HDCDs with Peak Extend

I listed some Van Halen 2000 HDCD remasters in post 35. No peak extend, no gain, some transient filters.

 

Typo here...shoulda read NAD C542. Cheers!

 

I installed the HDCD component to Foobar2000 but nothing seems to happen. I'm trying with the soundtrack of Independence Day and Some Roth-era Van Halens and the iformations is the the same as a CDDA, a red book CD. No HDCD logo shows up anywhere. What did I do wrong?

 

Sherbourn CD-1
The Beave

 

Yes! I just bought a Sherbourn CD-1 last week and it decodes HDCD. I popped in the AF Deep Purples "Who Do We Think We Are" and swapped it between the Sherbourn and the Marantz CD6005. On the Marantz, it sounded excellent, But on the Sherbourn with HDCD decoded, it was truly like listening to a Master Studio Tape. Just oodles more presence, Air, Life to the soundstage. Blew my mind!!
The Beave

 

True, I only have VH 1 and the bottom end is very thin.
The Beave

 

That likely had to do with differences in the CD players, rather than anything with HDCD.

 

"The Beach Boys - The Pet Sounds Sessions (4 CD Box Set)" has peak extension on all 4 CDs.

 

Arcam Alpha 9.

 

Linda Ronstadt-Prisoner In Disguise HDCD has peak extension
Mindy McCready's Ten Thousand Angels and If I Could Stay The Night have peak extension
Michael W. Smith-I'll Lead You Home has peak extension

 

Maybe I'm naive to the concept, but peak extension is just a compression/decompression technique meant to increase the available dynamic range of any digital recording (I.e. A bigger universe for the audio to exist in), but it doesn't actually change the dynamic range of the audio itself. When has a digital master ever utilized all of the dynamic range anyway? To me it just seems like a technique to make ones digital master seem louder than a conventional audio CD, but nothing changes in the fidelity of the original audio (other than overall volume). Because what is another 9 dB of headroom above digital black worth? Seems silly to me.

 

Correct.

 

When used properly in HDCD mastering, the Peak Extend feature allows to reverse the soft-limiting applied at encoding stage and increases the dynamic range of HDCD-decoded material (compared to it undecoded RBCD version) by several dB (see this when in doubt)...

 

Yep, any HDCD master/remaster that gets a bad rap mostly for being "too loud", when everything else is good (master tape used, not too much tweaking, good EQ, etc.) needs to be checked for peak extension. If it is used and decoded, these remasters can sound excellent.

 

1st Tosh DVD was purchasED for DVD-A & the HDCD filter [GREAT zoom feature too!! ].
2nd Oppo DV-980H DVD SA-CD purchasED for audio upgrade including retaining HDCD decoding [lOOking at it right now].
3rd Oppo 95 Blu-ray all so retains HDCD decoding ability.

 

From the GREAT Head-Fi:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/65414/hdcd-list
does not highlight "Peak Extend"; just addED as a jumping off point.

 

Does anyone know if the Tool/Lateralus HDCD has peak extension?

 

I'd like to be able to determine which of my HDCDs have peak extend.
Is there a way to do this on a Mac? I have Adobe Audition, XLD, and DR meter.

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but the encoding is not part of the mastering chain UNLESS it is meant to be decoded, correct? The original mastering should not receive this compression by default. I'm not familiar with the site you linked demonstratin the dynamic ranges of Green Day - Nimrod, but it seems confusing to me. I'm curious where they come up with these numbers to designate dynamic range. Again, digital has a HUGE dynamic range built in, even at 16 bit resolution. Mastering engineers simply don't use all of it, as they want their music louder, so compression and limiting are done. I still don't get it...oh well

 

You may wanna have a look at the waveforms of HDCD-undecoded (RBCD) & HDCD-decoded track from Nimrod 1997 CD release posted earlier in this very thread...

 

Yeah, I get that encoding happens & that it adds compression. But, this compression is encoded BECAUSE you are expected to decode it. It isn't a necessary step in the creation of a digital master. If you were to look at the original master's waveform compared to the "decoded" image, they would be identical (adjusted for overall volume). So this doesn't really expand on the argument that this is any better than a standard master, other than it will add a bit more volume to your playback

 

Also, I'm not trying to be a hater. I'm just not getting it.

 

What exactly aren't you getting?

 

I don't get how it's any better than the original mastering by encoding then decoding to get an extra few dBfs of headroom. Agreed that the decoded has more dynamic range than the encoded version. but...What if it was never encoded in the first place!?!?

 

My guess, the soft-limiting was added to make the HDCD-undecoded (regular RBCD) version of the album louder, thus, more competitive in loudness war. The HDCD-decoded version of the album is the "unlimited" release, so to speak.