Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo CD FACTOR afterword: Import cd's

The simple explanation you could use is akin to "garbage in, garbage out".
A 16 bit mastered cd cannot become a 24 bit cd simple by using upsampling on a unit. Where did the unit get the other 8 bits of info?
As DJ said, interpolation.

Nicely written paragraph though.

Well, this one got covered before Mr. Digital Audio even got to it *laughs*

The only thing I'd add is HDCD is sounding it's death rattle... I have an HDCD compliant CDP (HK FL-8550) and besides accidentally being tripped by "phantom" HD code on one non-HDCD (Fat Wreck Chords 3 - Physical Fatness), I've never seen an HDCD.

Bren R.

Maybe it was because it had too much "pysical fatness" - heh. OK no more humor attempts here... What did it sound like when it was decoding the "HDCD?" Did it sound weird similar to what happens when you try to use Dolby Pro Logic on music (weird artifacts that don't sound like they were intended)?

Thank you for the informatiom,...................... I was starting to wonder if this thing was on.

The cd is just a regular," hard to find import "(from the infamous Best buy). The cd was Jimi Hendrix: '66-'70 studio out-takes, and the 48 bit disc. sounds good ........considering the poor, "bootleg" type masters.

HDCDs are popular in asia(Hong Kong). Check ebay for HDCD and you'll find quite a few titles cheap ($2-8), new from Hong Kong if you want to try them.

In reply to:

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What did it sound like when it was decoding the "HDCD?"

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No different, the only thing it does is clicks as the relay cuts the decoder in and out... especially during track 1 - "Olive Me" - NOFX's punk cover of the standard popularized by Ol' Blue Eyes "All of Me." Cycles the relay a dozen or so times.

Bren R.

That would make sense md55.. The friend of mine who had the HDCD that I saw was born in China, and he frequently visits and brings back misc. items.

Check the disc or the back of the cd case. A lot of them are HDCD but they don't advertise it in big letters cause it is now old technology. Joni Mitchell's cds were "rereleased" as hdcd, and a lot of other cds. Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys sounded pretty darn good on HDCD.

See http://www.hdcd.com/music_catalog/welcome.asp

John Mellencamp, Joni Mitchell, Brian Wilson, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Carly Simon, Bryan Ferry, Buffalo Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, King Crimson, Neil Young, Roxy Music, Talking Heads, The Cars, etc.

http://www.hdcd.com/music_catalog/music.asp?action=style&musictype=8&submit=1

Hope I understood the point correctly - maybe this is useless info. When I was in China they put HDCD in big letters on the front of the cd if it had it. Not here in America, though.

Tool's "Lateralus" album is a HDCD. I don't have a HDCD player, but it is one of my better sounding CDs.