Jud Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Hi res streaming is technically already there, with A+ I can stream all my Qobuz and Highresaudio purchases in the native format up to 24/192. Just wanted to mention this is not an A+ limitation - while trying out Tidal, upsampling to DSD worked fine. One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature. Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Good discussion here. I'm glad to know that not everyone has been infected with the MQA-strain! Ha! Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Musicophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Just wanted to mention this is not an A+ limitation - while trying out Tidal, upsampling to DSD worked fine. Jud to avoid confusion we aren't taking about up sampling here but native Highres streaming. Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
Musicophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Hi mate, yes I forgot about Qobuz and Highresaudio. We're not as lucky here in Australia yet! I completely agree with the reasons you mention actually. Just a hypothetical here... what if Apple flicked the switch on hi-res music next week to get people to get the new iPhone 7 (that's missing a headphone jack) and new Hi-Res Beats headphones. While we may or may not be fans of Beats headphones or their phones here, it wouldn't matter. There are enough of those iPhone and Beats customers out there right, like in the millions? You're right of course, that Spotify are losing money but they're not in the hardware business like an Apple. Hi-Res just for the sake of music doesn't make sense business wise, for all the reasons you mention. But to sell more of the hardware that a lot of people already buy (phones and headphones)? Maybe there's a case for that? A tiny part of me wishes it does happen, even if I agree with you that it probably won't. Not because I want the Beats headphones but because HD Tracks is sending me broke! ;=) I also don't have the broadband speed limitation like you, so I'd be happy if Qobuz and Highresaudio became more available worldwide. I agree Apple could do it but I'd be very if they do. The market is way too small for them to be interested. Plus let's face it, Beats is not really your audiophile brand of choice.... Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
mordante Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 MQA is just lik DSD Dead On Arrival [br] Link to comment
whoozwah Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Metal-Fi (where that article was lifted from with permission) is a fantastic website. Plenty of great, well-written articles there. If I am anything, I am a music lover and a pragmatist. Link to comment
Maldur Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 MQA is just lik DSD Dead On Arrival Definitely not the "just like" thing at all. Sorry, english is not my native language. Fools and fanatics are always certain of themselves, but wiser people are full of doubts. Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Metal-Fi (where that article was lifted from with permission) is a fantastic website. Plenty of great, well-written articles there. I agree. I've been following @AlexMetalFi for a while. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Axiom05 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Definitely not the "just like" thing at all. Agree. It would be nice if we could stop the "DSD is dead" comments. It really has no relevance to anything being discussed. DSD is DSD, buy it or don't buy it. The future of MQA has yet to be written so it really isn't like anything. Main System: [Synology DS216, Rpi-4b LMS (pCP)], Holo Audio Red, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Ayre KX-5 Twenty, Ayre VX-5 Twenty, Revel Ultima Studio2, Iconoclast speaker cables & interconnects, RealTraps acoustic treatments Living Room: Sonore ultraRendu, Ayre QB-9DSD, Simaudio MOON 340iX, B&W 802 Diamond Link to comment
christopher3393 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Hi Don - Here is my editorial from 2014 ~> Computer Audiophile - High Resolution Audio Isn't Coming Soon From Apple " Apple won't release high resolution downloads for purchase or even a lossless CD quality streaming subscription service in the next three to five years." "Wireless Carriers Don't Want High Resolution Downloads (Or Lossless CD Quality Streaming)" Chris, can you envision any of this scenario changing between 2020 and 2025? I'm thinking of tech developments in particular, like 5G and a converged fiber-wireless network, as well as more efficient packaging of high-res. I'm sure there are other developments in the pipeline that could change the scenario as well. Just wondering what your thoughts are. I'm also wondering to what extent the people at MQA see streaming as the future of music "consumption"? Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 " Apple won't release high resolution downloads for purchase or even a lossless CD quality streaming subscription service in the next three to five years.""Wireless Carriers Don't Want High Resolution Downloads (Or Lossless CD Quality Streaming)" Chris, can you envision any of this scenario changing between 2020 and 2025? I'm thinking of tech developments in particular, like 5G and a converged fiber-wireless network, as well as more efficient packaging of high-res. I'm sure there are other developments in the pipeline that could change the scenario as well. Just wondering what your thoughts are. I'm also wondering to what extent the people at MQA see streaming as the future of music "consumption"? The future of music consumption is streaming. Period. MQA sees this, as do all the record labels (they are major investors in Spotify). I don't want to take this too far off topic so I'll just say that by 2020-2025, the infrastructure won't matter. It's consumer demand that matters and virtually nobody is demanding high resolution or even lossless 16/44.1. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Axiom05 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 The future of music consumption is streaming. Period. MQA sees this, as do all the record labels (they are major investors in Spotify). I don't want to take this too far off topic so I'll just say that by 2020-2025, the infrastructure won't matter. It's consumer demand that matters and virtually nobody is demanding high resolution or even lossless 16/44.1. Chris, this is the exact point that seems like such a paradox to me. If nobody is interested in hi-res streaming than why is MQA even needed? In this scenario, what does MQA bring to the table? So far MQA has been billing themselves as the answer to both improved hi-res SQ and to hi-res streaming. Main System: [Synology DS216, Rpi-4b LMS (pCP)], Holo Audio Red, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Ayre KX-5 Twenty, Ayre VX-5 Twenty, Revel Ultima Studio2, Iconoclast speaker cables & interconnects, RealTraps acoustic treatments Living Room: Sonore ultraRendu, Ayre QB-9DSD, Simaudio MOON 340iX, B&W 802 Diamond Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Chris, this is the exact point that seems like such a paradox to me. If nobody is interested in hi-res streaming than why is MQA even needed? In this scenario, what does MQA bring to the table? So far MQA has been billing themselves as the answer to both improved hi-res SQ and to hi-res streaming. I don't disagree with you. I asked Bob Stuart this question while moderating the RMAF panel last year. I ask if MQA was a solution seeking a problem. His answer was that people were never given the option in the past and that people didn't chose MP3 / lossy quality. In the interest of asking more questions and to keep the panel going, I didn't dig into that one further. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
