Paul Simon - The Ultimate Collection

Mike, I noticed that it's coming on the Sony label, so I would assume they own the tapes. But you never know.
 
If it's the Sony label it is definitely mastered from CD or straight digital files. yeech!
To each their own though.
 
Thanks for the link Mike. It's very interesting and I like the idea, but something about it is not sitting right with me. I want to explore it more (time to start googling). One drawback right now is that special very expensive equipment is needed to get any benefits.
 
MusicDirector said:
Thanks for the link Mike. It's very interesting and I like the idea, but something about it is not sitting right with me. I want to explore it more (time to start googling). One drawback right now is that special very expensive equipment is needed to get any benefits.
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Not so. MQA DAC's start at $200.

Mike
 
Mike said:
Not so. MQA DAC's start at $200.

Mike
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:disbelief: Really? Wow! That means anybody (including me) can play with this if they want. Seesh, I'm so used to unobtainium and numbers nearly beyond Pi to the last known figure or something. I did not know it was readily available on the market like that already. That article made it sound distant. Even more enthused about exploring this!
 
rbbert said:
Isn't MQA a lossy codec? Wouldn't we be better off with something lossless?
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Rob-Go to the link Mike posted and read about the technology and please get back to us with your thoughts. And yes, it's a lossy codec, but they are only throwing away bits of resolution that you really didn't need anyway. They claim they can take a 24/192 file and "fold it down" into a smaller file by throwing out the extra resolution that you really didn't need and make a better file with less resolution. And, they pack secret information in their folded down file (the magic triangle) about the A/D converter used in the recording studio that made the original recording and somehow this information is communicated to your DAC and suddenly your DAC will understand the A/D converter that was used to make the recording and change the way it normally would play back a file. Got it?
 
I've certainly "got" what you posted, which I suspect is tongue-in-cheek :D And so I'll ask my question again...
 
rbbert said:
I've certainly "got" what you posted, which I suspect is tongue-in-cheek :D And so I'll ask my question again...
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I don't think I was far off from what the article in TAS will tell you. Seriously. I really am curious to have you read the article and post your thoughts.
 
I think the idea of having the DAC perfectly mirror the ADC's performance is indeed a goal to strive for, but I think MQA ends up being an MP3 for hi-res audio to make it more stream friendly.
 
I’ve been doing some additional reading on MQA at lunch. From what I understand, being an analog man and old school,stuck in a digital world (is there a Rush song in there somewhere or something?-no?) and echoing some of what Rbbert said, it seems that this MQA thing is geared towards better sound quality for streaming audio and not anything to do with vinyl reproduction. Putting digitally mixed sound on an analog medium just doesn't go well.
Here’s where I start getting really lost though: They talk about taking away “unneeded resolution/data that you don’t need” and then doing some sort of voodoo (where I go mathlexic), to magically replace what they took out with some sort of enhancement to better the sound quality while making it small to transmit over the internet.
First of all, doesn't that make it “lossy” not lossless? Second, who says we don’t need the resolution/data they are taking out? Does not less sonic data equal less fidelity, depth, etc.? Many CDs and all MP3s and the like drive me crazy. My brain just screams “enough already, I want to do something else, anything! I’m missing something I need.” I just don’t get engaged with the music like I do with vinyl or even very well produced CDs (there are a few out there scattered about, believe it or not, but only a few and that includes stuff that will never be available on vinyl).
I don’t see how this can work, it’s like the first thing you learn in culinary, you can add, but you cannot take away. I would think this applies to audio as well after recording is done. Like I said, I really don’t know what they are doing, exactly. The desire to improve sound quality is noble and much needed, so at least like our good-hearted man Neil Young (and perhaps a couple of others), they are trying. The other good thing is that while not many to find right now, there are more and more MQA abled devices or DACs coming to market and for all wallet sizes.

Now personally, I don’t use streaming as a serious listening source whether it be 320kbps Spotify or Tidal with claimed CD quality or whatever. I do use streaming for research and discovery or taste-testing though and I think it is indispensable for that function. (I could not live without it for that). That's just me though.
If the MQA thing really improves sound quality and is dead easy to implement and relatively inexpensive for license then all streaming services can grab on and up their game, which no matter how one uses streaming audio, will be a good thing indeed.
I just don’t see how it relates to analog vinyl, especially regarding preference of analog source to analog pressing.

Just my take on it, no expertise implied or stated or claims of being an articulate master. I could be missing everything and be completely wrong.
 
Mike said:
[emoji107]🏻


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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That is too bad. Would be a great LP to have.:(

Sony reissued a Simon & Garfunkel CD set remastered from the analog tapes (supposedly). Hope the LP version sees the light of day...
 
rbbert said:
I think the idea of having the DAC perfectly mirror the ADC's performance is indeed a goal to strive for, but I think MQA ends up being an MP3 for hi-res audio to make it more stream friendly.
Click to expand...

It would be something if somehow a lower resolution MQA file somehow could turn your DAC into the A/D converter that was used in the studio. Someone please tell me how that really works as i can't understand how that would possibly work. There are a gazillion DACs on the market and they are built using different DAC chips and different circuits. I don't even think Bob Carver would say he could pull this hat trick off.
 
socfan12 said:
That is too bad. Would be a great LP to have.:(

Sony reissued a Simon & Garfunkel CD set remastered from the analog tapes (supposedly). Hope the LP version sees the light of day...
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The link in the OP is​ the LP version, it's just from the digital transfers (as of course the remastering was done in the digital domain).

Edit: I see actually this is the Paul Simon thread and new LP box, but the same information applies. Any Sony/RCA LP is going to be from digital masters. To get it from analog masters it would have to be contracted out to Acoustic Sounds, MFSL, etc.
 
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