MQA is Vaporware

[Jud]

I think what might be nice at this point would be to use common analysis tools on the hi res and MQA versions of a track or two from the White Album and compare.

[fas42]

Hah! ... All you'll get is White Noise ...

[fas42]

5 hours ago, shtf said:

 

You are quite right.  In fact, sometimes it seems the more one focuses on hearing any minute differences, the less one hears any differences.  Especially when you might have easily distinguished those same differences the night before.  And of course audio memory can be so short too.

 

Which is why one works towards developing competency of the playback chain - then "minute differences" are completely irrelevant - changing which seat you're on while listening to a live violin player, some feet away, type of thing.

 

With that in hand, the non-MQA file will sound convincing - and, the MQA cooked variety will be just as convincing ... i.e., zero net gain.

[sandyk]

1 hour ago, Jud said:

I think what might be nice at this point would be to use common analysis tools on the hi res and MQA versions of a track or two from the White Album and compare.

•  Most people use their ears, not Test Equipment to evaluate Music quality .
• There is not always a direct correlation between measurements and what human hearing prefers.
• It would be great though if we could get a general consensus (say more than70%)  on the degradation caused by MQA with high res material, then show why with measurements.
• Perhaps it's bloody MQA that has placed 5 unwanted full stops in my reply ?
•  I can't go back and delete them either.

[asdf1000]

There's a funny inconsistency with MQA releases. I've noticed a few examples but here is one:

 

Santana released "In Search of Mona Lisa" EP in MQA on Tidal - 25th January 2019.

 

He later released a single "Los Invisibles" - 18th March 2019.

 

Both released this year, both released on the same label...

 

So why not stick with MQA with the latest release?

 

I wonder if it's to do with who produced his latest release... Rick Rubin.

 

The late Charlie Hansen wrote on Audio Asylum: "Above you wrote "I've never heard MQA processing make music sound worse." I have, and so has Rick Rubin, famous producer and (I think still) co-president of Sony Music. Michael Fremer attended the LA Audio Show with Rick and at the MQA demo, Rubin proclaimed the MQA version to sound either "synthetic" or "overly processed""

 

Maybe.

 

I don't know but I've noticed similar with a few artist releases, even when released on the same label. And MQA release is followed by a non-MQA release, on the same label.

 

If it's a different label, I'm not interested because that's a big variable. But it's interesting (to me anyway) if it's the same label.

 

If Brian Lucey wasn't banned he might be able to make a phone call or two to give us the scoop as I saw he's mentioned he knows Rick Rubin.

[KeenObserver]

7 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

I'm very grateful to the people helping me. But the action will be or not be in financial results for the next few months. 

 

 

The financial reports will be telling.  Without further infusion of capital,  MQA will be struggling.  If there is further investment,  it is because the investors expect to reap substantial profits, at the expense of the music consumer.

[Ishmael Slapowitz]

11 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

Wasn't that done long ago? Posted to the front page of this forum? And linked far and wide already...

 

 

An amazing article for sure. I guess I was referring more to a one or two page summary, with no affiliation to any publication, that could be passed around, fact checked and verified. 

[Rt66indierock]

4 hours ago, KeenObserver said:

 

The financial reports will be telling.  Without further infusion of capital,  MQA will be struggling.  If there is further investment,  it is because the investors expect to reap substantial profits, at the expense of the music consumer.

 

I was specifically thinking of 7Digital and Reinet. 7Digital claimed a while back you needed them to distribute MQA files so its important to see how much they are floundering. Reinet is the money behind MQA Ltd.

[Rt66indierock]

17 minutes ago, Ishmael Slapowitz said:

An amazing article for sure. I guess I was referring more to a one or two page summary, with no affiliation to any publication, that could be passed around, fact checked and verified. 

 

If that is ever necessary it can be easily done. But people doubted financial numbers about Meridian and MQA Ltd pulled from audited financial statements publicly available.

[Ishmael Slapowitz]

18 minutes ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

If that is ever necessary it can be easily done. But people doubted financial numbers about Meridian and MQA Ltd pulled from audited financial statements publicly available.

...good to know...

 

who doubted audited financial statements?

[Rt66indierock]

26 minutes ago, Ishmael Slapowitz said:

...good to know...

 

who doubted audited financial statements?

 

Too many to name.

[Ski Bum]

16 hours ago, Jud said:

I think what might be nice at this point would be to use common analysis tools on the hi res and MQA versions of a track or two from the White Album and compare.

Probably not a good example because the White Album MQA files posted on Tidal are not MQA Studio, just generic MQA.  Even to this listener who finds many of the MQA Studio files to have excellent SQ, the White Album files are a bit strident and wonky.  (The Qobuz White Album hi rez files sound better, and the vinyl sounds better than both.)  I guess that the White Album wasn't important enough to merit the full MQA Studio treatment (wink).

