting into the techno-babble they sound great....

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited March 2005
    Originally posted by TroyD
    Without getting into the techno-babble they sound great....

    Troy,

    I couldn't agree more. It was a pleasant surprise to find several HDCD's in my old stack of stuff when I got the EE tube CDP. In each case, I've found them of better overall SQ than a normal Red Book CD.

    I've also found HDCD cuts mixed within compilations. Those that readily come to mind are the Martin Scorcese Blues series.

    My understanding of the format is that there are several HDCD "toggles" that can be employed by the engineer. Often, I hear the soft clicking of a relay in my CDP between tracks when one of these toggles is employed/deployed in a cut.

    Mike
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited March 2005
    Cool info Mike.....

    Anyone wanna suggest some HDCD titles to look for??

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited March 2005
    Robben Ford - Supernatural is fantastic. More later..
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited March 2005
    That Dire Straits CD kicks butt, I play it all the time in the store. Just a matter of time before the PC police get me though.

    "that little **** got his own jet airplane, that little **** he's a millionaire."
    Never Forget
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2005
    The problem is that the "HDCD" logo is tiny and very hard to find. I know George Strait does 90% of his CD's in HDCD, as does Toby Keith and I believe Kenny Chesney. Check the hdcd website for a complete list.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited March 2005
    Keb' Mo' - Slow Down
    Tommy Castro - Right As Rain
    Otis Spann - Good Morning Mr. Blues

    (obviously, you're getting blues recommendations from me ;) )

    More later...
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2005
    According to the Head-Fi list, the new Mark Knopfler disc, Shangri-La, and Brian Wilson's Smile are supposed to be HDCD. They sure don't cause my player's HDCD indicator to light up. :(
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2005
    Shack--the D500SE is NOT HDCD. The indicator is there for future upgrade purposes.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2005
    I guess that's why the light doesn't come on.....
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited March 2005
    Originally posted by shack
    I guess that's why the light doesn't come on.....

    Hmmm.................I have heard people say that as they walk away from me in the office.........think I need an upgrade:D these guys are effin with me.......
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  • dragon1952
    dragon1952 Posts: 4,899
    edited March 2005
    If you like The Cars most of their's are HDCD. I have their first , The Cars, and Candy-O. The Candy-O CD is incredible sounding.
    2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones
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  • Danny Tse
    Danny Tse Posts: 5,206
    edited March 2005
    The remastered Dave Brubeck - Time Out is HDCD-encoded, but neither the disc nor the packaging is marked. Had to confirm it with Windows Media Player.
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