What is Redbook?

Bomarc...Where did you read, see, hear that info? Based on every HDCD article I have ever read, HDCD is indeed a 20-bit binary word length recording. Please correct me if I am wrong (I would appreciate a source so I could check it out myself).

Thanks and Regards...Mike - Father & Son Audio

Thank you, one and all. That was easy.

I am also looking for a pr. of inexpensive speakers for my son and have spent untold hours brousing the speaker forums.
What a wealth of knowledge to be found here, not only in the positive statements but in the dissenting comments also.
I do not understand all the technical points but it's not difficult to get the gist of most threads. I usually learn something.

One other question...would something like a Sony SCD C555ES blow my old Arcam,AudioAlchemy out of the water?

Thanks to Audiogon also, an excellent gathering spot for all the audio wackos.(self inclusive) Ron

No, but if it's truly in water you're in trouble!
Try to focus on the major improvement that speakers matched to your room will make before you start CDP wars. Have fun.

Mike: 20-bit is how Microsoft (like Pacific Microsonics, which developed it) hypes it, and credulous audio writers who know nothing about a product except what a manufacturer tells them parrot the line.

HDCD is just a 16-bit system which uses the 16th bit a little differently. The rough idea is that occasionally it uses only 15 bits for the music so that it can use the 16th for decoding instructions. (There's more going on than this, including better digital filters, but this is the aspect that's relevant to bit resolution.) Microsoft would like you to believe that this decoding gives you the funtional equivalent of 20 bits of resolution. It's probably no better or worse on that score than other approaches to noise shaping.

If HDCD were truly a 20-bit system two things would be true:

1) HDCDs would not play at all on non-HDCD decks.

2) The S/N ration of HDCD decks would be above 100 dB. Ever seen a test report that found this?