DSD 128 vs MQA

[tallica1]

It's time for the truth. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) BRILLIANT Meridian business technology spinoff is the NEXT GEN mainstream "streaming" soon to be DEFACTO standard once Apple issues a press release. End of story. Now technically to compare this to DSD 128 it doesn't compete. I have already had a lengthy discussion with a expert that lets just say is in the know. Audiophiles enjoy DSD. And if you steam enjoy MQA.

[tallica1]

iPhone typo "stream"

[bmoura]

Now technically to compare this to DSD 128 it doesn't compete.

 

Right. MQA will have its key impacts in the streaming market by using their encoding/decoding system to bring music files down to a "CD Quality" 16 bit/44 kHz size.

 

It doesn't compete, as you say, with DSD 64 and above and FLAC 24/96 and above sound quality wise.

[YashN]

Audiophiles enjoy DSD. And if you steam enjoy MQA.

 

I stream DSD.

[dpstjp2]

I have already had a lengthy discussion with a expert that lets just say is in the know. Audiophiles enjoy DSD. And if you steam enjoy MQA.

 

Well that's that then, isn't it? DSD it is. You don't mention whether you've listened to MQA or not.

 

An "audiophile" ought to appreciate a well mastered MQA track versus a poorly mastered DSD track. No amount of discussion with an unnamed expert is going to change the sound you hear. It's about the music, not the file extension.

[tallica1]

ofcourse I heard MQA and it was sounded great in a "controlled environment" made for streaming. This will absolutely be the de facto hi res streaming standard. Apple will lead the charge. But this will certainly not replace DSD 128 which is DSD DEFACTO standard

Reading the white papers on tech cuts through most of the BS

[PAP]

I stream DSD.

 

and with no problems whatsoever?

[dpstjp2]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you say that DSD128 is "DSD DEFACTO" standard. It strikes me to be somewhat tautalogical, since MQA can never be a DSD standard as by definition it is a PCM process. In any case, I'd have thought for an "audiophile" DSD 256 is more likely to be viewed as the better standard anyway.

 

Irrespective of this I'm more interested in what the de jure standard for hirez recorded music might be. I've only listened to MQA in a hirez set up, and DSD copies of the same recording were not available to compare. I'm prepared to be pragmatic about this until I've properly heard with my own ears both MQA and DSD in a comparable situation.

 

No amount of reading white papers is going to change what I actually prefer. Dogma is a bad thing, ask Galileo.

[YashN]

and with no problems whatsoever?

 

None at all, I have networked Macs, even a low-powered PC can stream from my Mac in my network as well.

[PAP]

So if that is possible, wonder why I don't see streaming 24/96 or 24/192?

[astrotoy]

I enjoy my DSD files up to DSD256, as well as my PCM 192/24 files, and even have one DXD384 file. However, I don't see any mch albums released in anything greater than DSD64. I can buy DSD64 mch downloads (as well as some 94/24 and 192/24 mch albums) and my SACD rips are all DSD64, but nothing so far in DSD128 or DSD256. Of course, they would be big - my DSD64 mch album average around 8GB, so DSD128 would be 16GB and DSD256 would be 32GB for an album. Of course, they would be smaller if they could be MQA encoded. :-)

 

Larry

[jeffmudrick]

Well that's that then, isn't it? DSD it is. You don't mention whether you've listened to MQA or not.

 

An "audiophile" ought to appreciate a well mastered MQA track versus a poorly mastered DSD track. No amount of discussion with an unnamed expert is going to change the sound you hear. It's about the music, not the file extension.

 

For some "hearing it" seems much less important than demonstrating audiophile purity by objecting to it. It's Dylan going electric. MQA's use of Dylan's image is beginning to seem eerily appropriate.

[ted_b]

I enjoy my DSD files up to DSD256, as well as my PCM 192/24 files, and even have one DXD384 file. However, I don't see any mch albums released in anything greater than DSD64. I can buy DSD64 mch downloads (as well as some 94/24 and 192/24 mch albums) and my SACD rips are all DSD64, but nothing so far in DSD128 or DSD256. Of course, they would be big - my DSD64 mch album average around 8GB, so DSD128 would be 16GB and DSD256 would be 32GB for an album. Of course, they would be smaller if they could be MQA encoded. :-)

 

Larry

 

Larry, visit our NativeDSD site and look in the double DSD section. You'll find 128 and 256fs multichannel from such labels as Lawo, Navis and Eudora, to name just 3. Also, while in that section you'll see our DSD compilation album, which is free of charge, and has multichannel selections in 128 and 256. I recommend starting there to make sure your computer playback system can handle the bandwidth requirements of greater-than-DSD64 5.1.

 

Yes...they are rather large files.

