lucretius Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 On 3/18/2021 at 8:02 PM, Ishmael Slapowitz said: With all due respect, I repeat, it could have been summed up in one sentence..."No MQA support"... Don't theses writers get paid by the word? 🙂 mQa is dead! Link to comment
Kevin Brock Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 You know it is quite simple. If you don’t like MQA then don’t use it. And if you haven’t heard it over a decent period of time then you aren’t qualified to comment. I’ve listened for at least two years using Tidal. I’ve tried two DAC’s. A Meridian Explorer2 and now PS DirectStream Jnr. I hear the difference. MQA to my ears is usually better than CD. That’s all that matters. But if you don’t agree then fine. Don’t use it. Blimey, lie down in a darkened room with a glass of something and find some peace. I find it with MQA...But of you find it through Qobuz, MP3’s or 78’s that’s great. Link to comment
Popular Post The Computer Audiophile Posted March 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 20, 2021 3 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: You know it is quite simple. If you don’t like MQA then don’t use it. And if you haven’t heard it over a decent period of time then you aren’t qualified to comment. I’ve listened for at least two years using Tidal. I’ve tried two DAC’s. A Meridian Explorer2 and now PS DirectStream Jnr. I hear the difference. MQA to my ears is usually better than CD. That’s all that matters. But if you don’t agree then fine. Don’t use it. Blimey, lie down in a darkened room with a glass of something and find some peace. I find it with MQA...But of you find it through Qobuz, MP3’s or 78’s that’s great. I would agree with you except people with Tidal have had their choice of Pure PCM removed for many albums. What are they supposed to do, now that this lossy format has supplanted the lossless version? MikeyFresh and UkPhil 2 Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Popular Post KeenObserver Posted March 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 20, 2021 13 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: You know it is quite simple. If you don’t like MQA then don’t use it. And if you haven’t heard it over a decent period of time then you aren’t qualified to comment. I’ve listened for at least two years using Tidal. I’ve tried two DAC’s. A Meridian Explorer2 and now PS DirectStream Jnr. I hear the difference. MQA to my ears is usually better than CD. That’s all that matters. But if you don’t agree then fine. Don’t use it. Blimey, lie down in a darkened room with a glass of something and find some peace. I find it with MQA...But of you find it through Qobuz, MP3’s or 78’s that’s great. You know, it is quite simple. If you don't like the thread, don't read it. MikeyFresh and lucretius 2 Boycott Warner Boycott Tidal Boycott Roon Boycott Lenbrook Link to comment
MikeyFresh Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: You know it is quite simple. It is not quite simple, but then I'd expect because you are brand new to this thread that you've not actually read much of it. Take a good look, there are lots of reasons why it is not quite simple, and what most of us are objecting to is the threat to consumers and choice that MQA represents, not to mention imposition of DRM. 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: I hear the difference. MQA to my ears is usually better than CD. You are in the minority there, various different user groups, as well as the McGill study don't agree. 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: But if you don’t agree then fine. Don’t use it. Oh we definitely won't, nor any product such as TIDAL that endorses or licenses MQA and participates in the scheme. We don't want our consumer choice to be eliminated by the greedy record labels and their investment banking backers, so the last thing we'd do is support companies or products attempting to do just that. Welcome to the forum by the way, wow your very first post here, a vehement defense of MQA. Signed up just for that? Boycott HDtracks Boycott Lenbrook Boycott Warner Music Group Link to comment
mytek Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 On 3/11/2021 at 10:44 PM, lucretius said: HEM designed and built the products. Mytek Audio simply requested what kind of products that HEM should design and build and Mytek Audio marketed these products. The relationship between Mytek Audio and HEM did not end amicably. LOL, it goes beyond service and quality -- I believe that Mytek Audio thinks HEM was steeling its brand. However, between Mytek Audio and HEM, it's the latter that had the engineering chops. Dear Lucretius Not sure what is your name and how are you obtaining the information you are posting here, but your posts seems to be intentionally misleading. To set the record straight: HEM was a contract manufacturer of Mytek products. Same as Foxconn is for Apple. HEM DID NOT "design" them, all technology, DSD, MQA, sound quality and creative ideas such as aluminum panels are Mytek's and come from our brains in New York. They never had the kind of expertise needed to design audiophile equipment or understanding of the requirements of audiophile market. The owner, Marcin Hamerla doesn't even have a pair of speakers in his house. This is not what they do, they manufacture electronics, do low level engineering and firmware programming, solder boards, assemble boxes and pack them. Same way like Foxconn makes the iphones. Specifications for all this always came from Mytek. Whatever they have learned about high end audio, they learned from Mytek. We have given them distribution of Mytek products in EU in 2004 and this turned out to be a strategic mistake. 