MQA is Vaporware

[asdf1000]

14 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

As long as the labels have a financial stake in MQA ltd, it's hard for them to lose. The only way I can see the labels backing out of MQA is if there's another piracy scare caused by this. With the uptick in streaming I just don't see that happening either. 

 

The labels have a stake in MQA Ltd?

 

If they do and they decide to go full throttle with MQA (still yet to be seen though), then millions of non-MQA tracks that Qobuz currently streams may switch over to MQA only (like 2L recordings).

 

[asdf1000]

Does anyone here have Deezer's HiFi plan?

 

Are some of these MQA CD albums (like the David Bowie album @The Computer Audiophile found) streaming as MQA CD over on Deezer?

 

 

[asdf1000]

5 minutes ago, FredericV said:

This almost smells like a conspiracy theory, let's hope it does not become a scandal.

 

Which part smells like a conspiracy theory?

 

[asdf1000]

I'm noticing a lot more MQA CD new music these days... sigh

 

[asdf1000]

13 minutes ago, UkPhil said:

Yes MQA has infected the Hifi tier big style in the last week, Tidals goal

will be all MQA over coming months no doubt 

 

Well recently was due to the Warner announcement.

 

But I'm noticing more non-Warner "MQA CD" releases.

 

I can live with some types with MQA if forced (even though I'd prefer it disappears) ... but 'MQA CD' quality is a technical downgrade on the 'CD quality or better' Tidal HiFi subscription I signed up for and am paying for....

 

 

[asdf1000]

18 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

It’s only going to get worse. Trust me folks. 

 

Can you expand. This is a serious issue.

[asdf1000]

12 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Stuff will come out.

 

Without going into what this stuff is at all , are you expecting this stuff to come out before the end of 2020?

 

[asdf1000]

2 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

My guess is there will be some around the first of the year. 

 

First month of 2021?

[asdf1000]

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Oh yes, both the labels and people who work at the labels have an individual stake. For example, Warner Music, and Atlantic Records (Owned by Warner) CEO Craig Kallman have stakes in MQA. Have a look.

 

application-pdf.pdf 73.17 kB · 0 downloads

 

Yikes... financial incentives for them to push it hard then...

[asdf1000]

53 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said:

Then there is the abomination known as MQA-CD, which isn't Redbook Compact Disc specification at all. Please, we should be paying MP3 tier pricing for that garbage.

 

This is something awfully bad. This is objectively worse than CD quality.

 

Speaking specifically about MQA-CD, this is false advertising:

 

 

[asdf1000]

3 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

The golden age of pure PCM is over. 

 

Interesting.... if I connect the dots.... you said something big is happening soon and we know the major labels are shareholders in MQA Ltd...

 

Then MQA is about to go beyond Tidal's tiny market share to something larger... 😐

 

 

[asdf1000]

[asdf1000]

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

That’s quite the narrative, without regard for facts. 

 

They're obviously seeing all the chatter about the increasing amount of MQA-CD stuff on TIDAL recently and attempting to clarify....

[asdf1000]

2 hours ago, UkPhil said:

https://www.stereo.net.au/features/inside-track-bob-stuart-mqa

 

From that article, he seems to be talking about you guys ! You're all famous 😁

 

[asdf1000]

10 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

In any case on February 6th MQA will only be available on two small platforms, Tidal and Nug.net.

 

What's so special about the date Feb 6th?

 

What happens that date?

 

 

10 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

Tidal kept afloat in 2019 by not paying its bills

 

And 2020?

 

MQA aside they are still spending on development - the Tidal app continues to get lots of great improvements. And Tidal Connect is a great new feature coming to more gear.

 

 

 

[asdf1000]

7 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

Xiami Music

 

"Xiami’s popularity declined in recent years amid stiff competition from other music-streaming services such as QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music, which occupy larger market shares. The new sites built up their user bases with diverse and — more importantly — copyrighted music, according to media reports.

