MQA is Vaporware

[Jud]

To answer your question about CDs going away the simple answer is no. There are 6.2 million CDs for sale on Amazon today. Indie (see username) bands sell CDs directly to their fans at shows. Too important of a revenue stream to go away without a replacement format. Mainstream music lovers are still buying enough CDs that Target and Walmart have power with record companies to dictate pricing. You have to move a lot units to have this power.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/business/media/music-sales-remain-steady-but-lucrative-cd-sales-decline.html

 

 

2015 figures (I think 2016 figures should be in by around March of this year), $US:

 

 

Music industry total: Just over $7 billion.

 

Streaming (services including Tidal, free streaming [including ad-supported], Internet radio): $2.4 billion

 

Digital downloads: Just under $2.4 billion

 

CDs: $1.5 billion

 

Vinyl: $416 million

 

YouTube and similar sites: $385 million

[semente]

Germany in 2014:

 

 

 

UK in 2015 (CD sales in the UK more resilient than downloads):

 

 

 

Overview 2014:

 

[witchdoctor]

To answer your question about CDs going away the simple answer is no. There are 6.2 million CDs for sale on Amazon today. Indie (see username) bands sell CDs directly to their fans at shows. Too important of a revenue stream to go away without a replacement format. Mainstream music lovers are still buying enough CDs that Target and Walmart have power with record companies to dictate pricing. You have to move a lot units to have this power.

 

Since I can, I'm going to stop by the operations headquarters of Aftermaster and see what they are up to. And ask if they have solved their shipping problems. I'm dropping off two of my golf clubs about four blocks away to have some repairs done. But I must say the chip they using is not going to do what you say it will. I looked at the specifications.

 

That's great news! I don't know that they published all of the data regarding that chip but the more you find out the better. With a price of less than $200 that's less than some HDMI cables. I plan to order the device soon and look forward to hearing about your upcoming visit.

[witchdoctor]

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/business/media/music-sales-remain-steady-but-lucrative-cd-sales-decline.html

 

 

2015 figures (I think 2016 figures should be in by around March of this year), $US:

 

 

Music industry total: Just over $7 billion.

 

Streaming (services including Tidal, free streaming [including ad-supported], Internet radio): $2.4 billion

 

Digital downloads: Just under $2.4 billion

 

CDs: $1.5 billion

 

Vinyl: $416 million

 

YouTube and similar sites: $385 million

 

That is a definite eye opener about CD sales. Can you imagine if they get surpassed by vinyl sales in the future

[Ralf11]

I am trying to make most of my CDs go away soon...

 

But I fear it will take a looong time. I load up a few at a time and trade them in for other used ones at ye old local CD trading place.

[Solstice380]

You mean like CDs?

 

Hahah, indeed. [emoji6] But that was 35 years ago. You will probably agree with me that especially in the last years the music industry has seen some tremendous changes.

 

Nice story about the www, by the way. I myself work at SAP and I have seen some pretty big changes there too. [emoji4]

 

 

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

 

My wife would like SAP to just work! Can you do anything about that?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

[Solstice380]

For those using dCS Vivaldi or Rossini DAC's this is the answer I received just now from dCS to my question when we can expect these devices to be able to fully decode MQA:

"We are working on an MQA solution, but I do not have a date on which we will be adding this feature."

So, we will need to be a little patient..

 

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

 

I was only kidding about the SAP thing. [emoji41]

 

What happens when they find out that the Rossini doesn't have any "time blur" because of its design? I'm expecting that any differences you hear may be due to mastering differences, and could hear a degradation due to the losses of MQA.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

[Vincent1234]

 

My wife would like SAP to just work! Can you do anything about that?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

I can always ask. [emoji6]

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[Vincent1234]

I was only kidding about the SAP thing. [emoji41]

 

What happens when they find out that the Rossini doesn't have any "time blur" because of its design? I'm expecting that any differences you hear may be due to mastering differences, and could hear a degradation due to the losses of MQA.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

 

No prob, I can handle a good joke. [emoji6]

 

