MQA is Vaporware

[The Computer Audiophile]

38 minutes ago, FredericV said:

We should sponsor a mirror and send it to Hans.

So we, the minority, were poorly informed?

So articles like these are based on the fact the we, the minority, are poorly informed?

Furthermore in the youtube comment section, he makes the absurd claim that "in general open source is great for professionals, less for consumers. ". At the same time he is making video's how to run open source distributions on raspberry pi and NUC's. Does he understand all android phones exists thx to open source?

He shows a very poor understanding of how software licenses and how open source works.

What big step?

 

 

Poorly informed! Ha!

 

There is an open invitation to anyone to write an article refuting the MQA evidence offered in @Archimago article. I will happily pay for it and publish on the front page. 

 

The only caveat is that it must hold up to scrutiny by the CA Community. 

 

I have a feeling I’ll only hear crickets while I wait for someone to refute the facts published here. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, crenca said:

Anyone notices the handful of album's on Tidal that are MQA only (no 16/44 version)?  The latest I have found is the new Charles Lloyd & the Marvels + Lucinda Williams album titled "Vanished Gardens" (Blue Note).

 

Also, with the latest update I have noticed that the Tidal desktop app won't let you see or otherwise get to 16/44 versions of albums that have an MQA version, this is so even when I change my highest playback level in settings down from "master" to "hi fi".  Anyone know of a way around this?

I noticed it with that album as well, so I opened Qobuz and got what I needed. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Just now, crenca said:

 

Qobuz is not official in the US right, so you are VPNing and/or grandfathered in when they were taking US accounts?

It'll be here this fall. I got an advanced account. I'm working on a write up comparing all the streaming services.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Just now, crenca said:

 

Nice.  I won't like losing the Tidal/Roon synergy but with them both "all in" on MQA they have lost much of their value for me...

You'll be fine :~)

[The Computer Audiophile]

23 minutes ago, crenca said:

How's the Audiophile community relations going for you, I bet the heat is approaching "high" right now ?

If you only knew. 

 

The old guard isn't happy with me and has been making up stuff left and right. Because this is the MQA thread, I'll say that @Wavelength is publicly saying the people here on CA aren't experts and have no idea how MQA works, and are animals without a zoo keeper. It's a crazy thing for manufacturers now to be denigrating potential customers in service of MQA or some other goal. Perhaps when @mansr called him out he wasn't happy - 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Just now, Brinkman Ship said:

The 24/96 DL is stunning musically and sonically...no MQA slop need be applied..

Agreed. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

8 minutes ago, crenca said:

 

That's the thing, when you have a culture and lifestyle of making things up, anyone who comes along (rather it be consumers, manufacturers, a blog/review site owner such as yourself) and is a perceived/actual threat to the status quo is going to get...wait for it...the negative version of the same.

 

"Setting the record straight" only does so much in such a culture/environment.  A culture that is not based on a basic level of honesty and truth is not going to have relationships based on the truth.  

 

Yes, their use of facts has been quite Presidential lately. 

 

Don't get me wrong though, I love many parts of this industry and what this hobby does for people's wellbeing. I've met so many people who find solace in listening to music through their HiFi systems and so many people who get home after stressful days and get lost in the music. It's a great escape and I want to do my part to make sure all of this remains an available choice for people and to help them get what they want out of the hobby, not what I want or what I think they need. 

 

I'm really trying to push the focus to be on consumers. Consumers are the one's who sign my paycheck. Sure the advertisers send money, but without consumers none of this exists. If people can't step outside of their bubble and realize they are consumers as well and view this from their own perspective outside of the industry, the future isn't bright for them. Ministers of Information are no longer.

[The Computer Audiophile]

5 hours ago, 4est said:

Care to explain a lil about what you mean by this?

 

?

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 hours ago, Brinkman Ship said:

Uh, sorry, the Chutzpah Meter was shot into orbit when Bob Stuart introduced the excrement called MQA. 

Hi BS - You’re proving a point, but not the one you think, with your continued excrement style comments. 

 

I encourage you to stay honest but tone it down a touch. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

On 8/4/2018 at 6:00 PM, John_Atkinson said:

Our traffic at stereophile.com this year peaked at 3,051,871 page views for the month of January.