3 years ago they decided to break agreement with us and pretend they are the Mytek in Europe, financial greed being the motivation. This is why we are where we are: in court waiting for resolution later this year. We will maintain this policy going forward: https://mytek.audio/contact We are terribly sorry some customers got caught in the middle, we want to assure everybody that the new product line this time made exclusively by Mytek without HEM will be superior to anything Mytek made to date and without any such liabilities. Our new product line is the most advanced and ambitious we ever attempted. Particularly new DAC/streamers. We are growing our own design team and have a new factory. All customers who may have doubts should contact us directly for full continued support on the Mytek products they own or for the upgrade path towards future products. As for now discontinued products made by HEM, whatever "Mytek" is peddled by HEM is now considered by us to be illegal counterfeit product and I would suggest buying these products from HEM means risk and potential liability. https://mytek.audio Sincerely, Michal at Mytek, President and Founder. https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/t.mpl?f=general&m=37527 https://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-note-uk-vs-kondo-audio-note-japan-1 https://books.google.com/books?id=AQoEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA48&dq=mytek&pg=PA48&fbclid=IwAR3TY_Das1ZG2cOqdHKbc8lkAs53U1KMIR8Mr2Y0iVgVN-KPZIQK3yND0eo#v=onepage&q=mytek&f=false Link to comment
Kevin Brock Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Ok, where do I start? The TIDAL question. You have a choice. Move to Qobuz if you really believe the sound quality is better. In the UK and USA at least Qobuz even costs less. Sadly not yet in Europe and I’m afraid I don’t know what’s happening across the globe. To KeenObserver. This is a forum where I believe you are allowed to disagree. If you only want to hear your own opinion then I suggest recording it and playing it back over headphones. You don’t like MQA...fine. You are free to express that. But have you listened to it? MikeyFresh. No, I haven’t read all 869 pages of this thread. I have, however, read a great deal of the arguments for and against MQA over the past few years and tried to understand the pros and cons. I’ve also listened. Have you? As for DRM...it’s not an issue. I can’t see that it ever will be. Greedy record labels. There are alternatives out there but I’m afraid we are stuck with the giants for the majority of our music. However why would MQA make this worse? While you can buy MQA CD’s it really is a niche market. And when it comes to streaming you have an ever increasing choice from Spotify to Amazon to TIDAL and Qobuz. I was delighted, by the way, when Warner’s joined the MQA fold. Investment bankers...Private Equity... I despise what they do too. Come the revolution...but as this isn’t a political site... A vehement defence? I think not. Just my view. I don’t really get the anger that develops among MQA sceptics but whatever keeps you going through this pandemic winter. I don’t believe I’m in the minority when it comes to people who have actually listened to MQA. It seems most actually like what it does. But if they don’t then great. It’s all opinion. As long as you’ve listened. Perhaps the problem is that Bob Stuart and co. didn’t tell the MQA story very well. I grabbed what I could through the pages of Stereophile (oh, I feel more rage and passion descending upon me from the angry mob) and then listened. I do seem to say listen and listened a great deal. Must be a common theme. One final thing. Mytek. It seems to be a bit of a non story. Company moves production to another factory. Hey, what do I know? I shall leave you to your conspiracy theories as I realise I have no chance of persuading anyone. And it really doesn’t matter. Life is far too short. Have fun. And enjoy the music. maxijazz 1 Link to comment
