MQA is Vaporware

[KeenObserver]

"Paul R's right—this hobby isn't doomed and the most aggressive combatants, I feel, can lighten up a bit. "

 

Does that mean that Lee Scoggins is going away?

[KeenObserver]

2 minutes ago, ARQuint said:

 

Then you should continue to debunk them. But as you said at the outset of your presentation, this isn't about killing puppies. It also, obviously, doesn't rise to the level of Holocaust denial or even climate change denial or anti-vaccination BS, so there's no moral imperative to shut down those who disagree with attacks on their morality, ethics, brainpower, or their suitability to live in society—in our case, the community of audiophiles. The MQA contingent came to the seminar as if you had accused them of killing puppies. I feel that AS— your brand—should not let tone overwhelm substance.

 

This is beginning to sound like righteous indignation on my part. So I'll stop for now. I can hear the cheering all the way from Philadelphia!

 

Andrew

 

 

 

WOW!  Just WOW!

[KeenObserver]

Nobody is accusing MQA of killing puppies!

 

People are accusing MQA of deceptively foisting a scheme that will screw the music consumer!

[KeenObserver]

On 2/11/2019 at 10:12 PM, ARQuint said:

 

OMG.

I hear it too!

 

Read the last 4 or 5 of his posts. If its not him, it's  as pitch-perfect an imitation as I could have imagined possible—and I'm full of admiration

 

Are you sure you're not Lee Scoggins?

[KeenObserver]

2 minutes ago, Paul R said:

 

I did not read it like that. Seemed to me there is still a lot of trauma from RMAF, and he was trying to address what he sees as an important point. Which is in fact an important point. Do you think that things would have gone better if the table pounding had not happened and the facts in Chris' presentation had been calmly addressed by the pro MQA team? Whether or not those facts were resolved, proved true, explained, or proven false? 

 

Sometimes you have to give people a second chance. Or even a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, or 999th chance. . 

 

 

 

 

I don't think the trauma is what you think it is.  The trauma is that the true nature of an organization came out.

[KeenObserver]

I think that is the bottom line.  People on AS and similar sights are looking for quality music.  And we think of ourselves as a large group.  However,  we are a small percentage of the music consuming public.  The majority of the music consuming public have no idea.  Someone comes up with something like MQA and they go: "Ya, OK".  They don't even realize that they are being screwed.  And Lee Scoggins appears to know what he is talking about, to them.  Sad.

[KeenObserver]

The majors were happy to take our money when they sold us millions and millions of CD's, that were advertised as "perfect sound forever".  However, the concept of "perfect sound forever" is anathema to the majors.  They always want us to believe that there is something better out there.

MQA is crippled for a reason.  In the future you can always hold out the carrot and say: " we have something better".

[KeenObserver]

The saddest part is that there are people who have faith in publications like TAS and Stereophile who are being led down the primrose path.

Like sheep to the slaughter.  To a world where MQA controls the entire music chain.

Sad, indeed.

[KeenObserver]

One of the reasons for the NDA's.  MQA does not want you to know what they are doing with YOUR music!

[KeenObserver]

I have been listening to, and buying music more than sixty years.  I have been loading my cd's onto my music server.  I have been digitizing all my lp's and loading them onto my music server.  I have been downloading  albums from music distributors.  All backed up, of course. When all are loaded,  I'll have several thousand non MQA albums on my music server.

I have my Benchmark DAC3 HGC pre/DAC,  which at this point in life,  will probably be my last.

If it ever reaches a point where I can no longer obtain non MQA music, I will no longer buy any music.  I will be content listening to my music collection.

[KeenObserver]

The bottom line for the MQA scheme is, in fact, the bottom line.

For the last two posted years of financial statements,  MQA Limited posted a combined loss of nearly sixteen million pounds.  They obtained a five million pound loan to continue operations.  The 2018 financial statements are not due until this July.

For the investors to put this much money into this scheme, they have to be expecting to reap substantial returns.  For them to reap these returns they have to have a lock on the music distribution process.  They have to have the majors on board, and collect royalties.  If they have a lock on music distribution, the independents will have to be on board, and pay royalties.  Which also raises the issue of barriers to entry.  The equipment manufacturers will have to include MQA decoding, and pay royalties.  And since they signed Non Disclosure Agreements,  you do not know what your decoder is doing to your non MQA music.  The push will be to have only MQA music.

All the costs of MQA will be borne on the backs of the music consumer.

The people pushing MQA are not friends of the music consumer.

There is nothing that MQA does that benefits the music consumer that is not already being done better, without paying royalties to MQA.

The swarm of MQA shills that have descended upon the forums and claim that they are not receiving recompense,  must have cornered the lubricant market.

