MQA what's the big deal?

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Mordante

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On different fora I have seen MQA topics explode. Easily reaching 10+ pages.

As far I understand MQA is a bit like a ZIP file so that FLAC streaming takes up less bandwith. Also there is a lot of discussion if MQA is lossless or not.

I have no Tidal, Qobus, or Spotify. Should I care about Tidal at all? Or is it like DSD a lot of hot wind but very little content.
 
I have most of the streaming services and like each one. If you have not heard dsd done properly, you really need to get a demo. Right now Tidal with a decent selection of MQA titles in addition to the regular cd quality streams is wonderful. Hearing MQA even though the desktop app at 24/96 or slightly below is a treat. If you have already made up your mind, please try and listen or get the free trial.
 
joeinid said:
I have most of the streaming services and like each one. If you have not heard dsd done properly, you really need to get a demo. Right now Tidal with a decent selection of MQA titles in addition to the regular cd quality streams is wonderful. Hearing MQA even though the desktop app at 24/96 or slightly below is a treat. If you have already made up your mind, please try and listen or get the free trial.
Click to expand...
+1 Don't knock it 'till you try it!

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Mordante said:
On different fora I have seen MQA topics explode. Easily reaching 10+ pages.

As far I understand MQA is a bit like a ZIP file so that FLAC streaming takes up less bandwith. Also there is a lot of discussion if MQA is lossless or not.

I have no Tidal, Qobus, or Spotify. Should I care about Tidal at all? Or is it like DSD a lot of hot wind but very little content.
Click to expand...

Very little DSD content? Hahahahaha. You are sooo wrong.
 
wisnon said:
Very little DSD content? Hahahahaha. You are sooo wrong.
Click to expand...

Okay where are all the 10th of thousands DVD albums? if I may ask. Native DSD has about 1100 albums. HDtracks has maybe a few hundred albums.


Even hires PCM is very rare. I have I guess between 600 and 1200 albums. I doubt there are more then 5 of them available on DSD or more then 50 on 24/192.

https://www.discogs.com/user/mordante/collection
 
Mordante said:
Okay where are all the 10th of thousands DVD albums? if I may ask. Native DSD has about 1100 albums. HDtracks has maybe a few hundred albums.


Even hires PCM is very rare. I have I guess between 600 and 1200 albums. I doubt there are more then 5 of them available on DSD or more then 50 on 24/192.

https://www.discogs.com/user/mordante/collection
Click to expand...

Ever heard of a PS3 ripper? Ever heard of vinyl rips? Ever heard of HQP upsampler? Of course you have. DSD is now really a PLAYBACK format. Anything can be PCM or DSD now. The most impressive track I have of the thousands I have is a needle drop at DSD128.

JRiver Catalog says I have about 2 years of continuous listening of my music collection which is about 60% DSD.
 
wisnon said:
Ever heard of a PS3 ripper? Ever heard of vinyl rips? Ever heard of HQP upsampler? Of course you have. DSD is now really a PLAYBACK format. Anything can be PCM or DSD now. The most impressive track I have of the thousands I have is a needle drop at DSD128.

JRiver Catalog says I have about 2 years of continuous listening of my music collection which is about 60% DSD.
Click to expand...

Hi Wisnon, what is the album of that 128 DSD needledrop?
 
wisnon said:
Ever heard of a PS3 ripper? Ever heard of vinyl rips? Ever heard of HQP upsampler? Of course you have. DSD is now really a PLAYBACK format. Anything can be PCM or DSD now. The most impressive track I have of the thousands I have is a needle drop at DSD128.

JRiver Catalog says I have about 2 years of continuous listening of my music collection which is about 60% DSD.
Click to expand...

Not wanting to start a format war.

For me DSD a dead format. Yes I have heard of HQP resampler. Vinyl rips and PS3 ripper is new for me. As far as I just read PS3 ripper is for SACDs. Well I never bought any SACDs.

DSD is a niche within a niche within a niche within a niche

audiophile==>into streaming==>into computer audio==>into DSD

My streaming setup is

NAS==>Streamer==>DAC

Since I have a multibit DAC DSD is of no interest to me.

Not saying DSD is bad. Just different compared to PCM. Same when I heard PCM vs MQA just different.
 