Popular Post The Computer Audiophile Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 11 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: Ok, where do I start? The TIDAL question. You have a choice. Move to Qobuz if you really believe the sound quality is better. This isn’t a choice for many people. Tidal is their only option. Plus, when we started saying that MQA’s stated goal of replacing all music with MQA was going to take away consumer choice, MQA fans scoffed that it would never happen. Now it has happened at Tidal. Given that the labels control what’s delivered to streaming services, it could happen anywhere. Look at what 2L does by sending MQA to other services under the radar. I think it’s shortsighted to tell people to just move on to the next service. It’s kicking the can down the road. You like what you like. There can be no argument from me. I like what I like, and that’s lossless music as the artist intended. Not millions of tracks batch converted in the cloud, having data removed, and mandating every DAC use the same substandard filters. Choice is wonderful. MQA removes choice. lucretius, UkPhil and MikeyFresh 3 Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
lucretius Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 59 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: One final thing. Mytek. It seems to be a bit of a non story. Company moves production to another factory. Mytek did NOT move current production to another factory. Rather, they put in orders for an entirely new product line with another factory. mQa is dead! Link to comment
Kevin Brock Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 I’d love to know where you discovered that Tidal would move all content to MQA. Also I’ve yet to hear a bad 2L recording. As for MQA removing choice..ridiculous. And I didn’t use the word ‘current’ in connection with Mytek... I doubt the new products will be far removed from those of the past few years. Twelve hours on this thread is enough. And I’ve yet to hear if any of you have actually listened to MQA. Sound and fury signifying nothing. yahooboy and maxijazz 2 Link to comment
lucretius Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: But have you listened to it? I had a Tidal subscription for more than 2 years before cancelling. I also own a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ and owned a Brooklyn DAC (non-plus) before that. 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: However why would MQA make this worse? The supply of available CDs is drying up and we are not likely to see any reissues or remasters from the big three. mQa is dead! Link to comment
Kevin Brock Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 CD’s are not drying up because of MQA but because of streaming and downloads. If MQA did not exist CD’s would still be fading away. maxijazz 1 Link to comment
Popular Post The Computer Audiophile Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 6 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: I’d love to know where you discovered that Tidal would move all content to MQA. Also I’ve yet to hear a bad 2L recording. As for MQA removing choice..ridiculous. And I didn’t use the word ‘current’ in connection with Mytek... I doubt the new products will be far removed from those of the past few years. Twelve hours on this thread is enough. And I’ve yet to hear if any of you have actually listened to MQA. Sound and fury signifying nothing. Nobody said Tidal would move all content to MQA. Tidal has accepted millions of tracks from Warner that supplanted pure PCM tracks, making the unaltered original tracks no longer available. MQA has made it possible for labels to remove the unaltered versions of albums. That’s a reduction in choice. All of us have listened to tons of MQA. We wanted to love it. However, mass converting files in the cloud to remove content, add noise that wasn’t in the original recording, and mandate use of lower quality filters, just doesn’t sound good to many people. Facts are facts. You like the lossy version of your favorite music. That’s ok. MikeyFresh, ssh, Duke40 and 2 others 5 Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 9 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: CD’s are not drying up because of MQA but because of streaming and downloads. If MQA did not exist CD’s would still be fading away. Master of the obvious award. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Kevin Brock Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 The Computer Audiophile... I’m actually replying to a suggestion that MQA is leading to the demise of CD’s. So it may be obvious but not to all. Please try to read the posts...new glasses perhaps? Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 3 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: The Computer Audiophile... I’m actually replying to a suggestion that MQA is leading to the demise of CD’s. So it may be obvious but not to all. Please try to read the posts...new glasses perhaps? Nobody is foolish enough to suggest MQA is leading to a reduction in the availability of CDs. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
lucretius Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 19 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: And I didn’t use the word ‘current’ in connection with Mytek... I doubt the new products will be far removed from those of the past few years. You have seen this from Mytek: "Brooklyn Bridge I (original) has been discontinued and no further firmware development beyond V1.44 will be conducted." By extension, all firmware development for the Brooklyn DAC+ and Brooklyn DAC has been discontinued. mQa is dead! Link to comment
