The emperor’s robes are still magnificent.
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This is my first post on the Roon community site. I know I could have started somewhere less polarized but the subject’s close to my heart. I’ll state up front that I have a personal and professional preference for open formats and standards. My background’s in software engineering but I’m not an audio professional. It does allow me to appreciate the work that’s gone into Roon, I love well realised software produced by good developers.
While I might have nothing new to say I believe the points against MQA are worth reiterating. The format is an attempt to restrict some of the freedoms enjoyed by DAC developers, digital audio consumers and studios. At the same time we’re expected to pay license fees for the privilege of using a technically inferior format, FLAC is my personal weapon of choice. We’re pretty much at the endgame for digital audio quality in regard to file formats available. I feel it’s a duty to speak out against any injustice until it’s stopped. It’d be remiss of me to not let my voice be heard and state my objections.
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DAC manufacturers do not have to make MQA DACs. Make a stance if you don’t agree, just don’t build them.
Duty? This is a hobby.
Injustice? Well, hardly.
Until it’s stopped-sounds a bit fanatical…
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OK guys let’s all take a breather on this one. Enough is enough of the personal cr@p this morning.
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I don’t agree, but I do love Killdozer! “This is the story of Flannery O’Conner”…
Injustice wasn’t the greatest choice of word, unfairness would be a better choice. I was endeavouring for a non-fanatical tone but the final couple of sentences missed that mark. I’ll confess to a strong dislike of proprietary file formats. I’ll expand on this in another post when I have more time. Apologies if I’ve inadvertently fanned the flames when aiming for constructive debate.
Well we agree on something 
Killdozer in full flow were a sound and sight to behold.
I fondly recall seeing them at CBGB w/ Michael standing on a box sand singing an insane version of “Unbelievable”. Wisconsin’s finest.
Roon Users!!!
MQA disappointing.
Created May 18 2018.
Today it’s February 18 2019!
Isn’t it time to STOP 
? Discuss about it?
We have spent 9 Months! B. S haven’t closed and stopped MQA!
The numbers of DAC’s who’s handles it, have grown!
Is there possible to say/write anything more about MQA!
That’s we ain’t already have said/wrote!
It’s like a self going machine that just repeating it self!
Maybe the things that we saying/writing have different words, but it’s only another way to express what’s already been said/wrote before!
Absolutely Nothing New!
But it’s only my opinion!
Love & Respect
String
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Here’s a quick(ish) argument against proprietary file formats. I’ve avoided audio formats initially but the issues are similar. I think it offers a different perspective to most of the previous posts.
Consider an author in the 1990s using Microsoft Word to write a novel. The software saved the information in a proprietary and undocumented binary file. They now need a Word license to access their own intellectual property. Say our imaginary author goes on to fame and fortune without finishing this work. If they shuffle of this mortal coil this early unfinished work would be of considerable interest to researchers. Trying to put together the combination of hardware, probably virtual, and software needed to access the information might not be straightforward. To their credit Microsoft addressed these concerns somewhat. Word products now use zip packages containing XML files and the format is an ISO standard.
This problem gets worse with more complex formats. There are industries with long term retention requirements using complex formats. One example is aerospace CAD designs for aircraft. While a model of plane is in operation, this can be 50 years, these designs need to be accessible in case of problems. Backward / cross application compatibility in CAD software isn’t always great.
My worry with MQA is that labels will start to release their high quality content as MQA only. This makes sense:
- it offers a way to re-sell content, MQA version x anybody; and
- why release an open, higher quality copy when you’ve invested money in MQA.
This is the potential to restrict choice for the industry and consumers that I referred to in my earlier post. It could also present problems for consumers, professionals and researchers (sound archives) in the future, if MQA disappears and aspects of the format remain difficult to reverse engineer. For some of these people it’s more than just a hobby and access to the highest quality version possible is important. Given the choice in the long term, I’d rather be faced with a collection of PCM files in a well documented and open format.
In my day job I’ve thought about these issues a lot over the last couple of decades. If I was to try to introduce a DRM Trojan horse for audio it would probably look a lot like MQA.
