Are any normal audio fans REALLY EXCITED about MQA? Or just the Elites?

[caesar]

Are there any normal guys out there who are really excited about MQA? My impression on the MQA files I have heard streamed so far is that they have also been remastered. So I don't know if I am hearing improvements due to MQA or remastering.

Any regular people REALLY EXCITED about this new technology, or just more drek pushed on us from out of touch elites?

 

[still-one]

Why would I care if the MQA releases have been remastered? I am getting better SQ and it costs me nothing extra. There is almost zero possibility that all 7500 plus MQA titles released so far have been remastered.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Why would I care if the MQA releases have been remastered? I am getting better SQ and it costs me nothing extra. There is almost zero possibility that all 7500 plus MQA titles so far have been remastered.

you rang?

I suppose I qualify as 'an-out-of-touch-elite' on some levels. I have an 'uber' dac with MQA. it's ok, but I'm not in any way excited about it, in fact don't care one way or another about it. it's not even worth discussing much. I have lots of high rez that surpasses it easily and I've not even considered downloading any MQA.

I've not heard or seen any evidence that anyone cares much, outside some industry insiders that have their panties in a bunch, or retailers trying to defend it.

so it's stake holders only involved in any discussion.

 

[still-one]

you rang?

I suppose I qualify as 'an-out-of-touch-elite' on some levels. I have an 'uber' dac with MQA. it's ok, but I'm not in any way excited about it, in fact don't care one way or another about it. it's not even worth discussing much. I have lots of high rez that surpasses it easily and I've not even considered downloading any MQA.

I've not heard or seen any evidence that anyone cares much, outside some industry insiders that have their panties in a bunch, or retailers trying to defend it.

so it's stake holders only involved in any discussion.

Were you responding to my post or the OP?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Were you responding to my post or the OP?

I quoted the wrong post. my bad. not commenting on what you said.

 

[Al M.]

Are there any normal guys out there who are really excited about MQA? My impression on the MQA files I have heard streamed so far is that they have also been remastered. So I don't know if I am hearing improvements due to MQA or remastering.

Any regular people REALLY EXCITED about this new technology, or just more drek pushed on us from out of touch elites?

Zero excitement on my part. Wake me up when the title count exceeds 200,000. Until then I cannot but assume it is the typical niche format already dying at inception, just like SACD, DSD, HDCD and so on. Yes, it's streaming rather than physical discs, and there are so many titles promised, with 'many major players on board'...Gimme a break, we've seen the promises before. I'll believe it when I see it.

In fact, I'd rather not that MQA fouls up the digital landscape with its digital rights management scheme -- why would everyone be forced to hear music the way they want to have it represented? From what I have read on other boards, there seem to be many problems with MQA sound quality that apparently are easily explained technically (aliasing noise etc.).

BTW, I don't buy for a moment the 'temporal blur' thingy.

 

[Leif S]

Not excited at all and it seems to be getting a lot of push from the reviewers.

 

[awsmone]

The proof will only come with time I suspect, this business plan is a long haul objective

The first test will be when dcs owners get their MQA upgrade and see what they think in terms of SQ

This seems to be major label recording owners thing so far as they are part owners of MQA

Call me cynical but one suspects they are not in it just for the music lover ...

 

[still-one]

I wouldn't purchase a DAC that cannot do full MQA. The number of MQA titles available in one year could exceed the number of SACD titles released since 2002. The titles are a mix of every genre and includes some of the new music titles that are released each Friday and not just the SOS we grew old with. In general I get better SQ and so far have not had to pay more for the MQA I listen to.

 

[asiufy]

I wouldn't purchase a DAC that cannot do full MQA. The number of MQA titles available in one year could exceed the number of SACD titles released since 2002. The titles are a mix of every genre and includes some of the new music titles that are released each Friday and not just the SOS we grew old with. In general I get better SQ and so far have not had to pay more for the MQA I listen to.

+1!

You elite, you

 

[microstrip]

I wouldn't purchase a DAC that cannot do full MQA. The number of MQA titles available in one year could exceed the number of SACD titles released since 2002. The titles are a mix of every genre and includes some of the new music titles that are released each Friday and not just the SOS we grew old with. In general I get better SQ and so far have not had to pay more for the MQA I listen to.

