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Post by emotifan on Sept 23, 2014 9:43:32 GMT -5
I've e-mailed Emotiva a couple of times with this question and haven't received and answer yet so I'll try here. The specs for the ERC-3 say it plays HDCD disks, but does it decode the HD data to play back in 24 bit? The specs also say it plays hybrid SACDs also but it doesn't play the SACD layer, just the Red Book layer. I've read some pretty good things about HDCD and would like to know for sure whether or not the ERC-3 decodes it.
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Post by garbulky on Sept 23, 2014 9:55:08 GMT -5
From what I gather the answer is yes. However I see you have an XDA-1. I reccomend going the DC-1 route instead especially if you use your PC or other sources. I have the XDA-1 and for me I felt the DC-1 was a worthwhile upgrade to put it mildly. And simply play the CD's off your current cd player and use the digital output to the DC-1. The DC-1 will do the decoding (but not HDCD from your CD player).
You can get HDCD playback from your macbook's cd player to the DC-1 but it does take a bit of jiggling.
This way you get more flexibility and not to mention improved sound quality from all your sources. The DC-1 headphone output is also better than the USP-1's if you care about that stuff.
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Sept 23, 2014 10:13:55 GMT -5
I've e-mailed Emotiva a couple of times with this question and haven't received and answer yet so I'll try here. The specs for the ERC-3 say it plays HDCD disks, but does it decode the HD data to play back in 24 bit? The specs also say it plays hybrid SACDs also but it doesn't play the SACD layer, just the Red Book layer. I've read some pretty good things about HDCD and would like to know for sure whether or not the ERC-3 decodes it. Yes, the ERC-3 (just like its predecessors) will decode HDCD to the HDCD standard. HDCD is regular 16-bit encoded (so that it plays on regular CD players) but reassigns bits that are under the noise floor for extra bit depth. As with all media, the biggest impact to sound quality is the competence of which the material was mastered. A crappy recording will still sound crappy (if not crappier) regardless of bit depth. |
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Post by garbulky on Sept 23, 2014 10:18:25 GMT -5
stiehl11Do you know if the ERC players can output a digital output of the HDCD signal for decoding by a DAC?
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Sept 23, 2014 10:50:04 GMT -5
Can I say with authority that it does? No. But it should.
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Post by jackpine on Sept 23, 2014 11:22:30 GMT -5
I believe that CD players don't put out the HDCD signal digitally. If they did then you would need a HDCD capable DAC.
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Post by sct on Sept 23, 2014 11:35:30 GMT -5
If the CD is HDCD encoded, you would need a DAC that is HDCD capable in order to decode it properly via its digital inputs. The bits is the bits and the only difference between the bits coming from an HDCD stream and regular bits is that the HDCD flag has been toggled on and the HDCD magic has been applied during mastering.
And, IMHO, it is most certainly worthwhile to have an HDCD capable player. If done properly, HDCD discs sound noticeably better than non HDCD discs. The same is true for XRCD, K2, and Super BitMap discs except that they don't require any special decoding, ANY CD player can benefit from their use...
SCT
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Post by emotifan on Sept 23, 2014 12:47:41 GMT -5
Okay, are you guys sure about that? I talked to someone at Emotiva a few hours ago that said he "doesn't think it does" but will play the redbook portion of the HDCD. I'm not confident he knew what he was talking about though. It almost sounded like he was confusing the technology with hybrid SACD.
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Post by garbulky on Sept 23, 2014 12:58:06 GMT -5
Product literature:
"Complete disc solution: plays all Red Book stereo audio CDs, HDCDs, MP3 CDs, and the Red Book layer of hybrid SACDs."
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Post by jmilton on Sept 23, 2014 13:01:45 GMT -5
The HDCD lights up my Oppo 103 when I play one. I don't know if the ERC lets you know if it is decoding HDCD.
From SACD.net:
HDCD (officially an acronym for High-Density Compatible Digital because the company that conceived this standard could not use a name that included 'Compact Disc') is a variant of the audio CD format that uses some otherwise unused 'subcode' bits to enhance the resolution slightly. It's an elegant approach in the sense that it provides the sort of two-way compatibility with CD like described for hybrid SA-CDs above: HDCDs can be played on regular CD players as if they were normal CDs: the player will simply ignore the extra bits.
While it provides an improvement over 'Red Book' CD it doesn't approach the fidelity of SA-CD, or of DVD-Audio, for that matter.
HDCD was developed by a company called Pacific Microsonics, later acquired by Microsoft.
------------------------------------
If the product lit. says it can...then it can!
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Post by emotifan on Sept 24, 2014 12:21:16 GMT -5
Finally received answers from Emotiva which I'm pasting below. I pulled the trigger and ordered the ERC-3 and am looking forward to checking it out.
"The decoding process occurs in the digital filter right before the audio is presented to the DAC.
Therefore, the analog output is created from the decoded HDCD digital audio signal.
The ERC-3 does really decode the HDCD signal - which, if it was encoded to do so, will give you improved dynamic range.
(How much audible difference you'll get will depend on how the producer chose to master the disc; it's pretty obvious with some discs but totally inaudible with others.)
Again, though, the digital outputs will still deliver 16 bit - and still HDCD encoded - digital audio.
(I am not aware of ANY CD player that will give you a decoded digital output today.)
Keith Levkoff
Technical Guru"
"Yes... and you do get a little indicator in the display when it detects an HDCD.
Also note that it is possible for a CD to contain some HDCD tracks and some that aren't (although I can't imagine why anyone would do that).
Do remember, though, that only the analog outputs are "decoded" - during the conversion process.
(The digital signal coming from the digital outputs is not.)
Keith
Keith Levkoff
Technical Guru"
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Post by Gary Cook on Sept 24, 2014 18:14:37 GMT -5
Finally received answers from Emotiva which I'm pasting below. I pulled the trigger and ordered the ERC-3 and am looking forward to checking it out. I'm sure that you will like your ERC-3, I sure do. Please post up a review or add to the existing review thread. Cheers Gary |
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Post by emotifan on Sept 25, 2014 16:29:49 GMT -5
Where is this existing review thread of the ERC-3?
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Post by Gary Cook on Sept 25, 2014 19:57:52 GMT -5
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