MQA is Vaporware

[Summit]

I must say that I’m positively surprised about the MQA SQ change with (I believe) the latest ROON update. Now with the ability to choose both MQA decoder and renderer in ROON/Tidal it’s no longer sounding dull and soft as it have been previously, in my audio system. Well more listening is certainly needed before I can say if it’s sounds better than the same music in hi-res. What I can say is that I liked the three records I have tested so far better in MQA compared to the Redbook version, something I haven’t in the past than I always preferred the non MQA version. I guess the different in master is one big reason, but still.

 

The tested records are mad by Ry Coder, Tom Waits and Melody Gardot.

[Summit]

On 5/29/2018 at 7:57 PM, Summit said:

I must say that I’m positively surprised about the MQA SQ change with (I believe) the latest ROON update. Now with the ability to choose both MQA decoder and renderer in ROON/Tidal it’s no longer sounding dull and soft as it have been previously, in my audio system. Well more listening is certainly needed before I can say if it’s sounds better than the same music in hi-res. What I can say is that I liked the three records I have tested so far better in MQA compared to the Redbook version, something I haven’t in the past than I always preferred the non MQA version. I guess the different in master is one big reason, but still.

 

The tested records are mad by Ry Coder, Tom Waits and Melody Gardot.

 

I have listen some more, with and without MQA doing the decoding in Roon. Both the unfolded hi-res files and the MQA 1st unfold sounds very good and are definitely an improvement over the Redbook 16/44 versions I have tried so far. The difference in SQ between the ROON/Tidal unfolded hi-res material (with No MQA decoder selected) and with the MQA decoder selected is less obvious and can probably be more of a system and preference thing, I guess.

 

If you have ROON and Tidal it’s easy to compare, just check “No MQA Support” This will enable Roon’s MQA Core Decoder for all MQA content and enabling you to listen to MQA without a MQA DAC. Now change the “No MQA Support” to “Decoder only” and listen without MQA.

 

My verdict is that the difference between playing Tidal Masters (hi-res) and the same music recordings in Redbook is much greater than the difference between MQA decoding and no MQA decoding, at least to my ears and in my system.   

[Summit]

23 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

 

 

Exactly.  It is just like a virus with a delayed effect.  First, it infects the entire population, and then ...

 

Virus = MQA = conspiracy theory

[Summit]

On 6/27/2018 at 7:25 AM, Ralf11 said:

I'm not on Tidal - it's CD or nothing.

 

Okay it clarifies your stand on computer audio.

[Summit]

12 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

 

 

I use computer audio - not clear what you mean by a "stand"

 

Okay let me clarify it for you.

 

Stand - to have a particular opinion about something. To say that “it’s CD or nothing” is a clear stand in my book.

 

CD is a digital optical disc data storage format that was developed by Philips and Sony. So you play only compact discs and from a computer and then send it to your Blu ray player?

[Summit]

10 hours ago, Teresa said:

 

In my case it's SACD and Blu-ray or nothing. I don't purchase high resolution downloads anymore after deleting many I didn't or no longer liked at a 100% loss. With SACD and Blu-ray discs I can sell or trade in discs I no longer want.

 

I don't stream either and won't be trying it because the free Wi-Fi my apartment complex offers slows down or throws me off the internet if I use too much data, such as downloading too many high resolution music files or watching too many YouTube videos in a short time. So the cost is too great as I would not only have to pay a monthly fee for the streaming service but also switch to a paid internet service with unlimited data. With new and used SACDs costing as little as $5 each but sometimes as much as $25 each (my average for SACDs is $13.77) and with used Blu-rays costing as little as $3 each it's hard to get excited about expensive high resolution downloads or streaming.

 

 

And I believe you use computer audio in the most cost effective way. Since used CDs can be had for as little as $1 each locally in my town, hopefully in yours as well, I see no sense in paying $10 or more for a 16/44.1kHz download. And I've noticed on Amazon that directly from Amazon (not marketplace sellers) that the brand new CD and sometimes even the SACD version is priced less than the MP3 version and often this cheaper CD version includes a free MP3 download. Also by owning the physical disc you have an additional backup. So, to me, it seems smarter to pay less for the CD and losslessly rip it to your computer than paying more for the download.

 

CD, SACD and Blu-ray players are not computer audio. I believe that then you buy a CD, SACD or Blu-ray and rip them to a computer that’s computer audio, but it’s not digital optical disc or nothing anymore, if you play from a hard drive in a computer or computer based server.  

 

https://www.dagogo.com/an-interview-with-chris-connaker-of-computeraudiophile-com/

 

[Summit]

14 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

yes, and of course

 

stumpit is just being difficult for some reason - and hasn't read the posts above his either

 

I have read your posts and they contradict each other. If you can’t see that I can’t help you.

[Summit]

5 hours ago, Teresa said:

 

I agree with you.

 

Just to clarify, I listen to both physical discs and music files from my computer's hard drive. It's just after losing lots of money purchasing and deleting high resolution downloads I either didn't like or quite liking at a 100% loss, I quit buying downloads and only purchase physical formats, mostly SACD. With SACD I can sell it or trade it in if I no longer want it, plus in most cases SACDs are less expensive than high resolution downloads.

 

Also just because I quit buying high-resolution downloads does not mean I quit playing the ones I love. I see no problem with playing SACD and Blu-ray discs and listening to music from my computer, I have many inputs on my preamp. While Ralf11 does play the rips of his CDs, I currently play my actual SACDs.

 

So when I said "In my case it's SACD and Blu-ray or nothing" I mean current and future purchases. According to my database I currently have 38 hours 4 minutes of DSD and 24-bit PCM downloads, and 200 hours 38 minutes of audio-only physical formats, mostly SACD. IMHO it's OK to like both. Hope this clarify things.

 

No problem Theresa I got it. Like you I just wanted to clarify what I meant, but maybe not in a way that make sense to others ?, it seems. I also buy most of my records on discs because they often cost less and for backup. To buy used or stream is the best and is something I think we all should do more. Hopefully theories from Circular economy get in to practice soon.

[Summit]

8 hours ago, Sal1950 said:

It's all computer audio unless your spinning vinyl. CD's use a DAC to extract the sound from the digital stream and a DAC is a mini computer.

Don't know about all this talk of "It's XXXX or nothing", why?  I'll take my music any way I can get it from AM radio to 24/192 24 channel surround in ATMOS or Auro 3D. Gave up my vinyl for the convenience rips but miss spinning a 78 now and then.

 

Spinning compact discs is not computer audio in the way that computer audio is used or classified. Some servers fall in to the grey area, but not a CD player or a DAC. Most electronics have some form of microprocessor that can be called a computer, but that is not what is commonly meant then you say computer. If you walk in in a store and ask for a computer you wouldn’t be advised to go to the section with clocks or refrigerator even if they may have some simple form of computer in it.

[Summit]

 I see that we have a new MQA supporter. He would most likely had got along fine with Brinkman.

[Summit]

There must be some kind of way outta here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief

 

Business men, they drink my wine
Plowman dig my earth
None were level on the mind
Nobody up at his word
Hey, hey

 

No reason to get excited
The thief he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But, uh, but you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us stop talkin' falsely now
The hour's getting late, hey

[Summit]

8 hours ago, Sonicularity said:

 

That ship has sailed.

 

Are you certain about that 😏