MQA is Vaporware

[Teresa]

17 hours ago, KeenObserver said:

MQA could go the way of HDCD and simply cease to exist.  Does anyone produce HDCD decoders anymore?

 

As @The Computer Audiophile mentions above the Ayre QB-9 decodes HDCD.  Also many CD and universal players decode HDCD. My 6 year old Yamaha SACD / Blu-ray universal player decodes HDCD.

 

I don't believe there are any new HDCD encoders, so the Pacific Microsonics HDCD ADC's may be the only ones in use and they are no longer made.

 

17 hours ago, Ishmael Slapowitz said:

Not sure, but what is weird, unless I am mistaken, the Grateful Dead continue to release HDCDs for their excellent live archival sets.

 

Why is it weird? Reference Recordings still releases all their recordings in HDCD encoded CDs as well as in high resolution formats, not everyone has high resolution playback. Plus there are lots of CD and universal players with HDCD decoders. There are also a small number of new HDCD releases from small audiophile labels as well as scattered rock releases.

 

Sorry, all of this is off topic as it has nothing to do with MQA. Just answered some statements to clear the record that HDCD does still exist and new HDCDs are still being released even though it is a small amount.

[Teresa]

13 hours ago, firedog said:

...It's commerce, not art. It's always about the money. 

 

That's another reason I generally avoid the major labels as their focus is on the bottom line not in supplying the most realistic sounding recordings possible. I have 8 Warner Bros. recordings on SACD, all remastered by Analogue Productions, Audio Fidelity, and MFSL.

 

I usually prefer audiophile and naturally sounding recordings that are recorded by audiophile and boutique labels as opposed to audiophile remasters. However, there is rock music from the 1960s to 1970's, classical and jazz music from the mid 1950's-1960's that I love and couldn't live without so I usually purchase these as audiophile remasters.

 

What I find baffling, shocking and confusing is audiophile label 2L's support for MQA. They record in DXD (24bit 352.8 PCM) and I have a few pre-MQA 2L recordings on SACD and Blu-ray Audio and IMHO they sound excellent. With the appearance of MQA I'm now afraid to purchase 2L recordings as they might now be compromised. Are there any other audiophile labels embracing MQA? Thanks in advance. 😊

[Teresa]

 

13 hours ago, John_Atkinson said:

The image of the July 2021 As We See It essay is posted at
https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/30381-mqa-is-vaporware/page/919/?tab=comments#comment-1139011

Are you saying that an image embedded in a post to your site is not hosted by your site, Chris?

 

John Atkinson

Technical Editor, Stereophile

 

The photocopy of Jim Austin's article MQA Again from Stereophile July 2021 is hosted at Super Best Audio Friends.  To verify this all you have to do is right click on the image and select copy image address. Once you have Super Best Audio Friends delete the image it will no longer appear at other sites such as this one, instead it will say something like "This image is not available" at every site it has been linked. This way you will treat the cause not the effect.

 

11 hours ago, KeenObserver said:

Chris

The problem arises from the fact that if you removed the item they want removed, it would only perceptually remove the item as it is not actually there. If they had it removed from the site that is actually hosting it, it would be mathematically removed.

 

Stereophile seems to have a problem differentiating mathematical from perceptual.

 

Exactly! I don't know much about computers but I understand how images are linked from the host website, in this case: Super Best Audio Friends. It makes more sense to me to have the hosting website remove it instead of trying to get all the websites where it is liked to it to remove it. Just common sense to me anyway.

 

8 hours ago, John_Atkinson said:

As I said Fair Use allows quoting some of a copyrighted work in order to comment or criticize. But if people want to read what is published in Stereophile in its entirety, they should do so on the magazine's site. There is no paywall. This seems like a small ask to me.

 

John Atkinson

Technical Editor, Stereophile

 

I agree. However, to have the actual image of page 3 (MQA Again by Jim Austin) of Stereophile's July 2021 issue removed you need to contact the site that is hosting it Super Best Audio Friends. Then all the links to the image will be removed as well.