2. digital
  3. 1360336706

HDCD Decoding ?

Recently, I have noticed that the specifications for CD players sometimes mention that they are compatible with HDCD CDs. I thought that HDCD died about ten years ago. But HDCD CDs have always been playable on any CD players; albeit not all CD players would decode the HDCD formatting because that required a special digital filter from Pacific Microsonics.

Several years ago, when HDCD first appeared, Pacific Microsonics required that anyone licensed to use their HDCD filter had to install automatic attenuation in their players for ALL non-HDCD discs. This was not necessarily a good thing.

When a 21st century CD player will read HDCD discs, it may or may not perform the automatic change in volume as a result. The net impact in older HDCD players was that all normal (non-HDCD) discs were attenuated. I own a few hundred CDs and only about 6 of them are HDCD. I expect that now in the year 2013, this is no longer a problem regarding the Pacific Microsonics HDCD filter. My guess is that current players are not using a Pacific Microsonics filter.

Perhaps "compatible with" is simply a reminder that the CD player will play the older HDCDs as regular CDs?

What says the group mind?
poetcatullus

Showing 1 response by dbphd

Ag insider logo xs@2x
dbphd
1,616 posts
 
I've played HDCD recordings, especially the Reference recordings Stravinsky and Big Band Basie, many time with my Oppo 95 and noticed no loudness difference compared to CDs. Those two recordings are superb. On a good setup, Big Band Basie has a great sense of air and openness. At one point I thought I'd simplify by replacing a Proceed PAV and Amp 2 with a Sony AVR. That sense of air when I played Big Band Basie deflated. The Sony AVR was gone soon thereafter.

db
More to discover