No more please. if you guys want to continue your off topic argument please do it via PM.
I cannot read this endless thread, so apologies if someone else has said it. But, when my TIDAL on my LG phone updated and began to properly do MQA the difference was shocking. I wasn’t actually aware it had updated and I was wondering why does it sound so good. Carry on.
2 Likes
Interesting. You heard a difference on your phone. I’m not a Tidal user, but that would make me wonder if there is a default, low res feed to a device like a phone, but it you choose MQA it forces a better quality stream from Tidal.
I had a high quality stream from Tidal. That’s why I was surprised. Music sounded much more refined.
You have to have a Tidal Hi Res account to get Masters.
1 Like
Dolby TrueHD, used in Archival Disc Blu-ray and HD DVD, employs MLP, They found success somewhere else ……So Not Dead!
1 Like
Good point. They say that. Its bullshit. Pure.
This album sounds so good in 44K MQA that I keep playing it. Not sure how they do it but it shows super high bit rates aren’t everything.
1 Like
Yes, it’s evident you can’t change the record.
2 Likes
Well, I wouldn’t call it disappointing in any way, it’s a classic…
Tried full MQA decoding vs Qobuz and Qobuz is still the winner with vocals having more air around it and solid sounding, and bass feel more impactful. They sound much closer to each other than having roon do first unfold and sending to HQPlayer.
Used ifi micro testing The Beatles White Album, Andrew Bird’s Are You Serious, and Beck’s Sea Change. With Sea Change I can’t be sure it’s same master since MQA was 24/192 and Qobuz is 24/96. But you’d think MQA should win in that case and Qobuz was still better. The Beatles’s Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is very easy to tell how much better Qobuz sounds. More extended if both directions, more air, bigger soundstage.
I was actually a big supporter of MQA in the beginning but now with Qobuz (beta) and soon to be available in US, MQA doesn’t make a lot of sense since the true hires sound better and streaming it in this day and age is not an issue. No reason to try and make file smaller if it’s going to affect the sound.
Also just tried that new Santana album and once again Qobuz is the winner. The guitar has just a bit more twang to it and bass little more impactful. I also find vocal alway more precise with the hires file than MQA.
1 Like
Highlighting the key takeaway from all these comparisons.
1 Like
Nice smooth shimmering sound from one of my favourite drummers Narada Michael Walden who produced this. A little over compressed but nice sound overall. Unfortunately Rick Ruben will produce the forthcoming album - so we can likely expect another heavily compressed album like Supernatural.
What struck me is that the vocalist on Lovers from Another Time sounds just like Alex Litgerwood!
Good find!
1 Like
I have recently acquired Roon and I agree with you. Roon’s MQA decoding sounds as good or at least very nearly as good as decoding on my fully MQA enabled DAC (also the Mytek Broolyn+).
A big bonus for me as I can also now achieve MQA decoding (not to mention DSD transcoding to hi-res PCM) from Roon to my main system (Linn Klimax DS/1) which doesn’t support either DSD or MQA.
A win/win for me.
This link will upset some people but here it is…
At what point does enthusiasm for something spill over into outright shilling?
Asking for a friend.
2 Likes
Really?
What a strange question!
1 Like
Not very long before you start getting free auditing from the Scientology Talk Usage for Audiophiles Response Testing organisation, most likely…
As you joined 6 days ago, you’ve got 3-4 years of forum reading to catch up on. When you have, you’ll realise it really isn’t a strange question.
1 Like
I’m not sure I dare if the last couple of posts are anything to go by.
Have I stumbled across some sort of secret society?
Scientology auditing! - some people do seem to have an almost evangelical dislike of anything remotely positive that is said about MQA.
My view is simply that life is too short to get so worked up about something that isn’t genuinely that important in the grand scheme of things.
2 Likes