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Is MQA Vaporware?


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51 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Looks like the mainstream press is also regurgitating marketing info. 

 

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/3/11/18259957/tidal-master-quality-mqa-ios-support

 

So much information not included in that article. Most importantly the fact that you would need an external DAC to take advantage of even fake hi-res with an iOS deveice, not to mention that if you are using Bluetooth headphones you shouldn't even bother.

 

And if you are using Apple's dongle DAC, you would actually be better off with the CD-quality stream.

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This may be the wrong thread as I am a proponent of MQA.  I enjoy MQA via Tidal HiFi, Roon, and a Mytek Brooklyn. 

My questions:

Will MQA work on older iPhones?  I have a 6S+.

Has Tidal version 2.7 rolled out nationwide?  My Tidal app shows version 2.6.6 with no update available.

Will my 2018 GMC Sierra Denali with IntelliLink be able to take advantage of MQA files when my iPhone is USB connected?

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4 minutes ago, John Eaton said:

Will MQA work on older iPhones?  I have a 6S+.

 

Has Tidal version 2.7 rolled out nationwide?  My Tidal app shows version 2.6.6 with no update available.

 

Will my 2018 GMC Sierra Denali with IntelliLink be able to take advantage of MQA files when my iPhone is USB connected?

 

 

It will work with an iPhone 6S, but unless you are using an external DAC that supports hi-res you are better off with CD-quality streaming. The same is true for any iPhone.

 

I was able to download the update last night.

 

Is the connection to the car stereo bluetooth or USB? If it's bluetooth, you're wasting your time. If it's USB, you are again probably better off with native CD-quality unless your car stereo has a DAC that supports hi-res, which is unlikely.

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13 minutes ago, new_media said:

 

So much information not included in that article. Most importantly the fact that you would need an external DAC to take advantage of even fake hi-res with an iOS deveice, not to mention that if you are using Bluetooth headphones you shouldn't even bother.

 

And if you are using Apple's dongle DAC, you would actually be better off with the CD-quality stream.

 

So the notion, per this article, https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/3/11/18259957/tidal-master-quality-mqa-ios-support  that that MQA decoding will be done in software on an iPhone with Tidal's latest app is fake news, uh?  

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8 minutes ago, new_media said:

Tidal's software performs the "first unfold" to 24/96, which is useless if your DAC doesn't support it and the signal will be downsampled to 48 KHz.

Not that I support MQA, but which recent DAC (by recent I mean last couple of years) doesn't support 24/96?

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23 minutes ago, new_media said:

 

Basically, yes.

 

Tidal's software performs the "first unfold" to 24/96, which is useless if your DAC doesn't support it and the signal will be downsampled to 48 KHz.

 

That's why I say you are better off with native CD-quality rather than going through a cycle of pointless and possibly destructive upsampling and downsampling.

OK, thanks. BTW, I really like your Spinal Tap 11 volume control image!

Even though my truck is fairly quiet as far as trucks go, no vehicle is a suitable place for serious listening.  So, no big deal regarding faux MQA on iPhone.  Maybe I should investigate a new LG phone…

 

 

Besides my Mytek Brooklyn, I also have an Ethernet connected Raspberry Pi with an older Meridian Director DAC in the living room.  With this system, (Tidal HiFi via Roon) the Meridian reports 24/96 when playing a Tidal Master file. I guess this is the first unfold.

 

I did find and download the 2.7 version of Tidal.

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2 hours ago, mansr said:

What is a file type if not a way of encoding?

 

I want to make it clear that I just lifted the quote out of the article to get things going. However, I wonder if MQA first unfold is now available on IOS if MQA is as much vaporware as everyone here is hoping. The article just quotes MQA marketing as if it is a wonderful new advance in sound and that’s the type of thing the general public is going to hear. The technical arguments against MQA that are on this forum are swimming upstream as far as what most people are going to be told and believe. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 3/11/2019 at 2:40 PM, Rt66indierock said:

 

One of the many reason we like you. On the Golf Channel yesterday was the best summary of current journalism to date. Journalism now is lift , clean and replace.

I must have missed that on GC yesterday. Hey heading to Augusta Sat.  PM me if you are going.

The Truth Is Out There

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2 hours ago, PeterSt said:

I encourage people to encode their MQA files to MP3. Now the size will finally be a lot less.

MQA is almost inaudible, mp3/opus is almost inaudible, but mp3/opus are really good at saving space, and take few resources on playback.  Since bandwidth/space is so cheap -- the usefulness of flac and other totally lossless formats is greater than ever, and the mp3/opus can handle the places where the quality requirements are a little less (and save A LOT of space with, by today's standards, minimal use of CPU.)  What is the purpose of MQA, with hardware requirements and not all that much space savings (when compared esp with opus?)  Answer below:

 

The only real/effective purpose of MQA is DRM.  DRM does NOT benefit the end user, but COSTS the end user.  DRM can make the IP owners feel a little more comfortable.

 

Therefore -- it makes ZERO logical sense for an end-user with ONLY interests for the end-user to do any advocacy FOR DRM (I mean MQA).   The only time it makes sense to advocate DRM is when there is an interest in IP ownership/control/profits and NOT the benefit/freedom  of the end-user.

BTW -- if someone might claim that opus/mp3 isn't good enough --- well, memory is SO cheap nowadays, and uploading/downloading to/from external devices can be fairly quick -- if someone REALLY needs the best quality in a portable device, then use FLAC or a slightly lower quality digital copy.  The only loss of listening to 48k/16bits is a small amount of hiss (no linearity issues at all.)  Who cares about a very small amount of hiss in a portable device?  Almost no-one.  14bits starts seriously approaching audiblity -- so you certainly don't want 14bits, and in that case the tradeoff to mp3/opus might definitely be worthwhile (esp with CPU being so very cheap and almost available by default.)

 

So -- there is ZERO end-user purpose, even for portable devices or memory sensitive situations to use freeness limiting DRM (oh, I mean MQA.)

 

John

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