Is MQA worth waiting for?

[beerandmusic]

Was contemplating the TEAC NT-503, but i am thinking maybe I should wait to see about MQA capable dacs?

Also, is it possible that teac firmware can be updated to support MQA?

[Axiom05]

I am going to answer your question with a question (or two). How many MQA DAC's are available now? I can only think of two. How many manufacturers have announced that they will make MQA-capable DAC's?

[esldude]

If MQA is worthwhile is something no one can yet answer. If any product has had a botched rollout this is it. Will it ever be significant? Who knows.

 

My best guess right now is it will be as significant as HDCD. HDCD is not available anywhere anymore. Pretty much forgotten tech. SACD was a bigger splash.

[wgscott]

Look on the bright side. If it does work out, it will give you a reason to buy your whole music collection again.

[esldude]

Look on the bright side. If it does work out, it will give you a reason to buy your whole music collection again.

It could be even brighter Bill. MQA could be successful enough he buys his collection again. But not so successful to prevent yet another even more better format coming out five years from now. Letting him buy his collection yet one more even more improved time.

 

Perhaps the newer MMMQAM format allows end to end encryption from the artist's mental concept to the sound you hear in your mind. Mind Meld Mental Quality Authentication Music. It reduces the required bit rate even further by eliminating the sound based playback gear with direct mental articulated input of sensation.

 

Available only via Meridian which could induce yet one more M into it all. And yes their process will be so advanced and patented they will be able to generate the original artist's mind even from 50 year old reel to reel master tapes. No worries mate.

[tmtomh]

I wouldn't wait for MQA. I think MQA is going to fail for two reasons:

 

(1) Its main audiophile benefit - correcting in playback for characteristics of the recording/mastering equipment - makes no sense for multitrack recordings that were made on multiple different equipment setups, mixed down and/or remastered on other equipment, run through multiple A/D/A/D conversions over the years, and so on. So that means the vast majority of popular music recorded since the advent of multitrack recording. Even a lot of current rock/pop releases contain elements originally recorded at varying resolutions on various digital setups.

 

(2) Its main practical/convenience benefit - packing both normal-res and high-res data into a single file - is IMHO a solution in search of a problem. Bandwidth, capacity, speed, and equipment resolution capability have expanded so much that there's really no need for a file that can function as both a norma-res and high-res file. The only devices I can think of that audiophiles might need normal-res versions for are Apple iDevices, which generally are limited to 24/48 resolution. But Apple's never going to license MQA anyway, so MQA wouldn't even help there.

[crenca]

look on the bright side. If it does work out, it will give you a reason to buy your whole music collection again.

 

 

...perhaps the newer mmmqam format allows end to end encryption from the artist's mental concept to the sound you hear in your mind. Mind meld mental quality authentication music. ...

 

bahhhh!!!!

[audiventory]

If MQA is worthwhile is something no one can yet answer. If any product has had a botched rollout this is it. Will it ever be significant? Who knows.

 

My best guess right now is it will be as significant as HDCD. HDCD is not available anywhere anymore. Pretty much forgotten tech. SACD was a bigger splash.

 

Me seems, main trouble of some formats is protected specification.

Of course, new compressing format development demands great efforts.

And need many efforts for promoting such format.

And significant license fee for profitability. Main trouble of audiophile market is small size of most enterprises for big series and significant license fees.

 

As example, some time ago in CA was raised question: why HDMI is not wide spread in many audiophile DACs?

 

There need flexible marketing/price policy for efferctive promotion of a new formats.

[beerandmusic]

I wouldn't wait for MQA. I think MQA is going to fail for two reasons:

 

(1) Its main audiophile benefit - correcting in playback for characteristics of the recording/mastering equipment - makes no sense for multitrack recordings that were made on multiple different equipment setups, mixed down and/or remastered on other equipment, run through multiple A/D/A/D conversions over the years, and so on. So that means the vast majority of popular music recorded since the advent of multitrack recording. Even a lot of current rock/pop releases contain elements originally recorded at varying resolutions on various digital setups.

 

(2) Its main practical/convenience benefit - packing both normal-res and high-res data into a single file - is IMHO a solution in search of a problem. Bandwidth, capacity, speed, and equipment resolution capability have expanded so much that there's really no need for a file that can function as both a norma-res and high-res file. The only devices I can think of that audiophiles might need normal-res versions for are Apple iDevices, which generally are limited to 24/48 resolution. But Apple's never going to license MQA anyway, so MQA wouldn't even help there.

 

Thanks...you convinced me...I just ordered the TEAC NT503.

[monteverdi]

Look on the bright side. If it does work out, it will give you a reason to buy your whole music collection again.

 

I thought downloads are out.

[Paul R]

I thought downloads are out.

 

Naw - they just renamed "Download" to "Stream" and make you do it every time you want to listen to an album.

[Allan F]

IMO, if MQA is to have any significant impact, some type of outboard decoder will have to be an option. I can't see people "upgrading" their current DACs to get MQA. As a more efficient format that consumes far less bandwidth for hi res streaming it may make sense. Beyond that, I expect that the jury may be out for a long time.