[Zoe]

I know that HDCD is "High Definition Compact Disc".  I even had an Audio Alchemy outboard DAC that processed it at one time. A power surge blew it up one day and I never used that DAC again. That was in @1995. My question is what CD players play HDCD? I don't see any claiming that capability. Is it just your basic 20 bit processor or maybe 24/196. (Which I don't really fully understand either).

Any info would be appreciated.

[Eric]

There are several units that play HDCD. Rotel, Adcom, Arcam all make models that do it

[mattybumpkin]

(NT)

[BradJudy]

NAD, Harman/Kardon and MusicHall also make HDCD capable CD players.  My H/K receiver also decodes HDCD.

[PhilNYC]

I know that HDCD is "High Definition Compact Disc".  I even had an Audio Alchemy outboard DAC that processed it at one time. A power surge blew it up one day and I never used that DAC again. That was in @1995. My question is what CD players play HDCD? I don't see any claiming that capability. Is it just your basic 20 bit processor or maybe 24/196. (Which I don't really fully understand either).

Any info would be appreciated.

FWIW, HDCD is "High Definition Compatible Disc", and it is a technology that was developed by Pacific Microsonics and later acquired by Microsoft in 2000.  From the Microsoft press release:

"PMI's High Definition Compatible Digital® (HDCD®) technology is a patented process used in top-end recording studios to correct the distortions found in current digital recording technology, delivering the full richness and detail of the original performance to compact disc and DVD audio. HDCD has been used in the recording of more than 5,000 CD titles, which include more than 225 Billboard Top 200 recordings and that account for more than 300 million CDs sold.

PMI also licenses the HDCD decoder and filter technology to most of the world's leading audio IC manufacturers. Major consumer electronics makers employing HDCD technology include A&R Cambridge (Arcam), Denon Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd., Harman Kardon Inc., Kenwood Corp., Linn Products Ltd., Madrigal Audio Laboratories Inc., Marantz Japan Inc., Rotel, Sansui Electric Co. Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. HDCD-mastered CDs offer improved sound in standard CD players, and audio quality is improved even more in CD players equipped with HDCD playback technology."

Since Microsoft aquired HDCD, I've noticed a lot of high end manufacturers deciding against renewing their licenses.  Not sure why, but I've heard that the licensing terms got more expensive.  

www.hdcd.com used to maintain a list of companies and cdp/DACs that licensed HDCD decoders, but I just checked and the site seems to be down.  I can't seem to find much information about it on Microsoft's site...

[John Casler]

Eastern Electric MiniMax tube CDP plays HDCD.

I had made a Reference CD and when Private Investigations, by Dire Straits came on a green light also came on and it said HDCD.

[truant]

I've had a stock Music Hall CD25 and a modded CD25 and found the HDCD capability to be a mixed bag. I already owned quite a few HDCD cds
when I bought the CD25s and hunted down some additional titles during that time. Some sounded great while others came across as surreal (I know that is a strange word to use to describe music but it is the one word that I always come back to). The Music Hall HDCD comes on automatically whenever an HDCD encoded disc is played. I came to resent this lack of control. I remember reading a very favorable review of a Perreaux cdp with HDCD capability stressing that all HDCD is not created equal.  
I'm glad you brought this up. With SACD and DVD-A getting so much attention HDCD rarely comes up. I would be very interested to hear a player that does HDCD well but from my limited experience a well recorded redbook cd(and more and more are)suits my tastes.

[soundboy]

Panasonic just released a 5-discs DVD-A changer with HDCD decoding capability for $130.00.  Go do a search for it at crutchfield.com.

[pugs]

My Cary 303/200 plays HDCD.  I can either use the upsampler or HDCD when an HD disk is played.

[sleepkyng]

the nad 541i does hdcd

soon i'll have a muse 2 dac plus which does hdcd

it's just sorta an added plus imo, not anything i'm gonna be amazed by.