herlock
1) For about 90% of HDCD releases with logo or without (which indicated as HDCD during playback) are not actually mastered using HDCD techology. It means that mastering engeeners did not use any HDCD filters. Or they just used Pacific Micronics A/D converter. In any case, the Pacific Micronics equipment (PM Machine One/Two or PM A/D converter) put the HDCD sub-code in the signal. You can see HDCD logo lights but there is nothing has to be decoded. Shangri-La and Private Investigations are mastered wihout HDCD filters and it does not require any decoder.
2) But another MK releases from 1996 to 2000, including GH, STP, Wag The Dog, Metroland and all sountracks remasters were mastered with Peak Extend filter (Wag the Dog also used LLE filter). I do not need any HDCD player more due to I use PC as a source, and there a lot tools to decode HDCD like Cue Tools or plugin for Foobar . All of it use HDCD decoder library taken from Microsoft software decoder. So it is possible now to decode it to 24/44 wav of flac. Decoded signal does not have an actually 24bit resolution. It has floating bitrate from 17 up to 20bit (20bit on the maximum peaks, which are extened during the decoding and palyback).
You are absolutely correct. I am pleased to see that they are indeed some people who know what they talk about regarding sound technology
I did not want to go into such details, but my point was, and I believe still holds: no doubt that audio geeks like you en me can re-generate CDs that do no need Peak Extension anymore, and therefore play in normal CD players in an optimal manner. Still, it should not be assumed that everybody can or even want to do that. These CDs should be re-issued, period.
One thing I did not know is that Private Investigations was encoded without Peak Extension. Are you sure about that ? I know for sure it is the case for Shangri-La, but not for that one...
