That’s a classic, been enjoying that long before MQA was even a concept.
That’s great…
Thought I’d dip in. Searched this on Tidal (folk singer)(struggled to find it) however, it selected the non MQA version, unlike the other MQA rant thread, where it says MQA is default. Probably an easy explanation. The MQA version is much better, especially noticeable on the guitar string noises. This is through Allo DigiOne Sig into actives. I listened to American Utopia earlier and didn’t find much difference between MQA and non MQA. However that’s just a listening impression, I didn’t count any bits or anything…
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Yes you can hear the distortion of MQA most easily on acoustic guitar, as I have mentioned previously (and given examples).
Folk singer is a great example of MQA distortion. The initial transients of the guitar strings have lower frequencies than you would expect naturally. This is a result of apodizing. Normally the initial pitch of a guitar string is always much higher when plucked (due to physics).
MQA seems able to alter physics and even reverse it. Just listen carefully or pick up a guitar and play along - obvious to musicians with a good ear for pitch.
This is the effect of the transient smearing and blurring that Bob is so proud of.
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All I can say is on my MQA incompatible rig (although otherwise hi-res), the Tidal MQA versions sound just awful. Harsh. Jitter?
I always prefer the straight 16/44 FLAC to the Tidal MQA h-res version.
Others have the same experience?
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No, it sounds more like a real guitar. I was listening carefully, I have two guitars. There I was thinking I was hearing what I was hearing but no. Maybe my whole life is a distortion?
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Perhaps you got a bit of expectation bias?
I listened to the track and the MQA version is much more lifelike. Sorry. Destract as much as you like, MQA sounds better. Have a listen yourself.
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Are they from the same master? I haven’t checked. That would be the first thing I’d check before attributing any difference to MQA.
Whether one version is preferred over the other is down to the individual.
Good point. I should clarify. My perspective for evaluation of the latest and greatest Certified Master Authenticated best thing since sliced bread high-resolution Audio format (aka MQA) is the accuracy and not pleasant compression or euphonic distortion. The fact that MQA blurs the soundstage through minimum phase filters which delay high frequency content with respect to low frequency content is BAD for accuracy. MQA results in a wider soundstage as the imaging is poor as a result, and this may be preferred or sound more natural or less close-microphone studio produced to some or many ears (which I don’t contest). I am simply judging MQA based on the added distortion I hear - it is so obviously less accurate that it beggars belief that anyone would argue to the contrary. That MQA distortion sounds pleasant and desirable to some folks is entirely understandable. Lots of people prefer CD loudness war remasters too. As they say, there is no accounting for taste.
I never heard any distortion, it was glorious in MQA. I play acoustic guitar and see a lot of acoustic live music, so I know what I am listening for… Also I loved the sense of space and of being in the room.
Obviously pitch sensitivity is quite variable, as is the phase distortion from audio systems. When you can’t locate sounds accurately within the soundstage then the room does indeed play a relatively more significant role in what you hear.
If have listen by myself and the MQA version hast disrotion added and sounds awful compared to the non-MQA version.
MQA sounds as lifelike as playing music through a tube amp. Can be pleasing, but it is an altered sound. Try to catch the original vinyl of this recording and compare and I promise you, you will not hear the distortion in the original.
And to say “it sounds more like a real guitar” is funny. I’m being a guitar player for more than forty years now and believe me, any recorded guitar sounds like the audio enineer wants it to sound and “real” is most time not the wanted result.
To all who doesn’t like MQA!
I don’t understand how and why you spending so many hours, on writing about it!
Like someone wrote, you are repeating the same things over and over again!
Complaining about that it’s Distortion, Glorified MP3’s etc…
But MQA won’t disappear no matter how much, you try to write negative things about it! Do you understand what, Or?
I think that you’re don’t like MQA because, you can’t use and play with your precious Filters!
So stop complaining like “Children Who Aren’t Aloud To Play With their Filters”!
I was surprised that to me “Highly Respected Blue Coast Records” well knowing for their Exceptional Acoustic Recordings, like DSD Music…
Have started to selling MQD 24K Gold CDs…
Here’s a link to their Complete Listings Of MQD 24K Gold CDs
Know will you properly wrote that, I’m a “Complete Fool Because”
A MQD 24 Gold CDs isn’t the same as MQA!
Well it’s right, because a MQD is a 24 Gold CD Record!
And MQA is a Streaming Format!
But MQD stands for: Master Quality Disc!
And MQA stands for: Master Quality Authenticated!
So both is Master Quality, but the one who is a Disc is Great and the one who’s Authenticated is Crap, Right?
Since Roon update so we can use Qobuz, have I listened to their Hi-Res Music a lot!
But even if it’s sounds great, so have it become a little flat and boring to listening on!
So yesterday did I came across one of my favorite playlists, but it’s in only MQA!
But I changed DAC and started to play and the sound, wasn’t flat and boring instead so does it have dynamic and that Analog feeling, I just Loving it, thanks for TIDAL Master’s or MQA and B.S Of course Roon for letting us choose MQA or Hi-Res Music…
Love & Respect
String
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May of course depend on what system you’re listening to. Ive played for 43 years on and off. So playing music on my hifi shouldn’t sound “real”? Bugger, all the money I wasted over these years getting a “lifelike” sound. I guess I need someone to come round and show me what non-real real really sounds like.
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I’ll ask…
Sounding real may we’ll depend on what you record. Acoustic music is meant to sound real and believable. Why ever would they do otherwise and mastering engineers that I know work hard to achieve this, MQA or not Analog or Digital.
I have a lovely live recording of Carter Sampson as she tells us about her first time driving through tumbleweed 
Well yeah, going in I assumed it would sound better. For about a month I tried to convince myself that it did, so yeah I had expectation bias. Now I can tell you unequivocally it sounds somewhere between a 320 mp3 and redbook at best. I cant listen to it - have gone back and changed any titles I had put in my library back to Tidal Flac 16/44 or Qobuz highest resolution available.
Was listening to Roon radio blind this morning and wondered why a track sounded harsh, picked up my tablet to look at Roon, and you guessed it. That is what prompted the post.
Maybe others don’t have the same experience, but its garbage in my setup.
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