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Post by skippy1977 on May 9, 2017 16:28:10 GMT -5
Does the XMC-1 have the capability to decode HDCDs? I'm curious as I just ordered an Oppo 205 and it does not decode HDCDs. I don't have many HDCDs and I'm not really concerned about it. But thought that the XMC-1 might have that capability.
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geebo
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Post by geebo on May 9, 2017 16:35:38 GMT -5
Does the XMC-1 have the capability to decode HDCDs? I'm curious as I just ordered an Oppo 205 and it does not decode HDCDs. I don't have many HDCDs and I'm not really concerned about it. But thought that the XMC-1 might have that capability. No it does not. But if you really want to you can rip them in dBpoweramp to 24 bit files (20 bit with padded zeros to get 24 bit) which you can then play as you would any 24 bit file. |
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Post by skippy1977 on May 9, 2017 16:45:20 GMT -5
Does the XMC-1 have the capability to decode HDCDs? I'm curious as I just ordered an Oppo 205 and it does not decode HDCDs. I don't have many HDCDs and I'm not really concerned about it. But thought that the XMC-1 might have that capability. No it does not. But if you really want to you can rip them in dBpoweramp to 24 bit files (20 bit with padded zeros to get 24 bit) which you can then play as you would any 24 bit file. Thanks for your thoughts! I'll probably forgo ripping the HDCDs as I have so few of them. |
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Post by creimes on May 10, 2017 1:14:27 GMT -5
Does the XMC-1 have the capability to decode HDCDs? I'm curious as I just ordered an Oppo 205 and it does not decode HDCDs. I don't have many HDCDs and I'm not really concerned about it. But thought that the XMC-1 might have that capability. Are you sure about that, my Oppo 103 decodes HDCD |
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Post by Cory Cooper on May 10, 2017 5:18:38 GMT -5
Yes, my OPPO BDP-95 also plays HDCD. But, the new UDP-203/205 players do not decode HDCD.
C
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geebo
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Post by geebo on May 10, 2017 6:33:33 GMT -5
Does the XMC-1 have the capability to decode HDCDs? I'm curious as I just ordered an Oppo 205 and it does not decode HDCDs. I don't have many HDCDs and I'm not really concerned about it. But thought that the XMC-1 might have that capability. Are you sure about that, my Oppo 103 decodes HDCD Oppo discontinued HDCD support with the 20x models. |
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Post by creimes on May 10, 2017 13:17:39 GMT -5
Are you sure about that, my Oppo 103 decodes HDCD Oppo discontinued HDCD support with the 20x models. Well that sucks lol, sort of an odd thing not to include from the previous models but maybe the demand just isn't there. |
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geebo
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Post by geebo on May 10, 2017 13:23:22 GMT -5
Oppo discontinued HDCD support with the 20x models. Well that sucks lol, sort of an odd thing not to include from the previous models but maybe the demand just isn't there. Yeah, I think your right about the demand. I went ahead and ripped my few HDCD discs with dBpoweramp to 24 bit files and put them on a hard drive. Not sure I could tell a difference anyway. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on May 10, 2017 15:50:37 GMT -5
Here's an interesting bit of trivia about HDCD...... Back when HDCD was still new, the only ADC that would allow you to ENCODE HDCDs was made by Pacific Microsonics - the guys who make the hardware decoder chips. Apparently this was a really high quality ADC, and was considered to sound very good - whether you used the HDCD option or not. As a result, a lot of them continue to be used....... simply because they're still a useful and good sounding piece of equipment. It has been suggested that, in many cases, "they simply left the switch turned on", and this is why many "HDCD encoded" discs don't sound any different. I can definitely tell you that I have one or two HDCD discs that sound VERY different - they have a lot more dynamic range than normal - even to the point of sounding exaggerated. I've also got quite a few where I can hear little or no difference between regular playback and HDCD decoded playback. More trivia...... Foobar2000 can also play HDCD - if you install the HDCD plugin. And more trivia...... The HDCD flag is separate for each track, so a CD can have a mix of HDCD and non-HDCD tracks. Well that sucks lol, sort of an odd thing not to include from the previous models but maybe the demand just isn't there. Yeah, I think your right about the demand. I went ahead and ripped my few HDCD discs with dBpoweramp to 24 bit files and put them on a hard drive. Not sure I could tell a difference anyway. |
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Post by wilburthegoose on May 11, 2017 7:06:14 GMT -5
I have a boatload of HDCD discs, many of which were 90's country.
