HDCD decoding question

Hello, I'm fairly new to both the forum and better quality stereo components and want to be sure I get the most out of my collection of discs that have HDCD available. I recently purchased an Onkyo TX NR626 receiver and an Oppo BDP -103 Blu Ray Player. My question is: does the TX NR626 have HDCD decoding capabilities such as the Oppo?

Thanks for your time and assistance

 

I don't understand the question. If you're playing an HDCD on the Oppo then it'll decode it as appropriate and the TX-NR626 will just get PCM to deal with as normal.

 

My answer is that there is a difference between playing an HDCD with proprietary decoding versus with normal playback. Only players that have a HDCD logo on the faceplate can perform the proprietary decoding, and that will provide better sound... but the benefit is small.

Just check the faceplate for that logo to answer your question.

 

The oppo decodes HDCD. So use the analog outputs from IT to the Onkyo and your all set.
the one and only beave

 

Thank you, for the replies/answers.

 

I was in general agreement about HDCD providing only modest benefit at best until I got an Anthem CD1. The benefit is not what I would call earth shattering, but on the Anthem, I would rate it as substantial or significant on this particular deck. My deck is not completely stock as it has Jupiter copper/foil capacitors in the right spots and a NOS Amperex 7308 vacuum tube. In a couple of professional reviews I read before buying the Anthem, it was also mentioned how well it sounded with the HDCD encoded recordings. After my purchase, I would actually seek out HDCD's as they generally sounded fantastic on the CD1. I do agree that on many players I have heard, the benefit is small to barely noticeable as mentioned previously. I have not heard the Oppo, but their products seem to be highly coveted by their owners.

 

I currently have the Oppo connected to the Onkyo via HDMI. I need to A&B a few HDCDs to compare the difference in sound when using HDMI vs. analog outputs.

 

I have no idea if HDCD actually improves the sound to any real extent, but IIRC our host and Kevin Gray tested and concluded a few years ago that playing back one of those discs on a regular non-HDCD player could have some problems, but I dont know how big of a difference it made. I believe it led Steve to decide not to encode with it on his projects after that, knowing most people will play back on non-HDCD players. You might look up that post for more details on what they found.

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-masterings-through-an-hdcd-converter.246642/

 

I agree that any benefit is small. So small that standard Red Book CD playback which is well recorded and mastered sounds better than HDCD playback which has an average recording or mastering job. So it is possible to have well recorded and mastered HDCD material. but it is not guaranteed just by the logo. Personally, I ignore it and have no idea how many HDCD discs that I have in my collection as I have never really been able to attribute an sonic improvement solely to the HDCD encoding. It's CD in Emperor's Clothes if you ask me.
-Bill

 

OP, you may also wanna check the old thread discussing virtues of HDCD decoding...

 

What KT88 said.

I have made copies of a handful of my HDCDs and played them back simultaneously in players that support HDCD and players that do not, so I could quickly A/B. I have never been able to hear a difference.

The light on my player does come on though, so that has to count for something.

 

The differences are much more pronounced on soft-limited HDCD material encoded with Peak Extend feature (and quiet passages/fadeouts on HDCD tracks encoded with Gain feature, FTM)...

 

If you select HDCD "on" in the Oppo setup menu it will send a decoded version out the digital outputs (both SPDIF and HDMI). The receiver sees it as 24/44.1).

 

Thanks to all for the input and pointing me towards a previous discussion.

 

As in everything, you can find excellent recordings/masterings on HDCD as the soundtrack for Independence Day, which sounds terrific, with high dynamics and deep bass, or real crap like Van Halen Roth-era HDCD remasters which are crap, either decoded or undecoded.

 

The HDCDs I own sounded great during my time with the Berkeley Alpha Dac1 and 2.
I'm sure Eddie is right that some HDCDs don't sound as good as they should or could but that's not the fault of the HDCD encoding.

 

My Oppo makes a fair difference when HDCD decoding is turned on, using analogue ouputs.

 

What I notice is a more open sound stage. IMO, no real difference in detail and such.