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The Brinkman Ship MQA Listening Results


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Just now, Norton said:

 

Straightforward? Lets see:

 

29th Jan "As someone who has been enjoying MQA for the past few months via Tidal"

 

5th Feb "MQA is by far the biggest farce ever perpetrated in "high end audio"

 

Also on 5th Feb (your recent testing) "...requires a lot planning..an MQA DAC....a Tidal account, etc." although you presumably had already had a Tidal account and a MQA DAC for the past few months, so not much planning needed really?  Bit of a cock up on the backstory there.

 

According to Chris you joined with the email address "mqatruth"  (48 hrs after a member who shares a certain stylistic approach was banned) and went to some lengths to conceal your identity.

 

 

I don't know what you are on about it. Carry on.

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2 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

... it's got shiny knobs what else do you need?

 

 

a very high price tag - have you been ignoring GUTB?

 

and ultra, special magik for keeping the bits happy - have you been ignoring the Audio Ayatollah?

 

remember, the same digital files all sound different - "The Hat Has Spoken" !!

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1 hour ago, Brinkman Ship said:

Yes, that too. I have spent a decent sum too, but I have chosen very carefully, if I may say so:

Turntable:
Rega Planar 3
Cartridge:
Elys2
Digital Front End:
Bryston BDP-3 streamer / Bryston BDA-3 DAC / MyTek Brooklyn (MQA)
Analog Front End:
Rogue Triton
Pre Amplifier:
Conrad Johnson ET3SE
Amplification:
Ayre Acoustics V-5xe
Speaker System:
Magnapan 3.7i
Speaker Cables:
Transparent MM5 Super
Interconnects:
Transparent MM5 Super
Other Accessories:
Audience / Bryston power conditioners, Acoustic Zen power cords.

 

 

Maggies and CJ!  I like you already.   Pardon the interruption please.

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2 hours ago, Brinkman Ship said:

So it seems the witch hunt has gone from MQA shills to MQA disbelievers.

 

I must say you have an open mind and has spent substantial effort in finding out what you believe despite the result proved your earlier belief of MQA being better cannot stand.  It is hard for one without an open mind to accept.  You did great!

 

 

MetalNuts

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2 hours ago, Samuel T Cogley said:

The ones of the forum you have to be the most mindful of are the self-appointed Civility Police. 

I didn't know we had such a crew.  They're probably on my ignore list.

 

Pareto Audio AMD 7700 Server --> Berkeley Alpha USB --> Jeff Rowland Aeris --> Jeff Rowland 625 S2 --> Focal Utopia 3 Diablos with 2 x Focal Electra SW 1000 BE subs

 

i7-6700K/Windows 10  --> EVGA Nu Audio Card --> Focal CMS50's 

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7 minutes ago, rischa said:

CA rocks. This highly entertaing thread would have been closed 3 pages ago on SHMF. I don't know who to beleve here, but the drama and intrigue make for a great read! 

Interesting. I don;t see any reason why this thread would be closed..it has been civil, and not really controversial.

 

But why find out about SHMF...I will post there.

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1 hour ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

Consider me the anti GUTB. I believe in high performance not high cost. 

 

Yes I have been ignoring the Audio Ayatollah. It takes no magic to keep the little electrons and ones and zeros going the right direction.

 

If "The Hat Has Spoken" I wasn't listening. 

 

 

And yet, when asked to recommend high performance and not high cost gear you have nothing. In fact no one does. What’s up with that?

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26 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

Interesting. I don;t see any reason why this thread would be closed..it has been civil, and not really controversial.

 

But why find out about SHMF...I will post there.

I'd say it is controversial, but that's what makes it interesting. SHMF is highly regulated and controversy isn't tolerated there for long. It makes for a civil forum, which has its merits, but too often threads get closed just as they're getting to be a fun read (like Lee Scoggins' MQA article thread). Now, please carry on!

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6 minutes ago, rischa said:

I'd say it is controversial, but that's what makes it interesting. SHMF is highly regulated and controversy isn't tolerated there for long. It makes for a civil forum, which has its merits, but too often threads get closed just as they're getting to be a fun read (like Lee Scoggins' MQA article thread). Now, please carry on!

Thread up.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/reference-level-system-mqa-listening-results.729556/

 

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7 hours ago, Brinkman Ship said:

Interesting. I don;t see any reason why this thread would be closed..it has been civil, and not really controversial.

 

But why find out about SHMF...I will post there.

at Hoffman they just deleted an extremely long "MQA debate" thread. There was nothing wrong with the thread. Hoffman just deletes anything on his forum he doesn't like. 

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 :)

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7 hours ago, GUTB said:

 

And yet, when asked to recommend high performance and not high cost gear you have nothing. In fact no one does. What’s up with that?

Hi,

May have been said before, but the following :

https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en/products/hifi-and-home-cinema/dacmagic-plus

Costs £350, and is just as good as any DAC costing more than 10x.

