HDCD

I can't believe HDCD makes things sound any worse... I'd be interested to hear a direct comparison of a standard and HDCD encoded disc.

Nonetheless, I would think your CD player upgrade was a major factor here!

EW

I have a copy of an "XLO Reference Recordings Test & Burn In CD" It has tracks in HDCD and non-HDCD on the same disk, amongst other things. Worth tracking down to set up your system etc

I've found HDCD to be a mixed bag. I think it depends on the skill of the engineer doing the transfer and the quality of the material to start with.

The Yes Album and Close To The Edge fare badly. Distortion and artefacts all the way. Going For The One, Drama and TFTO have come across very well. Drama in particular I would call a 'perfect recording' - better than anything previously available on black or silver.

Most recent purchase was the B52s Time Capsule compilation. Very impressed with the quality of that too. Some of the tracks are ereily 'life like' - whatever they did with that transfer, it worked very well.

There isn't much out on HDCD that interests me so my experience is narrow and limited.

Cheers

Harry

Thanks Harry - hadn't even noticed that the B-52s was on HDCD, will have to give it a listen when I get home.

Napster - will see if I can track down a copy.

EW - that was my thought entirely

CDX2 still bedding in, so probably too early to be judgemental as well

Harry

I don't know which Close to the Edge copy you are referring to but as far as I know only the Japanese Mini LP remasters are HDCD - not the new Rhino ones.

The Japanese Close to the Edge is the best version I have heard.

Yeah, that's the one Camlan. Big surging bass that swamps out everything and high frequency break up in loud sections. An utter pile of pants on my system. The Rhino release sounds very sweet in comparisom. Could be a system thing - but it's the only CD I own that behaves in this way so it's staying in the cupboard. Come a (distant) front end upgrade it'll be given another chance.

Maybe I've got a duffer?

Cheers

Harry

I thought the Joni Mitchell CDs were well worth it, I"m giving some to my nieces next Christmas so they can hear a good singer songwriter, way before their time. also Mark Knopfler records in HDCD. I like his work

Harry

I doubt it's the system, Shouldnt sound like that with a cdx2 particularly the high frequency break up - I hadnt noticed that and I listened to it again last night. Strange that you find the Drama issue so much better as you would have thought that the remastering was done by the same engineer for the whole series, possibly not I guess.

Perhaps I'm just deaf!!

Regards

No you're not deaf. There are so many variables at work it's impossible to nail it. The Yes Album also suffers from bloated bass (to my ears), along with a few clicks and a couple of thumps which I can't hear on the (very good) Rhion remaster. If I had to put my money on anything I'd go for quality of source material. Then add in system/room/hearing/brain/age and probably about a dozen other things to really mess up any objectivity.

The passage on Close... that breaks up contains the loud organ bits on the title track. Not present on the Rhino disk (the distortion that is!). Maybe it's a case of the wider you open the window....

Interesting one second (if that) on Drama (if you're a sad Yes nerd like me). Bog standard UK CD release displays the merest hint of distortion at the peak of the transient at the end of track 1. Easy to miss and not in the least bit off-putting. But it's there and I suspected that it was a case of the stuido desk being pushed to its limit. But the HDCD walks it. So that defenitely ain't the source material.

I won't be bothering with Yesssongs. In terms of sound quality (but not content) that's one turd that HDCD will never be able to poilsh enough. Or is it? Have you heard it on HDCD?

Cheers

Harry

"is it worth tracking down the Joni Mitchell remasters?"

Yes, the Joni Mitchell remasters on HDCD are well worth it. So far, I have acquired about 6, and my favorite is Miles of Aisles. The sound is close enough to my vinyl version from the 70s that I prefer it to getting up to flip the LPs three times. I was hoping that the distortion on the cut Car on the Hill on Court & Spark was groove wear, but sadly, it also is on the reissue. Still, well worth tracking them down.

Norman

Harry

Yessongs - Reluctant to admit ordered from Amazon and should arrive this week - I guess I really am sad! You have to try these things. I will let you know.

You are spot on in your last post re source material. I notice quite a bit of tape hiss on the HDCD Close to the Edge particularly on the intros - at least I assume that's what it is. I intend to listen again tonight and compare with my original LP. I will listen closely to the Title Track.

By the by saw an Original Master Recording LP of Close to the Edge on E Bay recently. Didn't know they had done that. Boy was I tempted.

If you havn't tried the Joni Mitchell HDCD remasters recommend you do so - they really are worthwhile and murder the original CDs

PS Also the Rhino Paul Simon remasters. Id forgotten what a great songwriter he was