I can tell absolutely no difference between HDCD and normal "redbook" CDs.
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Post by foggy1956 on May 11, 2017 7:21:02 GMT -5
I have a boatload of HDCD discs, many of which were 90's country. I can tell absolutely no difference between HDCD and normal "redbook" CDs. That's because they're 90's country😎 |
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Post by Bonzo on May 11, 2017 8:24:30 GMT -5
I have a boatload of HDCD discs, many of which were 90's country. I can tell absolutely no difference between HDCD and normal "redbook" CDs. That's because they're 90's country😎  Unfortunately it's way better than most of today's pop rock "look at me" country. |
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Post by Bonzo on May 11, 2017 8:37:49 GMT -5
Here's an interesting bit of trivia about HDCD...... Back when HDCD was still new, the only ADC that would allow you to ENCODE HDCDs was made by Pacific Microsonics - the guys who make the hardware decoder chips. Apparently this was a really high quality ADC, and was considered to sound very good - whether you used the HDCD option or not. As a result, a lot of them continue to be used....... simply because they're still a useful and good sounding piece of equipment. It has been suggested that, in many cases, "they simply left the switch turned on", and this is why many "HDCD encoded" discs don't sound any different. I can definitely tell you that I have one or two HDCD discs that sound VERY different - they have a lot more dynamic range than normal - even to the point of sounding exaggerated. I've also got quite a few where I can hear little or no difference between regular playback and HDCD decoded playback. More trivia...... Foobar2000 can also play HDCD - if you install the HDCD plugin. And more trivia...... The HDCD flag is separate for each track, so a CD can have a mix of HDCD and non-HDCD tracks. Yeah, I think your right about the demand. I went ahead and ripped my few HDCD discs with dBpoweramp to 24 bit files and put them on a hard drive. Not sure I could tell a difference anyway. So, as we've discussed in the other thread, OPPO decided to leave HDCD decoding off the new 203 and 205. Why was it left off the XMC-1? And any chance it will be on the XMC-2 or RMC-1? Oh, and to what you said above about the "switch left on," I think this is absolutely true. It's also very reminiscent of our discussions about hi-rez, SACD and DVD-A. Is it really the SACD tech that makes those discs sound different, or is it more a matter of the mastering techniques used? I doubt we will ever really know. What I do know is that my Grateful Dead HDCD discs do have a very live sound that I like a lot, and they certainly sound much better to me than their regular CD brethren. HDCD tech or mastering techniques who knows, but the HDCD discs sound noticeably better. |
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Post by foggy1956 on May 11, 2017 9:43:39 GMT -5
That's because they're 90's country😎 Unfortunately it's way better than most of today's pop rock "look at me" country. Agreed, do love me some classic country though |
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Post by wilburthegoose on May 12, 2017 6:06:50 GMT -5
Actually, my point is that from what I remember, most of the HDCD disks were from the country genre. And I used to look for that little icon in record stores.
A also think any perceived audio quality improvement was a placebo more than anything else.
