[jude]

As I do not know how CD-Text works, or where it's stored on the disc, can someone here who knows tell me if (even if on a purely theoretical, beyond human ears level) CD-Text can in any way affect sound quality negatively?

 

[rhfactor]

Short answer: no. It does not reduce the fidelity of the audio data.

However if one believes that rainbow foil, black markers, etc. applied to the top of a disc could affect the sound of a disc then there isn't much stopping that person from believing data not being read on the bottom of the disc could affect the sound.

 

[simplelife]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jude As I do not know how CD-Text works, or where it's stored on the disc, can someone here who knows tell me if (even if on a purely theoretical, beyond human ears level) CD-Text can in any way affect sound quality negatively?

There should not be any effect whatsoever. CD-text info is meant to be written in subcode part of frames. Those are completely seperated from audio portion.

 

[simplelife]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhfactor However if one believes that rainbow foil, black markers, etc. applied to the top of a disc could affect the sound of a disc then there isn't much stopping that person from believing data not being read on the bottom of the disc could affect the sound.

Top layer of CD is very thin. Some black marker can eat into lacquer coating part of CD and damage pits on CD beyond CIRC correctable. Same goes with label. Some glues can damage pits. Cheapo labels also can bubble up and lift recording layer right off CDs. Not to mention unaligned label could throw balance off and screwup tracking/synching of CD read. Those CAN effect quality of sound.

 

[D-EJ915]

Supposedly CD-TEXT was unveiled in 1996...

It's written in the "R-W Subcodes", so, it is not written where the music is. http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~aa571/cdtext.htm

 

[jude]

Thanks, everyone. Since my car and home players display CD-Text, I'll use it.

 

[rhfactor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplelife Top layer of CD is very thin. Some black marker can eat into lacquer coating part of CD and damage pits on CD beyond CIRC correctable. Same goes with label. Some glues can damage pits. Cheapo labels also can bubble up and lift recording layer right off CDs. Not to mention unaligned label could throw balance off and screwup tracking/synching of CD read. Those CAN effect quality of sound.

Oh, I agree with you there. I was saying certain people believe that modifying an undamaged CD would affect the sound positively, which does not seem to be what you are saying. Cheers!

 

[sacriste]

Actually, Cd-TEXT is known to eliminate the last veil, open up the sound, deepen the low bottom, make the stage wider and improve your imaging, but allways try to use capital letters or you can get inverse results....

 

[jpr703]

It won't affect the sound at all and it might be useful to have if you ever use a player that displays the artist or song title.

 

[sacriste]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpr703 It won't affect the sound at all and it might be useful to have if you ever use a player that displays the artist or song title.

Now seriously, CD-Text is great for Test CDs, you don´t need to distract looking in the booklet the track description (e.g. 30 Hz, Mono, Zero Signal, Pink Noise at XX, etc).

 

[Stephonovich]

I knew this would come up eventually... I'm still waiting for someone to claim ID3 tags are the true cause of the high frequency roll-off of MP3s.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephonovich I knew this would come up eventually... I'm still waiting for someone to claim ID3 tags are the true cause of the high frequency roll-off of MP3s.

Actually, man, I don't think that anyone was making any claims -- I was asking (since I did not know how CD-Text was handled), and I think pretty much everyone responded that it would not / could not affect the sound.

 

[Spankypoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jude Actually, man, I don't think that anyone was making any claims -- I was asking (since I did not know how CD-Text was handled), and I think pretty much everyone responded that it would not / could not affect the sound.

It could affect the sound if you're using a player which introduces noise whenever the display backlight is on (TDK Mojo, anyone?), and you have it on more often because of the text.

 

[Publius]

To those of you shaking your heads, it is not at all inane to ask if CD-TEXT introduces distortion. It's conceivable the information could be transmitted in-band, ie like how HDCD squeezes a few more bits out of RBCD, or watermarking: by encoding it into an "inaudible" portion of the signal, say the LSB.

 

[Stephonovich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jude Actually, man, I don't think that anyone was making any claims -- I was asking (since I did not know how CD-Text was handled), and I think pretty much everyone responded that it would not / could not affect the sound.

I realize that; I wasn't trying to make it sound like you were. I shouldn't have said 'claim', I suppose. The post just reminded me of people who suspend cables from the ceiling and draw intricate designs with a black Sharpie on the top of their CDs. Sorry if I came off, um, however I did...