MQA vs HiRez: an apples-to-apples comparison - FINAL

[audiventory]

On 10/24/2018 at 5:17 PM, manisandher said:

I can't imagine there's any appetite for yet another hires/MQA comparison

 

We can't compare "what is better losless and lossy formats" (MQA is lossy, as far as I know).

 

Because conclusion is technically obvious: lossless is better.

 

We can't just discuss "losses are audible or not". Because there is need proper test results. And tested equipment and conditions makes sound. So we can't make general conclusions for every audio system.

[audiventory]

On 10/28/2018 at 2:32 PM, manisandher said:

Care to tell us which of the samples sounds "obviously" inferior to you? (Understanding of course that we can't generalise your subjective thoughts to everyone else.) 

 

"What sound better" is not matter when we compare a lossless and lossy formats.

 

I consider pure math:

 

Ethalon -> thru a lossless format -> Ethalon

 

Ethalon -> thru a lossy format -> Ethalon + Error

 

I had experience of group opinion bias in sound perception. When same apparatus with same settings sound differently enough in various time moments for single group of people. I suspect, that it was mood matter.

 

So, I prefer don't discuss, what sample sound better for me. Because my opinion and ears are subjective and unstable, result depend on number of variables and say a bit for general conclusions. Even for my own. It is not careful approach to serious claims.

[audiventory]

21 minutes ago, randyhat said:

I guess we are not participants in the same hobby.  During my 50+ years enjoying performing and listening to music the ONLY criteria of any substance that I ever applied to the quality of the listening experience was what sounds better.

 

I'm musician (40 years already) and music lover. But I'm engineer simultaneously. Each time when I state something, I should have safe evidence. Accurate and proper tests that based on big numbers of trials and have detailed protocols are safe evidence enough (accounting its conditions, of course). Big numbers and blind sample perception allow to reduce brain and psychological bias.