I have an Audigy 4 Bulk connected via coaxial SPDIF to a Marantz 4600 HDCD compatible receiver. I have checked the bitperfect and 44Khz options in the Creative Audio Console.
Although I seem to be able to get bitperfect playback through ZoomPlayer for the DTS WAVs and DTS CDs, the Marantz displays DTS 5.1 source, I cann't seem to do the same with HDCD CD images or HDCD WAV/APE files etc
I tried using Foobar with the KS Audigy option, 16bit, no dither, no gain but no luck, the HDCD content is played as simple PCM audio...
Whats wrong with my setup? Is there any Audigy 4 or Foobar (or any other media player) option that I am missing???
Full Version: Audigy 4 Bulk and HDCD SPDIF passthrough howto?
Since there are no replies, I'll try to make it a little simpler...
1. Has somenone been able to play HDCD content on a HDCD compatible external amp/receiver using the soundcard's SPDIF out?
2. Can this be done with an Audigy 4 Bulk?
1. Has somenone been able to play HDCD content on a HDCD compatible external amp/receiver using the soundcard's SPDIF out?
2. Can this be done with an Audigy 4 Bulk?
1. Yes
2. I don't know. I say:
If you are able to pass through 44.1/16 kHz PCM waves/flacs with 5.1 dts content, the flac decoded to wav/played by foobar eg., then you will pass through unchanged PCM 44.1/16bit/HDCD also.
There aren#t differences between 44.1/16 waves/PCM.
44.1/16 = 44.1/16 , indepednent, how the waveforms look, if they look like harmonic music (from normal music cd), or look like random noise (from 5.1 dts-cd, the data), or look HDCD mixed,
1st - 15th bit harmonic music waveforms, the 16th bit random noise as it is data containing informations to restore 16th - 20th bit.
Do you know, how you can recognize, if your amp gets HDCD informations ?
2. I don't know. I say:
If you are able to pass through 44.1/16 kHz PCM waves/flacs with 5.1 dts content, the flac decoded to wav/played by foobar eg., then you will pass through unchanged PCM 44.1/16bit/HDCD also.
There aren#t differences between 44.1/16 waves/PCM.
44.1/16 = 44.1/16 , indepednent, how the waveforms look, if they look like harmonic music (from normal music cd), or look like random noise (from 5.1 dts-cd, the data), or look HDCD mixed,
1st - 15th bit harmonic music waveforms, the 16th bit random noise as it is data containing informations to restore 16th - 20th bit.
Do you know, how you can recognize, if your amp gets HDCD informations ?
QUOTE(user @ Jun 24 2006, 01:48) 
1. Yes
2. I don't know. I say:
If you are able to pass through 44.1/16 kHz PCM waves/flacs with 5.1 dts content, the flac decoded to wav/played by foobar eg., then you will pass through unchanged PCM 44.1/16bit/HDCD also.
There aren#t differences between 44.1/16 waves/PCM.
44.1/16 = 44.1/16 , indepednent, how the waveforms look, if they look like harmonic music (from normal music cd), or look like random noise (from 5.1 dts-cd, the data), or look HDCD mixed,
1st - 15th bit harmonic music waveforms, the 16th bit random noise as it is data containing informations to restore 16th - 20th bit.
Do you know, how you can recognize, if your amp gets HDCD informations ?
Thank you for your time/answer, I completely agree with your analysis that is why I was so puzzled with my gear's behaviour. The problem is solved and now my receiver states HDCD digital source. So the only logical explanation is that my spdif adaptor -which was a bit loose connected- incurred lots of erros to the bitstream in order to make it HDCD unrecognizable, the funny part is that the bitstream was DTS recognizable although I used to notice some hiccups... extraordinary and madening coincidence!!!
So in order to answer my second question Audigy 4 Bulk is bit perfect spdif out capable
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