JVS Cheerleads an MQA CD..Sis Boom Bah!

[Spacehound]

2 hours ago, Rexp said:

In general, Tidal MQA is better sounding than Tidal flac, do you agree?

That's a loaded question too. Such 'prompting' won't work  here. 

[Spacehound]

29 minutes ago, church_mouse said:

@Rexp

My report on my very subjective listening to the Steve Reich Pulse/Quartet MQA/non-MQA album. Let me be clear that this is my system, my ears, my subjective sound preferences and is a polite reply to Rexp, who very nicely asked me to have a listen to the album.

I listened over speakers and through my headphone set ups.  I streamed the MQA from Tidal and the non-MQA from Qobuz using Audirvana.  I applied no upsampling.

Pulse is not a piece I know and, having listened to it so many times today, definitely will not be going on to my favourites list.  Quartet I do know, and was lucky enough to hear a local live performance of it a few years ago.

A general observation is that the MQA version came across as somewhat louder and more forward, with a "blooming" at the lower end - most noticeable on Pulse, where the start and end of individual bass note changes seemed to get lost a little.  However, listening through speakers to Pulse I did not have any aversion to the MQA track, but I preferred the less forward non-MQA presentation.  This preference was greater when listening through headphones - the Pulse track seemed a bit more strident in MQA. Something else I noticed through headphones on all the tracks - the non-MQA produced a more even balance across the soundstage.

For the Quartet movement, especially the Slow movement and the second Fast movement, my preference for the non-MQA was far greater.  There was an unpleasant harshness and un-naturalness to the vibraphone in my listening set up, with the Slow movement being particularly difficult to listen to in MQA (especially through my headphone set ups - in fact, I had to stop listening to the MQA Slow movement during my final headphone listening session; it was giving me a "MQAgraine" headache). Certainly, in the live performance I heard, the vibraphone did not "klang" as I was now hearing it via MQA.

So, for me, MQA still seems to be a "no thank you".  MQA may well sound fantastic through other systems and other ears, but my ears can't be changed and I have no current desire to change my system either.

I thought  exactly  the same.

 

It's "imaging distortion" caused by the   'aliasing' inherent in the MQA. process.  It is inevitable whether you have an MQA dac or not.

It's not in the 'original'  and won't be in any non-MQA version  either. 

 

 Put simply, MQA is malware   (though I am not the first person to say that)

 

 

 

[Spacehound]

2 hours ago, Rexp said:

Thanks for the feedback, I can enjoy the whole album in MQA, sadly I can barely get through one track in flac, cheers

So you like stuff distorted. That's all anyone can say really. 

 

PS: Flac? You could just try a record you like of course. I do that sometimes.

[Spacehound]

27 minutes ago, firedog said:

tYou just forgot to include the lines where BL says he had it sent away for MQA processing b/c he knew it would improve the sound, and it did. 

Not quite.

It was performed in London. The 'mixed' and 'mastered' and approved (liked in fact) by the performers,  result was sent several thousand miles some time later and some guy  sat all by himself altered it to his personal preferences, stuck MQA on top and played  it to some suits. Who nodded their heads.

 

How does that 'improve' the 'sound quality'? It doesn't, it makes it worse as he changed it from the original to something the performers never heard at all. Which is just his  personal ego trip.

[Spacehound]

28 minutes ago, church_mouse said:

No problem.  It was an interesting listen.

 

Do you find all other non-MQA redbook flac so barely listenable or just this one?

Right from the start all his questions and comments were loaded in favour of MQA.

I think  about that. Do you? He  can hold whatever opinions he wants. But starting with two loaded questions, adding loaded comments when he has the 'results',  then asking at least one more loaded question, then  again loading the answer he got make me deeply suspicious.

[Spacehound]

30 minutes ago, church_mouse said:

No problem.  It was an interesting listen.

 

Do you find all other non-MQA redbook flac so barely listenable or just this one?

If so he's a hard time for a long time. I would have gone fishing or whatever instead.

[Spacehound]

23 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

Still,th prforExactly. No one in the room during the final mix gave a toss or a micro second of consideration to MQA.

 

Let's look at the logic of this claim about MQA..Golden Ears Ludwig masters it to everyone's satisfaction at 24/96.then sends it off the the MQA Magic Factory, which through out bits and caused aliasing, to 'deblur".