beetlemania Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 The future of music consumption is streaming. . . nobody is demanding high resolution or even lossless 16/44.1. So, DACs, as we know them today, might be extinct after another 5 years? This dinosaur stills mostly gets music from HDT and Pono. I'm going to go sulk in a dark corner with my touch tone landline. Roon ROCK (Roon 1.7; NUC7i3) > Ayre QB-9 Twenty > Ayre AX-5 Twenty > Thiel CS2.4SE (crossovers rebuilt with Clarity CSA and Multicap RTX caps, Mills MRA-12 resistors; ERSE and Jantzen coils; Cardas binding posts and hookup wire); Cardas and OEM power cables, interconnects, and speaker cables Link to comment
Maldur Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 It's consumer demand that matters and virtually nobody is demanding high resolution or even lossless 16/44.1. Only time will tell... If this is true, why MQA don't see the fact that "HiRes" 320kb MP3 is far good enough for streaming purposes...? I think, Alex from MetalFi knows the answer - vendor lock-in, or vendor-specific ecosystem of MQA. Sorry, english is not my native language. Fools and fanatics are always certain of themselves, but wiser people are full of doubts. Link to comment
Axiom05 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 So, DACs, as we know them today, might be extinct after another 5 years? This dinosaur stills mostly gets music from HDT and Pono. I'm going to go sulk in a dark corner with my touch tone landline. I don't think so. High End audio is not going anywhere. Things always change but people like us will still be here and will still want high quality playback. Main System: [Synology DS216, Rpi-4b LMS (pCP)], Holo Audio Red, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Ayre KX-5 Twenty, Ayre VX-5 Twenty, Revel Ultima Studio2, Iconoclast speaker cables & interconnects, RealTraps acoustic treatments Living Room: Sonore ultraRendu, Ayre QB-9DSD, Simaudio MOON 340iX, B&W 802 Diamond Link to comment
Axiom05 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 So, DACs, as we know them today, might be extinct after another 5 years? This dinosaur stills mostly gets music from HDT and Pono. I'm going to go sulk in a dark corner with my touch tone landline. Ayre just came out with their QX-5 Twenty digital hub. For a company the size of Ayre, this product represents a significant R&D expenditure. I doubt they would have bothered if they didn't see a strong future in computer-based audio. I think that the download sites are actually doing quite well so the market seems healthy. This was certainly the impression that I got after some email exchanges with someone from highresaudio.com. I think our DAC's are safe for now. Main System: [Synology DS216, Rpi-4b LMS (pCP)], Holo Audio Red, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Ayre KX-5 Twenty, Ayre VX-5 Twenty, Revel Ultima Studio2, Iconoclast speaker cables & interconnects, RealTraps acoustic treatments Living Room: Sonore ultraRendu, Ayre QB-9DSD, Simaudio MOON 340iX, B&W 802 Diamond Link to comment
plissken Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Would you like to work for free? People need to be compensated, in many cases, for their work. Tesla open sourced their patents. Seems to be working for them. Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Tesla open sourced their patents. Seems to be working for them. In what way is it working for them? Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 So, DACs, as we know them today, might be extinct after another 5 years? This dinosaur stills mostly gets music from HDT and Pono. I'm going to go sulk in a dark corner with my touch tone landline. I still purchase from those stores as well. When I say "nobody" I mean the mass of people who will determine whether or not a technology succeeds in the marketplace. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
plissken Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 In what way is it working for them? They are building a charging network, they are building the Gigafactory. These are all infrastructure pieces to supply batteries with servicing. Potentially batteries that they aren't the manufacturer of but they can charge for the infrastructure usage. Link to comment
Maldur Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I don't think so. High End audio is not going anywhere. Things always change but people like us will still be here and will still want high quality playback. A small documentary about this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mDZcz-V29_M Sorry, english is not my native language. Fools and fanatics are always certain of themselves, but wiser people are full of doubts. Link to comment
NOMBEDES Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 The Computer Audiophile is spot on. "The future of music consumption is streaming. Period." I think that we will have niche markets for physical media and, for that matter, HiRez. Is there not a Moody Blues song "Don't fear the Future" or was that Reaper? Hummmm. In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake ~ Sayre's Law Link to comment
AlexMetalFi Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I agree. I've been following @AlexMetalFi for a while. Thanks everybody! Trust me when I say Dave and I have been reading CA for years. We're lurkers though. Co-Founder/Chief Editor http://www.metal-fi.com Link to comment
asdf1000 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I agree Apple could do it but I'd be very if they do. The market is way too small for them to be interested. Plus let's face it, Beats is not really your audiophile brand of choice.... Agreed. But as I mentioned , the Beats headphones wouldn't interest me. Hi-Res music via Airplay would though! I mean this completely respectfully of course, but the phone and headphone market isn't small in my opinion. Don't forget with the iphone losing the headphone port, it loses the DAC, which will most likely move to a new range of headphones. But I don't want to get too caught up with the headphones. I only mention the headphones that will now have a built in DAC, to bring up a business case since these numbers are in the millions already. HiRes via Airplay would be great for us right? In the same context of the topic, HiRes streaming and devices that support it. Sent from my Blackberry DTEK50 using Tapatalk Link to comment
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