MQA is Vaporware

[Brian Lucey]

B level corporate partners, B level reviewers, B level mastering engineers.

 

If we can't hear the problems perhaps we can smell them?

[synn]

I am a bit lost now. Was a double blind test ever done between MQA and proper high res tracks derived off the same master?

[testikoff]

7 minutes ago, synn said:

I am a bit lost now. Was a double blind test ever done between MQA and proper high res tracks derived off the same master?

I attempted one a while ago... & failed.

[Brian Lucey]

13 minutes ago, synn said:

I am a bit lost now. Was a double blind test ever done between MQA and proper high res tracks derived off the same master?

 

Please ... myths.

 

There is no "proper hi res" derived from a master.    24 bits is high res.  

 

We CANNOT upgrade ANY master from where it was printed.  There is nothing above 22k to grab, understand?  And no one here can hear 16k I'll bet.  

 

There is only loss with MQA or ANY alteration of the master as it was printed at the mastering session sample rate.

 

Higher rates are not better, they are useful for plug in processing during ITB or in-the-box mixing and for lesser converters to sound better.

[synn]

Dear sir, no need to argue semantics or adopt the schoolteacher stance.

you know what I meant.

[synn]

4 minutes ago, testikoff said:

I attempted one a while ago... & failed.

That’s interesting. MQA the company should conduct such tests if these results could be repeated regularly.

[Brian Lucey]

1 minute ago, synn said:

Dear sir, no need to argue semantics or adopt the schoolteacher stance.

you know what I meant.

 

What you meant was .. vs. the ACTUAL MASTER

 

That is the best and only hi res that matters.

 

What you said implies there is more to gain by going up.

[synn]

No, that is absolutely not what I meant.

but if it makes you happier and will make you stop shouting at me with capital letters, then sure, MQA vs the actual master. Has anyone other than the gentleman above done such tests?

[mansr]

7 minutes ago, Brian Lucey said:

And no one here can hear 16k I'll bet.

I can, though not nearly as well as I used to.

[kumakuma]

4 minutes ago, Brian Lucey said:

 

What you meant was .. vs. the ACTUAL MASTER

 

That is the best and only hi res that matters.

 

What you said implies there is more to gain by going up.

 

Brian, glad to see you back!

 

With all due respect, I don't think anyone here would interpret what he said in the way that you took it. As I mentioned in an earlier post, few folks here believe the "myth" that you responded to.

 

[synn]

I actually had an audio test done and can hear from 20hz to 18khz.

 

i would love to have younger ears though!

[Shadders]

7 minutes ago, synn said:

I actually had an audio test done and can hear from 20hz to 18khz.

 

i would love to have younger ears though!

Hi,

Nothing wrong with old ears : the bigger the better - capture more sound :

Regards,

Shadders.

[kumakuma]

25 minutes ago, Brian Lucey said:

We CANNOT upgrade ANY master from where it was printed.  There is nothing above 22k to grab, understand?  And no one here can hear 16k I'll bet.  

 

This is only true if you print at 44.1. I've got tons of downloads that were mastered at higher frequencies than this.

 

Whether or not, the additional audio information makes any difference is another discussion...

[kumakuma]

10 minutes ago, Shadders said:

Hi,

Nothing wrong with old ears : the bigger the better - capture more sound :

Regards,

Shadders.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever told this dude that his ears are famous, especially on audio forums.

[Brian Lucey]

44 minutes ago, kumakuma said:

 

This is only true if you print at 44.1. I've got tons of downloads that were mastered at higher frequencies than this.

 

Whether or not, the additional audio information makes any difference is another discussion...

 

Everything about a format is incorporated into the released master

 

Bottom line

 

There is no "upgrade" only downgrades

[#Yoda#]

1 hour ago, synn said:

I actually had an audio test done and can hear from 20hz to 18khz.

 

i would love to have younger ears though!

 18 kHz is quite good, even if you are a 40 years old youngster ?

