Recommendations: Wanting DVD, SACD & HDCD....

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by gmrulz4u, Apr 11, 2004.

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  1. gmrulz4u

    gmrulz4u Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Canada
    I am looking for a DVD Player that can play DVD-Video, SACD and HDCD.

    Now so far I am having luck finding players with the first two, and most even have DVD-Audio as well(which I don't really care about at this point), but it seems that none of them include the HDCD encoder??

    Does anyone know of any? Preferably ones that aren't like $3,000!!

    THANKS!:)
     
  2. therockman

    therockman Senior Member In Memoriam

    Actually, if your budget is around $1,000 you can get a fairly decent Sony or Phillips SACD/DVD/CD player and use the coax output to connect it to an outboard DAC with HDCD capability. A decent Sony or Phillips combo player (not universal, no DVD-A playback capability) will have a real nice internal transport mechanism and clock, and by feeding your digital signal to an outboard DAC you can take advantage of a "higher level" of conversion circuitry that the mass produced players have. The whole thing should run about $1,000, and this is the route I am going to go.
     
  3. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    The Denon DVD-5900 for $2000 USD fits the bill. It plays DVD-Audio discs too, but don't let that bother you. ;) Seriously, the '5900 has gotten excellent reviews online and in print.

    The '5900 not withstanding, I would not have HDCD dictate my purchase. In my experience, a quality CD player without HDCD decoding capability does an admirable job with HDCD-encoded discs. So, don't dismiss non-HDCD players without hearing them first. You may be pleasantly surprised at what's out there.
     
  4. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    I don't have an HDCD encoder although I have tons of HDCDs but I don't need the decoder either as any HDCD plays on any regular CD player and I have quality equipment.
     
  5. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Bradley, if you have "tons of HDCDs" you should have a player that decodes them. I believe that there is a small but noticeable advantage in using that HDCD encoding to the fullest. Something like a used Arcam Alpha 9 for around $400 would be great.
     
  6. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    I have even seen Apex DVD players that decode HDCD and they have them at a local pawn shop. Although I am nearly out of space using the hookups to the back of my receiver, I do have lots of hookups on my DJ mixer left so I can use the AUX input for HDCD.
     
  7. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Why I say I have "tons" of HDCDs is that many modern country CDs are HDCD encoded. I know my mother would tell me know about needing an HDCD capable player though due to my budget. If I had room for my computer in my bedroom, I would have HDCD encoding right in my system already as I have Windows Media Player.
     
  8. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    To each his own, I guess. I have not seen HDCD to be a benefit. In my experience, non-HDCD players can do a great job with HDCD-encoded discs. One just needs a "good" CD player. I have three HDCD-capable components in my main system -- a Harman/Kardon CDR 30 CD recorder, Denon DCM-370 CD changer, and Denon DVD-3800 DVD-Audio player -- and don't feel the need to use any of them with HDCD discs. The '3800 is the best CD player of the bunch, but I prefer my Sony SCD-C555ES and '777ES, which are not HDCD-enabled.
     
  9. Joseph

    Joseph Senior Member

     
  10. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    The dCS Ring DAC in the Arcam Alpha 9 is a superb DAC, and decodes HDCD. The sound on Redbook is slightly better than the Sony SCD-C555ES.
     
  11. Kayaker

    Kayaker Senior Member

    Location:
    New Joisey Now
    I'll disagree with some of you here - and agree with Geoff. My Linn Ikemi decodes HDCD. When I bought it, I compared some excellent HDCD encoded discs (primarily Reference Recording CD's) on several other top end CD players that did not have HDCD encoding (the Meridian 508.24 was one). There was a significant difference in sharpness and soundstage with these HDCD encoded discs on the Linn player as compared with the other players. A contributing factor in pushing me to buy the Linn.
     
  12. Ken D

    Ken D New Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Pioneer 45A or Denon 2900. Neither has HDCD but getting redbook, SACD and DVD.
     
  13. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    I assume you meant DVD-Audio and not just DVD. There are a number of non-HDCD universal players (an oxymoron?) out there. The thread starter seems to want HDCD in a univeral player. Strangely, the choices are rather limited. All of this said, I am a happy owner of the '2900. :)
     
  14. StyxCollector

    StyxCollector Man of Miracles

    You could also get a receiver that decodes HDCD, like the Marantz 7300ose. That would solve the problem if your CDP does not decode HDCD. You can now find the 7300ose under 1k. So if you get a universal player in the $500 - $1000 range, you get everything you want.
     
  15. ubsman

    ubsman Active Member

    Location:
    Utah
    Have you ever compared the 5900 to the 2900? Is the 5900 worth that much more?
     
  16. therockman

    therockman Senior Member In Memoriam

    Many audio reviewers, including Robert Harley, seem to think that HDCD is indeed a huge increase in performance over standard redbook CD. Robert Harley:


    "In my view, HDCD is a significant advancement in digital audio sound quality. I've had the oppurtunity to compare an original master tape with an HDCD encoded/decoded version, along with conventional 44.1 khz/16bit coding. I've also heard comparisons of a live microphone feed (and the instruments in the hall) against state-of-the-art analog tape and HDCD. My experience suggests that HDCD improves sound quality in these ways; with a finer resolution of detail, more accurate rendering of timbre, smoother and less synthetic treble, wider dynamic contrast, no congealing during loud and complex passages, bigger soundstage, tighter image focus, more front to back layering, more bloom around instrumental outlines, and a greater ability to hear quiet instruments in the presence of louder instruments."

    Although my daughter has several HDCD encoded discs, I don't think I have any, or at least none that I can think of. I guess it is all in the type of music that you like. Country western has a lot of titles, and my daughter is into punk that has quite a few, but I am mostly into rock and jazz, which does not offer that many titles.
     
  17. therockman

    therockman Senior Member In Memoriam

    If you go to:


    www.hdcd.com


    you will find a list of titles available as well as a list of players and a complete technological overview of HDCD.
     
  18. Joe Nino-Hernes

    Joe Nino-Hernes Active Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I enjoy HDCD, and I would love to be able to encode HDCD's in my studio, but the encoder is way to expensive for me. Some good HDCD titles include Natalie Merchant: "Ophelia" and her third album Motherland. These recordings were made on 2 inch 24 track Studers running Emtec tape at 30ips. They were mixed down to half inch two track at 30ips, and mastered at Gateway Mastering by Bob Ludwig. These are excellent recordings of excellent music. HDCD allows you to hear bass passages more clearly, and the treble is much more true to the master tape. My Adcom GCD-750 decodes HDCD, and has pure class A analog circuitry.
     
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