[Rt66indierock]

14 minutes ago, Ski Bum said:

Probably not a good example because the White Album MQA files posted on Tidal are not MQA Studio, just generic MQA.  Even to this listener who finds many of the MQA Studio files to have excellent SQ, the White Album files are a bit strident and wonky.  (The Qobuz White Album hi rez files sound better, and the vinyl sounds better than both.)  I guess that the White Album wasn't important enough to merit the full MQA Studio treatment (wink).

 

Maybe the people processing it messed up. Wouldn't be the first time.

[MikeyFresh]

45 minutes ago, Ski Bum said:

 I guess that the White Album wasn't important enough to merit the full MQA Studio treatment (wink).

 

Hands down winner for post of the day!

 

30 minutes ago, Rt66indierock said:

Maybe the people processing it messed up. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

You mean it was supposed to receive the white glove treatment, but instead someone put it through the hamburger batch processor in the cloud, and Lee's snazzy "machine learning" didn't yield a perfectly de-blurred sonic result with all of the ADC's flaws now fully compensated for?

[Ralf11]

if Scroggie was here, he could explain it away

[Ishmael Slapowitz]

10 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said:

 

Hands down winner for post of the day!

 

 

You mean it was supposed to receive the white glove treatment, but instead someone put it through the hamburger batch processor in the cloud, and Lee's snazzy "machine learning" didn't yield a perfectly de-blurred sonic result with all of the ADC's flaws now fully compensated for?

Yes, and any one care to take bets whether Gilles Martin "authenticated" MQA slop processing on his 2018 mix and master? 

 

I would say there is an overwhelming chance he had no clue.  In his mind, the Blu-Ray audio and HD downloads both @ 24/96 are the definitive approved versions.

[Ishmael Slapowitz]

40 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said:

 

Hands down winner for post of the day!

 

 

You mean it was supposed to receive the white glove treatment, but instead someone put it through the hamburger batch processor in the cloud, and Lee's snazzy "machine learning" didn't yield a perfectly de-blurred sonic result with all of the ADC's flaws now fully compensated for?

I bet you all did not realize those terrible Prism convertors used at Abbey Road blur the hell out of everything they capture...who better to apply the magic fix than Bob S.? 😆

[beetlemania]

28 minutes ago, Ishmael Slapowitz said:

Yes, and any one care to take bets whether Gilles Martin "authenticated" MQA slop processing on his 2018 mix and master? 

 

I would say there is an overwhelming chance he had no clue.  In his mind, the Blu-Ray audio and HD downloads both @ 24/96 are the definitive approved versions.

I peed my pants with excitement imagining the SQ if only Gilles Martin had MQA'd the White Album instead of pedestrian 24/96. Blue lights would illuminate, the music would become louder, and a new Copernicus would birth!

 

More seriously on this day after April Fools, I hope that Martin applies the Sgt Pepper/White Album magic to Abbey Road. Maybe go crazy and release it as 24/192.

[mansr]

1 hour ago, Ski Bum said:

I guess that the White Album wasn't important enough to merit the full MQA Studio treatment (wink).

Maybe John Lennon was too busy in the afterlife to sign off on it in time.

[Axial]

This thread is inspiring  🎼 I'm listening to the White Album right now, rotating on my TT. No MQA with this baby. 

[Paul R]

22 hours ago, FredericV said:

I no longer have the time to read this topic fully, so who is willing to make a weekly executive summary?

 

 

[Ski Bum]

1 hour ago, MikeyFresh said:

 

Hands down winner for post of the day!

 

 

 

Do I get a plaque commemorating my achievement?

 

I still like MQA Studio, but I'm trying to maintain a sense of humor about the whole mess.  I just wish that someone would give us access to better masterings in any digital format.

[Paul R]

6 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

If that is ever necessary it can be easily done. But people doubted financial numbers about Meridian and MQA Ltd pulled from audited financial statements publicly available.

 

Is MQA under the  U.K. Corporate Governance Act of 2003? Is, and you can prove what you say, someone would one going to jail. Especially true since they operate in the U.S.

 

-Paul 

 

[FredericV]

The latest MQA shill has arrived.

MQA would probably sound acceptable at hi-speed on the slope, the noise and wind would mask it's inferior SNR compared to real hi-res
 

 

[Rt66indierock]

19 minutes ago, Paul R said:

 

Is MQA under the  U.K. Corporate Governance Act of 2003? Is, and you can prove what you say, someone would one going to jail. Especially true since they operate in the U.S.

 

-Paul 

 

 

Paul people doubted the numbers were accurate when the source was Companies House. I told them look for yourself. One of my arguments against MQA is Bob Stuart has lost too much money since 2001 to listen to.  And I have a nice spreadsheet of the operating losses.

 

I'm waiting patiently for 7Digitals financials to be posted. They should be a good read.