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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
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dbphd
1,628 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
sonicbeauty
324 posts
 
You mention that you have a few hundred albums. If you are judging only by the HDCD logo showing on the packaging that's one thing. But in reality, I would be surprised if you only had 6 cd's with HDCD encoding. I myself have a surprising number where there is no logo at all, but the ''light'' confirming HDCD status does come on. Neil Young is pretty well-known to have HDCD encoding.
sonicbeauty
324 posts
 
Sorry, meaning cd's not albums of course !
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Sonic, I know this isn't scientific, but what percentage of disks that indicate HDCD when played, would you say are unmarked 'HDCD' on the disk itself, or the case?

It's interesting to speculate why a performer would keep it a secret (especially Neil Young!) unless MS wanted an exorbitant fee to use the logo, and the performer figured 'screw you', my fans will find out on their own ;~)
aplhifi
515 posts
 
HDCD was developed by PM. The initial PMD100 decoder/digital filter chip was certainly one of the best at that time. PMD200 was the successor and based on Motorola 24bit DSP, so it was superior to anything else available. Then when more and more audio manufacturers started using powerful 24 and 32 bit DSPs from Motorola, Analog Devices, TI, Cirrus Logic, etc. to use in their products, the HDCD algorithm was something already available as a programming software to existing DSPs used for audio, so if a certain manufacturers like to offer such feature, they simply pay the licensing fees.
Bottom line, if you see "HDCD" light on a recent digital player, it means that it has a powerful DSP inside that takes care of it, usually in 32 bit precision. So it is the best HDCD processing you can get.

Hope this helps!
Alex Peychev
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