 

If anyone believes that it sounded better,  and is a superior product to the pure master, well then....what a farce.

Still, the performers had a nice trip, see the changing of the guard, drink some warm beer, meet some naughty ladies (or men depending on their SO), listen to people whingeing about the EU,  whatever,

[Spacehound]

18 minutes ago, firedog said:

Part of my point was that Ludwig says it sounded better:

I could tell that the MQA was going to help it a lot, and it did! As usual, an engineer does their very best to make the best musical product they can make. Then in this case, a piece of technology does something that nothing else can do! It is quite remarkable."\
 

Nothing remarkable about screwing things up.

[Spacehound]

8 minutes ago, Samuel T Cogley said:

 

I think he's just pining for the old days of the forum.  At some point, a crusade against incivility becomes quixotic.

Yo! I thahnk da boys jus' pahnahng for da old days of da forum. 'S coo', bro. Yo! peep need ta move on I 

[Spacehound]

38 minutes ago, christopher3393 said:

 

And you are so often so very critical of those who don't respond to your demands to answer YOUR questions.

Equals:

"You shot your mother so it's fine if I shoot mine too"

[Spacehound]

2 hours ago, Rt66indierock said:

 

The Olympic Peninsula is pretty isolated. 

Not if you live near it.

[Spacehound]

3 hours ago, Indydan said:

 

If you don't mind, I will post a copy paste of the exchange. Atkinson will probably scream copyright infringement. I will let Chris decide if that is the case. If Chris has to delete my post, no hard feelings from me :-)

 

 

image: https://www.audiostream.com/images/user_account_pictures/picture-27619-1513619551.jpg

Until I know exactly...

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on February 22, 2018 - 7:27pm

...how near you are to Bob Stuart's contact info, I don't believe a word you say.

;-)

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image: https://www.audiostream.com/images/user_account_pictures/picture-62743-1464377107.jpg

Well

Submitted by rt66indierock on February 23, 2018 - 8:24am

I have Bob Stuart’s business card between my wrists as I write this. On the English side his name is in the upper left corner with a gold underline. The MQA logo and website address is in the lower right corner.

The other side has what I think are Japanese characters in the upper left corner and same MQA logo and website address as the front in the lower right corner.

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image: https://www.audiostream.com/images/user_account_pictures/picture-27619-1513619551.jpg

Oh. My. God!

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on February 23, 2018 - 9:09am

Say it ain't so!

You clearly are an authority ;-)

Read more at https://www.audiostream.com/content/mqa-drm#jjB4KURwpaCwGe4w.99

I don't think links infringe copyright - they are the 'original'. And they like people to see their nonsense.

 

And if they want they can  prevent links from other sites.(Even if you are over 18 years old )

[Spacehound]

12 hours ago, Indydan said:

 

If you don't mind, I will post a copy paste of the exchange. Atkinson will probably scream copyright infringement. I will let Chris decide if that is the case. If Chris has to delete my post, no hard feelings from me :-)

 

 

image: https://www.audiostream.com/images/user_account_pictures/picture-27619-1513619551.jpg

Until I know exactly...

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on February 22, 2018 - 7:27pm

...how near you are to Bob Stuart's contact info, I don't believe a word you say.

;-)

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image: https://www.audiostream.com/images/user_account_pictures/picture-62743-1464377107.jpg

Well

Submitted by rt66indierock on February 23, 2018 - 8:24am

I have Bob Stuart’s business card between my wrists as I write this. On the English side his name is in the upper left corner with a gold underline. The MQA logo and website address is in the lower right corner.

The other side has what I think are Japanese characters in the upper left corner and same MQA logo and website address as the front in the lower right corner.

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image: https://www.audiostream.com/images/user_account_pictures/picture-27619-1513619551.jpg

Oh. My. God!

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on February 23, 2018 - 9:09am

Say it ain't so!

You clearly are an authority ;-)

Read more at https://www.audiostream.com/content/mqa-drm#jjB4KURwpaCwGe4w.99

An Audiostream/Lavorgna article yesterday: 

"Forget the cable is an electronic filter (completely in the face of science)"

I stopped reading at that point.

