[vorbis] HDCD

[Michel Donais]

> 
> Would it be possible to extract the information into a 24-bit 96kHz
file
> to retain the same quality from the HDCD format?
> 

Well... Yes. It would be easy to do so, if you happened to know how the
format is made ... but with the DMCA, I wouldn't even try to do so.

The idea behind HDCD is to remove a bit, which is not a big deal
(1/32768th of quality loss... Yeehaa) ... and add a lot of hinting to
gain a few KHz of resolution. It alleviates frequency shifting due to
quantization, and that is the main concern on high-end systems for the
CD format.

I mean, even with 1 bit resolution, you could theoretically have a very
good and recognizable sound track (my portable CD player used to use
such bitstream conversion)... for example, it's how Sony SACD works. But
with "Compatible" in mind, removing 1 bit out of the range isn't such a
big deal for most people. 1 bit for the digitally quantized equivalent
of a 96KHz stream, it's really something good. And the resulting A-to-D
conversion of the HDCD chip is of such high level that even audiophiles
without the HDCD player can benefit from its conversion.

Of course, when you have a Krell HDCD player and can have the luxury of
having the small blue led light up, it's even better, and by a margin
^_^  . Less clanky sounds, especially at higher frequencies (violins are
remarkable with HDCD, as compared to the strident ordinary CDs).

<p>Have a nice day
Mike

<p>--- >8 ----
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