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Do HDCDs sound terrible on non HDCD players?

Being an analog guy I have but a small collection of CDs and only a handfull are HDCD encoded. All of them sound terrible on my non HDCD player with thick lower midranges, smeared, closed-in textures and a general lack of cohesiveness. For reference my player is the original Rega Planet and the HDCDs are as follows: Olu Dara, In This World, Steve Earle, El Corazon, Garcia and Grisman, Shady Grove, Neil Young, Silver and Gold. Any opininons?
128x128viridian
cdc
1,783 posts
 
HDCD is supposed to have a lower noise floor - that is what I was told. So HDCD encoding give a lower noise floor.
I'm thinking they should sound better on all machines since generally they are better quality recordings to begin with.
gold001
30 posts
 
I looked at my Shady Grove CD, and it is HDCD. In any case on my Planet it sounds as good or better than non HDCD Garcia/Grisman discs that I own.

-Patrick
soso
2 posts
 
HDCD v. 'normal' CD - there is no case! Normal CD without HDCD filter reads only 8 bit information chunk. CD player with HDCD filter reads all 11 bits giving better sound quality. Thats all. If somebody hears something special on HDCD if it listens on normal CD player it means only, that it is 'normal' sound of this CD. It can't be more sharp or whatever performance because of HDCD coding.

Otherwords, HDCD contains both information: standard CD for standard CD players and extended HDCD what is visible only if CD player has HDCD filter. Please, no ignorance!
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