Yu Yandi, a culture and entertainment industry analyst at market research firm Analysys, told Sixth Tone that Xiami couldn’t keep up with the changing times. Xiami’s music database offered fewer choices than competitors, as music labels and artists became more assertive about protecting their copyrights and users switched to other platforms.

“Copyrighted content is certainly one of the most important issues, because that’s the most crucial thing for music platforms,” she said. “Also, after Alibaba acquired Xiami Music, the company handled its membership through affiliated platforms, which damaged Xiami’s profit model. If users register through other channels, they have the option of not paying the platform directly.”

 

https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006676/chinas-music-aficionados-lament-loss-of-streaming-service-xiami

[asdf1000]

27 minutes ago, Rt66indierock said:

Are you saying MQA Ltd chose badly when they signed up Xiami? If so isn't that a reflection of who is willing to do business with MQA Ltd?  

 

I don't know, it's better not to waste time making up a story.

 

[asdf1000]

7 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

Why not I've advanced the idea that it a bad business decision to do business with MQA. 

 

Why don't I want to waste time making stuff up? Yes you have a history of making things up.

 

For example, remember in this thread when you seemed to know what PS Audio customers wanted/requested better than PS Audio themselves about what their customer demand for MQA support?? After Paul McGowan said clearly in a video that he isn't a fan of MQA but he gets a bunch of customer demand for it.

 

Just one example...

 

I would prefer MQA go away but I'm not going to waste time making stuff up just for the sake of being anti-MQA - unless you find that entertaining?

 

 

 

 

[asdf1000]

Even Chris called you out on blowing smoke in this thread.

 

It must just be for entertainment

 

 

[asdf1000]

39 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said:

With all due respect, this not a court of law in which the OP or anyone else owes us proof of something, otherwise it is assumed to be false or a "story".

 

Take what he says at face value, or not, but accusing people of telling stories quickly moves in the direction of demands for "proof or it didn't happen". He owes you no such burden of proof.

 

All noted. But please note he asked me the question 'why not' so I was just answering his question and gave an example.

 

Regarding your comments about proof and court of law:

 

I don't care if he's not providing proof about anything and I'm placing no 'burden' on him for proof, so that's inaccurate.

 

I'm just pointing out he has a history of speaking in riddles and 'blowing smoke' as Chris pointed out (see links above). 

 

Pointing out for others reading this, not pointing out to him.

 

Maybe that will encourage less blowing smoke... or maybe not.

 

Again : I'd prefer MQA to go away... 

 

 

[asdf1000]

9 hours ago, Ishmael Slapowitz said:

At this juncture why any DAC manufacturer would even bother is beyond me,

 

Maybe because some manufacturers have lots of customers requesting it... ?

 

Remember the Paul McGowan discussion? Where he says he doesn't like MQA and we don't need MQA but he included it in DirectStream DAC because he had loads of customers phoning in asking for it?

 

Is it possible this has happened with more manufacturers? 

 

Is it possible there are more people requesting it from manufacturers than there are voicing displeasure on this thread?

 

And this is all coming from someone (me) that would rather MQA go away.

 

 

 

 

[asdf1000]

9 hours ago, Ishmael Slapowitz said:

At this juncture why any DAC manufacturer would even bother is beyond me,

 

MQA is coming to Tesla's too by the way... I guess Tesla fall under 'DAC manufacturer' too now.

 

[asdf1000]

On 9/18/2019 at 7:56 AM, Rt66indierock said:

Spotify has marketing research that says people aren't interested in hi-res or CD quality streaming.

 

The golfing buddies didn't factor in The Amazon effect? 

 

Next up Apple Music and YouTube music...

 

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/22/22295273/spotify-hifi-announced-lossless-streaming-hd-quality

[asdf1000]

8 hours ago, StephenJK said:

For what it's worth, with the Devialet Expert Pro 440 monoblocks that I have, it turns out that they're capable of both MQA decoding and rendering.

 

Right now, these monoblocks are not capable of both MQA decoding and MQA rendering.