Is HDCD worth it?

[FauxHall]

I came to HDCD by surprise.

I put on a new Grateful Dead CD and started to listen. After a while what I was hearing caused me to check if I had bought an SACD version instead of just a Redbook CD, the sound being better than I expected from a CD. The little HDCD logo was illuminated on the Oppo player (980?). I checked the label and sure enough, it said in the fine print that it was an HDCD recording.

It just could have been a well-recorded live Dead concert (!) or well-mastered, but it sound better than usual in a blind exposure.

Since then I look for HDCD disks if SACD is not available. Checking my library, it turns out I already had several, including ones I appreciated for good sound. Three of my four disk players are Sony's which don't play HDCD but if I were to buy a non-Sony, I'd show a preference for a player with HDCD playback.

 

[RichPA]

Is there software that decodes HDCD as it rips to flac?

 

[JohnVF]

Was just going to ask the same thing. Very curious about ripping it as well.

 

[KrisM]

Was just going to ask the same thing. Very curious about ripping it as well.

I just copied an HDCD this week with Nero (7, I think). It shows up as an HDCD on my Oppo.

 

[Negotiableterms]

HDCD puts the 20-bits into the Redbook 16-bit data. So copying an HDCD automatically copies the HDCD data, as part of the 16-bit stream. If all you want is a copy, there's nothing extra to do.

Microsoft owns HDCD, and Windows Media Player (v9 and above) decodes it if you have a 24-bit sound card.

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

 

[unknown]

My Cary plays HDCD format, and I can notice a difference. Sometimes, its not for the better though. For instance, on some of the Brooks and Dunn cd's, they are LOUD, which may have do with most country cd's being loud anyhow? Other's such as Natalie Merchant live in concert are quite sublime. There is a difference as far as I'm concerned.
Would I buy a player specifically for it? Probably not. It is a dead format, that really had potential, but only added 4 bits to 16, but given the range of engineering possibilities it wasa good idea. I think SACD is probably has more longevity, and possibly more titles to begin with?
In the end, soon enough, there will be something 'better' soon enough anyhow---like the new 4k TV's.
Mike

 

[Glen B]

I have a lot of Grateful Dead on HDCD. Would it be worth it to spend big bucks for a HDCD player run through a 2 channel vintage receiver?

I think I have asked tis question b/4.

IMO, like some others have said, its not worth the trouble to specifically look for an HDCD player. My old Classé CDP-.5 CD player ($2,000) had HDCD, and to my ears, HDCD discs did not sound significantly better than regular CDs, if at all. To my ears, any difference was certainly not worth big bucks.

 

[dodog]

HDCD puts the 20-bits into the Redbook 16-bit data. So copying an HDCD automatically copies the HDCD data, as part of the 16-bit stream. If all you want is a copy, there's nothing extra to do.

Microsoft owns HDCD, and Windows Media Player (v9 and above) decodes it if you have a 24-bit sound card.

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

Same goes for Foobar2000. Rip to flac, install the HDCD plugin and all is good. 24-bit if your soundcard allows.

If you have an HDCD compatible DAC and squeezebox, you can pass the digital 16bit file to the DAC and it will decode the HDCD content.

 

[kuad]

Great thread.