TIDAL ditching MQA???

[miguelito]

Just now:

 

 

I verified that the DAC is getting 88KHz and no MQA filter is present.

 

????

[miguelito]

This is what a normal MQA stream from TIDAL looks like:

 

[AudioDoctor]

Could it be that they just don't have an MQA file of that album? Qobuz also has that album at 24/88.

 

 

[miguelito]

49 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

Could it be that they just don't have an MQA file of that album? Qobuz also has that album at 24/88.

Yes, of course. But my understanding is TIDAL was either redbook or MQA, no true hi res on it.

[Cebolla]

The mconnect Player controller app for Chromecast & UPnP/DLNA streamers reports the same.

 

 

The mconnect Player app has no MQA decoder and doesn't handle the file tracks, so it just instructs the controlled streamer to fetch the tracks directly from TIDAL's online server.

 

Ironically, you have connect to TIDAL with the MQA Masters quality setting - otherwise you get a downsampled CD-res version of the track on the Hi-Fi quality connection.

[miguelito]

I wonder if JayZ got tired of paying Bob Stuart for, well, not true hi res.

[lifewave98]

48 minutes ago, miguelito said:

I wonder if JayZ got tired of paying Bob Stuart for, well, not true hi res.

Off topic:  Is that a Mac Mini you have going to your DAC?   If so, did you do any modifications? BTW, great looking setup and space.

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, miguelito said:

Yes, of course. But my understanding is TIDAL was either redbook or MQA, no true hi res on it.

 

That I don't know. It makes sense to me that there are some studios that would tell Tidal they can have what they get or nothing at all.

[R1200CL]

4 hours ago, miguelito said:

Yes, of course. But my understanding is TIDAL was either redbook or MQA, no true hi res on it.

That album shows up as normal red book here. 
 

Edit. I was wrong. Same here. Was looking at the single first. 
 

Also there exist two versions of album on Tidal, and one Qobuz. 

[wklie]

If memory serves me, the last time something like this happened, it was treated as a mistake and taken down by Tidal.

 

Please enjoy it while you can.

[Cebolla]

12 hours ago, R1200CL said:

Also there exist two versions of album on Tidal

 

Yes, the relevant one is the (supposed) MQA version; the other one is standard CD-res. Unfortunately, only the first track, "Clifford Notes", of the MQA version is 24-bit/88.2kHz true hi-res, with the rest of the tracks being CD-res (no idea if they are MQA-CD tracks, as I don't have a suitable DAC to test):

https://listen.tidal.com/album/131095633

[Cebolla]

10 hours ago, wklie said:

If memory serves me, the last time something like this happened, it was treated as a mistake and taken down by Tidal.

 

Please enjoy it while you can.

 

The one true hi-res track can even be enjoyed using TIDAL's own Windows desktop software - so no reason why they can't supply more!

[miguelito]

18 hours ago, lifewave98 said:

Off topic:  Is that a Mac Mini you have going to your DAC?   If so, did you do any modifications? BTW, great looking setup and space.

It is a mac mini 2012, i7quad, 16GB RAM, 250 SSD main drive (recently refreshed), 4TB FW800 HD. The mini is modified with an Uptone JS-2 linear power supply and an internal MMK board to deliver power and electrically isolate the fan. I currently play Roon over RAAT (ie network) to a dCS Rossini. I am not sure if the linear PS makes any difference in this setup. A while back I used to play over USB to an EMMLabs XDS1-v2 and in that case it mattered.

[miguelito]

12 hours ago, wklie said:

If memory serves me, the last time something like this happened, it was treated as a mistake and taken down by Tidal.

 

Please enjoy it while you can.

I use both TIDAL and Qobuz. It is likely that this was a mistake. There are many hi res albums on Qobuz that don't have an MQA version on TIDAL, TIDAL would only have the redbook.

[miguelito]

3 hours ago, Cebolla said:

Yes, the relevant one is the (supposed) MQA version; the other one is standard CD-res. Unfortunately, only the first track, "Clifford Notes", of the MQA version is 24-bit/88.2kHz true hi-res, with the rest of the tracks being CD-res (no idea if they are MQA-CD tracks, as I don't have a suitable DAC to test):

https://listen.tidal.com/album/131095633

You are right... On TIDAL, I only see the first track as 24/88, the rest is 16/44. On Qobuz all tracks are 24/88.

 

[miguelito]

2 hours ago, Cebolla said:

The one true hi-res track can even be enjoyed using TIDAL's own Windows desktop software - so no reason why they can't supply more!

I imagine their agreement with MQA includes not streaming albums in hi res.

[mav52]

Not sure how tidal is ditching MQA when in Nov 2020 they announced this "https://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2020/11/12/millions-of-mqa-tracks-coming-to-tidal-masters-from-warner-music/?sh=a9dcaef23c25

 

A some way out there quote " “Not only can members hear music exactly as their favourite artists recorded it, but with recent platform enhancements, the experience is as seamless as ever." 

 

Not sure how that can be . Elvis and the Beatles or all of my fav artist DID NOT RECORD their music in MQA.

 

 

[miguelito]

MQA is full of bull. This is known. 

[mav52]

On 12/22/2020 at 3:24 PM, miguelito said:

MQA is full of bull. This is known. 

Yep,

[creativepart]

Thanks for the album suggestion. I like it. Qobuz has it as 88.2/24 no MQA required (nor wanted).

 

I just added this album to my favorites.

 

[asdf1000]

On 12/21/2020 at 6:55 PM, wklie said:

If memory serves me, the last time something like this happened, it was treated as a mistake and taken down by Tidal.

 

Please enjoy it while you can.

 

I even saw DSD once LOL

 

That didn't last long either.

 

[BigWilliam]

Shame on all of you for giving tidal a penny

[koupa]

5 hours ago, BigWilliam said:

Shame on all of you for giving tidal a penny

 

Why? I always discover new music. It integrates perfect with Roon and Plex and Qobuz isn't available in my country.

[BigWilliam]

1 hour ago, koupa said:

 

Why? I always discover new music. It integrates perfect with Roon and Plex and Qobuz isn't available in my country.

 

MQA support

 

Steal it, better than subsidizing that crap. Better quality too

[miguelito]

2 hours ago, BigWilliam said:

Steal it, better than subsidizing that crap. Better quality too

I care for the artists/producers. Streaming for me is a means of discovering. Anything I really like I buy. My buying sequence is:

1- Bandcamp (if available)

2- Artist website

3- Qobuz (Sublime+ gives you amazing discounts on hi-res)

4- HDTracks

5- Physical media (CDs or SACDs - I can rip SACD to DSD)

 

It is important to support those that make the music you like. Or soon enough there will be nothing new to listen to.