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Post by Bonzo on May 12, 2017 8:44:22 GMT -5
Actually, my point is that from what I remember, most of the HDCD disks were from the country genre. And I used to look for that little icon in record stores. A also think any perceived audio quality improvement was a placebo more than anything else. As I said above, I think it's really impossible for us to know with 100% certainty if it's the HDCD decoding or the mastering used (or as Keith pointed out, the ADC equipment used). But from what I have heard, there is certainly a difference between HDCD and their regular CD counterparts. And the differences I've heard are for the better, with a much more live sound. Were you ever able to compare a regular CD vs an HDCD CD in the same player back to back? In some cases I've found the differences to be far from subtle. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on May 12, 2017 15:00:09 GMT -5
Lots of the older Grateful Dead CDs were done in HDCD (and many of them didn't have the HDCD icon on the label at all). I'm sure you can find websites that list HDCD CDs. Actually, my point is that from what I remember, most of the HDCD disks were from the country genre. And I used to look for that little icon in record stores. A also think any perceived audio quality improvement was a placebo more than anything else. |
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KeithL
Administrator
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Post by KeithL on May 12, 2017 15:03:56 GMT -5
HDCD is generally considered to be "a CD player thing".... so it isn't even in the standard programming libraries for surround sound decoders. It was originally included in the digital filter that was part of the DAC - in CD players. You can now find ripping software that supports it. To be honest, these days there's little enough interest in it that nobody even thought about it - and what little interest is left lives with people who want an actual CD player. Here's an interesting bit of trivia about HDCD...... Back when HDCD was still new, the only ADC that would allow you to ENCODE HDCDs was made by Pacific Microsonics - the guys who make the hardware decoder chips. Apparently this was a really high quality ADC, and was considered to sound very good - whether you used the HDCD option or not. As a result, a lot of them continue to be used....... simply because they're still a useful and good sounding piece of equipment. It has been suggested that, in many cases, "they simply left the switch turned on", and this is why many "HDCD encoded" discs don't sound any different. I can definitely tell you that I have one or two HDCD discs that sound VERY different - they have a lot more dynamic range than normal - even to the point of sounding exaggerated. I've also got quite a few where I can hear little or no difference between regular playback and HDCD decoded playback. More trivia...... Foobar2000 can also play HDCD - if you install the HDCD plugin. And more trivia...... The HDCD flag is separate for each track, so a CD can have a mix of HDCD and non-HDCD tracks. So, as we've discussed in the other thread, OPPO decided to leave HDCD decoding off the new 203 and 205. Why was it left off the XMC-1? And any chance it will be on the XMC-2 or RMC-1? Oh, and to what you said above about the "switch left on," I think this is absolutely true. It's also very reminiscent of our discussions about hi-rez, SACD and DVD-A. Is it really the SACD tech that makes those discs sound different, or is it more a matter of the mastering techniques used? I doubt we will ever really know. What I do know is that my Grateful Dead HDCD discs do have a very live sound that I like a lot, and they certainly sound much better to me than their regular CD brethren. HDCD tech or mastering techniques who knows, but the HDCD discs sound noticeably better. |
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KeithL
Administrator
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Post by KeithL on May 12, 2017 15:19:05 GMT -5
If you want to hear a BIG difference...... Find a copy of the HDCD version of the album Novella by Renaissance (there have been several remasters and reissues of that album) ...... When you decode the HDCD encoded version, there is an absolutely HUGE increase in dynamics. (To be honest, I find it to sound rather exaggerated... but it is quite impressive.) (Also note that CDs have about 86 dB of dynamic range, which is plenty - IF USED PROPERLY.) Actually, my point is that from what I remember, most of the HDCD disks were from the country genre. And I used to look for that little icon in record stores. A also think any perceived audio quality improvement was a placebo more than anything else. As I said above, I think it's really impossible for us to know with 100% certainty if it's the HDCD decoding or the mastering used (or as Keith pointed out, the ADC equipment used). But from what I have heard, there is certainly a difference between HDCD and their regular CD counterparts. And the differences I've heard are for the better, with a much more live sound. Were you ever able to compare a regular CD vs an HDCD CD in the same player back to back? In some cases I've found the differences to be far from subtle. |
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Post by Bonzo on May 12, 2017 15:27:07 GMT -5
HDCD is generally considered to be "a CD player thing".... so it isn't even in the standard programming libraries for surround sound decoders. It was originally included in the digital filter that was part of the DAC - in CD players. You can now find ripping software that supports it. To be honest, these days there's little enough interest in it that nobody even thought about it - and what little interest is left lives with people who want an actual CD player. Thanks. When you say it like that it makes total sense. My stuff is so old it's actually in both my universal player and my receiver. Overkill, but nice anyway. I guess I was just hoping by now that it was one of those 5 cent cost things that everyone just included because why not. I'd say the main problem is the general demise of the CD itself. How many companies even make stand alone CD players anymore anyway? Not many. It was really up to Oppo, the king of the universal player, to keep it alive. If they don't, who is going to? I'm surprised they are still including SACD and DVD-A. That has to be something only to keep their previous customers upgrading. But I won't be surprised when those features go away too. |
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