MQA disappointing

Agreed - listened to streamed Tidal MQA version via Roon on both my non MQA Devialet/ Dynaudio system setup and Audeze LCD - 4 Headphones with Poly Chord Mojo - sounds really good on both non MQA Hardware setups with far more detail with a very vinyl like sound when rendered via both abovementioned outputs.

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I also find myself wondering why most mqa tracks sound worse to me than 16 bit 44.1. I also wonder if I am getting my second unfold from my ps audio ds jr. I don’t see a render in the signal path.

Want to know how good MQA is ? Play this

I’ve only played a couple of tracks with first unfold via Roon and the through my Meridian system and Trifield. It sounds amazing…

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While Chris does is his usual rah rah for MQA, you should start a new thread with regards to your DS Jr, post a picture of your playback chain when playing MQA and one of your MQA setting and tag support.

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Hi @Chrislayeruk,
this album sounds really fantastic. I have it as a 24/88.2 download (FLAC)…

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And that’s the point really, isn’t it? It’s a well recorded album so it will sound good played between two cans joined with a bit of string.

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I never got that to work as a kid!

You’d need an audiophile string you know? Like a Nordost or so… :wink:

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And your point is? Clearly MQA Studio is doing no harm…

Thx for the heads up. I could only find the MQA version on Tidal so I will give that a listen. Normally I select CD quality over MQA due to the audible added distortion from MQA.

It’s not doing anything. But you do get a nice light that comes on.

A bit like homeopathy, but with audio.

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If you say so, clearly you know best of course. Everyone else is lieing and I am deluded. I see it all now… lol :joy:

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Well, that’s true, the ‘distortion’ and ‘aliasing effects’ caused by MQA filter compared to a typical standard PCM filter.

The effects can be pleasing to the ears when subjected to predominant 2nd harmonics distortion. There’s no harm listening this sort if you like it. This may not be the actual sound coming from the original master tape, which is intended to convey to the listener in the first place.

Play the ball not the man, Chris. You know the rules here. Which is to say that mild sarcasm is not allowed, given the posts I’ve had downvoted out of existence by the forum police.

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I bought a car from whom I thought was The Peter Frampton. Elderly well spoken gent with a strong English accent and an air of someone who enjoyed himself a bit too much in his youth. I asked him who he last toured with and he told me David Bowie and the glass spiders. I was hooked and ended up with a beautiful Roadrunner. Started boasting to my mates and one said “Peter Frampton, the guitarist or the makeup artist?..” bit of a silence before doing some homework and yes turned out to be Peter Frampton the make up artist. He won an Oscar for his work in Bravehart and travelled with David Bowie doing his make up. Runs a make up school on the Gold Coast. Scored a pretty amazing car.

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Peter Frampton? When it comes to used cars, I would settle for nothing less than a John Voight owned LeBaron.

AJ

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One could argue is anything in the home though.

Perhaps you have good ears and a good setup or both!

I’m kind of mesmerised by the SQ of MQA at times; it is like listening to analog tape and vinyl with a lot of distortion in it. DSD on the other hand do sound a lot like vinyl but the absence of distortion tends to sound a bit ‘clean’ at times.

I know this is not what is intended for the listeners but I don’t mind this type of SQ. I own vacuum tube amplifiers and it’s purpose is to make the sound more ‘analogue’ and less ‘digital’. I’m an audiophile not a Pro.

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I’ve been listening to this album.

I don’t like the MQA company, I’m suspicious of their business model and see it as an attempt to extract royalties across the chain of production/delivery and have said so on this site and others.

However, having compared the MQA and the standard flac on Roon/Tidal, to my ears the MQA is better. (Just first “unfold” to a good quality dac) The bass is tighter, fuller and just more defined.

The acoustic guitars have better fine detail. Like when you put new strings on.

Caveat: the MQA may be slightly louder. I tried to level match it by ear but there’s not much in it really.

Why this is I have no idea and no way of knowing whether it’s the same master etc.