MQA is Vaporware

[KeenObserver]

I'll say it again.

MQA is a scheme to put a layer of cost onto every level of music production.

It has no benefit to the music consumer, but the music consumer will pay for every aspect of MQA.

[KeenObserver]

MQA influencers continually tell the gullible that MQA "improves" the music. Anyone with any intellectual capacity can tell that this is pure BS.

[KeenObserver]

38 minutes ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

The hope of profit not profit. Bob Stuart has reached a unique milestone in high end audio. He has managed to lose $100 dollars this century operating Meridian and MQA. Sorry I didn't post them here but I had my reasons. The current numbers are on Real HD Audio if you want to see them.

 

Tidal is also at an interesting point. Before Jack Dorsey bought a majority share, Tidal revenue and current liabilities were almost equal. Tidal funds its operations by not paying its bills. 

 

MQA is simply a bad business decision. The investors made a bad decision investing in MQA, manufacturers made a bad one by supporting it, Roon, Tidal, nug.net and others made a bad one by providing content.

 

The question is: Are MQA and the three majors so arrogant as to think that they are going to ram MQA down the throats of the music consumer whether they like it or not?

[KeenObserver]

Has Tidal been successful in forcing MQA on their subscribers?

Will they continue?

[KeenObserver]

1 hour ago, StephenJK said:

That was the comment made back in the Napster days. 

 

Instead of trying to sell CDs for $25 each and suing the kids who were uploading tracks or doing file sharing, find a way to make music more readily available online at a low cost.  

 

Nope - not gonna happen.  That powerful drug of $25 CDs was too much to give up.  To this day they haven't found a new paradigm, still struggling to comprehend the whole mess with their dinosaur brains.  

 

It is ego and corporate think. THEY will dictate what happens.

Go back and read the comments of the Sony executives in regards to the Sony rootkit fiasco. It's like they wanted to line up those that were ripping their CD's and execute them.

[KeenObserver]

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Why do we need MQA again?

 

 

 

 

WOW!

Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

[KeenObserver]

1 hour ago, vmartell22 said:

 

Indeed - a good sign. But to me, the light at the end of the tunnel will be when Spotify Hifi comes out.  IF it is not MQA - that's all she wrote for MQA. Here's hoping

 

v

 

 

Just imagine!

A world without MQA!

A world where we can listen to Hi-Rez music without worrying about its future!

A world where we don't have to listen to the same MQA BS repeated over and over again by BS!

A world where Peter Veth goes back to peddling environmental test equipment!

 

Can such a world exist?

Oh, such a wonderful dream!

[KeenObserver]

I haven't even drank coffee today.

[KeenObserver]

Amir is terrified of anyone speaking the truth about MQA. He must have been spanked badly at his previous employment.

You will not be able to speak the truth about MQA. It is not allowed on that site.

[KeenObserver]

Amir is either blindly unaware of the details involving MQA or he is deliberately trying to divert attention.

If he does not want to be questioned about it he should say nothing or ban talk about it altogether. That says it all.

[KeenObserver]

2 hours ago, GoldenOne said:

ASR has now locked the MQA discussion thread.
 

Prior to this, one of the moderators requested a phone call with me. They said (and no I am not joking) that there were too many people criticising Amir for the MQA related comments he'd made and that they couldn't keep up with the moderation, so they wanted to lock the thread and wanted me to start a new one, in which they would not allow anyone to bring up the statements Amir had made regarding MQA. Because ASR/Amir needed to "remain neutral".
 

I told them that I was unwilling to do this and that censorship is not a good plan. Firstly it will just raise more questions and make ASR/Amir look suspicious, and secondly it's just morally wrong.

If ASR/Amir wants to remain neutral, then Amir shouldn't be making statements in any direction regarding MQA.
 

If they were going to lock the thread I was not going to help them make it more PR-Friendly by posting a new one and saying that it was all ok. Because it isn't.
No one should be immune to criticism, doesn't matter if it's their forum or not. And if you don't want to be criticised, you should say nothing. (And certainly shouldn't run a forum)
 

Even if there are people being un-necessarily hostile, which to be clear, some were, and that should absolutely be handled, if more moderation is needed, appoint more moderators.

Censoring discussion and preventing people from criticizing the forum owner is just wrong. And doing it now, when the owner of the forum says something in defence of a company that is known to have attempted to censor other forums, makes things look damn fishy.

I made quite clear that in my opinion, the best way for ASR to remain neutral would be to leave the thread up, as-is. And simply have Amir not say anything further on the topic.
Let people continue the discussion and have the forum owners/staff remain neutral from here on.

 

I think it should be repeated the music lovers everywhere owe you a debt for exposing those things that MQA is trying so desperately to hide.

