OPPO and HDCD

[YashN]

You have to trust that whomever wrote the software in the foo_hdcd knows what they are doing. I don't think I do..

But you trust whomever wrote the various pieces of software allowing you to write the above...

 

[Grattle]

But you trust whomever wrote the various pieces of software allowing you to write the above...

No, but I can SEE that the output of what I type goes into the database serving this forum. I am not saying that the software is broken or is a hoax. Please DO prove me wrong. I would be very happy to see proof that the software decoder works as well as the hardware filter.

On a different subject - I opened my Oppo HDCD capable DVD player, and I don't see a Pacific Microsonics chip. I haven't looked on the bottom side of any of the boards yet. My player has a sticker on the board that says it is V5.0, if that tells you anything.

Does anyone know where to find a reasonably priced HDCD dac?

 

[jacobacci]

The conversion software probably does not work exactly like the Pacific Microsonics HDCD Chip based solution, but for me and for all practical purposes it will do and save me a lot of hassle.
If you do want the real thing, a used Berkeley Alpha DAC is probably the best way to go
https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=berkeley+alpha+dac
Should be able to find one for around 1'500 USD if you look around.
I sold mine about six months ago.

 

[Steve Williams]

No, but I can SEE that the output of what I type goes into the database serving this forum. I am not saying that the software is broken or is a hoax. Please DO prove me wrong. I would be very happy to see proof that the software decoder works as well as the hardware filter.

On a different subject - I opened my Oppo HDCD capable DVD player, and I don't see a Pacific Microsonics chip. I haven't looked on the bottom side of any of the boards yet. My player has a sticker on the board that says it is V5.0, if that tells you anything.

Does anyone know where to find a reasonably priced HDCD dac?

Why don't you put a WTB ad in the Buy-Sell Forum here

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/forumdisplay.php?227-Buy-and-Sell-Forum

 

[NorthStar]

On a different subject - I opened my Oppo HDCD capable DVD player, and I don't see a Pacific Microsonics chip. I haven't looked on the bottom side of any of the boards yet. My player has a sticker on the board that says it is V5.0, if that tells you anything.

No HDCD chip = No HDCD decoding.

Sorry, I thought there was one, my mistake. It will play them (HDCD encoded CDs), they will sound good, but un-decoded.

Does anyone know where to find a reasonably priced HDCD dac?

You can buy a second-hand CD player, Universal DVD/BR player with a HDCD decoder in it for $50-100
Arcam, Rotel, Denon, some Oppo models, NAD, etc. (eBay). A HDCD light will light up on the front panel.
What kind of budget do you have? Ten bucks?

Check Rotel 971 model, Oppo 983 model, Oppo 83 model, Denon 2910 model, etc. ... more than ten dollars and less than two hundred.

 

[microstrip]

No HDCD chip = No HDCD decoding.
(...)

I have a few Audioquest recordings that came with two CDs - a normal redbook and the HDCD version. At the time I got them I kept the HDCD disk and offered the normal CD to a friend, as my player had the HDCD chip. But when I got a non-HDCD super CD player I had to beg him to accept my HDCD CDs in exchange for the normal ones ... Fortunately his player has HDCD!

 

[NorthStar]

I have a few Audioquest recordings that came with two CDs - a normal redbook and the HDCD version. At the time I got them I kept the HDCD disk and offered the normal CD to a friend, as my player had the HDCD chip. But when I got a non-HDCD super CD player I had to beg him to accept my HDCD CDs in exchange for the normal ones ... Fortunately his player has HDCD!

You like Blues ? Francisco, like me.

* All the HDCD encoded discs will play in all CD/SACD/DVD/BR players...no matter if they have the HDCD chip decoder or not.
It's the same with all CDs (LPCM); they will play in all players that spin 5" shiny discs.
All SACDs (hybrid) will play in all CD players.

** If I play one of my HDCD discs in one of my old CD players circa 1987 (Denon DCD-1500MKII), it will sound better than the non-encoded CD. ...Generally.

 

[rbbert]

This subject has been discussed on other forums in years past, and it has been many years since Pacific Microsonics has made a HDCD "chip" for use in playback devices. All HDCD-compatible devices have for years used software (or more properly firmware) decoding licensed from Microsoft, who purchased Pacific Microsonics and HDCD awhile back (2005?). I would be surprised if the Foobar and dBPoweramp HDCD-decoders worked any differently than the firmware implementations. Amirm might know more, since he worked for Microsoft for several years after they acquired HDCD.

 

[NorthStar]

In the Oppo 971's manual there's no mention of a HDCD decoder, just that HDCD among other format codecs is supported.
The researches I did led me to no certain charters. I've seen no HDCD light to confirm the 971's HDCD decoding acknowledgement.
I first thought the box said HDCD but it is not clear, the player's top has no HDCD logo.
One person said that it has the HDCD decoder, but he was alone.
I thought he was right but I was wrong. Inside the machine I also thought there was a HDCD chip but there too I was wrong.
...And the reason why I asked Grattle to remove the top cover and look for it. He just did now and he couldn't find it. So there's none (proof).

The Oppo 971 is an older DVD player, and very inexpensive. Today you can get a much better sounding HDCD player for less than $200, a used one.

All my HDCD players and other HDCD decoders have a light to confirm the HDCD decoding. Or it says [HDCD] on the front panel window when you play a CD encoded with HDCD.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Definition_Compatible_Digital

All my HDCD players have the HDCD decoder/filter chip inside. ...The one I posted a picture of not long ago. And it was replaced by the PMD-200 later on.
• http://www.hifimaker.com/documents/pmd200.pdf

Both the PMD-100 and PMD-200 are fairly large rectangle (PMD-100) and square (PMD-200) ICs. You can't miss them on the circuit board.