For my part this is a hobby and I’m not totally fanatical about sound quality. My portable solution is still my venerable 5th gen iPod classic with 320 MP3s and relatively inexpensive IEMs. I’ll not labour these points with continuous posts. The excellent room equalisation thread looks very interesting. I’ll also be working on a guide for optimising Linux and Roon on virtual machines and NUC devices.
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Killdozer,
Audiophiledom is not like the rest of the consumer electronic industry. It has a very strong, art & wine radical subjective element. This aspect is jealously guarded by (some) audiophile consumers themselves. Unfortunately, the role and importance of ‘file formats’ is lost on them in large part, and even when it is understood such things are sacrificed because Audiophiledom is about chasing the dragon of yet another sound quality tweak. The old joke about audiophiles being willing to punch their grandmother for a .01% improvement comes to mind.
Bob S knew his audience, and positioned MQA as a sound quality tweak. Objectively, no evidence has been found to support this, and a whole heap of evidence to contradict it. However, audiophiles are subjectively committed to their tweaks - evidence and reality is all quite besides the point.
I say all this to point out that even though what you say is true, and needs to be said, just understand that for many (most?) in this hobby DRM is perfectly acceptable for a perceived .01% tweak 
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Not a joke that I have heard before, and also neither very funny nor witty.
However, audiophiles are subjectively committed to their tweaks - evidence and reality is all quite besides the point.
You seem happy to use the word ‘Audiophile’ in a pejorative way which is a little strange. Would you not classify yourself as an Audiophile? I would think that everyone on this forum with a love of music to the extent that you feel that the fairly hefty subscription to buy into Roon and possibly a high quality streaming service must surely own a reasonable music playback system. What then constitutes the award of a badge of honour such as ‘Audiophile’. Actually the definition of the word ‘Audiophile’ does not suggest that the term should be viewed as pejorative.
The definition of the term ‘Audiophile’ is simply that of “someone who is interested in high fidelity sound reproduction”. If you believe that you don’t fall into this category, then I would suggest that your arguments against the introduction of inferior and “lossy MQA” are made under false pretences.
What audio playback equipment do you own? I hazard a guess that there will be some people out there who would class you as being an ‘audiophile’ or ‘audiofool’ for choosing your level of hi-fi kit and for being interested in anything other than MP3 audio files from the likes of Spotify or Amazon.
By the way, I speak as someone who uses standard cat6 ethernet cable (maybe choosing cat6 rather than cat5 or cat5e classifies me as an audiophile?), and someone who has never been interested in the minutia of things like hi-fi cable dressing. I do have a reasonably good hi-fi system though, so I guess that does bring me into the 'audiophile category.
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crenca’s comments are probably designed to rile. When everything has been said, which it has, something else is needed to keep the topic and thus the campaign alive. Provoking discussion by being controversial or provocative is just that. All has been said, repeatedly but the campaign must go on (and on and on). This isn’t about music, hifi, file formats. It’s about the campaign…stupid.
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Isn’t number 1 Bob Stuart? Wouldn’t he be the biggest supporter? Or are you just being “clever” and personal?
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lol! You should do stand up hmack!
That pic was taken after Meridian opened their doors to a group of us on the Hitchhikersguidetomeridian forum. We had a factory tour, lunch and demonstrations etc.
If you know the forum, you will know that they don’t hold back on criticism of Meridian should they feel the need.
It was a great day out and there are plenty of MQA lovers there but MQA was not a thing back then. Yes, I am no 18.
I think you should consider taking a long break from posting anything to do with Meridian or MQA, for the sake of your credibility.
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Who made you the king of the forum? really, I’d like to know. I added information so my position was clear.
I have Meridian Hi Fi, I always have had and I like the sound. I think Meridian make great equipment (other brands are available)
I consider Meridian and Bob Stuart’s achievements stand for themselves and, horror upon horror… I like the sound of the MQA music I hear. I also like well produced CD music and great live music.
If you have any issues with that, get over it. This is not the place for it.
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