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Cam
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I know, there's a "Techie" section, but most of the real chat is in here, and I wanted actual replies.
My main stereo setup is based around an Harmon Kardon receiver, and an AudioSource amp. Polk in-wall speakers & a big ol sub.
The available inputs are analog only.
I scored a used Onix CD player, which has HDCD decoding. My understanding is that allows 20 bit audio quality to play over the 16 bit standard CD stream.
I also notice that ALL of my official live Grateful Dead CD's are recorded in HDCD.
How can I best integrate this new CD player into my analog stereo.
If I just used the analog outputs from the CD player, would I be receiving any benefit from the additional HDCD decoding?
If not, and I should use digital outputs, I guess I'd want some sort of DAC to convert the signal?
Any recommendations?
I am not ready to spend serious money on new components, so I'm looking for advice on how to best glean an improvement in my HDCD playback.
Thank you for any input!
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bluelight
HDCD was always designed to
HDCD was always designed to deal with analog inputs, and yes it would be beneficial to leave it that way if you even had a choice. I have a Sony and it only knows analog phono jacks.
Get new high quality phono-jack cables, that's all you'll need.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Cam
Great, that works. I already
Great, that works. I already have excellent cables on the Teac CD player I currently run. I'll just swap this one in, & compare.
In reading a little more about this Onix, I guess it has nice Burr-Brown 24bit DAC built in, so no real need to further convert the digital signal coming outta the unit.
I'm getting kinda excited now! (It's on it's way)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bluelight
Burr-Brown was a neat little
Burr-Brown was a neat little semiconductor manufacturer, who I think off the top of my head was purchased by Analog Devices. who was probably eaten up by Texas Instruments by now.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jon
ize has?
ize has?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skifurthur
Waiting to pull the trigger
Waiting to pull the trigger on the OPPU UDP-203 universal Blu-Ray player. Rave reviews, supports every format and still has analog outputs.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: uncmozo
I have an Oppo, it's about 3
I have an Oppo, it's about 3 years old. I can't say enough good things about it. It got me into SACD's.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Cam
I heard Oppo just dropped
I heard Oppo just dropped HDCD decoding from their newer players.
The more I read about this Onix, the more psyched I am. Granted, it's used, I hope it's all good.
Seems like it's basically the same player as the Music Hall MMF CD-25 player, made in the same factory. Reviews for that one call it the best for under $2000 (at the time).
I would like to have SACD as well. Don't a lot of SACD's just contain 5-channel mixes of the album? The setup I use the most is true stereo, 5 channels would do me no good.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skifurthur
I heard Oppo just dropped
Yes and no. Oppo has many undocumented features within their players that run into a grey area with copyright protections on discs. If they put the HDCD logo on the player, it has to use those protection schemes. If they don't put it on and it decodes, they have plausible deniability. ;-)
It is also possible that your reciever does HDCD decoding.
As for SACD's, not all of them are 5.1 mixes and the 5.1 mix is separate from the stereo mix anyway. It is on a different layer of the disc. So, with SACD you get the higher bitstream both ways.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sycamore Slough
I am fascinated by this
I am fascinated by this thread about HDCD & SACD players.
While I have many CD's with those formats, I do not own the appropriate machine.
Please keep the information flowing, especially if you know of software options, Mac or Windoze.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: My Name is
This is a good site to find
This is a good site to find high end equipment
https://www.audiogon.com/
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lord Kalvert
GEEK Alert
GEEK Alert
I just invested in a rather pricey tube preamp...which forced me to shop for a new power amp with balanced XLR inputs...Marantz 7055.
Should deliver any day now.
I'm still searching for the sound- I have two high end CD players (Denon & Sony)...the Sony is actually a pro stand alone CD recorder.
I don't think an HDCD player would make much difference.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ________
The only physical media I own
The only physical media I own is vinyl. Just got some new equipment too. Life is good.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skifurthur
Disco Stu ~ HDCD is a
Disco Stu ~ HDCD is a Microsoft format and Windows Media Player natively decodes the CDs.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: _________
My Set up is a 1990s Sony
My Set up is a 1990s Sony single disc player Awesome ! > Into Denon Power
with Top quality Ear buds 2 kinds for all around Listening
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: _________
Me ?
Me ?
possibly 22,000 + Cds thx to Bret Original zone 17 yrs ago and Record shops even the Warehouse....tape n trade torrent
400 plus Cassettes Rare as All hell now !
500 Vinyl ( pdq tucson amoeba hollywood san fernando valley small store
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Cam
Finally got the new (to me)
Finally got the new (to me) unit, it's awesome! Somehow got lost in the mail for an extra week, no idea why the seller chose Parcel Post for such a heavy item.
The build quality is awesome, nice simple brushed metal front, weighs 25 lbs!
I popped in a Dave's Picks, and the HDCD indicator lit up, and so did I!
I definitely hear more depth & detail in the 20bit playback. Find myself pushing the volume further than usual.
Awesome awesome awesome.
Tony, I'd be interested to hear about your new unit, I'm guessing you took the plunge. Very impressed by Onix, I hadn't heard of them before. Definitely the best $150 I've spent in a long while!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sigmund
#TrumPlizzard
Fuckin. #TrumPlizzard
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Cam
Huh?
Huh?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: fishcane
>I popped in a Dave's Picks,
>I popped in a Dave's Picks, and the HDCD indicator lit up, and so did I!
>>I definitely hear more depth & detail in the 20bit playback.
and yet the "its never gonna beat my copy that circulates for free" crowd still continues to listen with veiled ears and minds
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sigmund
Sorry wrong thread
Sorry wrong thread