Listening to HDCD CD, Must I use CD Player with HDCD Function?

liemjerry

Well-Known Member
Hello
I am curious with listening of HDCD CD
If I don't have HDCD CD Player, what happened ?
Must I have CD Player with HDCD capability?
Please give some explanation

Thank you
 
From what I have read the CD will sound better in an HDCD capable player. I have some HDCD discs and they sound fine on my regular CD player.
 
150px-HDCD_logo.svg.png
Unlike SACD, HDCD is a compatible disc format - you can listen to HDCD with a conventional CD player -
BUT - you will not get the full quality of the music without the Pacific Microsonics decoding algorithms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Definition_Compatible_Digital

I had a number of Harman Kardon AVRs that had native HDCD decoding, and currently have an Audio Alchemy DAC that can decode the signal.
You fed the full digital datastream from your disc player (over Optical or coaxial cable) and the decode circuit dcodes it.
Most OPPO disc players before 2017 also decoded HDCD.
 
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Agree with all the above, and I'll add that there is a school of thought that discs that had HDCD encoding tended to have better overall recording/mixing/production standards than an otherwise-standard CD, so there is a natural-outcome benefit on just the standard "Redbook" CD rendering that it is better too as it had more careful handling and treatment. Add an HDCD-capable player (which also tended to be a little "better" in general) and they can sound quite good.
 
View attachment 1406827
Unlike SACD, HDCD is a compatible disc format - you can listen to HDCD with a conventional CD player -
BUT - you will not get the full quality of the music without the Pacific Microsonics decoding algorithms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Definition_Compatible_Digital

I had a number of Harman Kardon AVRs that had native HDCD decoding, and currently have an Audio Alchemy DAC that can decode the signal.
You fed the full digital datastream from your disc player (over Optical or coaxial cable) and the decode circuit dcodes it.
Most OPPO disc players before 2017 also decoded HDCD.

so, The CD Player with HDCD capability is better to choose if I have several HDCD disc?
 
Must I have CD Player with HDCD capability?
Another format is file playback. dbPoweramp rips the content from the CD and has a built in decoder that embeds the additional bits creating a 44/24 file.

It's actually a 17-20 bit output, but is padded for compatibility.
 
it's confusing if choosing CD players with famous DAC liike TDA1841 but no HDCD capability because it's old cd player but on the other way, there's CD player (new model with PCM1732U DAC but with HDCD capability, which one to choose?
 
it's confusing if choosing CD players with famous DAC liike TDA1841 but no HDCD capability because it's old cd player but on the other way, there's CD player (new model with PCM1732U DAC but with HDCD capability, which one to choose?
Its really up to you. I have the older Oppo DV 970 and 971 that do HDCD - even their newer BDP-103 or BDP-105 does HDCD. ANd like I said, I got a standalone DAC that does HDCD too.
But if a player doesn't advertise HDCD, it does not do the decoding for the greater dynamic range of HDCD.

I do triple duty with my DAC - I run the output of my Apple Airport Express Optical out through it for local WiFi streamed music from my computer server; I run the output of an Oppo DV970HD disc machine through the coaxial for regular redbook CDs, and the same for HDCDs. (Currently playing The Mermen Live New Year's Eve show from my MacPro through the Airport - so, no HDCD lights)

HDCD-DAC_8384.jpg
 
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MusicBee and Foobar have an available HDCD plugin.

If you rip an HDCD to FLAC the plugin will automatically decode the HDCD content.
 
I think the issue is the music software - it must be capable. Windows Media Player is supposed to recognize HDCD. I think a button will light up. I have a few HDCD disks and gave up worrying about it. They play fine even if you are not somehow getting all of it.
 
no, sorry, I mean the purpose for this thread is that a must to buy cd player with HDCD feature on DAC rather than common CD player without HDCD capabilities

Thanks
 
Well, if you want to be able to get the full benefit of the HDCD discs in a player, yes, you will need an HDCD player.

BUT

HDCD discs are back-compatible with Red Book CD, so they can be played as conventional CDs in a conventional CD player.

OR

You can rip the HDCDs in a computer drive, and use an HDCD plug-in for a media player to get the HDCD audio.
 
I have several players that can play the HDCD format but since adding a Adcom GDA-700 I have been playing my small HDCD collection a bit more. I'm not sure if it's the format or that the producer/engineer were more focused when recording the CD but most of my HDCD titles sound a bit better than the standard Redbook CD.
 
As if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared...

Working away from home for a couple of days, and this gave me the chance to trawl another set of charity shops. One of which yielded an HDCD copy of Madeleine Peyroux's 'Dreamland', so I shall be able to try ripping and replay to HDCD, or get MusicBee to transcode to 24-bit FLAC.
 
I use an older Assemblage DAC to play my HDCDs. The difference is quite discernable. I just wish I had more HDCDs. One of my favs is Duke Ellington's "Blues in Orbit" but only about half the tracks are actually rendered in HD. It really shows off the benefits of this format.
 
As if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared...

Working away from home for a couple of days, and this gave me the chance to trawl another set of charity shops. One of which yielded an HDCD copy of Madeleine Peyroux's 'Dreamland', so I shall be able to try ripping and replay to HDCD, or get MusicBee to transcode to 24-bit FLAC.


I have that title and got it only because it was part of about a half dozen HDCD titles at one of the local GW's. I think you will enjoy it!
 
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