Popular Post lucretius Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 5 minutes ago, Kevin Brock said: The Computer Audiophile... I’m actually replying to a suggestion that MQA is leading to the demise of CD’s. So it may be obvious but not to all. Please try to read the posts...new glasses perhaps? CD sales have been down before MQA, but the availability of untainted Redbook versions of music is decreasing due to MQA. maxijazz and MikeyFresh 2 mQa is dead! Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 2 minutes ago, lucretius said: CD sales have been down before MQA, but the availability of untainted Redbook versions of music is decreasing due to MQA. Yes. We can see this in Tidal. Tracy Chapman anyone? Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Popular Post MikeyFresh Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: MikeyFresh. No, I haven’t read all 869 pages of this thread. It's not a short read, however the full technical debunking details, and the argument for why MQA is bad for all aspects of the music creation and delivery system (excepting themselves and the greedy record labels) is all there if you parse through it. This is why I can't accept your "it's quite simple" statement, not when it's your very first post here. You seem to be missing or ignoring a ton of details in your assessment. 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: And when it comes to streaming you have an ever increasing choice from Spotify to Amazon to TIDAL and Qobuz. Not necessarily, it depends where you live, for example our friends in Canada still can't get Qobuz, and only recently got Amazon HD. I've had Qobuz since the moment it became available in the U.S. (even prior to that as a beta tester), but I had to drop Amazon HD due to it being unfriendly with my in-home streaming protocol, I don't use Alexa anything, and Amazon doesn't play nice with anything other than BluOS, and HEOS, neither of which I use, so Amazon won't work for me. Spotify is lossy, I'll await the details including pricing and availability time frame for their HiFi tier in the U.S. They've already reneged on that once back in early 2017 where it was literally announced as coming soon at CES, and then never happened, with not another word ever said about it. TIDAL is not an option, unless of course Jack Dorsey takes his first available option to sever the contract/license with MQA, and force WMG to restore the Redbook CD album versions that were previously removed. Then it might be an option. 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: I don’t really get the anger that develops among MQA sceptics but whatever keeps you going through this pandemic winter. I don't really get why you and all of the other MQA adherents like to portray the anti-MQA folks as angry. I'm not angry, I've not said anything to you to indicate any anger, I'm perfectly calm on a Sunday morning, having coffee, and listening to a classical music internet radio stream from Finland in the background. This portrayal of supposed anger is bullshit, and very typical of the tactics chosen by MQA themselves in which a changing of the narrative and constant moving of the goal posts deflecting away from the real issues at hand are evident. You want to see anger? Look at the faces, body language, tone of voice, and outright rude unprofessional behavior of the MQA cadre at CC's RMAF presentation. Thats anger. 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: I don’t believe I’m in the minority when it comes to people who have actually listened to MQA. You are, it's been stated in various places that have conducted informal listening tests, and the McGill study is actual scholarly proof. 2 hours ago, Kevin Brock said: It’s all opinion. As long as you’ve listened. As discussed, this is not only a question of subjective sound quality, it is not that simple at all, however you and various others who keep touting this as some sort of trump card would have absolutely no way in the world of knowing who have listened to what with regard to MQA. You have zero knowledge there, no way of knowing if I've tried one MQA compatible DAC, or five, would you? 2 hours ago, Kevin Brock said: Perhaps the problem is that Bob Stuart and co. didn’t tell the MQA story very well. No the problem is they told a bullshit story, and it has since been laid bare. 2 hours ago, Kevin Brock said: I grabbed what I could through the pages of Stereophile (oh, I feel more rage and passion descending upon me from the angry mob) and then listened. Again, there is no angry mob, but you got bad information from a bad source, whose reputation has been irreversibly damaged by their complete lack of research and vetting, reduced to laughingstock status, a parrot for the manufacturers marketing-speak. Those manufacturers are their clients, not the readers. 2 hours ago, Kevin Brock said: Life is far too short. Have fun. And enjoy the music. You too, I certainly do enjoy the music, without MQA. Duke40, Currawong, askat1988 and 2 others 4 1 Boycott HDtracks Boycott Lenbrook Boycott Warner Music Group Link to comment
