The Day the page has turned for digital - 1/5/2017

Mdp632 · Jan 5, 2017

The Day the page has turned for digital with MQA - 1/5/2017

http://tidal.com/us/masters

I'm looking forward to this.

rsorren1 · Jan 5, 2017

I'm with you Mdp632. Going to give it a try now via the USB port on MacBook Pro to my DAC and see what it sounds like. I don't have an MQA capable DAC but curious to see what it sounds like.

Mdp632 · Jan 5, 2017

rsorren1 said:
I'm with you Mdp632. Going to give it a try now via the USB port on MacBook Pro to my DAC and see what it sounds like. I don't have an MQA capable DAC but curious to see what it sounds like.

I've been doing some listening on what I have right now just a MacBook Pro with a audioquest dragon fly black portable USB dac. Which isn't mqa but a firmware upgrade has been announced as well today.

Using my Audeze headphones this is much higher resolution than the 16/44 tidal cd quality.

This technology has legs and a future imho. For the first time we are now easily able to stream high resolution audio.

Hopefully we will see the floodgates open now in terms of content.

rbbert · Jan 5, 2017

rsorren1 said:
I'm with you Mdp632. Going to give it a try now via the USB port on MacBook Pro to my DAC and see what it sounds like. I don't have an MQA capable DAC but curious to see what it sounds like.

Apparently if you have the Tidal app and a DAC that does 24/96 PCM, you get a decoded file without needing an MQA DAC?

Mdp632 · Jan 6, 2017

rbbert said:
Apparently if you have the Tidal app and a DAC that does 24/96 PCM, you get a decoded file without needing an MQA DAC?

That is my understanding as well. If you are using the Software decoding of the MQA Desktop Application (Windows/Mac) you are indeed getting 96/24 MQA.

However, adding an MQA DAC allows the higher sample rate.

http://www.monoandstereo.com/2017/01/tidal-master-quality-first-impressions.html

Rhapsody · Jan 6, 2017

I am using non MQA 24/96 Dacs and streaming the MQA files through an Aurender N10 and there is a substantial increase in SQ vs. the same albums that are non MQA.....in my system it is not subtle and I am totally surprised and appreciative of this new path that seems to have opened up....quite something in my opinion and this is without an MQA DAC at the moment.

Previously I have been VERY skeptical of MQA, but after experiencing what I have experienced with these first set of titles available on Tidal in my system I am now "a believer".

Mdp632 · Jan 6, 2017

rvisinta said:
I am using non MQA 24/96 Dacs and streaming the MQA files through an Aurender N10 and there is a substantial increase in SQ vs. the same albums that are non MQA.....in my system it is not subtle and I am totally surprised and appreciative of this new path that seems to have opened up....quite something in my opinion and this is without an MQA DAC at the moment.

Previously I have been VERY skeptical of MQA, but after experiencing what I have experienced with these first set of titles available on Tidal in my system I am now "a believer".

Same here. Please let us know if you get one of MSB Dacs with the MSB MQA USB input installed

I'm considering the Analog DAC myself in the future.

Rhapsody · Jan 6, 2017

Mdp632 said:
Same here. Please let us know if you get one of MSB Dacs with the MSB MQA USB input installed I'm considering the Analog DAC myself in the future.

They have the final beta versions of the new MQA USB module out at CES, it will be available soon. I have to get the new modules for the Select II and Analog DAC of which we use both.

rbbert · Jan 6, 2017

Mdp632 said:
That is my understanding as well. If you are using the Software decoding of the MQA Desktop Application (Windows/Mac) you are indeed getting 96/24 MQA.

However, adding an MQA DAC allows the higher sample rate.

http://www.monoandstereo.com/2017/01/tidal-master-quality-first-impressions.html

MQA is significantly "lossy" above 24/96, so I'm not sure if there will be a real advantage to the nominally higher resolution

ack · Jan 6, 2017

rbbert said:
MQA is significantly "lossy" above 24/96, so I'm not sure if there will be a real advantage to the nominally higher resolution

Where did you see that? I've been studying MQA for months and intended to start yet another thread on it, but I missed that detail...

rbbert · Jan 6, 2017

ack said:
Where did you see that? I've been studying MQA for months and intended to start yet another thread on it, but I missed that detail...

You can probably Google it, there have been threads at computeraudiophile and SH forums. Plus just common sense and a smattering of knowledge; MQA files are significantly smaller than FLAC 24/96, there have even been questions about whether the MQA 24/96 is truly lossless, but in any case Meridian's own description of MQA (the highly technical multi-part one linked in the SH Forums discussion) acknowledges that 24/192 is data lossy.

MadFloyd · Jan 6, 2017

I'm now listening to MQA decoded (via the Tidal desktop app) and agree that it sounds very good.

Now I just need the new version of Roon (1.3) with software MQA decoding... or even better, dCS to deliver an update to decode in hardware.

Very exciting!

Rhapsody · Jan 6, 2017

The problem now is keeping up with the albums that are on the Masters list on the Tidal desktop app.....130 albums yesterday over 400 right now.

MadFloyd · Jan 6, 2017

rvisinta said:
The problem now is keeping up with the albums that are on the Masters list on the Tidal desktop app.....130 albums yesterday over 400 right now.

Are you referring to the Tidal folks or you?

Rhapsody · Jan 6, 2017

Ian, I'm referring to me keeping up with the Tidal folks that seem to be updating their site with new available MQA albums faster than I can absorb them into my favorites on Aurender.

MadFloyd · Jan 6, 2017

rvisinta said:
Ian, I'm referring to me keeping up with the Tidal folks that seem to be updating their site with new available MQA albums faster than I can absorb them into my favorites on Aurender.

I thought that's what you meant... but that's a GOOD problem to have.

Rhapsody · Jan 6, 2017

MadFloyd said:
I thought that's what you meant... but that's a GOOD problem to have.

I know, I literally feel like I am in shock, with this all of a sudden floodgate of MQA albums and they mostly sound great......and that's without a MQA DAC.....it all has me stunned, very unexpected.

still-one · Jan 6, 2017

The count is up to around 400 and with a impressive diversity in genre. So far those that I have sampled via Tidal seem to be sound as good as the MQA albums I had downloaded in the past.

MadFloyd · Jan 6, 2017

still-one said:
The count is up to around 400 and with a impressive diversity in genre. So far those that I have sampled via Tidal seem to be sound as good as the MQA albums I had downloaded in the past.

Hey Jim,

I didn't know one could purchase/download MQA files. I assume these only benefit you if you have the hardware decoding? (I assume you do with your Meridian?)

still-one · Jan 6, 2017

MadFloyd said:
Hey Jim,

I didn't know one could purchase/download MQA files. I assume these only benefit you if you have the hardware decoding? (I assume you do with your Meridian?)

The site Highresaudio.com has been selling MQA files for awhile now. For the most part the selection has been pretty poor with only a few titles that interested me.

I really wasn't expecting the streamed Tidal versions to sound as good as those I downloaded in the past. A couple of tracks I have tried today have stunned me with their SQ. On the Emmylou Harris/Rodney Crowell album title "The Traveling Kind" is a track "Weight of the World" just eliminated the walls in my room.

The Day the page has turned for digital - 1/5/2017

Well-Known Member

Attachments

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor

VIP/Donor

Member Sponsor

VIP/Donor

Member Sponsor

VIP/Donor

VIP/Donor

Member Sponsor

VIP/Donor

Similar threads