Lenbrook Acquires MQA!

[ferenc_k]

As far as I remember , although their documentation was not very clear about it, at some point there were claims that the MQA processing would "subjectively correct" for errors in the ADCs used in the recording, improving sound quality of existing digital recordings with common DACs.

Yes. Morten Lindberg from 2L tested and fingerprinted hundreds of ADCs for this.

 

[Daverich4]

Apple Music has no API (so it could not be integrated with other services like Roon)

Apple Music does have an API and can be integrated into other services. However, it does not supply all of the information including data dumps that Roon requires to fully implement their experience.

Apple Music API | Apple Developer Documentation

Integrate streaming music with catalog and personal content.

developer.apple.com

 

[RCanelas]

This is what Roon shows right now: 2 MQA versions and 1 simple 44k 16 bit flac of the same album on Tidal.
There is a choice.

Still didn’t answer my question. I believe I’m expressing myself correctly in clean English, let me know if that’s not the case.

If the master is in mqa, as was the intended final state of this endeavour, how do I have a choice? I know right now we do, for the most part, that’s not the point. I’m trying to show the dystopian world view of the business model of mqa.

 

[Daverich4]

So having a different and unpopular opinion makes me an “evangelist”?

Do I get a private jet like a televangelist? That could be fun.

Evangelist noun

evan·ge·list

: an enthusiastic advocate

an evangelist for physical fitness

I’m not sure why you took offense at my use of the term, that wasn’t my intention. In fact, Guy Kawasaki used to wear the title of Apple Evangelist as a badge of honor when he was promoting Apple many years ago. I think you fit the definition perfectly. You were advocating for MQA on the Steve Hoffman forums more than 5 years ago. You still are. That’s fine but what is the point? Just look at all the acrimony in the posts in this thread since you responded to my post last night. There really is nothing left to cover on the topic other than to give the members here something to fight over.

 

[ferenc_k]

Still didn’t answer my question. I believe I’m expressing myself correctly in clean English, let me know if that’s not the case.

If the master is in mqa, as was the intended final state of this endeavour, how do I have a choice? I know right now we do, for the most part, that’s not the point. I’m trying to show the dystopian world view of the business model of mqa.

I am very sorry for my poor English....

The master is never in MQA.
The master is always PCM, sometimes in (native) DSD.
The PCM master is processed to become MQA. MQA is a distribution format, not a mastering one.
So, there is always a non-MQA version. However, it is the choice of the label (or the musician) what version is made available and distributed.
Even if the master is in 192k/32 bit for example, they can decide that they will not make it available only at 96k and in 44,1k. It is not the decision (generally) of the streaming service or yours. Labels make the decision.

 

[ferenc_k]

Apple Music does have an API and can be integrated into other services. However, it does not supply all of the information including data dumps that Roon requires to fully implement their experience.

Apple Music API | Apple Developer Documentation

Integrate streaming music with catalog and personal content.

developer.apple.com

Thanks for the correction. I know it as we were experimenting with it, as Apple developers, for our experimental streaming app. It is not the API, as you mention properly, that makes integration with Roon possible; this is why I said there is no API (the right one) from them.

 

[RCanelas]

I am very sorry for my poor English....

The master is never in MQA.
The master is always PCM, sometimes in (native) DSD.
The PCM master is processed to become MQA. MQA is a distribution format, not a mastering one.
So, there is always a non-MQA version. However, it is the choice of the label (or the musician) what version is made available and distributed.
Even if the master is in 192k/32 bit for example, they can decide that they will not make it available only at 96k and in 44,1k. It is not the decision (generally) of the streaming service or yours. Labels make the decision.

You know as well as I do that was not the business plan, and that it depended on global scaling monopoly style. You know as well as I do the idea was eventually to release only in mqa, hence the 'white glove' marketing piece. The 'archival format' marketing pieces. The 'master' marketing pieces. You know that the pressure was on the labels to do so, effectively removing the choice, given enough time. It just imploded before that could happen.

I truly believe that is the best thing that could have happened, and I hope the decaying corpse doesn't get resurrected.

 

[ferenc_k]

You know as well as I do that was not the business plan, and that it depended on global scaling monopoly style. You know as well as I do the idea was eventually to release only in mqa, hence the 'white glove' marketing piece. The 'archival format' marketing pieces. The 'master' marketing pieces. You know that the pressure was on the labels to do so, effectively removing the choice, given enough time. It just imploded before that could happen.

I truly believe that is the best thing that could have happened, and I hope the decaying corpse doesn't get resurrected.

I really wonder, how MQA Ltd (a very small company) could put pressure on giants like Warner Music, Universal Music or Sony Music?

 

[RCanelas]

I really wonder, how MQA Ltd (a very small company) could put pressure on giants like Warner Music, Universal Music or Sony Music?

I'm sure you don't lack the imagination.

