HDCD is just great - it's also effectively obsolete in terms of new recordings being made.Where it gets interesting is that since the format was truly backwards compatible ( for once) -there are quit a few out there to this day. Some artists/engineers really got behind it and their work will play just fine on a regular redbook CD player - plus really shine thru a player or converter that can recognize and process the HDCD process.
I also have a strong suspicion that part of the reason i really like so many HDCD encoded recordings is simply because the original "master" recordings were done by people who both cared about the sound of the final product and had the chops to get this done right - probably more important than the HDCD process it's self.
FWIW - as a former service manager - I would not expect to be able to repair any mechanism over the long run ( Chinese or not). Personally prefer to send my music out of relatively cheap players into a very good outboard DAC - that way when the player goes down - I feel no qualms about piching it.
I also have a strong suspicion that part of the reason i really like so many HDCD encoded recordings is simply because the original "master" recordings were done by people who both cared about the sound of the final product and had the chops to get this done right - probably more important than the HDCD process it's self.
FWIW - as a former service manager - I would not expect to be able to repair any mechanism over the long run ( Chinese or not). Personally prefer to send my music out of relatively cheap players into a very good outboard DAC - that way when the player goes down - I feel no qualms about piching it.