The PMD-100 has 28 pins.
The PMD-200 has 100 pins.

 

[rbbert]

Bob, nowhere in those links does it say anything about a Pacific Microsonics chip being required for a player to be HDCD certified. And in fact, here's a post from Gordon Rankin in 2002 that appears to be relevant

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/digital/messages/38246.html

Posted by Gordon Rankin (M) on February 20, 2002 at 08:19:15
In Reply to: PMD200 upsampling options posted by Gordon Rankin on February 19, 2002 at 11:59:53:

Gang,
Interesting after spending like a week trying to get info on the part, I got an email today from Microsoft HDCD operations:

~~~~~~

PMD200 is no longer available, it has been discontinued.

To view all authorized HDCD chips currently being distributed, please go to

http://www.hdcd.com/partners/tech_partners/index.html

Please Note: The next closest chip to the PMD200 is the raw DSP part from Motorola running HDCD decoder code. Since the PMD200 only works in Prog Mode now (i.e., you would have to use a microcontroller for the PMD200 anyways), you will only need to modify the microcontroller circuit/code to program the 563xx series DSP.

~~~~~

I imagine that means the code is available and you can do you own DSP implementation. Heck for them it is proabably a lot easier to control.

Just FYI,
Gordon
J. Gordon Rankin

 

[NorthStar]

You're right Rob.
_____

• http://www.stereophile.com/content/hdcd-dead
• http://www.getmusicbee.com/addons/plugins/19/hdcd-decoder/
• http://lukeskaff.com/the-quest-for-a-hdcd-software-decoder/

 

[NorthStar]

On a different subject - I opened my Oppo HDCD capable DVD player, and I don't see a Pacific Microsonics chip. I haven't looked on the bottom side of any of the boards yet. My player has a sticker on the board that says it is V5.0, if that tells you anything.

Does anyone know where to find a reasonably priced HDCD dac?

Your Oppo DV-971H DVD player model does decode HDCD encoded CDs.

"The OPDV971H fully supports HDCD. When a HDCD track or HDCD disc is
played, the on screen display (OSD) will show "HDCD" briefly. During
the entire track, the front panel display will show the "HDCD" icon.
When a standard CD track is played, the OSD will show "CD" briefly and
the front panel display will show the "CD" icon.

HDCD decoding is done by the OPDV971H if analog audio output is used.
When digital audio output is in use, it is the responsibility of the AV
receiver to decode the HDCD digital stream.

Best Regards,

Customer Service

OPPO Digital, Inc.
453 Ravendale Dr, Suite D
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119"
______

"OK. I popped in an HDCD cd.
The Oppo does display HDCD on the screen for a second and there is a HDCD indicator on the front panel of the dvd player."

______

Voila; just play a CD that is encoded with HDCD and your Oppo 971 player will show you the way...to the HDCD light heavens.
And that, is your confirmation. The manual doesn't mention it, the HDCD logo is not on the top of your player (but it might be on its original cardboard promo card that came in the box).

You have a HDCD player, 100% certain. You just save yourself between $20 and $200 (roughly). With that money go buy few HDCDs.
• http://www.head-fi.org/t/65414/hdcd-list

 

[MicJames]

The Oppo new Series are the UHD/4K BR players. The latest being the UDP-203 (released about two weeks ago). The 205 will follow later around Spring 2017.
And! The 203 doesn't have the HDCD chip, Oppo gave up that feature now, after several years...bummer! So, it becomes less Universal. We are entering a new era... Even streaming is not included...no Netflix, no Vudu magic, ... it keeps SACD and DVD-Audio playability, and of course DVD and BR and 3D, along with UHD BR.

* When playing a HDCD disc, say from an Oppo model 105, 103, 95, 93, 83, 83SE, 70, 71, or most (the majority of) regular CD players...Sony, Rotel, Luxman, Esotheric, Technics, Onkyo, Yamaha, Marantz, dCS, Trinity, etc. from their digital outputs (in the Oppos, with the HDCD set to On or Off), the digital stream will contain the HDCD data. It won't be decoded; you'll need a HDCD decoder...a DAC, receiver, pre/pro equipped with it.

** I know none, zero CD player with internal HDCD decoder (including the Oppos), that can decode HDCD encoded discs from their digital outputs. The only way to decode from that connection is to have a decoder @ the other end. And it doesn't have to be an Oppo player as the source; if you play a HDCD disc from a Sony CD player without an internal HDCD decoder inside that Sony CD player, the audio stream coming out from the Sony's digital optical and coaxial outputs will contain the proper metadata, and if connected to say a pre/pro with a HDCD decoder, the disc will be fully decoded. Without a HDCD decoder in that pre/pro the sound will be good still, but not the best that it could be as if it was decoded...with a larger dynamic range, grandiose splendor in extra "magic touch". ...Better bass, more depth, more presence...overall.

So, using an Oppo like say the 105 as a transport only, or any transport from any manufacturer; you'll be able to enjoy HDCDs fully decoded, ONLY if the DAC, or pre/pro digitally connected to the CD player (Oppo or any other brand), has its own internal HDCD decoder.

Any opposition? :b

This thread is confusing because I thought it had been determined in the prior page that Oppo 103 DOES decode HDCD and pass the decoded data through its digital outs to an outboard DAC.

If it does not pass the decoded HDCD digital stream to an outboard DAC, why does Oppo recommend turning HDCD OFF in order to prevent problems stemming from the HDCD being decoded twice?