Alma Audio - Wilson Alexia 2 introduction - MQA on MSB Reference DAC!

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
(...)
Peter sent some of those files (WAV) to the folks at MQA, and what he got back was stunning. These are recordings that Peter knows intimately,and yet he was floored by how much MORE information was hidden in there.

Thanks - I have listened to the original files during Wilson demos carried by Peter.

Considering that these 24/88.2 files sound better when encoded in MQA and decoded in MQA compatible DACs, perhaps some day we will have DACs that can encode e decode? Why is an alternative file format needed?
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
3,711
723
1,200
San Diego, CA
almaaudio.com
Well, that's actually a pretty astute question! Given that DACs today (and their FPGAs) are fairly powerful, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible from a technical standpoint!

But from what I understand of the MQA process, it needs to understand a couple of things about the original recording, like which recorder/ADC was used, for instance... If that can be factored in a real-time conversion process, it'd be beautiful :)



cheers,
alex
 

mauidan

Member Sponsor
Aug 2, 2010
1,512
11
36
Pukalani, HI
We had a blast last night, with a full house, great sound, and fantastic music!

Thanks for stopping by, Dave! The DAC we used was actually the MSB Reference with one power supply, not the SELECT. So there's even more to be had :) We'll have the SELECT back in the system soon enough...

People also commented on the performance of the MSB 204 amps. Given Peter's preference for playing loud (that I also share!), a class A amp might not've been the right choice, but THOSE amps were perfect! Loud or quiet, they were unstoppable on the Alexia 2s. They do get warm, though, as you'd expect them to...

Peter's recordings and MQA demos is one of the reasons I'm a believer now. If you dig through the MQA stuff on Tidal, there's plenty of incredible stuff out there, both analog and digital recordings, and with just about every major label backing MQA, I'll have to agree with Dave that it'd be silly to get a DAC today that is not MQA compatible or at least modular enough that it could be upgraded in the future.

I have some pics and commentary here:

https://almaaudio.com/blogs/news/8-22-wilson-audio-alexia-2-launch-event


thanks,
alex

Looks like an AARP meeting.;-)
 

still-one

VIP/Donor
Aug 6, 2012
1,632
150
1,220
Milford, Michigan

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
3,711
723
1,200
San Diego, CA
almaaudio.com
I can't remember seeing wilsons out into the room as you have. No doubt the wilson folks have them sounding good, just not common to see them as shown. How does the GS150 play in this setup?

Hi Bob!

Yes, the positioning was a leap of faith that Peter McGrath took, based on our weird room and listening preferences for deep soundstages. We've had the Sabrinas in about this position before, and it was mind-blowing, so we figured we'd start right about there and see what happened :)
It was gorgeous, full (yet precise) bass, and incredible depth and layering.
Expect to see a lot more unconventional stuff now that we're a Wilson dealer :) We'll be at the Anaheim show with 3 rooms, 2 of them with Wilsons!
As for the GS, haven't had a chance to put them on just yet, just the MSB 204 and the D'Agostino Momentums. Will do soon enough, as I'm curious myself, given how amazing the GS150 are with the YGs!


cheers,
alex
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing