HDCD 'best one box player' recommendations?

Tbg, could you explain this a little more?

"It is too bad that MicroSoft bought this technology and has decided to abandon it in their quest to keep up with Apple."

Did MS buy it just to kill it? (I thought they were going to incorporate it into Media Player or something.)
I'm not into SACD, but I really like XRCD, and find HDCD as good in most cases (for a lot less money.)

The only CDP and DACs I know of that don't just use the "standard" HDCD decoding chip are the the Levinsons, which use a proprietary chip made just for them. The 390S is I believe their latest stand alone player.

Otherwise, the proprietary software in the newer Wadia CDPs and DACs reputedly do a better job than the Pacific Microsonics licensed chip (except there's no HDCD indicator when you play one.)

I love the HDCD reproduction even through my older (1000) Wadia DAC, and can now tell when an unmarked (on the album) HDCD disc is playing.

And with Keith Johnson having just ressurected Reference Recordings (www.referencerecordings.com), the new discs he's producing (@ $16.50 apiece!) are a real buy!

This is a pretty cool site. Catalogs everything on HDCD including new arrivals.

http://www.hitbutiken.com/hdcd/index.php?p=home&lang=en