MQA is Vaporware

[Thuaveta]

47 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

Not the subject of the conversation.

Dozens of reasons possible, being overpriced, poor marketing, where to start? Certainly not by assuming the product is crap, it's excellent.

 

If it were that excellent, don't you think it'd hold its value on the used market, and those speakers that are so expensive wouldn't go for £500 ?

[Thuaveta]

9 hours ago, Tintinabulum said:

Yes. Do you understand they make hifi?

 

What does that have to do with anything ? Monsanto has produced both seeds and agent orange.

[Paul R]

On 4/25/2019 at 11:15 PM, Em2016 said:

 

Probably because they fall in 'others' along with numerous others. Tidal probably only gets a mention in the article because of the Jay-Z/Beyonce/popular artists connection but also falls in the same 'others' category.

 

There are some that believe we'll be left with just 4 in the end... Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon...

 

Is this a recent chart?  Apple Music supposedly passed Spotify in # of subscribers a couple weeks ago.  The stories are all over the place, like this one. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2019/04/05/apple-music-now-reportedly-bigger-than-spotify-us/3375960002/

 

IN any event, Spotify is nowhere near 2x the size of Apple Music, if it is larger at all, it is only going to be by a relatively small number of subscribers. 

 

-Paul 

 

 

-Paul 

 

[asdf1000]

3 minutes ago, Paul R said:

Apple Music supposedly passed Spotify in # of subscribers a couple weeks ago.

 

In the US, not globally. Spotify is well ahead of everyone globally.

 

https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/29/18522297/spotify-100-million-users-apple-music-podcasting-free-users-advertising-voice-speakers

[Tintinabulum]

2 hours ago, Thuaveta said:

What does that have to do with anything ?

Indeed, what has music reproduction got to do with the discussions here? We should be talking about how MQA threatens the future of humanity right?

[Tintinabulum]

2 hours ago, Thuaveta said:

f it were that excellent, don't you think it'd hold its value on the used market, and those speakers that are so expensive wouldn't go for £500 ?

Well as it happens they are excellent, really. It's really rather simplistic to assume that because something is good, it will hold value. Life's just not that simple. People don't know about these speakers, the masses wouldn't know what a digital active is. Life's a bit more subtle...

[Thuaveta]

25 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

Well as it happens they are excellent, really. It's really rather simplistic to assume that because something is good, it will hold value. Life's just not that simple. People don't know about these speakers, the masses wouldn't know what a digital active is. Life's a bit more subtle...

 

You're not marketing to the masses, you're marketing to the (small) subset of educated customers who're smart enough to buy 2nd hand. Given that you've said elsewhere they don't sell because they're too expensive when new, there should be limited supply, and high demand. The very low prices indicate there clearly isn't, so maybe there's another problem. Where I do agree with you is that at equivalent pricepoints, they're better value than a homepod.

 

28 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

Indeed, what has music reproduction got to do with the discussions here? We should be talking about how MQA threatens the future of humanity right?

 

Your argument was essentially Meridian = HiFi, therefore MQA = HiFi. I gave you an example that shows that argument is (as are lots of things as far as MQA are concerned), bullshit. I understand that you don't like that.

[Tintinabulum]

3 hours ago, Thuaveta said:

Your argument was essentially Meridian = HiFi, therefore MQA = HiFi. I gave you an example that shows that argument is (as are lots of things as far as MQA are concerned), bullshit. I understand that you don't like that.

Don't think I'm arguing actually. MQA bullshit or not didn't come into it. Just a few observations about using the English language and reminding people that when you've got over the hatefest, Meridian make some pretty good gear. Last's as well, how many have got fully working active systems 29 years on? You would be surprised how good these sound, just saying. I know this topic is about hating MQA and anything that happens to be standing near it at the time but CA site is mostly about music reproduction, not bile (or used to be).

[The Computer Audiophile]

12 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

Don't think I'm arguing actually. MQA bullshit or not didn't come into it. Just a few observations about using the English language and reminding people that when you've got over the hatefest, Meridian make some pretty good gear. Last's as well, how many have got fully working active systems 29 years on? You would be surprised how good these sound, just saying. I know this topic is about hating MQA and anything that happens to be standing near it at the time but CA site is mostly about music reproduction, not bile (or used to be).

You’re trying to turn this into a site-wide MQA hate-fest. You don’t control the facts. They aren’t on your side. 

 

If you believe MQA is something other than what has been revealed here please let us know. Otherwise the anti-MQA bent in this thread is probably warranted. 

 

Given how Meridian systems work, I think many in the objective crowd would love the concept and be predisposed to liking them. In other words, it’s Meridians’s game to lose because they have people in their camp already. And, just like MQA they have lost in spectacular fashion. 

[mansr]

15 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

Meridian make some pretty good gear.

True or not, that is entirely beside the point. Whatever the quality of their gear, Meridian has always been inept at making money. Hence the irony of them giving advice on how to make money. The ignorance you display is really quite remarkable.

[MikeyFresh]

8 hours ago, Tintinabulum said:

Bring back CA.

 

You are obviously just a troll. Welcome to my ignored members list.

[Tintinabulum]

13 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

You’re trying to turn this into a site-wide MQA hate-fest.

What a ridiculous thing to say!

 

14 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

You don’t control the facts

Facts aren't controlled, they exist?

