Qobuz streaming MQA CD's?

[Jud]

58 minutes ago, rickca said:

@dmackta if Qobuz is forced by the labels to distribute MQA and withdraw high res that will be the end of my subscription after more than 3.5 years.

 

There's that option.  Another I can think of is to publish a list of labels that provide MQA to Qobuz (and/or Tidal), not stream tracks from those labels (so they derive no streaming revenue, however little that is), and inform the labels you won't be purchasing or streaming any of their product as long as they support MQA.

[Jud]

1 minute ago, mansr said:

Even if you don't stream any MQA titles, a part of your subscription fee will still go those labels as long as someone does.

 

Yes. Publicizing as widely as possible the list and the objections to MQA from both an audio and market control standpoint would be a good thing.

[Jud]

16 minutes ago, rickca said:

If the major labels do it there will hardly be anything non-MQA left to stream/download and a subscription would have no value.

 

Yes, we may be left with no choice. I would like to try as long as possible a strategy to reward companies that want to provide real Redbook and hi res streaming, while at the same time letting them know the objections to MQA.  It's the same as anything else I suppose - you try persuasion, and if your pleas fall on deaf ears, you stop patronizing them.

[Jud]

23 minutes ago, crenca said:

Even if you end up being "ok" streaming MQA from a market/consumer positioning standpoint, one would hope you did not come to this conclusion by accident.

 

I would hope they do not come to this conclusion, period. 🙂

 

@dmackta, thank you for your transparency and your prompt, active engagement.  

 

Many of us on this forum are quite concerned about MQA from a number of viewpoints, including (1) sound quality (I am among those who feel MQA doesn't sound as good as hi res or even Redbook; since what "sold" me and presumably others on Qobuz was sound quality, this is important); (2) authenticity and provenance; and (3) last but certainly not least, the potential for MQA technology to be used to exert unfair market and content control, which I perceive as being antithetical to Qobuz' position of being fair and open with its customers.

 

I therefore hope you will be able to eliminate MQA from your system, using @mansr's tool or otherwise, so Qobuz does not unintentionally wind up contributing financially to MQA.

 

Thanks for listening.  🙂

[Jud]

Just now, dmackta said:

I would encourage you to also investigate this issue directly with the labels who appear to be providing these files in lieu of redbook CD audio. 

 

Absolutely.  I don't know if Qobuz would be willing to engage in an interchange of that information with people on this forum, but it might be something to consider.

[Jud]

42 minutes ago, psjug said:

Why do they care about redbook format for files that are streamed or downloaded?

 

For tiered streaming plans that don't offer higher than 16/44.1 or /48 resolution.

[Jud]

1 hour ago, psjug said:

I guess, but what service would that be?  It seems like a very stupid compromise if that's the reason.

 

For example, the Qobuz Hi-Fi tier gives access to RedBook quality streams.  So if 2L wants to make its product available to subscribers at that tier, they need something either in 16/44.1 resolution, or that looks like it is, such as MQA.  I'd much prefer the former, but 2L has at least for the time being chosen the latter.

[Jud]

1 minute ago, crenca said:

 

Yes, but is that acceptable to Qobuz?  Looking forward to their coming announcement.

 

Me too.  I am wondering what there may be in the way of contractual provisions affecting freedom of decision (for example, some monetary penalty if Qobuz drops 2L - I don't know what the contractual arrangements are, just tossing out a hypothetical).

[Jud]

4 hours ago, psjug said:

I see what you are saying.  But Qobuz would be the only example with that structure, right?  Whereas Deezer and Tidal tiers with 16/44 also go higher resolution (unofficially in the case of Deezer).

 

I think I recall Tidal having higher than 16/44.1 resolution that isn't MQA, but I don't wish to support that (and wasn't impressed with Tidal's sound quality in general).  I'll take what you say about Deezer at face value, though if it's unofficial I suppose they may not have the number and variety of hi res selections Qobuz does.  I also seem to recall another streaming service or two, but geared toward classical.

 

So my preference is Qobuz, and it's up to you and everyone else whether you think the number and variety of hi res tracks they offer is worth the extra money.  (There are also the discounted downloads with Sublime+ to consider.)

[Jud]

9 hours ago, David Craff said:

 

We are in contact with this label to find a solution. What is certain is that we do not support MQA at Qobuz.

 

Thank you for the information, David.  There is something else possibly significant here that @firedog has raised in another thread, which you, @dmackta, and @David.. Qobuz, Hi-Res Music Evangelist may want to consider.  Apparently, many DACs will continue using their MQA filters on non-MQA material once an MQA track has been played.  So the presence of MQA tracks on Qobuz may be affecting users' listening impressions of your other material.

 

 

[Jud]

29 minutes ago, crenca said:

 

Much could be said here, and I do appreciate the transparency.  That said it still makes you an MQA streaming partner, at least from a consumer point of view.  Also since this is a small label with just a few dozen titles, why not stand your ground and just not host their content?  Why allow them to force you into a situation where you are streaming lossy/compressed content over and against your entire market position strategy?

 

OTOH, folks will be able to hear what MQA content sounds like in comparison to the other stuff.  To my ears, this comparison was not favorable to MQA.

[Jud]

9 hours ago, Tintinabulum said:

This campaign sounds a bit like mob rule from where I sit. Why should Qobuz be bullied by a vocal minority? Effective campaign though guys, good job.

 

I suppose the “campaign” (asking people who would like to preserve lossless RedBook as an option to vote with their dollars) results will determine whether these folks are a minority, or the majority of 2L’s customer base for non-hi-rez.  Until then it seems rather premature to characterize how large a proportion of customers they comprise.

[Jud]

4 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

It seems like a vocal minority to me. Walks like a duck...

 

You of course having access to 2L’s sales information, and the ability to predict how those sales will be affected in the future.... 🙄

[Jud]

1 minute ago, Tintinabulum said:

Sorry to disturb the love in. I thought CA was about music, not ranting minority audiophile campaigns. It is just people who don't share your views who are unwelcome or are there other forms of discrimination coming in here? 

 

Minority, discrimination... sure you didn’t take a wrong turn on the way to a political discussion?

[Jud]

5 minutes ago, Tintinabulum said:

This isn't about 2l's sales, it's about a minority anti MQA campaign.

 

"You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."  

[Jud]

7 minutes ago, crenca said:

 

Anybody worth their salt will not last long in a hip-hop driven management culture 😋

 

Maybe the problem is not enough hip-hop driven management culture!

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/27/diddy-credits-his-success-to-a-business-lesson-he-learned-at-age-12.html

 

Quote

Sean Combs, commonly known as Puff Daddy or Diddy, is an artist and entrepreneur whose business acumen has garnered him a net worth of $820 million, according to Forbes.

 

Edit: Yes, I know Jay-Z, not Diddy, is the Tidal guy.  Maybe the wrong hip-hop manager?

[Jud]

4 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

@David Craff 

 

Any idea what the above means? I'm not familiar with Phonofile or The Orchard.

 

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/the-orchard-bolsters-distribution-might-europe-finetunes-phonofile-acquisition/

[Jud]

They're getting MQA from the 2L Scandinavian boutique jazz label for the CD resolution tier, but not for higher resolutions, as I understand it. 2L is the only label I am aware of that is doing this. Qobuz says they will label it clearly as MQA (I don't know when).