 

Atkinson? He seems to have vanished like the rest of his ilk. If so we await his inevitable replacement.

 

"Next duck for the beginner's shooting gallery    Pull!"

 

 

[Spacehound]

48 minutes ago, Indydan said:

My post is probably borderline childish; but what's the deal with Lavorgna's avatar picture on Audiostream? He looks as if he is releasing a primal scream, or screaming in pain! 

 

Maybe playing another gig with his boy band will make him feel better!  

 

 

 

 

Typical old farts music - you could see it coming  

 

We find it only works on Curry Night in  a UK country pub. They are only 'miming' to a proper band anyway.

[Spacehound]

16 hours ago, Fluffytime said:

 

Uhm... Is this video supposed to be an attempt at comedy?

No, it make them  look silly, which they don't realise.

 

One's faking  Tourettes syndrome  and the music you hear is coming from somebody else's recording. 

[Spacehound]

12 minutes ago, eclectic said:

 

I've also noticed that at the Roon forums. I made a few posts critical of MQA and a few regulars piled in to disagree. There are quite a few fanboys who will attack anyone who is in any way critical of any decisions made by Roonlabs.

 

Also, Jim Austin has been quietly pushing a pro MQA agenda on the forum. 

Anyone who pays their high  monthly subscription or pays 350 or so dollars in advance to an outfit that only exists at all  because of Meridian  shutting down their Sooloos  failure and  could go bust next week is likely to defend  their choice.

 

For what? So you can find out that  one  of the guys you hear now was 32nd assistant under-drummer twenty years ago  on a record you have never heard of. 

[Spacehound]

5 minutes ago, plissken said:

 

You're a real piece of work John. 

He seems to have vanished.  I await his replacement.

 

Yet another duck for the beginner's shooting gallery.      Pull!        

[Spacehound]

5 hours ago, plissken said:

 

 

It was still remastered twice: Air Studios and Bob Ludwig. My read is a PCM format was done at Air Studios and the MQA by Bob Ludwig.

 

Am I missing something here?

Remasterings are just ego trips by total nonentities. Who ever knows  the name of a 'mastering' so-called 'engineer'? Or cares?

 

Never seen a statue of one of them, but there's statues of Elvis and Isambard Kingdom Brunel

[Spacehound]

2 hours ago, eclectic said:

 

They willingly sold. Acquisition makes it sound like a hostile takeover. 

I don't know its previous history but it was a complete failure under Meridian's control, as most things 'Meridian' are.

 

Both It and Roon are ******* pointless. Only  obsessives ever read 'cover notes' , and even they have to be bored to do it,  and Sooloos/Roon have even more drivel.

 

And then there are Roon's dopey 'endpoints' It's all bollox.

[Spacehound]

11 hours ago, eclectic said:

 

John Atkinson - You're making a fool of yourself man. Give it up.

 

He appears to enjoy it.

[Spacehound]

33 minutes ago, firedog said:

 

I'm glad you straightened that out for all the subscribers who enjoy Roon and what it adds to their listening experience. 

We all now know that we need counseling for our obsessive compulsions, are bored, engage in pointless behavior,  and are dopey.

 

And you're the guy that said he doesn't have "beliefs"? What's your above statement? Doesn't sound like your are expressing an opinion, but telling the rest of the world what the "facts" are.  But you seem to be confusing your opinions with fact. 

 

You aren't necessarily dopey, that's Roon  endpoints. And If I paid that must I would   'justify' Roon too.

"Adds"?  It's bit perfect. As are most of the others.

"Listening"?  You read the extraneous waffle on the screen  with your ears?

 

Where did I say that I don't have any beliefs?

[Spacehound]

11 hours ago, Brinkman Ship said:

I think that the "Sooloos failure"  (whatever that is), is likely more Meridian's failure.".

 

I agree with you. The products were also absurdly priced for the feature set, lagging behind other server solutions for a number of years. Stuart, in his brilliance, was focuses on hardware, and what are now the Roon guys knew that it was software that was going to be more important going forward.

Stuart knows no more about  software than the average dog.

 

And  his history shows he's not so good at hardware either. He had to get  'Stan Curtis'  in to fix one of his disastrous efforts,  and I've never seen any Meridian product reviewed as even   "very good"