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Topic: Differences between the HDCD version & the original CD version ?< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Timorage Offline




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Posted: Aug. 15 2001, 15:34

Hello everyone! Here is my first post on this forum!

I just wanted to know: I bought the original version of Amarok some years ago, but a new version has been released for some weeks. In your opinion, is it worth buying the new one; is the quality really greater than the old one's?
Sorry for my english wink , I hope you understand what I mean... Thank you for advance for your replies!!
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Alnilam Offline




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Posted: Aug. 27 2001, 00:34

Hmm. I do not know how the original sounds, I've never encountered it, but the HDCD remaster (if that is what you are talking about) is what I have. It sounds wonderful, but the booklet on the cover is nothing like the original. The picture is the same but the text is all wrong. I don't know if it sounds better, but it sounds very good. Hope that helps a bit!
-Alnilam

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-Alni
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theweightless Offline




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Posted: Aug. 27 2001, 08:58

the sound in hdcd records is more clear and i think bass sounds smoother. anyone have crises hdcd, there's not foreign affair written on the back cover? is it just my cd that don't have it.

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ASMK
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Korgscrew Offline




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Posted: Aug. 27 2001, 14:41

On the subject of the booklet, you can get all the text from the booklet (and more!) by looking under Amarok in the Tubular Web discography (http://tubular.net/discography/Amarok.shtml ). The story is on a separate page - in case you miss it, it's at http://tubular.net/discography/AmarokStory.shtml
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Timorage Offline




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Posted: Sep. 19 2001, 10:27

Thank you!! wink I'm a big fan of Amarok. If the sound is better, I'll buy the HDCD version too, I think...
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Ugo Offline




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Posted: Sep. 19 2001, 16:06

I have 4 Amaroks, 2 originals and 2 HDCDs, and IMHO they all sound exactly the same. smile

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Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
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GMOVJ Offline




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Posted: Sep. 20 2001, 02:51

2 HDCD ? 2 Regular CD ? for security purpose ? Load balancing ? backup ?
You're 'Mr Double' ! Double post, and double HDCD, double CD... wink
Cheers
François

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Cheers,
GMOVJ
[URL=http://tubular.fodplanet.com]http://tubular.fodplanet.com[/URL] - The french speaking mailing list
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Ugo Offline




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Posted: Sep. 20 2001, 18:03

The 2 'regulars' are for security purposes. I like the piece too much to risk spoiling the CD. wink

The 2 HDCD's are the result of a mistake. I had ordered one of them from an Italian online shop, but they informed me that it wasn't available. Then I ordered it from my usual CD retailer, and he found it. But two days later a mail came from the online shop, saying that the item was available again and they were forwarding it. What was I supposed to say to them? "No thanks, I already have it" ??? biggrin biggrin


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Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
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rosko Offline




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Posted: Sep. 22 2001, 02:35

Actually Ugo, that's exactly what you should have said. That's perfectly reasonable.
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tbasco Offline




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Posted: Dec. 02 2001, 16:11

actually, HDCD remastered CD's are in 20 bit rather than 16 bit as usual on CDs.

BUT, you have to have a HDCD CD/Decoder/Stereo to make use of the 20 bit in the HDCD, otherway it'll sound just like normal in 16 bit.
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Ambient Fish Offline




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Posted: June 11 2004, 07:47

There is a difference, the HDCD version sounds more open on my CD player which is HDCD compatible. As explained in an earlier post the HDCD version has 20 bit word lengths which allows a greater bandwidth so less compression, the difference is so great in my opinion that I only have Killing Fields and Islands to find as remasters, all of the albums benefit from the HDCD encoding, as an aside, I also pruchased the SACD version of Tubular Bells and the HDCD version sounds better in Pro Logic II than the SACD version with it's 5 discrete channels.
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symansez Offline




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Posted: Oct. 31 2004, 19:00

well my hdcd distorts horribly when things get REALLY loud - most prominent is the final african chant section - right at the end. it distorts a little on the original - but MUCH more on hdcd. No problem with my hifi. checked it with good quality headphones plugged directly in to the cd player. apart from that - the quality is awsome! you can really hear the instruments! but in some ways i like the original cd, because that is the way i've always remembered it, the sound is smoother and certain guitars have 'the stage' rather than have other (now louder) bits distract you.
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scienceguy Offline




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Posted: Sep. 03 2012, 08:31

Quote (symansez @ Oct. 31 2004, 19:00)
well my hdcd distorts horribly when things get REALLY loud - most prominent is the final african chant section - right at the end. it distorts a little on the original - but MUCH more on hdcd. No problem with my hifi. checked it with good quality headphones plugged directly in to the cd player. apart from that - the quality is awsome! you can really hear the instruments! but in some ways i like the original cd, because that is the way i've always remembered it, the sound is smoother and certain guitars have 'the stage' rather than have other (now louder) bits distract you.

I own and have checked multiple copies of the HDCD version of AMAROK and have compared it directly against the CD version using very high-end audio equipment and can confirm that:

1) Without a doubt the HDCD version sounds better; specifically the clarity and dynamics are far superior to the CD version, wherein with the CD version I am able to detect audio compression throughout, including whenever the audio peaks, (an issue that is very commonly seen when recording to CD) that is wholly absent with the HDCD version;

2) There is absolutely no instance of distortion whatsoever with the HDCD version when played using source equipment that is able to properly decode the HDCD encoding. (I use an OPPO BDP-95)

In short, the HDCD version of AMAROK nails the CD version to the wall in every regard   :)
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