It's a good point about the design of the Rossini, which may lead to 'less improvement' with MQA or maybe even worse; especially since I'm also using the external clock (a big improvement in itself). However, to be honest, I expect that most of the claimed MQA 'improvements' should be coming from compensation of time smearing in the ADC's used for the original digital recording, especially older, early Eighties ones. I believe most of the newer DAC's are much better performing in the time domain. In an earlier URL posted by me in this thread (from Audiostream) Michael Lavorgna claimed that the better the DAC the better audible the MQA improvements should be. It's all just theory, though, since I will have to wait for the MQA update before I can report back to you. Promise I will! [emoji4]

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[Ralf11]

MQA is GROWING!! Sovtek just added MQA compatibility to their tubes

[Vincent1234]

MQA is GROWING!! Sovtek just added MQA compatibility to their tubes

 

Only to the cathode side, though.. [emoji6]

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[Jud]

Germany in 2014:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32331[/ATTACH]

 

 

UK in 2015 (CD sales in the UK more resilient than downloads):

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32332[/ATTACH]

 

 

Overview 2014:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32335[/ATTACH]

 

Yep, important point - figures I cited were USA only.

[mav52]

2016, the Worst Year for Album Sales Since the Last One | SPIN

 

what I read from this, Digital downloads down,. Vinyl down, CD sales down. Streaming UP UP and Away.

[bogi]

What happens when they find out that the Rossini doesn't have any "time blur" because of its design?

An example of adressing the issue are HQPlayer apodizing filters. They are able to correct the ADC time domain performance.

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f8-general-forum/upsampling-anything-other-your-digital-analogue-converter-s-internal-conversion-rate-30240/index3.html#post594773

With suitable apodizing filter you can get "de-blur" effect.

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/async-universal-serial-bus-industry-standard-cables-connectors-and-communications-protocols-between-computers-and-electronic-devices-24-768-phasure-nos1-digital-analogue-converter-8278/index10.html#post179375

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f8-general-forum/what-makes-good-filtering-21216/index2.html#post339130

[Pat Case]

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/business/media/music-sales-remain-steady-but-lucrative-cd-sales-decline.html

 

 

2015 figures (I think 2016 figures should be in by around March of this year), $US:

 

 

Music industry total: Just over $7 billion.

 

Streaming (services including Tidal, free streaming [including ad-supported], Internet radio): $2.4 billion

 

Digital downloads: Just under $2.4 billion

 

CDs: $1.5 billion

 

Vinyl: $416 million

 

YouTube and similar sites: $385 million

Thanks for this. It's very interesting.

[Pat Case]

Germany in 2014:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32331[/ATTACH]

 

 

UK in 2015 (CD sales in the UK more resilient than downloads):

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32332[/ATTACH]

 

 

Overview 2014:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32335[/ATTACH]

 

Thanks for this. It's very interesting indeed. At minimum, I'm going to share this with my 30 year old, or something, kids. Both of them think me antediluvian because I still buy and play physical media.

[Samuel T Cogley]

Over at Audiostream, Jim Collinson from Linn has posted a very well thought out comment on all the downsides to MQA. Here's an excerpt:

 

MQA is an attempt to not simply sell the same content again at a higher margin, or to maintain audio quality in streaming ecosystems: it is an outright land grab. It’s an attempt to control and extract revenue from every part of the supply chain, and not just over content that they hold the rights for. It really is quite extraordinary.

 

I encourage everyone interested in MQA to read the whole thing.

[crenca]

Over at Audiostream, Jim Collinson from Linn has posted a very well thought out comment on all the downsides to MQA. Here's an excerpt:

 

 

 

I encourage everyone interested in MQA to read the whole thing.

 

Another excellent point he makes:

 

"It also doesn’t require to much imagination to envisage a situation where, in the name of thwarting piracy, music players will only play MQA streams. Or perhaps they’ll insert ads before non-MQA content. None of this is proposed by the company, and in fact we are assured that they have no plans to do this. Perhaps we should give them the benefit of the doubt? But once the supply chain is dominated, the technology certainly gives them a way to achieve it, and shareholders want returns..."

 

Yet, there will be those that will simply dismiss him as someone who is somehow in a business conflict with MQA - no doubt over licensing costs or something similar. They will continue to cling to the fantasy that MQA is just a "product among products" and that is more or less equal to any other product - that it deserves a "fair shot" and that those of us who point out the fundamental difference between MQA and other products (such as PCM, or speakers, or cables) harbor some kind of irrational ill-will towards it. Remember consumer, "buyer beware".