Great perspective. +1!

I will comment MQA only in 2018, but yes, I am curious about it ...

 

[Rodney Gold]

Very few of my audiophile friends are interested..none of the folk i know have specifically bought a MQA dac
I doubt the man in the steet could care
I can use tidal to do the first unfold but its interface sucks compared to roons integration with tidal...I like what I hear but not enough to stray from Roon.
Unless devialet does an upgrade that can do MQA .. its unlikely I will ever get the full benefit...

 

[DaveyF]

I just got through reading the excellent review of the new Benchmark DAC 3 HGC in the new issue of Stereophile. This new DAC is apparently the cats meow! In the manufacturer's comments, there is an excellent letter from John Siau at Benchmark responding to the aspect of MQA...and why he is so against it. According to John, " MQA arrives at a similar result ( to his DAC 3HGC relating to correct time alignment in the bass) by delaying the high frequencies using a minimum-phase "apodizing" filter. This approach tends to expose the reverberant details, but it also distorts the time-domain response across the entire audible spectrum. Each pass through a minimum-phase filter increases the time-domain errors".
John then goes on to say: " Minimum-phase filters are a Band-Aid on top of a wound. In my opinion, it is better to prevent the wound and eliminate the need for the Band-Aid. We do this by establishing the correct time alignment using wide-bandwidth analog stages.. We preserve this alignment throughout the digital stages by using linear-phase filters.".

While i am no techie, this seems to make some sense to me.

 

[Joe Whip]

Personally, I have no interest in it and probably won't purchase a DAC if it decodes MQA. I seriously doubt that non audiophiles have any clue what MQA is or cares one wit.

 

[KeithR]

I wouldn't purchase a DAC that cannot do full MQA. The number of MQA titles available in one year could exceed the number of SACD titles released since 2002. The titles are a mix of every genre and includes some of the new music titles that are released each Friday and not just the SOS we grew old with. In general I get better SQ and so far have not had to pay more for the MQA I listen to.

+1. streaming hi res is where its at long term.

i think folks should have more concern about silver discs going away in 5 years.

 

[still-one]

Personally, I have no interest in it and probably won't purchase a DAC if it decodes MQA. I seriously doubt that non audiophiles have any clue what MQA is or cares one wit.

I didn't know there were any non-audiophiles on this site.

 

[Joe Whip]

Not sure what you are getting at but can guess. To be clear, I was referring to the general music loving public.

 

[still-one]

Not sure what you are getting at but can guess. To be clear, I was referring to the general music loving public.

Okay so I whiffed at the joke. I wasn't taking a shot.

The only people talking about MQA are on sites similar to this. The general music loving public doesn't isn't worried about MQA. Neither are they worried about DSD, Hi-Rez, buying silver discs, vinyl, DAC's, cables, and ..... well you get the picture. The bottom line is that the aforementioned items are available to those of us in this hobby who care even without the support of the general public.

 

[Alpinist]

I am interested in MQA. I listened to the Esoteric N-01 at RMAF playing MQA vs. non-MQA files on Tidal and I was impressed with the sound quality. I recently purchased the Berkeley Ref2 MQA DAC, which is an MQA renderer and does the final unfolding of MQA. I am looking forward to purchasing an Aurender MQA N10, which will do core MQA unfolding, when it is released early next year. I have no interest in purchasing MQA files, just listening to the growing Tidal MQA catalog and being able to enjoy full MQA with the Aurender-Berkeley combo.

Ken

 

[caesar]

you rang?

I suppose I qualify as 'an-out-of-touch-elite' on some levels. I have an 'uber' dac with MQA. it's ok, but I'm not in any way excited about it, in fact don't care one way or another about it. it's not even worth discussing much. I have lots of high rez that surpasses it easily and I've not even considered downloading any MQA.

I've not heard or seen any evidence that anyone cares much, outside some industry insiders that have their panties in a bunch, or retailers trying to defend it.

so it's stake holders only involved in any discussion.

Mike, most of the active participants on WBF have elite systems. Obviously, you are more elite than most. And thankfully we all benefit from your experiences and learnings.

yet by "elites" I mean reviewers and industry insiders like Peter McGrath who have "special recordings" no one else can get their hands on.