And doesn't require cleaning, cartridge alignment, and all the other hoops vinyl makes you jump through nor do you have to worry about scratches, IGD or other problems related to physical media. I'll always have a record player and I do have some nostalgia for it, but it is a hassle in my opinion. I'm all in on digital veering towards the hi rez avenue.
It's crazy, but never noticed. In fact, after I got the Oppo, I realized my Motley Crüe Crucial Crue remasters were also HDCD. Before that, I never noticed.
Before I buy something, I inspect the case and all the legal stuff. I look at logos and credits. I look at the song timings, if they're there. Today, I need magnified reading glasses, but I check everything.
I credit this site for really opening my eyes to this stuff. At the time, 2000 when those Van Halen remasters came out I knew nothing about HDCD, to me they were just regular CDs. Today I research everything and get as much info as I can about what I'm buying.
What happens when you play those 2000 cd's thru a capable decoder? Better dynamics? Never had a player capable of HDCD so haven't tried it.
Just curious - for the 192/24 set, is the mastering on the two tracks with DLR from Best Of Volume 1 (Me Wise Magic, Can't Get This Stuff No More) just straight copies of the files from the old CD, or are they mastered any differently? I know they are 44.1/16, but since the 192/24 files were done with a healthy respect for dynamics, I wonder if those tracks were done any differently. Could someone post the DR #'s for those two files from the HD Tracks set?
They appear to be new remasters. A guy named Ziggysmalls on the VHlinks forums had this to say about them:
No but they are playable through a standar cd player, not having a HDCD player makes much difference?
I know they are payable with a standard CD player. And, not playing them decoded does sound different, somewhat like an undecoded Dolby S tape played with Dolby B.
All of the Roth-era albums, plus "5150", have been remastered and are available on Pono. I just checked out the hi-rez version of "5150", and there are details, and a fullness I never heard before. I like it.
and the standard cd player sound is inferior? are the 2015 remasters worth if one only have the 2000 remasters?
yes. I don't have a hardware HDCD decoder, but I can decode them through Foobar 2000. Still, I don't like HDCD, and I have many CDs encoded with it, audiophile, and regular.
Some interesting info: Originally developed by Pacific Microsonics, the first HDCD-enabled CD was released in 1995.[1] In 2000, the technology was purchased by Microsoft, and the following year, there were over 5,000 HDCD titles available.[2] Microsoft's HDCD official website was discontinued in 2005; by 2008, the number of available titles had declined to around 4,000.[1] A number of CD and DVD players include HDCD decoding, and versions 9 and above of the Microsoft's Windows Media Player software on personal computers are capable of decoding HDCD. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Definition_Compatible_Digital
And now they are getting rid of Media Player. I wonder if the new media software included in Windows 10 will include the decoding of HDCD.
I saw a NEW/SEALED vinyl copy of the DCC debut at CD Trader in Tarzana if anyone's interested; at the low-low price of $150 They also had RTI re-issue test pressings of 1984 & W&CF for $30 if I remember right. I would have jumped on the debut, volume II or Diver Down if they had those. :-(
yeah that's a good excuse to buy the 2015 remasters on CD.... Anyways my favorite is Sammy and i'm glad those CD's haven't been touched yet.. F.U.C.K. sounds weird though too flat for my taste.
I received the new remasters of Van Halen and 1984 and have listened to Van Halen. The simple truth is that the new Van Halen disc is unnecessary. No bonus tracks and minimal packaging. Most importantly, it was mastered too loud. I have not compared it to the previous HDCD remaster, which is also loud, but the new disc is simply not good. The loudness really hit me on the guitar solo during "Running With The Devil". Clutch your DCC gold CD tightly, if you have it. The only thing I find remotely interesting about the new remasters (I still need to listen to 1984) is that the label designs are similar to the old U.S. non-targets. Of course, that design is boring. Still, you get a retro look with the new discs.
If all you want is the retro design on the cd, you can go buy the old 1984 disc used for buck and save some coin.
I know that, I meant is the mastering any different for these tracks between the 192/24 and 96/24 sets and the original CD.
The new Van Halen S/T as a 24/192 download sounds really good. It has all the dynamics of the original and I think the bass is cleaner and tighter than the DCC. I like the EQ better on the DCC though. The hi res 1984 is an improvement over any version I have heard before but is still thin and bright sounding.
Are there samples of the 24/192 versions online anywhere? Or are all the samples from the more compressed 24/96 versions, like what's on iTunes?
