MQA is Vaporware

[Musicophile]

I have asked this before, and to this day haven't seen any satisfactory answer: what, from a music customer perspective, is the problem MQA is trying to solve? Unless I ever get a good answer to this, I'm just going to skip this entire technology.

 

And as pointed out in the OPs post, the requirement for new hardware makes this an "installed base" issue. So even if we eventually see some credible consumer benefit, it needs to be big enough to get enough people to upgrade their equipment. This may well be the next Betamax.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[Musicophile]

I think Tidal is going to charge you something extra to stream MQA. I was told by MQA representatives at RMAF 2016 that it would cost $40 a month.

 

I just very much hope they weren't serious about this if they want ANY customer at all.

 

Redbook streaming is already twice the price of compressed offers, limiting this offer to some crazy audiophiles like us (very small numbers) willing to pay for this premium for what is in absolute terms not a huge improvement in SQ.

 

I've never heard MQA but even if it is an improvement over redbook who in their right mind would pay 4x Spotify Premium or 2x the price of full resolution redbook streaming?

[Musicophile]

Very good explanation, thanks. That's the answer to Musicophiles question about MQA's impact to end customer.

 

Well actually my question was more about any potential BENEFIT for the end customer to justify any investment in MQA files or hardware.

 

So far, we all seem to think there is little or none.