Everyone,

1) Would there be advantages in connecting my CD-player (NEC 541i) through
the digital output(s) instead of the dual RCA plugs?
2) Is HDCD worth it and is it here to stay? I find them difficult to find...

Thank you,
Yoan Paquet

"Yoan Paquet" wrote in message
...
Everyone,

1) Would there be advantages in connecting my CD-player (NEC 541i) through
the digital output(s) instead of the dual RCA plugs?
2) Is HDCD worth it and is it here to stay? I find them difficult to
find...

Somewhere I ran across a review which stated that one particular HDCD
encoded disc sounded better without decoding than it did with it. IIRC many
issues on the "Reference Recordings" label use HDCD.

No advantage unless you have a mighty dac. You don't say as to what
you would be connecting it to, so no one can really give you a good
estimate of what specifically to expect. That said, if you have the
ability to do it then why not connect it and listen, then make up your
own mind. You have no one to please but yourself.
- Bill
www.uptownaudio.com
Roanoke VA
(540) 343-1250

"Yoan Paquet" wrote in message
...
Everyone,

1) Would there be advantages in connecting my CD-player (NEC 541i)
through
the digital output(s) instead of the dual RCA plugs?
2) Is HDCD worth it and is it here to stay? I find them difficult to
find...

Thank you,
Yoan Paquet

Yoan Paquet wrote:
Everyone,

1) Would there be advantages in connecting my CD-player (NEC 541i) through
the digital output(s) instead of the dual RCA plugs?

Your receiver's DACs and associated circuitry could possibly
produce a different-sounding output than your player's, so it's worth a
try.

2) Is HDCD worth it and is it here to stay? I find them difficult to find...

The more I read about HDCD (e.g. white papers at www.hdcd.com), the more questionable
a process it seems to me. But I'd bet that ultimately the mastering , rather
than the bitmapping, is the main determinant of sound quality. I have an
HDCD-decoding receiver, and own HDCD-encoded
discs that sound wonderful, and others that sound very not-wonderful.

--
-S.

In article , Yoan Paquet
wrote:

1) Would there be advantages in connecting my CD-player (NEC 541i) through
the digital output(s) instead of the dual RCA plugs?

It depends what is on the other end of the digital output. If you are
investing in an audiophile class DAC, then use the digital outputs.
Some audiophiles prefer using the coaxial output to the optical output.

If you are connecting the CD player to a cheap A/V receiver, then the
DAC in your CD-player might be of a higher quality, so use the analog
outputs.

2) Is HDCD worth it and is it here to stay? I find them difficult to find...

I think SACD and DVD-A will supplant the CD in a few years. HDCD
will likely fall by the wayside with the CD itself. In the mean
time, if you are investing in a DAC, do get HDCD. But unless you
are a gadget freak or a serious audiophile, I wouldn't buy an
expensive DAC just to get HDCD. I am surprised that more stuff
is not coming out in HDCD given that they are compatible with
regular CD players. I had to search one out just to try out the
HDCD feature on my DAC.

-john-

--
================================================== ==================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ==================

No advantage unless you have a mighty dac. You don't say as to what
you would be connecting it to, so no one can really give you a good
estimate of what specifically to expect. That said, if you have the
ability to do it then why not connect it and listen, then make up your
own mind. You have no one to please but yourself.
- Bill
www.uptownaudio.com
Roanoke VA
(540) 343-1250

"Yoan Paquet" wrote in message
...
Everyone,

1) Would there be advantages in connecting my CD-player (NEC 541i)
through
the digital output(s) instead of the dual RCA plugs?
2) Is HDCD worth it and is it here to stay? I find them difficult to
find...

Thank you,
Yoan Paquet