MQA at CES

[tallica1]

MQA vs DSD 64/128/256 there is no competition..

 

DSD wins

[tallica1]

Fair enough. Let me clarify. MQA might very well be the de facto standard for hi res streaming but ofcourse there is competition. If you don't think DSD will respond to the threat from MQA then think again. MQA aka Meridian aka Roon spinoff are trying to corner the hi res market just like Apple did for low res music. It's always about money!

[tallica1]

It's always about the money. Who do you think stands to benefit. DSD is a format just like MQA wants to be a format. License fees. Meridian. Roon. Streaming services. They just want users to pay a monthly subscription. Are you kidding. Meridian wants MQA to be the de facto standard since they think they have a better format except the just fucked over one of their biggest early supporters Auralic.

[tallica1]

P.S. Meridian spun off Roon for a reason and it's about trying to capture the market share and dominating the streaming business with license fees from MQA for hardware and software and the rest to pay for a monthly streaming service through Tidal or even through Roon. Monthly fees will just go up every month in the near future once they hook u

[tallica1]

Can somebody with extensive computer audiophile knowledge explain "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON" - Donald Trump LOL in laymens terms... If people that actually care to try to understand can't understand then something is wrong. Additionally, why fuck would MQA fuck over Auralic? They knowingly did. My Conspiracy theory is that there really is no MQA chip this can all be done with firmware which is why Auralic was all set.

[tallica1]

This whole MQA thing is an abortion. Why put AURALIC through the ringer. This was no surprise that Auralic was leading this charge and was quite embarrassed at the CES 2016 show caught with their pants down. AURALIC can just update their Aries streamer with a new product with the MQA chip if need be. No?

[tallica1]

BREAKING: Auralic Is MQA Ready By Michael Lavorgna • Posted: Jan 12, 2016

Read more at http://www.audiostream.com/content/auralic-mqa-ready#FA6gmboGLz64LmhJ.99

[tallica1]

Hardware companies need the software companies and software needs hardware. MQA-Meridian-Roon are all connected. This was all very well thought out several years ago. NOTHING in this computer audio world happens on the fly. MQA seemed to blindside AURALIC at the CES 2016. There is no nice way to say that MQA pulled a fast one. NOBODY still knows if a particular chip is needed for a DAC to be MQA ready. According to Auralic firmware was the known solution prior to CES. Here is a another piece of information. DAR just reviewed BEL CANTO's (w/ Joseph Audio Profile Speakers) new less expensive black integrated equipment $25k vs $50k Full on Black System which was Stereophile's 2015 product of the year. But my point is that DAR commented "MQA support is slated for inclusion down the line, presumably via a firmware update." FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR MQA.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/01/bel-canto-ready-ultimate-aci600-integrated-at-ces-2016/

 

Call me stupid but what is a MQA ready DAC vs a non-MQA ready DAC?

[tallica1]

MQA ready according to 5-27-2015 DAR report would be a FIRMWARE solution to hardware manufacturers and nothing more which is exactly what AURALIC was actually prepared for.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/05/munich-high-end-2015-is-meridian-mqa-the-new-dsd/

 

And if this tiny Meridian Device is MQA ready then how can the Auralic Aries which is a much more advanced streamer be the same with the already planed firmware upgrade blind sided by Meridian.

 

https://www.meridian-audio.com/products/streaming/media-source-200/

 

Unless someone much smarter then myself (definitely most others on this forum) can explain to me what is the difference between a MQA ready DAC vs non MQA ready?

My additional thoughts.. that this about the money and licensing fee DISPUTE between Auralic and Meridian... ONLY... Thoughts?

[tallica1]

Attention Computer Audiophile Experts: Can somebody kindly post dynamic range etc charts

DSD 64 and DSD 128 vs MQA for fun and then add your expert opinion. Tx

[tallica1]

After reading computer audiophile newest article detail about MQA it confirms my already suspicions about MERIDIAN vs AURALIC who embarrassed AURALIC and the truth will come out sooner then you think. STILL NOBODY can answer the question what an MQA approved DAC or streamer really is!!!??

Please advise.

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/678-ces-2016-wrap/

[tallica1]

Thank you Ted b for your expert knowledge on this subject but I believe there is more to the story. Auralic was prepared with MQA firmware streamer upgrade which Auralic already encoded with their streamer. Now just for the record I am a new Auralic Vega owner. I don't own a streamer at this moment and not in a rush either. But something is off with MQA.

[tallica1]

Additionally all the hoopla about MQA at CES 2016 are hand picked demos to show off MQA strengths!

At first I believed all the hype but reading very smart peoples intelligent viewpoint have made me more neutral towards negative.

What filters are we really speaking about which makes a MQA DAC Certified? Why do you need filters for MQA? Makes no sense.

 

Great Analogy blog comments I just read:

 

"if you own a Ferrari, you are not looking for wheels that allow you to take the narrow bicycle path or MQA"

 

so what are the negatives that meridian fails to mention ?

[tallica1]

Just another quick thought off the cuff.. Meridian is obviously doing this for financial gain and it and that they are pushing fast to become the de facto at least "streaming" standard throughout the world. They want all of us to be part of the Meridian closed end Eco-System just like Apple Inc has successfully done. The problem i see with the Meridian approach is that this is contrary to what computer audiophile is all about and even the experts I would think shy against.

[tallica1]

What benefit would the studios have to go 100 MQA vs 100% DSD etc?

[tallica1]

Fair enough. Convincing the studios about another format is one thing but convincing the consumer to purchase is another and with the new hardware. Additionally how many versions of Kind of Blue does even an audiophile need ?

[tallica1]

Profit. Profit. Profit. Is the only issue that studios are interested in continuing to pursue.

 

Battlefield lines are drawn between the studios just releasing and re-releasing Vinyl and DSD 128 256 512 vs MQA

 

And most important why would the major studios want to pay someone else a royalty to Meridian for MQA?

[tallica1]

MQA update: Not sure if this was covered yet since I didn't scroll back. But DAR's latest article and comments about MQA..

 

John H. Darko closing comments:

"My opinion, one shared by an already-MQA-certified DAC manufacturer, is that such broader adoption hinges initially on Tidal flipping the switch on MQA-processed content; which means both hi-res and revved-up Redbook. Rumours suggest that Tidal are almost ready to roll but not before labels sign off on its licensing."

"It remains to be seen just how MQA intend to win hearts and minds beyond Tidal Hifi subscribers. Perhaps they have plans for the considerably more popular lossy streaming user base? Spencer Chrislu alluded to as much during our CES meeting (but I remain hazy on the specifics). Perhaps only when MQA usurps Ogg Vorbis, AAC or MP3 as the transmission method of choice by Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora will it be a game changer in the truest sense: improving mass market sound quality and not just in the audiophile space."

"That said, the theory remains compelling. Those dropping cash on an MQA-compatible DAC stand to gain the biggest audible lift from MQA-d music but even those sticking to their existing non-MQA DAC should hear an improvement. MQA potentially offers something toeveryone. How very democratic."

 

MQA promises something for everyone | DAR__KO