Hdcd

[rbsound]

I've been ripping to flac with the HDCD option on. There are some CD's that are being recognized by dbpoweramp 14.1 as HDCD but there are no markings anywhere on either the CD or the insert. My questions . . .
1. How do you confirm a CD is HDCD without using dbpoweramp?
2. Is there any audio quality downside if a non-HDCD is recognized as an HDCD and ripped accordingly to a 24bit flac (vs. ripping it as a 16 bit flac with the HDCD option off)?

Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Hdcd

1. Play in a HDCD compatible CD player, and the HDCD logo will light
2. Not possible

[rbsound]

Re: HDCD

On 2, when you say "not possible", do you mean . . .

A) it's not possible for dbpoweramp to incorrectly read a non-HDCD as an HDCD, or

B) it's not possible for the audio quality to be degraded if dbpoweramp did misread a disc, or

C) both of the above

Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: HDCD

A

[rbsound]

Re: HDCD

Thanks. Will using the HDCD option (flac to 24 bit vs. the std 16 bit) always result in the audio quality being as good or better than if you stick with the 16 bit option (ie nothing gets lost when upscaling (not sure if that's the right term))?

Said another way, is there any reason not to check the HDCD option when ripping to flac (assuming your player can handle 24 bit files)?

[Spoon]

Re: HDCD

It is safe to use HDCD all the time.

[ksvane]

Re: Hdcd

I also have a question... if a cd is labeled as a "24-bit remaster" but is not recognised as a hdcd, is this because the audio has been remastered in a 24 bit resolution but processed afterwards to fit the default 16 bit audio cd resolution?

[Spoon]

Re: Hdcd

Correct, it is infact a 16 bit CD and cannot be expanded to 24 bits

[rbsound]

Re: Hdcd

Another answer to my question above about quickly determining if a CD is an HDCD (not all HDCD's are labeled as such). Windows Media Player 9 or above will display the HDCD logo for such CD's.

[Owen Smith]

Re: Hdcd

Another answer to my question above about quickly determining if a CD is an HDCD (not all HDCD's are labeled as such). Windows Media Player 9 or above will display the HDCD logo for such CD's.

This is because Microsoft bought Pacific Microsonics and hence Microsoft now own all the rights to HDCD.