 

Given that you turn every review into 3-5 pages online, I’d expect way more page views. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

13 minutes ago, firedog said:

I've posted many times politely but emphatically disagreeing with articles at Stereophile and haven't had anything removed. Seems like they are fine with disagreement and criticism as long as it isn't nasty and ad hominem.

I believe you’re correct as well. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

What if he would have stopped with this as a complete sentence -> "MQA increased color."

 

:~)

[The Computer Audiophile]

Ha!

 

on second thought, an executive from Sears is sufficient but not necessary for your outcome. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

20 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

 

This guy says he's heard whispers it's Apple:

 

https://forum.psaudio.com/t/will-spotify-ever-stream-hi-rez/6255/49

 

@The Computer Audiophile the same whispers you heard?

No. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

3 minutes ago, psjug said:

I don't know if you made up the charts as a joke, but anyway it is pretty funny because Tidal isn't available in Japan.  So is the interest there in MQA cds?

That's one of the only places with interest in MQA CDs.

[The Computer Audiophile]

That’s true Sal. No matter what is said about MQA technically, it isn’t what the artist or anyone in the studio intended because it happens after the fact. 

 

Artist sings, it’s recorded, mixed, mastered for a very specific sound. Then MQA changes that (for better or worse doesn’t matter) sound. This is the opposite of as the artist intended or high fidelity. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

33 minutes ago, christopher3393 said:

 

Hi Chris. Do you also affirm Sal's repeated "Shame on you John"? To me, this implies a moral judgement of J.A.'s behavior, which has to include a determination of JA's intent. This involves some mind reading that, in my view, several members have engaged in liberally when it comes to addressing JA. This strikes me as unhelpful, unwarranted, hostile, and inappropriate. In my opinion John's conscience  is better equipped to guide him in discerning an ethical issue here. Shaming him regarding this issue is not much better than stating that he is taking bribes from MQA without any factual information that indicates this. He has taken great pains to deny this several times.I'm not surprised that he would find some of the things said to and about him offensive.

 

Where do you stand on this? What do you see as your responsibility as moderator in this regard?

I’m not into shaming people for whatever that means. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Wish I could under report revenue to the IRS :~)

[The Computer Audiophile]

22 hours ago, ralphfcooke said:

Is it possible that now Stereophile et al are now under the umbrella of the HiFi News management that the 

'unthinking' praise of MQA might be given more serious discussion?

 

7 minutes ago, John_Atkinson said:

 

Just to clarify the relationship between Stereophile and HiFi News, the person who makes all decisions regarding content and policies at Stereophile is still me.

 

John Atkinson

Editor, Stereophile

 

 

In other words @ralphfcooke, that's a NO.

[The Computer Audiophile]

15 minutes ago, lucretius said:

 

I don't doubt this but I am curious as to the reasons why the analog source (tape) would not be used to master the LP.  Is it so that the sound engineer(s) can take advantage of the DSP processing that exists?

This specific album was recorded to digital tape at 16 bit / 50 kHz. This was transferred to vinyl and for sale at 24/192. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

5 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

 

Hey Chris

 

Have you heard any more recent whispers on this?

 

No need to mention the company but since May, have you heard they are going ahead with MQA plans and going to be giving it away to their customers?

 

Or have those talks/whispers fizzled since then?

 

I haven’t heard anything but given the circumstances I doubt I’ll be receiving a holiday card from MQA this year. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, labjr said:

 

I heard New Year's resolutions can be improved with MQA.

Ha!

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, firedog said:

Since having the Kii Three that has excellent AD and DA conversion and that converts everything to PCM, and since experiencing using HQP - I've come to the conclusion that I couldn't care a whit about which digital format I listen to. They all can sound good, and with well done conversion, even DSD keeps some DSD like qualities when converted to PCM. I try to find the best version I can, ignore the format, and just listen. 

Agree.

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, KeenObserver said:

My hope, for the sake of the music, is that the studios that are buying in to MQA are not archiving music as MQA masters. Hopefully they are archiving their music as high end digital masters.  When the next big " Wonder System" comes along, hopefully they will have archived masters that have not been damaged by MQA processing.

I would assume that the people that are running the studios are not stupid enough to archive music on a lossy system, but you never know.  A number of historical masters were destroyed in the past to make room in the vaults.

The studios have said MQA isn't an archival format.

[The Computer Audiophile]

I generally like seeing people's systems. It gives me ideas for setup and placement and once in a great while aesthetics.