In the back and forth on the Audiophile Style “MQA is vaporware” thread, John Atkinson never could explain how out of audio band “ringing”, which in addition is very very low level (db), and is the result of an dirac like “impulse response” (that is, not part of real world recordings - microphones can’t record such phenomena), is relevant in any way. He just assumed that because Bob S (and there have been others) say it is, it must be so. The assertion that it is related to “transient behavior” and thus really impacts sound quality, is just that an assertion that is never explained. “Ringing” is part of eccentric audiophiledom…
Great!..now why would you turn around and mis-align the frequencies again with a min phase filtering (which is built into “end to end” MQA)?
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I don’t believe this is the case and probably more goes on than you know.
The EBA in the speakers is to overcome the natural bass delay in speakers that does not occur from an instrument when played.
Great! Now, right after aligning the frequencies with EBA, why would you misalign the frequencies again with min phase filtering, again?
They are not misaligned, this all occurs in DSP within the speaker at the same time as MQA rendering. This also overcomes a design issue with passive speakers in an innovative way.
Correct. This is necessary to correct for audible group delay (loosening of the bass response) in small aesthetic domestic audiophile style vented cabinets. These designs rely on the port to improve LF extension which is limited in a small speaker but this comes at a cost in bass quality.
There are more rigorous solutions
- Smaller speakers should not be vented or ported (tight bass but poor LF extension)
- A very large speaker can work acceptably with a port if the LF cut off is very low. In this case the port just increases efficiency. (Generally too big for a domestic setting but sounds the best)
So…EBA is a correction/replacement of MQA’s min phase filters…perhaps applying linear phase or something? Wait, what about the min phase applied during the MQA’s compression scheme way back “at the studio”?
I never said that at all. EBA is what it is. It works with or without MQA. Digital active speakers are a complicated refined thing and sound sublime.
Agreed entirely: they’re the one way to make absolutely certain leaky filters have the phase issues they were designed for.
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Digital active speakers are a complicated refined thing and sound sublime
What?!
And once again… why minimal is better than linear?
PS. Yours MQA (last suggestion) sounds worse than HD-Tracks material (PCM/hi-res mastering from reel-to-reel). MQA? Too polite, less impact for me.
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Thanks for trashing my speakers, you are welcome to come listen though.
That’s an opinion, which is OK. But it’s just your opinion. I am loving the sound…
True, but you have already said this several times. More on topic, how is that sound related to out of phase filtering…exactly?
Well, as things sound so good, I can’t see any issue with the filtering. Try the latest Michael Bublé Live album in 48k MQA. If you don’t think that sounds amazing, then you have system issues.
How is that? Is min phase filtering “system” dependent, and if so how?
Use your ears on the final audio… you know, the stuff we call music. How does it sound?
Quite the contrary (really) - the snark was for the files, not the speakers. I’m entirely convinced that active, DSP’d speakers are the future.
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Well, the files sound great through the speakers to my ears. So nice that I just cannot grasp peoples issues no matter how much science that is thrown up in the debate.
I hear what is said, but… the sound man, the sound. So good here and the only thing that matters.
I don’t need the details of a fancy car to assess that it drives great.
I’be Just been listening to the ‘A Star is Born’ (2018) soundtrack, and I thought I’d compare the MQA from Tidal, to to the 24/48 stream from Qobuz.
Well, in my system at least, the MQA takes it with a slightly more holographic image, and slightly better definition.
Yes, it was close, but MQA takes it. On this occasion.
Why bring snark into a hobby discussion ? It’s about the music.