MQA is Vaporware

[ChrisG]

On 5/16/2018 at 5:21 PM, mansr said:

That could be just talk. Everybody seems to like boasting about how much effort they've made and how hard it was, no matter what the subject. From what I've seen, adding MQA to a software solution should be pretty straight-forward. Simply take the provided library and plug it into the processing chain like you would any other codec. If it takes more than a man-week, there is something seriously wrong with your overall system architecture. At least I was able to do it with no documentation or assistance whatsoever.

Well, in fairness to Roon, they did require that users would still be able to use DSP after the first unfold of the MQA file. AFAIK, they are the only one doing that. However, I'm on file with them as being, I think, one of the only Alpha testers that doesn't like MQA and won't test any features that require using MQA. 

[ChrisG]

2 hours ago, GoldenOne said:

ASR has now locked the MQA discussion thread.
 

Prior to this, one of the moderators requested a phone call with me. They said (and no I am not joking) that there were too many people criticising Amir for the MQA related comments he'd made and that they couldn't keep up with the moderation, so they wanted to lock the thread and wanted me to start a new one, in which they would not allow anyone to bring up the statements Amir had made regarding MQA. Because ASR/Amir needed to "remain neutral".
 

I told them that I was unwilling to do this and that censorship is not a good plan. Firstly it will just raise more questions and make ASR/Amir look suspicious, and secondly it's just morally wrong.

If ASR/Amir wants to remain neutral, then Amir shouldn't be making statements in any direction regarding MQA.
 

If they were going to lock the thread I was not going to help them make it more PR-Friendly by posting a new one and saying that it was all ok. Because it isn't.
No one should be immune to criticism, doesn't matter if it's their forum or not. And if you don't want to be criticised, you should say nothing. (And certainly shouldn't run a forum)
 

Even if there are people being un-necessarily hostile, which to be clear, some were, and that should absolutely be handled, if more moderation is needed, appoint more moderators.

Censoring discussion and preventing people from criticizing the forum owner is just wrong. And doing it now, when the owner of the forum says something in defence of a company that is known to have attempted to censor other forums, makes things look damn fishy.

I made quite clear that in my opinion, the best way for ASR to remain neutral would be to leave the thread up, as-is. And simply have Amir not say anything further on the topic.
Let people continue the discussion and have the forum owners/staff remain neutral from here on.

Amir is a jerk and he proved what kind of person he is after he jumped ugly with you over your comment about "money makes the world go round and it's no different here" (he was triggered and thought that "here" meant ASR when it was obvious to myself and others that "here" meant MQA). 

 

And, then, to not apologize to you when you clarified your statement that "here" did indeed mean MQA, that proved what a little man he is. 

BTW, I think you've been a true professional through all this with some of the criticisms you've been getting. I'm not sure that I would be able to rise above it like you have. 

[ChrisG]

1 hour ago, JoeWhip said:

I am beginning to think that the bloom is off the rose for Amir at ASR. The MQA has provoked some real vitriol towards Amir, some of which was over the top. More interesting is some of the blowback he got for the JBL speaker review which found, shall we say, less than stellar measurements. Nonetheless, he recommended them after actually listening to them and liking them. Almost like a subjectivist reviewer saying don’t mind the measurements, it sounds good. Fascinating.

 

 

Yeah, interesting how he pulled that stunt. Then again, I'd hardly expect him to tell people not to buy a product his company sells to customers. #Hypocrite 

[ChrisG]

7 hours ago, LarryMagoo said:

I would never touch a piece of PS Audio kit ever simply due to their MQA creation!

I stopped buying their stuff when they introduced the Bridge v1 for the PerfectWave DAC and it wouldn't play gapless music. Turns out they didn't know that was a "thing". 

[ChrisG]

1 hour ago, lucretius said:

 

I think Roon needs to support streaming services if it wants new or renewed subscriptions/customers.  For Roon to cut Tidal loose at this point makes no sense.  Let's see what new streaming services come out and how many of those Roon will support.

 

 

 

It's not really about which streaming services Roon supports, it is which streaming services will work with Roon so that their catalog can interact with the Roon software so users see both their local library and the streaming service's library as one. 

[ChrisG]

59 minutes ago, Iving said:

 

OK I put my money where my mouth is and subscribed to AS Premium.

Your message is great.

Thank you

I just subscribed as well. 

[ChrisG]

4 minutes ago, pdvm said:

I don’t see comments under the article…?

If you're looking on your phone, you have to click on "go to desktop site" on the bottom of the page, then you'll see the comments. 

[ChrisG]

Linn hasn't drunk the Fool-aid either and my Organik KDSM sounds great!

[ChrisG]

2 hours ago, KeenObserver said:

 

So if you subscribe to Roon, who pays royalties to MQA,  you can apply DSP? Seems like another layer of cost for the music consumer.

 

I realize that you receive benefits for promoting Roon, but I would not touch Roon with a ten foot pole. Tidal and Roon are propping up a scheme that screws the music consumer. Without Tidal and Roon, MQA has virtually nothing.

 

That is just my personal perspective. I could not in good conscience support anyone that supports MQA.

Technically, Roon only pays royalties to MQA when the user plays a file that is MQA encoded. If you don't use Tidal w/ Roon, there are no royalties being paid. 

[ChrisG]

On 8/2/2021 at 1:37 PM, Kal Rubinson said:

What if you use Roon to play an MQA-encrusted file from your own library? 

Looking back at a response from their COO, it looks like if you use Roon and do the core decode, Roon pays. If you don't, no payment https://community.roonlabs.com/t/why-do-manufacturers-support-mqa/155965/294?u=7ryder

[ChrisG]

22 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

So you're sayin' your DACs are vaccinated :~)

My Linn Organik KDSM is fully vaccinated!