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MQA is Vaporware


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  • 3 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Dr Tone said:

 

Actually the Qobuz app IMO is far superior to the Tidal interface.

 

And worth every penny if you want real high resolution or regular cd lossless with the option to buy high res at a discount.  Tidal really offers nothing in comparison.

Tone, I've tried to use HolaVPN on numerous occasions to create an account on Qobuz over the years, to no avail.  I've also just emailed them directly and was told by their customer service that Qobuz used to give accounts to US residents 3 or so years ago, but, no longer.

 

If you have a way for me to do so, I'd greatly appreciate the assistance (via PM), but, until they launch in the US with a legal option (I understand it's apparently on the way), I'm not really sure this is a fair comparison to the large majority of folks here in the states.

 

When my wife and my parents can log onto the site, create an account, and enter payment details in their native language and without a VPN/geographical workaround, we can compare options.

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I believe the conversation is relevant, particularly if we holding up as a gold standard for comparison a service which can currently only be accessed on one continent (8 countries, I believe?) without using some degree of workaround (no matter how seemingly insignificant the workaround may be).

 

Again, all I have seen so far are rumored prices associated with a US launch, and a vague window for roll-out.  If and when Qobuz launches in the US, and if and when we see that all current content licensing agreements are intact, only then, IMO, can we then take a fair look.  UI is one thing.  When numbers start getting bandied about with regard to content, well, we just don't know exactly what will be available as of yet.

 

Thanks for the help.  I appreciate it!

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30 minutes ago, mansr said:

Where Qobuz is available doesn't really matter. Most of the world can't get Tidal either. The point is that Qobuz is able to stream lossless 96/24, thereby refuting the claim that MQA would be required for high-res streaming.

I don't believe MQA is required for hi-res streaming at all.  My point was that it doesn't really matter to me if 24/96 loseless streaming is happening elsewhere until someone actually comes to market here in the U.S. and provides such a service.  

Those in countries served by Qobuz obviously shouldn't even concern themselves w/ MQA if they're looking for hi-res streaming options.

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Just now, mansr said:

Maybe Tidal would be streaming lossless high-res too if they hadn't fallen in the MQA trap.

That would have been ideal.  I'd love to have been a fly in on those negotiations.

 

I don't know the length of the deal, but, there's always hope of changing course.

Considering the number of top executives Tidal has shuffled in and out over the past few years, there's a good chance!

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10 minutes ago, left channel said:

 

At this point it's an open secret, and not likely a big deal as they'd like to transition us to long-term local customers now. The problem most people encounter is that they've tried this via VPN only after they've already been to the Qobuz UK website. Their browser now has a cookie identifying their location.

What you need to do is clear your browser cookies (and maybe the cache just to be safe), and then VPN to a UK server before accessing the website again. Also pay via PayPal to avoid international transaction fees, and to avoid giving a billing address of course. Download the desktop app while you're in there. Then log off, log off VPN, and you're good-to-go. You can also download and use the iOS and Android apps from anywhere.

 

Much obliged for the info!

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31 minutes ago, Thuaveta said:

 

Keep in mind the Kindle 1984 precedent: assuming you want to guarantee your continued freedom to stream higher-than-MQA-quality content, it unfortunately is, whether you want it or not.

 

The article says that the party responsible for uploading the copies of the Orwell books did not own the copyright, and so, the offending files were removed.  This incident you reference, by the way, occurred almost A DECADE ago.  In any event, I can easily purchase 1984 from Amazon for any device I so choose right now.

 

I'm guessing the next phase of this conversation is going to involve various angles on the ownership vs. rental debate, with the potential for mentions about recent lawsuits against Spotify, replete with highly-philosophical  viewpoints around the notion that our rented content is never guaranteed.  Let's just agree to save my disabled hands the wear and put this aside, because, again, I'm not interested in going down that hole.  There are plenty of others around here who are more knowledgeable and far move entertaining to read than I. 

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  • 4 months later...

I admire the passion some have for the art form of music around here, but, I don't know.  Exempting the public-at-large, who obviously couldn't care less about any of this (MQA or otherwise), how many people, even within the niche of our hobby, still even care enough about these publications to get this worked up?  I don't say this to insult or offend the magazines, in any way.  I'm merely pointing out that the targets of interest may not be worth the level of vitriol, whether warranted or otherwise.

 

 Again, I appreciate the fire some have in defending their hobby of choice; it's admirable and inspiring to see the effort and energy that so many have contributed to this conversation. 

 

My fear is that we may oftentimes be missing the forest for the trees.   I don't know what the age demographics are of this board, I obviously don't have any data, but, I would really like to see it sometime.  I'd love to see some of the determination that a lot of posters have thus far geared (no pun intended!  Ok...maybe a little) towards MQA and its surrounding debate re-focused towards getting younger folks involved in the hobby and showing them what is possible through better audio.

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The point is made rather clearly, yes, thank you.  You've just delineated precisely why none of my extremely passionate, music-loving friends have absolutely no interest in places like this.  

 

As I said to Steve Guttenberg at a headphone meet last year, "Baby boomers can't buy this sh*t forever."

