MQA is Vaporware

[rickca]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

MQA LIVE LAUNCHES

I'm waiting for the MQA DEAD post.

[rickca]

I think implementation of MQA by all these DAC manufacturers is the biggest misallocation of R&D in recent history.  It's sad.

 

Here's iFi's story.

The MQA integration was a little difficult. It involved:

Totally replacing the customised core code

Re-apply tuning/core loading and

Further fine tuning the firmware for even more precise allocated resource use in order to allow us to support MQA and384kHz.

 

To bring all this to fruition required the combined efforts of the MQA and iFi software developers or a total of +1,000 programming hours to deliver firmware v5.30 (excluding testing on all iFi legacy units).

[rickca]

31 minutes ago, crenca said:

Did they post that here at CA?

Yes, iFi posted exactly what I quoted.

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38962-ifi-audio-mqa-all-across-the-board-its-here/?do=findComment&comment=801617

 

And iFi also claims non-MQA playback is unaffected ... except that we lose DSD512 on the micro iDSD with the MQA renderer firmware 5.3 ... which to me is the most important feature of the device.  So I will simply stay on firmware 5.2 and keep DSD512 because I really don't care about getting MQA support.  

[rickca]

4 hours ago, Nikon Nutter said:

I was going to post the announcement but you beat me. How do you see as it a waste of resources? I just dont understand.

I think MQA takes the industry in the wrong direction.  Many of the posts in this 324 page thread are critical of MQA.  A good start would be to read this article

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/reviews/mqa-a-review-of-controversies-concerns-and-cautions-r701/

 

[rickca]

7 minutes ago, FredericV said:

Does this MQA firmware work with older iFI dacs?

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38962-ifi-audio-mqa-all-across-the-board-its-here/

 

[rickca]

@Norton is right to say that users can just stick with firmware 5.2 if they want to completely avoid MQA.  In that sense, MQA is optional.

 

Whether firmware 5.3 (MQA support) really leaves non-MQA material unaffected is a different matter.  I think that's your point @crenca.

[rickca]

3 minutes ago, crenca said:

Sure, as long as 5.2 is downloadable consumers have the option but what about bug fixes and feature improvement - is 5.2 going to be maintained or is it "as is" and in the future customers will be forced into an MQA coded firmware by default

Yeah OK good point.  I doubt much future maintenance is in the cards for something like the micro iDSD, but your point is well taken for new products that start with a code base that includes MQA support.  

[rickca]

7 hours ago, Audinator said:

I can verify that non-MQA playback is indeed affected.

Well, iFi did say they may have missed a teenie weenie bug or two.  They even have a bug bounty ... free IEMatch, woohoo!

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38967-easter-‘bug-bounty’-hunt/

Sure, I'd feel confident giving this company $2500 for an iDSD Pro.  Yes I'm being sarcastic.  

[rickca]

Just now, labjr said:

Seems like they're just doing one MQA article after another because it generates traffic on their site.

Exactly.

[rickca]

1 hour ago, Hifi Bob said:

Long, scathing article here: http://www.iar-80.com/page170.html

It's very repetitive in its message.  I'd love to hear feedback from @Miska and @PeterSt about this article.

[rickca]

1 hour ago, John_Atkinson said:

 

It's now posted on-line at https://www.stereophile.com/content/mqa-drm-and-other-four-letter-words

 

Nobody even ran spellcheck on this article before it was posted.  Second last paragraph, first word is 'Inititiasms'.

[rickca]

17 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

This is a good one. Compare a phone with a real DAC to the iPhone digital output and a $0.10 DAC built into the cable. 

 

The MQA express keeps rolling. 

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/lg-v30-hi-res-smartphone-mqa

There's another thread on this topic here https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/39197-stereophile-review-of-lg-mqa-capable-phone/?tab=comments#comment-810869

 

[rickca]

6 minutes ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

I want MQA Ltd liquidated and the intellectual property not in the hands of the majority shareholder, the labels or Bob Staurt.

Who would buy the IP?  What would they do with it?

[rickca]

4 minutes ago, FredericV said:

Is the MQA train still rolling?

When I hear that whistle blowin'
I hang my head and cry

 

Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues

 

[rickca]

7 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

The success or failure of MQA is in the hands of those who couldn’t educate their customer based if they wanted to and consumers who aren’t interested in being educated on something that fills their lives as background music. 

I've been saying for a long time that trying to convince audiophiles that MQA is good was a strategic error that resulted in a lot of (well deserved) blowback.  

[rickca]

37 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

ESS will soon introduce SABRE Mobile DACs and Headphone Systems with integrated MQA rendering.

Wow I guess this is a prelude to the big bang when one of the major streaming services goes for MQA.  It's still a mystery to me how MQA continues to successfully drive adoption despite being quite thoroughly debunked here.

 

Good thing this is limited to mobile/headphone systems.  This means MQA renderer implementation in these products will be consistent.  So MQA becomes just another feature checklist item rather than something that differentiates the product from the competition.

[rickca]

2 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

woah...there are still not even a bucketful of MQA albums..these are hollow "victories"...

Quite right, but this development does indicate a new level of penetration of the ecosystem.  I realize that word invites plenty of jokes.

[rickca]

3 hours ago, Em2016 said:

That probably means one of Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung

Which one of those companies makes headphones, has a huge music streaming business and likes having a closed ecosystem?

[rickca]

5 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

@Jim Austin, because nobody in the old guard press has considered outside experts and nobody in the old guard press considers the experts here on CA worthy or believable, please provide the names of experts who you believe are capable of examining MQA and the arguments for / against it and I will work to get some outside opinions.

The emperor might have a problem nominating an independent tailor.

[rickca]

42 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

i am on the edge of my seat still waiting for that big partnership announcement with a content provider...

There's got to be something really big in the works, maybe even a done deal that just hasn't been announced.

 

If not, there are an awful lot of hardware and software vendors who are going to look really stupid for investing a lot of R&D resources in MQA implementation.

 

How else do you explain MQA's success in attracting partners despite all the well founded criticism?  It mystifies me.  I find it hard to believe the dCS story citing overwhelming demand for MQA from their customers and dealers. 

[rickca]

5 minutes ago, mansr said:

In fact, I have heard this is exactly what MQA has been doing.

It's clear from the lack of revenue that this is the MQA business development strategy.  They probably offer free technical consulting as well.  MQA is also providing plenty of free marketing.

[rickca]

5 minutes ago, james45974 said:

When you get everyone used to low or no cost it is hard to turn the tide.

Not if you turn on DRM and withdraw all other distribution formats.

[rickca]

5 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Retirement. 

Seems to work in politics and business.

[rickca]

1 minute ago, crenca said:

They also have a majority of users who clamored for it. 

Yeah, the Roon story I believe because lots of Roon users are TIDAL users.  The case for dCS is harder to understand.

[rickca]

32 minutes ago, mansr said:

That could be just talk.

I think you can do MQA quick and dirty or you can do it right.  I get the impression that dCS and Roon took care with their implementation.  Doing it right isn't the same as doing the right thing.  Ayre did the right thing.