MQA is PCM, only with compression and DSP (to attempt to mimic the original ADC > DAC the artist and mastering engineer heard) applied. It may be a gimick, or it may be a true advance in home audio reproduction of digital recordings (or perhaps both).
 
rbbert said:
MQA is PCM, only with compression and DSP (to attempt to mimic the original ADC > DAC the artist and mastering engineer heard) applied. It may be a gimick, or it may be a true advance in home audio reproduction of digital recordings (or perhaps both).
Click to expand...

Have you formed an opinion yet Rob on where MQA stands in your digital hierarchy?
 
Mordante said:
Not wanting to start a format war.

For me DSD a dead format. Yes I have heard of HQP resampler. Vinyl rips and PS3 ripper is new for me. As far as I just read PS3 ripper is for SACDs. Well I never bought any SACDs.

DSD is a niche within a niche within a niche within a niche

audiophile==>into streaming==>into computer audio==>into DSD

My streaming setup is

NAS==>Streamer==>DAC

Since I have a multibit DAC DSD is of no interest to me.

Not saying DSD is bad. Just different compared to PCM. Same when I heard PCM vs MQA just different.
Click to expand...

I want it all. Just like in the cassette days. I want Chrome/metal/ferrous, etc. No restrictions.

My Dac has an R2R PCM converter and 2 dac chipless DSD converters.
MQA is treated PCM, and DXD is ultra hi-rez PCM.

Unless you heard DSD done right, you won't get it. The ready chip approach has disappointed too many people and gave them a false idea. Would you judge PCM by a shitty Dac chip, now that you are used to your multibit converter?
 
wisnon said:
Unless you heard DSD done right, you won't get it. The ready chip approach has disappointed too many people and gave them a false idea. Would you judge PCM by a shitty Dac chip, now that you are used to your multiunit converter?
Click to expand...

We all have a right to our opinions on DSD versus PCM and now MQA when as you say, done right.
 
wisnon said:
I want it all. Just like in the cassette days. I want Chrome/metal/ferrous, etc. No restrictions.

My Dac has an R2R PCM converter and 2 dac chipless DSD converters.
MQA is treated PCM, and DXD is ultra hi-rez PCM.

Unless you heard DSD done right, you won't get it. The ready chip approach has disappointed too many people and gave them a false idea. Would you judge PCM by a shitty Dac chip, now that you are used to your multiunit converter?
Click to expand...

I suspect you are correct.

However funds did not allow me to buy something like your DAC. Thus I wanted the best IMHO I could afford. Which resulted in my R2R DAC.
 
mep said:
Have you formed an opinion yet Rob on where MQA stands in your digital hierarchy?
Click to expand...

After a lot of listening to albums of which I also have hi-res downloads, I'm very curious to hear some of them through a MQA-DAC. The MQA files usually sound different (by varying amounts) than the traditional hi-res; if that is improved (rather than just made different) by the final step of having a MQA-DAC, there could be something worthwhile here. It will also be interesting to see if Warner's encodes their entire catalog by this spring, as Stuart claimed they will have done (in an interview last year).

The Mytek Brooklyn is probably very similar to your current DAC (with the addition of MQA), but I'd really like to see a ESS 9038 based MQA-DAC if I'm going to buy a new one.
 
Mordante said:
I suspect you are correct.

However funds did not allow me to buy something like your DAC. Thus I wanted the best IMHO I could afford. Which resulted in my R2R DAC.
Click to expand...
Mordant, I heard the same magic with a Lampi L4 DSD only Dac. Used they run for $2K or less.
 
wisnon said:
Jim, when did I contradict that?

On the contrary, I said I want it all, if possible.
Click to expand...

Norman
I apologize if I misunderstood your point and took it to mean that you felt DSD "done right" was the pinnacle of digital audio. You have every right to believe that just a I believe PCM and MQA done right take no back seat to DSD.

Like you, I want the choice to pick and choose from all available formats. I have no plans to duplicate my library just because a new format is made available. I will selectivly purchase those I want to own and if Tidal is successful I will have access to unbelievably great sound for those I can live without. This is a great time for music lovers.
 
Question: with Sony records on board, is MQA the final nail in DSD's coffin?

Discuss.


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