Watch your CD players HDCD light on this track!!

Posted by: Consciousmess on 29 December 2008

Hi,

This is something I have just noticed and can't understand. I am sure my CDS3 is working perfectly, but on the Orb album:

"The Art of Chill4" Mixed by The Orb

Track 6 CD1, the CD turns from standard CD encoding to HDCD for the first half of the song.

It then goes back to standard CD encoding for the second half of the track!!

Id be grateful if any other Orb/ambient chill out fans could try this CD on their system to verify what I experienced.

In fact, could anyone explain why this was done?

I look forward to your replies.

Jon
Posted on: 29 December 2008 by mike/dallas
Jon,

oddly enough this happened to me on another disc, I think it was Grateful Dead. HDCD went on for a song, then off and back on. I assumed it was a flashback!

Not familiar with the Orb however.
Posted on: 29 December 2008 by MilesSmiles
Interesting, I don't have the Orb CD, but which Dead did you listen to?
Posted on: 30 December 2008 by Chris Kelly
A lot of the Rhino releases of Dead stuff are HDCD encoded. I haven't come across that before though Jon. Interesting!
Posted on: 30 December 2008 by 555
The Rhino 'Perception' Doors box has a mix of HDCD & normal CD tracks.
All the original album tracks are HDCD, but some of the extras aren't.
Posted on: 30 December 2008 by keith waring
i had a steve winwood cd that on the case said hdcd, but when i played the cd no hdcd light came on on my cd player . does anybody know what triggers the light ? is it just something that is put on the cd ie a code or the music that puts the hdcd symbol on .
Posted on: 30 December 2008 by 555
The manual says ...

If an HDCD® encoded compact disc is loaded the (CDP) will automatically recognise and decode it.
The display will read HDCD for a few seconds after play is pressed.

IME a HDCD normally causes the HDCD display to remain lit.
Posted on: 30 December 2008 by keith waring
seem to remember reading that some cd companys use to leave the hdcd sign of so as not to pay copyrights to microsoft !