There are many more just as good, and just as cheap.

Regards,

Shadders.

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21 hours ago, Brinkman Ship said:

 

"I will say, though, that of all the MQA DACs I've tried, I couldn't hear any improvement with the Explorer 2 or the Bluesound Node 2 -- both of these are pretty bad DACs."

 

Well, now, that is pretty hilarious. Because "Golden Ears" Atkinson ...RAVED about the sound of MQA through those DACs.

 

 

Could you give a link to where I raved about the sound, listening to MQA files with those DACs, please. TIA.

 

John Atkinson

Editor, Stereophile

 

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2 hours ago, Shadders said:

Hi,

May have been said before, but the following :

https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en/products/hifi-and-home-cinema/dacmagic-plus

Costs £350, and is just as good as any DAC costing more than 10x.

There are many more just as good, and just as cheap.

Regards,

Shadders.

Actually it isn't. It exaggerates sibilants so much it makes talk radio almost unlistenable. And I'm not the only that thinks so - there's a recent short thread  about it on here.

For a couple of years until I bought something else it convinced me that BBC 320 AAC 'talk'   was useless compared to FM.

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On 5-2-2018 at 11:37 PM, Brinkman Ship said:

We listened to approx. 50 albums where we confirmed there was both an MQA version, and an official

24 bit digital download  and where we could confirm the mastering was the same.

 

How did you do that ?

I like to know 15 Tidal ID's of which you confirmed that the mastering was the same. Thanks.

Lush^3-e      Lush^2      Blaxius^2.5      Ethernet^3     HDMI^2     XLR^2

XXHighEnd (developer)

Phasure NOS1 24/768 Async USB DAC (manufacturer)

Phasure Mach III Audio PC with Linear PSU (manufacturer)

Orelino & Orelo MKII Speakers (designer/supplier)

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34 minutes ago, Spacehound said:

Actually it isn't. It exaggerates sibilants so much it makes talk radio almost unlistenable. And I'm not the only that thinks so - there's a recent short thread  about it on here.

For a couple of years until I bought something else it convinced me that BBC 320 AAC 'talk'   was useless compared to FM.

Hi,

OK- for subjective listening - it may unliked, but engineering wise - for the cost compared to high end, it is just as good.

Regards,

Shadders.

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11 minutes ago, Shadders said:

. I've got one of theHi,

OK- for subjective listening - it may unliked, but engineering wise - for the cost compared to high end, it is just as good.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

11 minutes ago, Shadders said:

Hi,

OK- for subjective listening - it may unliked, but engineering wise - for the cost compared to high end, it is just as good.

Regards,

Shadders.

You get as much 'physical' stuff, and as  well screwed together,  for your money, yes. Shame it doesn't actually work too well. Quite frankly compared to  a Chord Mojo at only £50 more, it's  awful. 

 

Which is a pity, Cambridge stuff is usually pretty good. 

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29 minutes ago, Spacehound said:

 

You get as much 'physical' stuff, and as  well screwed together,  for your money, yes. Shame it doesn't actually work too well.

Hi,

Why not provide alternatives for Gutb, if DACMagic does not meet your requirements.

Regards,

Shadders.

UPDATE : See you have added other suggestions.

 

See : http://www.audiocentre.co.id/product.php?product=573

If you focus on the fourth picture, you can see components for the output stage - NE5532 - excellent opamps, and high quality capacitors.

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3 hours ago, Shadders said:

Hi,

May have been said before, but the following :

https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en/products/hifi-and-home-cinema/dacmagic-plus

Costs £350, and is just as good as any DAC costing more than 10x.

There are many more just as good, and just as cheap.

 

I strongly, but respectfully disagree.  The DACMagic Plus is a middling DAC in 2018.  How old is it now?  4 or 5 years?  I used to own one, and just couldn't get past the sibilance.  If @GUTB doesn't like the Meridian Explorer 2 (I'm not a fan myself), he'll just despise the DACMagic Plus.

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1 minute ago, Samuel T Cogley said:

 

I strongly, but respectfully disagree.  The DACMagic Plus is a middling DAC in 2018.  How old is it now?  4 or 5 years?  I used to own one, and just couldn't get past the sibilance.  If @GUTB doesn't like the Meridian Explorer 2 (I'm not a fan myself), he'll just despise the DACMagic Plus.

Hi,

OK- for you - but others do like them - i suppose it is subjective.

Age should not be an issue - gains in performance of a DAC IC is minimal.

In any case - price is no indication of performance or engineering integrity, and everything is subjective, so horses for courses.

Regards,

Shadders.

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Just now, Shadders said:

Hi,

OK- for you - but others do like them - i suppose it is subjective.

Age should not be an issue - gains in performance of a DAC IC is minimal.

In any case - price is no indication of performance or engineering integrity, and everything is subjective, so horses for courses.

 

Again, I respectfully disagree.  The DMP uses Anagram Q5 DSP.  It's rather antiquated by today's DAC standards.

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