That very small company managed to convince half the world on what we can all agree are objective lies, a major distribution channel to adopt an inferior but fee-based format, manufacturers to adopt hardware and software changes to their stuff out of fear to be left behind, and so on.

Even an ant can apply effective pressure, given the motivation.

 

[ferenc_k]

I'm sure you don't lack the imagination.

That very small company managed to convince half the world on what we can all agree are objective lies, a major distribution channel to adopt an inferior but fee-based format, manufacturers to adopt hardware and software changes to their stuff out of fear to be left behind, and so on.

Even an ant can apply effective pressure, given the motivation.

I do not think so.

I am sure it is challenging to convince Warner, Universal, Sony, XMOS, AKM, ESS, etc to spend money, time on developing, applying something which is an "objective lie" as you say.

Are you sure they are as stupid as you try to show them?

 

[RCanelas]

I do not think so.

I am sure it is challenging to convince Warner, Universal, Sony, XMOS, AKM, ESS, etc to spend money, time on developing, applying something which is an "objective lie" as you say.

Are you sure they are as stupid as you try to show them?

I'm not trying to show anyone as stupid, on the contrary. The reason why this could have worked is because it is attractive to business. Not necessarily to the underlying art and art industry.

The people behind mqa did believe they could provide us with a stupidity certificate. Have I said any lie or mischaracterized anything about their claims along time? Lossess? Master? Archival format? Higher quality than the original master? Does this story inspire any confidence, at any level?

 

[microstrip]

I'm not trying to show anyone as stupid, on the contrary. The reason why this could have worked is because it is attractive to business. Not necessarily to the underlying art and art industry.

The people behind mqa did believe they could provide us with a stupidity certificate. Have I said any lie or mischaracterized anything about their claims along time? Lossess? Master? Archival format? Higher quality than the original master? Does this story inspire any confidence, at any level?

Can you put a name on "the people behind MQA"? The name I associate with it is Bob Stuart, someone I deeply respect in audio and has been pushing digital sound since long time.

 

[ferenc_k]

I'm not trying to show anyone as stupid, on the contrary. The reason why this could have worked is because it is attractive to business. Not necessarily to the underlying art and art industry.

The people behind mqa did believe they could provide us with a stupidity certificate. Have I said any lie or mischaracterized anything about their claims along time? Lossess? Master? Archival format? Higher quality than the original master? Does this story inspire any confidence, at any level?

We, end users, have no direct relationship with MQA Ltd.
Absolutely nothing,
So they did not have to "provide a stupidity certificate" as you say or to convince us.
They had to convince their industrial partners and potential technology partners.
As roughly 20 million tracks are processed and there are apps and hundreds of hardware decoders available (DACs and headphone amps from 100 USD and up) they could do it properly.

On the other hand, MQA's administration issue show clearly that they did not become rich because of this.

 

[Al M.]

MQA was never about "improving" audio, it was always about distributing audio. This is currently solved in much superior ways, so MQA no longer has a valid position to fill in the technology marketplace...

Yet MQA claimed that their "deblurring" technique designed to correct temporal errors was improving the audio.

 

[microstrip]

Yet MQA claimed that their "deblurring" technique designed to correct temporal errors was improving the audio.

And some people that many audiophiles respect said the same. As I am a Qobuz user I never had the motivation to listen to it, but a few friends that use TIDAL say it sounds very good and better than redbook.

 

[dsyzling]

This is what Roon shows right now: 2 MQA versions and 1 simple 44k 16 bit flac of the same album on Tidal.
There is a choice.

Black Classical Music - Yussef Dayes released 8th Sept 2023 - shows only one version in Tidal for me - FLAC 48khz, 24bit MQA 48khz.

 

[bryans]

That doesn't answer my question at all. If the output of the production is only mqa, as was intended and presented as the best thing since sliced cheese, that's all you have. You have no choice. You can check the Qobuz version, but if the original master is mqa, then the Qobuz version is just mqa reprocessed, probably with the mqa headers removed from the flac, but still with all the artifacts there. Unless someone unfolded it and saved that file for qobuz to serve, but that you can't do... because it is proprietary.

So, how do you choose when there is no choice? This fits the definition of market cornering. I understand you don't care and you choose with your criteria, but others do care about the state of the music industry and consumer rights.

Sorry but I don't really waste brain cells on if something is produced via MQA or not. I really only care about the options I have when I select my music. This is no different than me not worrying about if something is produced in any format.

 

[bryans]

This is what Roon shows right now: 2 MQA versions and 1 simple 44k 16 bit flac of the same album on Tidal.
There is a choice.

Love "The Crusaders"

 

[ferenc_k]

Black Classical Music - Yussef Dayes released 8th Sept 2023 - shows only one version in Tidal for me - FLAC 48khz, 24bit MQA 48khz.

I will check it tommorrow. It is almost 11pm here.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

MQA like Quadraphonic Stereo (oxymoron there) have just been a flash in my rearview mirror. I think the same will be said about ATMOS also.