To repeat from a post I made on this forum four years ago, one reason you see "non-HDCD" HDCD encoded CDs is that some recording engineers and producers like the "sound" of the encoder/analog to digital converter, originally made by Pacific Microsonics, so they feed audio through it even though they have turned off many of the encoder HDCD "features".
To quote from the HDCD WIKI regarding compatible playback" "HDCD encodes the equivalent of 20 bits worth of data in a 16-bit digital audio signal by using custom dithering, audio filters, and some reversible amplitude and gain encoding: Peak Extend, which is a reversible soft limiter; and Low Level Range Extend, which is a reversible gain on low-level signals. There is thus a benefit at the expense of a very minor increase in noise.[3]
The claim that the encoding process is compatible with ordinary CD players (without audible distortion) is disputed: not being able to decode the peak soft limiting, a normal CD player will output distorted peaks.[4] "
You might find the Hydrogen Audio WIKI on HDCD of some interest - https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.ph...atible_Digital
If the Wikipedia WIKI is correct about peak distortion (and I have no way to prove or disprove it), and your player does not have the built in decoder, you might find it desirable to use the decoder DSP built into dBpoweramp, but realize that the audio file can no longer be made into a bit perfect copy of the source CD. If you care about bit perfect rips, then you could keep two copies, the original bit perfect rip, and the decoded version to listen to, subsequently processed through the dBpa converter using the DSP decoder codec.
I think I have found the answer to why it decoded the SACD to 24-bit. That particular Dire Straits SACD is also HDCD encoded, although it is not mentioned as such. It is there in the wiki link mentioned above, if you click further on the link of HDCD encoded CD
One can now rip SACDs for your own backup using certain model players. I have an Oppo BDP 105D that can do so. There are others also. See this thread: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/t...comment-559449. Start from the top...there are a couple of summaries on steps to follow and players that have the right combination of chip and firmware. Good luck.
Nevertheless this is not legal in most countries...
Dat Ei
Hello Garym. So far I have only enabled the HDCD DSP when I've been ripping discs which I know are HDCD encoded. That is, I deselect the HDCD DSP function when I'm ripping regular CDs, which make up the majority of my collection (although I understand that it makes no difference whether or not I leave the DSP HDCD function selected for these CDs, too).
Anyway, after reading your comment, I'm now wondering whether I should re-rip the few HDCD discs that do I have without the HDCD DSP encoding. However, I don't understand why the option to rip HDCD to 20-bit exists if it results in an inferior copy to the standard 16-bit. Perhaps I'm missing something. Could you please explain a bit (no pun intended) more? Thanks.
it's not necessarily inferior. It's just not bit perfect copy of the CD. The use of the DSP to create a 24 bit depth (capturing the HDCD's 20 bit) etc. is a way of reverse engineering to get the same or similar benefits of playing the CD through an HDCD capable CD player. Such a process *may* actually sound better. If I wanted these 24 (20) bit depth files, I'd personally rip without the HDCD DSP to obtain bitperfect rip. Next, I'd create a new copy using dbpa converter of these files USING the HDCD DSP. Then my second copy would capture any benefit of the HDCD effect. I've done this a bit, but the difference wasn't worth it (for me). Keep in mind that many HDCD CDs don't actually use the aspects of HDCD that make any of this necessary (e.g. peak extension). For example, Grateful Dead releases are HDCD, but it has been a long while since any of these contained peak extension. Thus special handling is not needed.
USB Audio Player PRO, which displays the 20 bit HDCD albums as being Hi-Res.
Thank you, garym. I'm not sure I fully understand why the HDCD rip would not be bit perfect, but it doesn't matter. As I only have a handful of HDCD discs I'll just leave them the with the HDCD DSP in place. If I change my mind in the future I can quickly copy them again as 16 bit.
Sort of correct. Yes, the data on the cd is 16/44.1. But buried in this data is some sort of indicators/flags, etc. regarding a few features (e.g., peak extension) that an HDCD capable CD player picks up on and uses during playback. The HDCD DSP in dbpa and the HDCD playback component in foobar2000 player are simply "reverse engineering" to get something close to what the HDCD capable player would use when playing.. And to do this the file has to be upconverted.
If it makes you feel any better, I have many hundreds of HDCD CDs and I don't bother with anything special about any of them. I simply rip as 16/44.1 and play them on my system. I really wish manufacturers would drop HDCD. In effect, most have, although they still call things HDCD, they don't use any of the features that HDCD decoding would matter (e.g., like Peak Extension). As I mentioned, all the Grateful Dead HDCD CDs in recent years don't have PE feature, thus HDCD decoding would have essentially zero effect.
See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_D...atible_Digital
"HDCD encodes the equivalent of 20 bits worth of data in a 16-bit digital audio signal by using custom dithering, audio filters, and some reversible amplitude and gain encoding: Peak Extend, which is a reversible soft limiter; and Low Level Range Extend, which is a reversible gain on low-level signals."
Last edited by garym; 07-28-2021 at 07:20 AM.
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