[KeenObserver]

8 hours ago, JoshM said:

 

The above is impossible! I've heard that, while @The Computer Audiophile is a ruthless censor, Amir cultivates a forum focused on a no-holds-barred exchange of ideas in the search of objective truth. 😉

 

More seriously, isn't this the second MQA thread that's been locked at ASR because Amir made a fool of himself and got repeatedly dunked on by his followers?

 

It is like Amir recoils in horror when someone questions any ridiculous claim about MQA. He then responds with the most absurd statements, statements even a five year old would look at and say: "That's stupid".  If someone points out the inconsistencies in his irrational statements, he storms off in a huff and closes the thread.

Amir is terrified of anyone questioning MQA on his site. Scientific analysis goes out the window and irrational defense takes its place.  

[KeenObserver]

MQA is (like) a religion. You cannot question it and must accept it on faith alone. You have to continually repeat the mantra "It sounds better" until you actually believe it.

[KeenObserver]

6 minutes ago, UkPhil said:

If you repeat the marketing enough people will believe and follow

Well, if that is what they want to do.  I just hope they don't drink the Kool-Aid.

[KeenObserver]

2 hours ago, Mayfair said:

Agreed, there's a darkening sky and most of the auguries are not good.  But, maybe, also a glint of sunlight

The Q Sessions, Straight From The Studio Pure PCM Recording Available On Qobuz - Bits and Bytes - Audiophile Style

 

Can you imagine a world where MQA controls the entire distribution chain of music? Can you imagine the people from the RMAF 2018 video controlling the future of music? And there are people quietly buying into this!

 

Indeed, some things are worth fighting for. I will never lie down for MQA.

[KeenObserver]

For the sake of full disclosure I, along with other members of the Superheroes for Hi-Rez music, are paid shills for the anti MQA forces. We hold regular meetings in a super secret fortress deep in Antartica. We have sworn an oath to preserve Hi-Rez and fight the evil Bob Stuart.

 

If there are any MQA supporters or followers of Amir that think that this is anything but sarcasm, it is not.

[KeenObserver]

Hopefully, Tidal is realizing that getting in bed with MQA was a mistake. But I wouldn't count on it.

It seemed like MQA was going into dormancy before, but they were working behind the scenes and when they received their next round of financing they dumped all the MQA encoded music onto Tidal.

I will stop worrying about MQA when someone pounds a stake through their heart.

[KeenObserver]

I would suspect that if they were actually supplying CD quality music they would not continue to use MQA's deceptive descriptions.

 

The MQA stink continues to waft from Tidal.

[KeenObserver]

Since 2014, has MQA ever actually came out and told the TRUTH about anything?

[KeenObserver]

What, exactly, is a 1411Kbps FLAC file?

[KeenObserver]

I can never see MQA being a "niche" segment of the music business.  As long as MQA exists they will continue to try and implement their business plan to be "THE" music distribution method.  The BS would continue on ad infinitum.

I would never consider Tidal as long as they were contributing to MQA.

[KeenObserver]

1 hour ago, StephenJK said:

I don’t have a dog in this fight, but don’t think that Tidal are necessarily culpable in this whole mess. Meaning, perhaps they should be given the benefit of the doubt as to their guilt. 
 

I do subscribe to Tidal with their HiFi option, essentially Redbook standard, and for 20 clams a month in Canada think it’s a great value. And, not having any other options it’s Tidal by default for any decent sound quality. 
 

Who know the type of pressure that could have been brought to bear against Tidal by the music labels?  It’s not hard to imagine a conversation where someone says “We’re agreed then, all highres tracks will be MQA versions.”

 

 

 

 

 

I would never subscribe to Tidal as long as they are supporting MQA.

It is truly a sad state if Tidal is your only option in Canada.

Tidal has gotten up with fleas.

[KeenObserver]

1 hour ago, StephenJK said:

That's a standard CD Redbook file.  The 16 bit/44.1 kHz sample rate gives you a 1,411 Kbps file - kilobits per second.  That, as compared to MP3, which at its highest rate is 320 Kbps

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=cd+kbps+rate&rlz=1C1OKWM_enCA906CA906&oq=cd+kbps+rate&aqs=chrome..69i57.6106j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Ya, right!

Is that grape flavored?

[KeenObserver]

I guess calling it 1411 FLAC had the desired effect.

 

How anyone can have any further dealings with Tidal is beyond me.

 

When you sign up for Tidal, does the contract specify which party supplies the lubricant?

[KeenObserver]

If you put poison inside a can of chicken soup, would that be chicken soup?

If you put MQA inside a FLAC container, is that lossless?

Is there no end to the MQA BS?