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[michaelb]

I just listened to Mannheim Steamroller's Romantic Melodies CD which is HDCD-encoded. I listened to it on both Windows Media Player 9 and Media Center 10. It sounded much better on WMP9, which decodes HDCD-encoded CDs. My DSP settings on MC10 were set to a bitrate of 32 bits and a sample rate of 176,400 Hz. Can MC10 use WMP9's codecs to decode HDCD?

Also, WMP9 only indicated it was decoding HDCD from the CD and not from a ripped copy in WMA lossless. Is there a way to play back ripped HDCD-encoded CDs so that the software decodes the HDCD? I use analog outs on my M-Audio Revolution 7.1.

[DougHamm]

Microsoft owns HDCD so it's unlikely they'd provide the ability to other players.  It's a seldom-touted feature of WMP9 - though it does require a 24-bit sound card to work.  I've always wondered if it works on losslessly-ripped HDCD titles...  

Before totally deciding which is better, make sure volume normalization and other DSP effects are disabled in WMP9, and also make sure volumes are level.  By all accounts it should still sound better, but WMP9 naturally plays things a bit louder and this can accidentally translate into "better".

-Doug

[Zoner]

Yes, that's an old trick.  If two sources are of similar quality, the louder one will almost always sound "better" to the listener.  Audio salesmen use this one all the time.

[Mike Noe]

I've got a few HDCD rips (APE) and I don't use the DSP these days and my DAC (Denon DVD5000) always shows "HDCD" when I play songs off these discs thru MC.

RME Digi96/8 PST, that's about it.

[DougHamm]

I've got a few HDCD rips (APE) and I don't use the DSP these days and my DAC (Denon DVD5000) always shows "HDCD" when I play songs off these discs thru MC.

RME Digi96/8 PST, that's about it.

Good to know!

[michaelb]

I did my comparison with normalizing (Auto Volume Leveling) turned off and all DSP processing disabled.

Today I ripped the CD to an uncompressed wave. WMP9 did not indicate that it was playing an HDCD. I thought maybe it was decoding it, but was not indicating this so I did a listening comparison. The wav lacked the depth and emotion of the actual CD so I don't think it is decoding it.

It is interesting that a ripped HDCD was sent to a hardware decoder and it indicated that it is decoding an HDCD. Since the copy is bit perfect, I don't understand why the software decoder does not decode it, too.

I have several HDCDs and would like to do the following since I use my HTPC as a pre/pro:

1:  Listen to all my music with Media Center.
2:  Decode ripped HDCD's with software.

I do not want to have to play the actual cd in order to get the best quality. I wonder if the beta of WMP10 will decode ripped HDCD's. If someone has this installed could you try it?

Michael

[LagartoZakk]

WM10 in fact decodes HDCD and sound is clearly better than other players, also when the sound is true HDCD it appears a green signal at the bottom of the player, instead of an small spectrum display that appears in no-mask mode.
Unfortunately this display of this signal is incredibly erratic; to make it appear I have use a trick which is to change to mask once the music have started to sound in no-mask mode... lol... very nice.
WM9 is more precise when it comes to show a signal of HDCD sound.