Skeptico Saloon: An Objectivist Joint

[bigshot]

 If your headphones normally don't have much bass, adding some is making them more balanced. EQ corrects for imbalances and makes the response more accurate.

 

[miceblue]

I haven't looked into this at all, but I recently [well a few months ago] purchased a Japanese album and it was labeled as "HQCD" or "HiQuality Compact Disc."

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/popular_formats/HQCD/

HQCD (HiQualityCD) format achieves high quality audio through the use of a polycarbonate plastic with improved transparency derived from LCD display manufacturing technologies enabling more accurate reading of the CD data. In addition, a special alloy is used as the material of the reflective layer instead of the standard aluminum. HQCD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players.

http://www.hqcd.jp/eng.html


Any thoughts on this? I haven't had time to open the album yet so I can't say anything about its sound.

 

[bigshot]

They left off one circle... The one that indicates the limits of human perception, which would fit neatly inside the CD circle.

 

[krismusic]

   If your headphones normally don't have much bass, adding some is making them more balanced. EQ corrects for imbalances and makes the response more accurate.

Trouble is, when I start adding stuff I am not sure what I am aiming for. I reckon though that a lot of headphones are accurate in a few areas.
To be truly accurate across the whole range is rare.Usually also expensive! This little gadget offers a cheap option to ameliorate the shortcomings of a good pair of quality 'phones.

 

[krismusic]

  They left off one circle... The one that indicates the limits of human perception, which would fit neatly inside the CD circle.

 

[bigshot]

  Trouble is, when I start adding stuff I am not sure what I am aiming for.

 
Music with acoustic instruments, rather than electronic give you a better idea of what it should sound like. Well recorded classical music is the best because it covers the full frequency spectrum and it's easier to spot bumps and dips than rock music.

 

[krismusic]

Yes. Real instruments. Who knows how some electronic bleep is supposed to sound?!
It's still very mood dependant though IME. One days dynamic is another days overblown.
This is probably getting rather off topic though.
I think the Zo/ACS is a good stopgap until I can afford to try another IEM.
As to my original enquiry I don't know why Zo's people feel the need to puff up a good product with marketing BS. Thanks for the input.

 

[Copperears]

I haven't looked into this at all, but I recently [well a few months ago] purchased a Japanese album and it was labeled as "HQCD" or "HiQuality Compact Disc."

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/popular_formats/HQCD/

HQCD (HiQualityCD) format achieves high quality audio through the use of a polycarbonate plastic with improved transparency derived from LCD display manufacturing technologies enabling more accurate reading of the CD data. In addition, a special alloy is used as the material of the reflective layer instead of the standard aluminum. HQCD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players.

http://www.hqcd.jp/eng.html


Any thoughts on this? I haven't had time to open the album yet so I can't say anything about its sound.

Yet again..... cleaner 1s and 0s!

You know how when a bit is not quite off, there's a bit of on- ness to it, or when it's on, you can sense the threat of impending off? Stressful!

This fixes that.

You might also want to consider a really expensive DAC and titanium cables, to remove any lingering doubts in your system as to whether a 1 is a 1 or a 0 is a 0; binary arithmetic can be hard for computers.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[xnor]

Since this "HQCD" plays in any CD player and does not seem to have any special extra layers it just contains Redbook audio. Its audio performance is therefore determined by 44.1 kHz, 16 bits per sample, not the medium itself.

 

[Muinarc]

Since this "HQCD" plays in any CD player and does not seem to have any special extra layers it just contains Redbook audio. Its audio performance is therefore determined by 44.1 kHz, 16 bits per sample, not the medium itself.

 


HDCD required a specific decoder however correct? I had an Arcam HDCD-compatible player once, I don't think it made much difference hitting the "HDCD button" but it seemd to sound different.

 

[xnor]

HDCD required a specific decoder however correct? I had an Arcam HDCD-compatible player once, I don't think it made much difference hitting the "HDCD button" but it seemd to sound different.

HDCD is something different than "HQCD".
And HDCD seems to be pretty much dead.

 

[Muinarc]

HDCD is something different than "HQCD".
And HDCD seems to be pretty much dead.

 


Yeah I know that, I was just trying to verify that HDCD, unlike this HQCD, might have actually made (or had the possibility of making) a difference to perceived sound quality.

 

[Copperears]

It does, I have a few HDCD discs, and they are slightly "sweeter/warmer" than standard CD. I don't see it as any improvement in accuracy, it really is just application of a global sound sweetening processing onto the disc. Works for certain types of music, gets old if you hear it all the time, like any kind of globally-generated coloration.

 

[krismusic]

What do you mean by "global sound"?

 

[ssrock64]

It does, I have a few HDCD discs, and they are slightly "sweeter/warmer" than standard CD. I don't see it as any improvement in accuracy, it really is just application of a global sound sweetening processing onto the disc. Works for certain types of music, gets old if you hear it all the time, like any kind of globally-generated coloration.

That's actually quite disappointing to hear. I'm glad I never invested in HDCD gear, then.
 
Would you describe it as a sort of set-in-stone EQ, then?