MikeyFresh Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 38 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said: Nobody is foolish enough to suggest MQA is leading to a reduction in the availability of CDs. Yeah I missed that supposed suggestion, I don't think that was a thing. However MQA has definitely led to a reduction in the availability of real Redbook quality content on TIDAL. Boycott HDtracks Boycott Lenbrook Boycott Warner Music Group Link to comment
Popular Post MikeyFresh Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 52 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said: Nobody said Tidal would move all content to MQA. Tidal has accepted millions of tracks from Warner that supplanted pure PCM tracks, making the unaltered original tracks no longer available. MQA has made it possible for labels to remove the unaltered versions of albums. That’s a reduction in choice. Now that does certainly qualify as "quite simple", no ambiguity, nothing to debate there at all. Concern that the same thing could happen with Universal's catalog next is warranted and logical. The Computer Audiophile and UkPhil 2 Boycott HDtracks Boycott Lenbrook Boycott Warner Music Group Link to comment
Popular Post firedog Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Kevin Brock said: But have you listened to it?..... I’d love to know where you discovered that Tidal would move all content to MQA. Also I’ve yet to hear a bad 2L recording. As for MQA removing choice..ridiculous. And I didn’t use the word ‘current’ in connection with Mytek... I doubt the new products will be far removed from those of the past few years. Twelve hours on this thread is enough. And I’ve yet to hear if any of you have actually listened to MQA. Sound and fury signifying nothing. Kevin- Your first day or two here and this thread started in 2017. You haven't read the thread. Maybe drop the attitude. So far you sound like nothing more than the MQA troll that shows up here periodically to repeat all the same tired and discredited arguments we've heard for years. If you want to post that you like the sound of MQA, great. That gets us nowhere and proves nothing other that what your personal tastes and/or expectation biases are. Most of the people here listened to MQA when it first came out and many were also early adopters of MQA DACs. Some of us probably listened to it before you knew it existed. You may be late to the MQA parade and think it is something new to most, or just a newbie here. But the regular posters here are very experienced and knowledgeable audiophiles. No one said Tidal is going to move all content to MQA. But Tidal has eliminated thousands of titles from it's catalog in regular PCM and replaced them with only MQA versions. This is exactly what many here feared when MQA was introduced - it being used as a tool to limit choice. So this fairly significant move by Tidal is seen as a possible precursor to such a thing on a wider scale. That is exactly what the MQA themselves and some of their industry supporters have said is their goal - to make MQA the only available "universal" format. The "sound and fury signifying nothing" - are your attitude laden posts that have added zip to the discussion here. askat1988, maxijazz, UkPhil and 3 others 6 Main listening (small home office): Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments. Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three . Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup. Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. All absolute statements about audio are false Link to comment
Popular Post firedog Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 22 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said: 2 hours ago, Kevin Brock said: Perhaps the problem is that Bob Stuart and co. didn’t tell the MQA story very well. Perhaps the problem is they actually repeatedly lied about it and continued with some of the lies even when they were shown to be lying. They had almost the entire audio establishment helping them tell the story and spread the lies. maxijazz and MikeyFresh 2 Main listening (small home office): Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments. Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three . Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup. Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. All absolute statements about audio are false Link to comment
Popular Post The Computer Audiophile Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 3 hours ago, Kevin Brock said: Perhaps the problem is that Bob Stuart and co. didn’t tell the MQA story very well. Remember this part of the story Kevin? The fraudulent claim that MQA was lossless. lucretius, Currawong and UkPhil 1 2 Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
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