 

14 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

If you believe MQA is something other than what has been revealed here please let us know

You're confusing me with someone discussing MQA. We all know better than that, you get drowned in bile.

 

15 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

it’s Meridians’s game to lose

I'm not sure they've lost already, still making good equipment, I think the installers like them, it's not PR they're after there.

[Tintinabulum]

23 minutes ago, mansr said:

The ignorance you display is really quite remarkable.

Because Meridian don't make money doesn't mean they can't help installers increase their profits. What kind of logic is that?

Truly upset by your insult though... lol

[Tintinabulum]

22 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said:

You are obviously just a troll. Welcome to my ignored members lis

This is the sort of content people come here to read. Computer Audio RIP

Downhearted now.

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

I'm not sure they've lost already

I and most in the industry are quite sure.

 

For the last decade, possibly longer, everyone has been amazed that Meridian is still in business. I wish the company success because I like what it does but I can’t change the facts about it’s terrible financial performance. I won’t get into the company’s personnel decisions. 

[mansr]

8 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

you get drowned in bile.

5 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

Truly upset by your insult

Here's another example of irony.

[The Computer Audiophile]

7 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

Because Meridian don't make money doesn't mean they can't help installers increase their profits. What kind of logic is that?

Truly upset by your insult though... lol

Perhaps you’re hanging on every word in my original post as if there can be only one meaning, and that’s yours?

 

you seriously can’t find anything ironic with a company that has lost tens of millions of dollars over the years now telling people how to make money?

 

Of course they may be able to tell integrators how to increase profits. One would hope that would mean an actual profit for Meridian but based on the facts it isn’t looking good. 

[Thuaveta]

Just now, The Computer Audiophile said:

Of course they may be able to tell integrators how to increase profits.

 

Wouldn't the quickest and easiest way to achieve that be to not stock goods that don't sell, Meridian's, for example ?

[The Computer Audiophile]

P.S. There are companies who don’t care about losing tens of millions of dollars. I’ve just never seen one in such a mundane industry. Usually this happens when there is an upside for those losing the money such as rich guys paying to finance films so they can hang with the stars. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I received a PM from another member of the community about ownership of Meridian and MQA. I admit to not being an expert in this area, but found the Wikipedia entry for Meridian interesting. 

 

 

"In 2007 just under 50% of the company's shareholding was sold to the Muse Group, a consortium of the Swiss-based luxury goods group Richemont and U.S. film company New Regency. Muse is now a majority shareholder and is 100 percent owned by Reinet Investments, a sister company of Richemont.[4][5] Robert Haefling departed soon after and was replaced by Tim Ireland, the previous COO of Mission Loudspeakers. Following the acquisition, and perhaps under the influence of Muse and Richemont, Meridian began to reposition itself as more of a luxury goods manufacturer and opened a series of flagship stores. Performance suffered and almost 20% of the company's workforce was laid off in late 2008. The decade since has seen many changes in the board of directors and business profitability has remained modest compared with the ambitions of the company when it was acquired by Muse. The majority of the company's revenue now comes not from hi-fi products but from the contract to supply Jaguar Land Rover with audio systems for its vehicles (these systems are actually manufactured in China by a contract partner rather than by Meridian in the UK) and MQA – Bob Stuart's audio file compression technology."

[firedog]

1 hour ago, Tintinabulum said:

This is the sort of content people come here to read. Computer Audio RIP

Downhearted now.

 

You really are hardheaded. The irony Chris was pointing out in his original post was obvious to everyone but you. It doesn't require anyone to be an MQA hater to see it.  Your pointless argument about it is tiresome.
And BTW, this is being written by someone who's auditioned Meridian speaker systems and considered buying them. 
You are now one of the select few on my ignore list. 

[Samuel T Cogley]

2 hours ago, Tintinabulum said:

I know this topic is about hating MQA and anything that happens to be standing near it at the time but CA site is mostly about music reproduction, not bile (or used to be).

 

This is a good, but not great example of Concern Trolling.  The underlying message: CA used to be such a fantastic and awesome place until all the "haters" started raging on MQA. 

 

There's one primary thread on this entire forum about MQA, yet, somehow, this single thread either spells the doom of the entire forum or makes "real" audiophiles sad, or some mix of the two. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

It seems that @Tintinabulum only wants to dismiss the MQA skeptics as "bile producers".  Oh, and apparently Meridian is an amazingly awesome company or something.

[MikeyFresh]

8 minutes ago, firedog said:

And BTW, this is being written by someone who's auditioned Meridian speaker systems and considered buying them. 

 

I too have auditioned their DSP-driven active loudspeakers, as early as 2004, along with the flagship 800 Series CD/DVD-Audio player. Sadly, that dealer in northern NJ experienced financial difficulties and ultimately went out of business not many years later, though that had more to do with the great recession than anything else.

 

Both the speakers and disc player were very impressive (though not remotely inexpensive). I'm no Meridian gear hater at all, though I still clearly see the irony in that tweet.

[mansr]

5 minutes ago, Samuel T Cogley said:

It seems that @Tintinabulum only wants to dismiss the MQA skeptics as "bile producers".  Oh, and apparently Meridian is an amazingly awesome company or something.

Makes you wonder what his motivations might be.

[kumakuma]

2 minutes ago, mansr said:

Makes you wonder what his motivations might be.

 

My bile-filled, MQA-hating mind had the same thought.