HDCD Decoder

[hYdrociTy]

Standalone HDCD decoder? digital in and out, nothing fancy. PMD100 chip inside. Any thoughts?

Maybe even an upsampler too as another function...

[Dusty Chalk]

The only options that exist are the Pacific Microsonics Model One and Model Two -- on the order of US$12K. These are what studios use to make the HDCD masters. They're studio quality -- studios don't necessarily get them for their HDCD capabilities -- sometimes they just get them because they're wonderful DACs and excellent digital sample rate converters.

I've been tempted to try to find the standalone chip (for example, in the MSB HDCD upgrade daughter board), and trying to figure it out myself. I bet Justin could do it.

[postjack]

The only options that exist are the Pacific Microsonics Model One and Model Two -- on the order of US$12K. These are what studios use to make the HDCD masters. They're studio quality -- studios don't necessarily get them for their HDCD capabilities -- sometimes they just get them because they're wonderful DACs and excellent digital sample rate converters.

I've been tempted to try to find the standalone chip (for example, in the MSB HDCD upgrade daughter board), and trying to figure it out myself. I bet Justin could do it.

Hey Peter, don't you have a 3910? Have you listened to any HDCDs on it?

[Dusty Chalk]

Yes, and yes. I love my 3910. I just put 'shiny disc' in, and it plays. I don't need to think about it -- do I listen directly out of the player for SACD or high-res DVD-A, or from the DAC for redbook, or turn off upsampling for HDCD and DAD's? Shiny ==> play. The end.

But hYdrociTy was talking in the digital domain.

If not, one can always get an external HDCD DAC.

I think someone (grawk, perhaps?) once posted a link on how to use WMP to decode HDCD's in the digital domain.

[JBLoudG20]

Peter, is it you that uses a MSB Digital Link?

[Dusty Chalk]

MSB Link DAC III, yes. The previously described setup is -- SACD/DVD transport with analog outputs plugged into analog inputs of DAC, then listen to outputs of DAC. If there's no digital input to the DAC, then it plays through the analog inputs, so there's no plugging and unplugging necessary, but a small amount of deterioration due to the additional connections.

That's my home system, which I hardly listen to. My work system is the 3910, pretty much.

The Apollo is currently not being used. I'll probably hook it up to my speaker rig once I fix my vintage Pioneer SX-5590 receiver which blew an output. (It sounded pretty good right up until it blew the output -- had it refurbbed with black gates.)

[grawk]

I think someone (grawk, perhaps?) once posted a link on how to use WMP to decode HDCD's in the digital domain.

Nope, grawk doesn't use wmp for anything

[hYdrociTy]

Im using wmp10 to decode hdcds then feed via coax to my dac right now.. It feels so tacky...