[KeenObserver]

When I observe all the people pushing MQA I think of the character that William H Macy played in Fargo.  I can picture him going in the back room and doing a fist pump, saying: "Yes!  They bought the lossless hook!  I'm going to go back in and throw in the de-blurring blurb and seal the deal".

[KeenObserver]

19 minutes ago, Lee Scoggins said:

 

There is too much missing information to judge how MQA is doing financially.  We don't know the following things:

 

1.  Current revenue run rate?  This is critical for any startup.

2.  What revenue streams exist?  How big is the automotive market?  What other markets do they serve?

3.  How close are they to a deal with a major streaming service?

4.  How have the financial statements changed in the past year?

5.  What is the structure of the contracts with the labels?  And the hardware manufacturers?  We don't what each side pays in a new partnership, so there is no way to tell how much cost burden is on either party...and we don't know any forecast of revenue.

 

By the way, NDAs are standard operating procedure for IP-driven tech businesses where source code might be shared. 

 

NDA's are also SOP on contracts and agreements where the parties do not want the public to know the details.

 

If I had a collection of non MQA music and was considering buying a DAC that was infected with MQA, I would absolutely want to know that the DAC was not damaging my non MQA music.

 

I avoided that problem by buying the Benchmark DAC3 HGC.

[KeenObserver]

8 minutes ago, Lee Scoggins said:

 

I'm not sure that MQA needs consumers to see the light so much as being a part of the automotive OS so they can get paid a little bit on each car.  If the numbers are right, that could be a substantial revenue stream for MQA.

 

I think mobile is going to be huge too.  Mobile perhaps represents the long game for MQA as the file sizes are more of an issue there.

 

A substantial revenue stream for MQA that is paid for by the music consumer, and provides no benefit for the consumer.  In fact, it is a detriment.

[KeenObserver]

1 minute ago, Lee Scoggins said:

Listen to Rob Darling's talk with Rafe at Audiostream below from about 45 minutes in.  He feels that there will be a premium tier for streaming services.  He thinks it will be MQA because you need it for a phone.  He admits Roon is stuck in his house.  He thinks Roon may come to the phone.

 

I think he is in agreement with my prior statements here that a premium tier service is needed from a business standpoint.  That is MQA's best chance to make progress.  I also believe it is the artists' best chance at getting better paid.

 

 

 

And the cycle of BS starts again!

[KeenObserver]

"I also believe it is the artists' best chance at getting better paid. "

 

Didn't take long before that BS line came back.

[KeenObserver]

Every time Lee uses the buzzword "ecosystem",  I think of septic system!

[KeenObserver]

Lee,

 

I am totally amazed at how much time you spend proselytizing MQA.

 

Don't you have work to do, or something?

[KeenObserver]

Sony?

 

Sony of Sony root kit fame?

 

MQA has the same smell.

[KeenObserver]

Incredible!

 

I logged on this morning and posted several comments.  I logged off and spent the day going through my daily routine.  I logged back on and observe that Lee has been preaching the MQA gospel all day, and is in fact still preaching!

I have to admire him! To be able to preach all day and evening and still be able to maintain a full time job must take superhuman abilities!

[KeenObserver]

3 minutes ago, Lee Scoggins said:

 

It's just a function of boring Friday conference calls.

 

At work?

[KeenObserver]

Unbelievable!

 

Paul R is recycling the argument: " Even though MQA completely sucks and totally screws the music consumer. it has potential".

 

What is that?  Lubricant?

 

The bottom line is that there is no way that MQA can be implemented that would preclude the music consumer from being screwed!

[KeenObserver]

1 hour ago, ddetaey said:

You have a number of supporters on personal level here on the forum.

But honestly , if you are going to make a technical link between MQA and Voip and Videoconferencing, you really are undermining yourself at the technical level.

Have you started a personal competition with Lee Scoggings?

Dirk

 

It appears that Lee and Paul are tag teaming.

[KeenObserver]

When it became absolutely, indisputably clear that MQA was not lossless, it became "PERCEPTUALLY" lossless!

 

And Jeffrey Dahmer did not murder anyone.  Those people just ceased to be living!

 

The utter BS and circular logic spewed by MQA people is amazing!

[KeenObserver]

"just think that trashing MQA is the current fun thing to do, though I admit, with plenty of  justification.  The principals in that company perhaps have called down a hellish rain of vengeful computer savvy audiophiles on their own heads. Lord have mercy on em,  cause very few if any computer audiophiles will. "

 

Are you threatening people again?  What, exactly is wrong with you?

 

Something that will have profound effect on the future of music distribution SHOULD be carefully scrutinized.  If you cannot stand having people reveal the truth about MQA,  then perhaps for your mental well being, you should ignore the matter.