 

Also, not the Michael's reaction - he can't get himself to admit of even the smallest "con" to MQA. Stereophile really truly has drank the cool aid...

[Vincent1234]

2016, the Worst Year for Album Sales Since the Last One | SPIN

 

what I read from this, Digital downloads down,. Vinyl down, CD sales down. Streaming UP UP and Away.

... which probably means that Tidal will continue their streaming services, with or without success for MQA. Also streaming does not involve the need for (or use of) any DRM. DRM only makes sense for downloads and/or physical media.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[Samuel T Cogley]

Another excellent point he makes:

 

"It also doesn’t require to much imagination to envisage a situation where, in the name of thwarting piracy, music players will only play MQA streams. Or perhaps they’ll insert ads before non-MQA content. None of this is proposed by the company, and in fact we are assured that they have no plans to do this. Perhaps we should give them the benefit of the doubt? But once the supply chain is dominated, the technology certainly gives them a way to achieve it, and shareholders want returns..."

 

Yet, there will be those that will simply dismiss him as someone who is somehow in a business conflict with MQA - no doubt over licensing costs or something similar. They will continue to cling to the fantasy that MQA is just a "product among products" and that is more or less equal to any other product - that it deserves a "fair shot" and that those of us who point out the fundamental difference between MQA and other products (such as PCM, or speakers, or cables) harbor some kind of irrational ill-will towards it. Remember consumer, "buyer beware".

 

Also, not the Michael's reaction - he can't get himself to admit of even the smallest "con" to MQA. Stereophile really truly has drank the cool aid...

 

Sterophile is to varying degrees always more pro-vendor than pro-consumer. That's certainly the filter I use when reading anything from their media brands.

[mansr]

Sterophile is to varying degrees always more pro-vendor than pro-consumer. That's certainly the filter I use when reading anything from their media brands.

Oddly enough, Sound & Vision from the same publisher is much saner.

[mav52]

Sterophile is to varying degrees always more pro-vendor than pro-consumer. That's certainly the filter I use when reading anything from their media brands.

 

Got that right, you have to weed through the fine print (pro-vendor) to get to the real story. But I think Kal does a good job at least he likes multi-channel music via a multi-channel dac.

[MarkS]

I wasn't really sure where to post this since there are so many MQA threads so I decided to post it here.

 

The most disappointing thing from my perspective regarding MQA is the apparent requirement of MQA hardware to obtain its full sonic benefits. Based on threads I have read in this forum and other places, it is actually possible to fully implement all of MQA in software (apparently Aurelic was able to accomplish this), but, presently, the last bit of "unfolding" must be done by the MQA hardware to identify the DAC chip. It would seem to me (though I am totally non-technical) that some sort of "plug-in" could be applied to the MQA software for all of the existing dac chips thereby making MQA fully software based. This is both disappointing and suspicious to me if indeed my basic understanding is correct.

 

I am evaluating MQA with a Meridian Explorer2 and do not yet have a view regarding sonics, but I've heard some good things so far.

[mansr]

I wasn't really sure where to post this since there are so many MQA threads so I decided to post it here.

 

The most disappointing thing from my perspective regarding MQA is the apparent requirement of MQA hardware to obtain its full sonic benefits. Based on threads I have read in this forum and other places, it is actually possible to fully implement all of MQA in software (apparently Aurelic was able to accomplish this), but, presently, the last bit of "unfolding" must be done by the MQA hardware to identify the DAC chip. It would seem to me (though I am totally non-technical) that some sort of "plug-in" could be applied to the MQA software for all of the existing dac chips thereby making MQA fully software based. This is both disappointing and suspicious to me if indeed my basic understanding is correct.

 

Of course it can be done in software. In fact, it is always done in software, although (some of) that software runs on the DAC microcontroller. Tying it to hardware appears to be nothing other than a scheme to ensure licensing revenue.

[semente]

Sterophile is to varying degrees always more pro-vendor than pro-consumer. That's certainly the filter I use when reading anything from their media brands.

 

Nowadays there is very little hi-fi critique; magazines are little more than an effective marketing tool...