 

My slightly older listening organs are able to receive up to 15 kHz sinus tone. However, my blind test hit rate on well produced and approved HiRes vs. the same files, downsampled with JRiver, is significant, using Audeze LCD-XCs or my KS-Digital near field studio monitors  with a frequency range of 48 Hz - 22 kHz. It is obvious that the perceptibility isn't necessarily a matter of frequency but may be more of sampling rate and the dynamic fortunes of the higher Bit-rate. I'm aware of the discussions on expert levels about this topic. For many listeners, the sonic influence of the listening environment, usually the living room, foils the fortunes of HiRes recordings, regardless how impressive the HiFi setup is, IMHO.

 

Concerning comparisons between MQA and HiRes files, usually you don't know the origin of the MQA version. I've done comparisons, but this is futile because the original master makes the real difference, finally. 

[kumakuma]

28 minutes ago, Brian Lucey said:

 

Everything about a format is incorporated into the released master

 

Bottom line

 

There is no "upgrade" only downgrades

 

I understand.

 

I was responding to this comment you made:

 

Quote

There is nothing above 22k to grab, understand?

 

My point was that this 22k cut-off only applies if the master was done at 16/44.1 or 24/44.1. 

 

Masters done at at 24/48, 24/96, and 24/192 will (or should) have information up to 24k, 48k, and 96k respectively. 

[arcman]

I just got the new TAS......its a real MQA love fest this month. Hartley is even saying that MQA can rid of the artifacts caused by the inferior storage medium of the original master file. Im paraphrasing.....thats how i interpreted the answer to a reader question.  Read it yourself ...maybe im mis representing what was said or intent

[asdf1000]

It was interesting to see Sandy Gross (of GoldenEar Tech - I owned Tritons until recently) express enthusiasm about MQA in a recent interview here:

 

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/qa-with-sandy-gross-of-goldenear-technology/

 

"What I would say is that digital audio has finally achieved a level of quality that makes it acceptable to me. Initially, despite claims of perfect reproduction, it drilled holes in your head. Now, it has really matured into a very satisfying medium for music enjoyment. And with advances like MQA and Edgar Choueiri’s digital acoustic crosstalk cancellation device, it is really cooking!"

 

 

[synn]

lol.

 

I had always known that a “Digital acoustic  crosstalk cancellation device” was the missing link that I needed to enjoy my music!

 

 

[asdf1000]

4 minutes ago, synn said:

lol.

 

I had always known that a “Digital acoustic  crosstalk cancellation device” was the missing link that I needed to enjoy my music!

 

 

 

Actually that BACCH 3D stuff (which is what that refers to) does sound interesting from what I've read. Looking forward to hearing a demo one day.

 

Anyway there are other threads about that:

 

 

[MetalNuts]

45 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

 

Actually that BACCH 3D stuff (which is what that refers to) does sound interesting from what I've read. Looking forward to hearing a demo one day.

 

Anyway there are other threads about that:

 

 

I cannot afford USD54,000 for the startup microphones and cameras needed to experience Bacch-SP 3D sound.  Sad!

[asdf1000]

7 minutes ago, MetalNuts said:

I cannot afford USD54,000 for the startup microphones and cameras needed to experience Bacch-SP 3D sound.  Sad!

 

Hehe yes but it's a little like how F1 tech sometimes trickles down to affordable production cars some 5-10 years later.

 

Maybe some of that tech will trickle down (or maybe not). But would love to have a listen.

 

[MetalNuts]

1 minute ago, Em2016 said:

 

Hehe yes but it's a little like how F1 tech sometimes trickles down to affordable production cars some 5-10 years later.

 

Maybe some of that tech will trickle down (or maybe not). But would love to have a listen.

 

I would like to experience how it sounds but it is remote that the price will go down dramatically to be within my budget.

[asdf1000]

19 minutes ago, MetalNuts said:

I would like to experience how it sounds but it is remote that the price will go down dramatically to be within my budget.

 

As per my F1 example, I doubt an F1 price (can't be bought anyway) will ever drop down to within my budget but it's tech does trickle down to production cars. See this: 

 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/technology/a24799/racing-innovations-real-engineering/

 

I've gone way off topic but my point isn't really about the current price but where it may lead to later, for affordable products - if it's any good...

 

Like I said, I've never heard this BACCH 3D but heard a lot of raving about it and would love to hear a demo myself.