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I certainly respect your insight, and, seeing as you are a newer member of this community, I will respectfully tell you that I believe that anyone who has even the most faint notion of me or my posts, either here, or elsewhere, should know that I am a firm advocate of at least trying making a conscious effort  to never assume that I am ever speaking for anyone other than myself whenever I engage in any sort of conversation such as this one, so, on this point, we are on the same wavelength.. 

 

If I made you, in any way, feel that your opinion was speaking for anyone other than yourself, please allow me to apologize.

 

As to the actual content of your post, you'll have to forgive me, my arms are a bit tired from typing out this response, but, I'll be glad to continue this talk at a later time. :)

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  • 6 months later...
On 1/9/2019 at 4:25 PM, FredericV said:

If MQA was a niche, this certainly is another new niche:

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/01/08/sony-360-reality-audio/

 

and yes I have an 11.2 dedicated atmos room which is budget wise a fraction of my stereo room where we develop the 432 EVO products, and in several occasions I am amazed what immersive audio can do, compared to the best in class 2 channel systems.

My 11.2 room is mid-end Klipsch Icon-X and Icon - wood, two 15 inch subs in a custom push-pull diagonal setup to give a very flat response when measured with REW, NAD master amps and Anthem 11.2 atmos processor fed from a a HDI Dune media player. I am addicted to this room.

Immersive may just kill MQA

 

I appreciate the info, Frederic, as I'd yet to hear about this.  Enough with the formats already.  Let's focus on better-sounding albums!

 

By the way, your room is obviously outrageously amazing, as if you needed my validation.

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  • 1 year later...
I've not been here for a while, apologies for being late to the party, but, I just read about WMG and MQA, and I'm more perturbed by the fact that many of these albums are not and have never before been available to purchase as "hi-res" files at any of the common retailers.
 
In fact, in some cases (I searched for Faith No More), the original version of the album is no longer available to even stream at all.
 
Is this the start of a new reality for those of us who still enjoy purchasing digital files?  Will these eventually be made available to buy in their original, unmolested 24/44 form, or will they continue to be trapped behind streaming paywalls and crackpot compression schemes?
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Thanks for that update, Chris, I really appreciate you taking the time to write that reply.

 

I'm one of those dead-weight Roon lifers, so, I won't unhitch from Roon for this oversight.  It's unfortunate that a music first program for audiophiles would expose only MQA files while concealing readily-available non-MQA original masters, but, I know the Roon folks to be good people.  I'm hopeful that they will elect to respect user settings in a future update. 

 

As for Tidal, I've stuck with them against both my better judgement, and the wisdom of others, primarily because I have previously found a number of holes in Qobuz's catalog in terms of artists I enjoy after doing a head-to-head comparison to both my own library and that of my saved artists.  Perhaps it's time to give another look.

 

My fear is that I will open Roon one day soon to find Qobuz streaming these, as well.  After all, if WMG is intent on "shipping a single deliverable", there isn't too much any streaming provider could do, is there?

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Just now, firedog said:

 

 

The thing to do would be to take it up at the Roon forum. I don't think they'd be adverse to solving this issue if a solution is available.

 

You're right, firedog.  You've been generous enough with your time to help me over there, as well, and I always appreciate hearing from you.

 

In this particular case, I'm just discovering all of this for the first time, I'm still wrapping my head around it, and I'm not really sure how to drop all of it into a cogent post just yet without it looking like a novella.

 

Let me throw something together and hop over there.  Thanks, fellas.

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2 minutes ago, daverich4 said:

The only difference between these two images is changing Roon settings from Masters to Hifi under Settings/Services/Tidal. 

 

I respect that this is working for you, but, I'd prefer that the original masters be exposed within Roon, since these unmolested versions are clearly still readily available on Tidal's servers.

 

That's not something which gets done for everyone on my end.

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Thank you for posting your response, Chris.  This is bonkers.

 

Deciding whether or not to use Tidal may be an irrelevant choice, frankly.

As I said earlier, there's absolutely nothing to prevent WMG from passing these same files to the folks at Qobuz, or anywhere else.

 

If WMG wants to use just one file to provide streamers with content, welp, that's it, then.

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@daverich4 You mentioned earlier that you had some help from a thread over on the Roon forum.

I'm now actively following Chris' thread there, but, I'm having a good deal of trouble finding another where this issue, in particular, is being discussed.

 

Would you please be so kind as to link me to the relevant topic?  Thank you.

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11 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

OMG, it just dawned on me. The 16/44.1 MQA version of Space Oddity is MQA CD. Oh boy. It's even worse than I thought. MQA CD is an abomination of engineering.

It's bad enough that the 16/44 versions have replaced the original masters, but, the huge swath of new 24/44 files by artists as diverse as Melvins, Mr. Bungle, Jane's Addiction, Madonna, & Notorious BIG will likely never be offered to consumers in their unmolested "hi-res" form, despite the fact that there were clearly a number of new masters prepared, which were subsequently folded into the MQA origami.

 

This is a dangerous development, not only for the anti-MQA crowd, but, just as importantly, also a blow to those of us who still purchase digital files for our personal collections.

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