[astrotoy]

Larry, visit our NativeDSD site and look in the double DSD section. You'll find 128 and 256fs multichannel from such labels as Lawo, Navis and Eudora, to name just 3. Also, while in that section you'll see our DSD compilation album, which is free of charge, and has multichannel selections in 128 and 256. I recommend starting there to make sure your computer playback system can handle the bandwidth requirements of greater-than-DSD64 5.1.

 

Yes...they are rather large files.

 

Thanks, Ted. I'll take a look. My new mch NADAC seems to handle just about anything. Larry

[ted_b]

Thanks, Ted. I'll take a look. My new mch NADAC seems to handle just about anything. Larry

 

The dac is the least of my concerns.

[orgel]

It's time for the truth. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) BRILLIANT Meridian business technology spinoff is the NEXT GEN mainstream "streaming" soon to be DEFACTO standard once Apple issues a press release. End of story.

 

So where's that press release?

 

--David

[bmoura]

The dac is the least of my concerns.

 

The NADAC is a good one. In addition, there are more and more DACs that can play DSD 256 music these days.

http://www.dsd.sonore.us

[Paul R]

So where's that press release?

 

--David

 

(grin)

Assuming there is anything at all to this (the annual Apple is going to put CD/HiRes/etc. quality on iTunes!) -

 

Anyone "in the know" is under NDA

and

Anyone who publishes these announcements is most definitely *not* "in the know..."

 

We just have to wait and see.

 

-Paul

[bmoura]

(grin)

Assuming there is anything at all to this (the annual Apple is going to put CD/HiRes/etc. quality on iTunes!) -

 

Anyone "in the know" is under NDA

and

Anyone who publishes these announcements is most definitely *not* "in the know..."

 

We just have to wait and see.

 

-Paul

 

Or it could be with an Apple developed technology for streaming - AQA?

[Paul R]

Or it could be with an Apple developed technology for streaming - AQA?

 

Apple Quality Unobtainium Audio -----> AQUA!

[Tube_Dude]

I enjoy my DSD files up to DSD256, as well as my PCM 192/24 files, and even have one DXD384 file. However, I don't see any mch albums released in anything greater than DSD64. I can buy DSD64 mch downloads (as well as some 94/24 and 192/24 mch albums) and my SACD rips are all DSD64, but nothing so far in DSD128 or DSD256. Of course, they would be big - my DSD64 mch album average around 8GB, so DSD128 would be 16GB and DSD256 would be 32GB for an album. Of course, they would be smaller if they could be MQA encoded. :-)

 

Larry

 

Hey Larry, just wanted to mention the great 2L website 2L - the Nordic Sound ; they are doing a fantastic job for many years now providing high quality recording that are DXD/DSD native. Check them out. They even have a Hi Quality benchmark area of their site with 14 DSD128 files for everybody's delight. I just got a DSD DAC and was able to play the files using Foobar today.

I did a back and forth between DSD128 and MQA and I a have to tell you; there is simply no comparison; the subtlety of the DSD file is very noticeable, the depth is almost uncanny at times. Don't get me wrong, anything to further progress; once people get used to MQA quality combined with 5G, 6G or whatever G's connections that are sure to become more ubiquitous in the future, I am certain companies will start migrating to DSD once and for all. At least I hope to be able to get that Justin Bieber Anthology on DSD in 2023... :-)

[bmoura]

Thanks, Ted. I'll take a look. My new mch NADAC seems to handle just about anything. Larry

 

Ted is right. Native DSD has 780 Multichannel DSD albums - far more than 2L (78 Multichannel DSD albums) and other download sites offering DSD and DXD. That total includes some DSD 128 Multichannel and DSD 256 Multichannel albums.

 

https://www.nativedsd.com/new_browse/#channel=multi

http://nativedsd.com/database

 

Definitely worth exploring with the NADAC MC-8. That's what I'm using here to play my Multichannel DSD files with. Works great.

[Iain]

It's time for the truth. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) BRILLIANT Meridian business technology spinoff is the NEXT GEN mainstream "streaming" soon to be DEFACTO standard once Apple issues a press release. End of story. Now technically to compare this to DSD 128 it doesn't compete. I have already had a lengthy discussion with a expert that lets just say is in the know. Audiophiles enjoy DSD. And if you steam enjoy MQA.

 

Rubbish!

 

Anyone "in the know", will stream the source file format. That means either FLAC or DSD.

 

This eliminates potentially disastrous format conversions.

[misterspense]

Rubbish!

 

Anyone "in the know", will stream the source file format. That means either FLAC or DSD.

 

This eliminates potentially disastrous format conversions.

+1 on the rubbish! But even more, Defacto standard? That is lossy crappy mp3 streaming. That is what the majority of users is fine with. Even lossless is very rare. Not here on CA, but among non audiophiles 'cd quality mp3' is good enough.

DSD streaming is such a rarity. 95% of the music I like isn't available in anything of higher quality then redbook.

 

Sent from my MI 2 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[duxservit]

So the original post was 6 months ago. I haven't paid much attention to MQA news, but did Apple finally issue a press release?