I just ripped the 2013 Warner/Rhino box set of Rumours, and Roon’s DR very closely correlates with Roon’s R128 LU value for each track. To be more precise, it correlates exactly to 2 significant digits (rounded up or down from the 3 significant digits of the DR measurement).
I verified that across all 4 CDs from the set – I didn’t rip the DVD.
This is the MQA-Version available on highresaudio.com, and as it’s “authenticated”, it should be the same on Tidal.
A quote from the Bob Talks article on MQA
MQA technology focuses on temporal resolution, channel noise stability and end-to-end blur in analogue domain. MQA system encoders and decoders never impact a recording’s dynamic range.
Chris
Hi yes I wasn’t expecting an impact on DR. I was hoping Warner would relesse the uncompressed version of the HiRes master but to my ears it sounds the same as HDtracks version, ie compressed. Not Meridians fault, moreso wondering why the label couldn’t do this.
I’m afraid that’s the decision of the artist/studio/producers/whoever. Your hearing what they want you to hear at this time.
They can always go back to it in the future. Luckily we can stream it and don’t have to buy it.
Thoughts, Chris
This is not an all encompassing sample size, but here is a look at the DR figures for “Second Hand News” MQA on Tidal.
foobar2000 1.3.1 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2017-03-03 00:59:04
Left Right
Official DR Value: DR9
The DR figure looks fairly consistent with high res “Rumours” this century. In other words, not great, and probably not a new transfer.
AJ
Exactly what my ears suspected. Not the fault of MQA or the artist, as mentioned previously.
It’s just a shame that the label hasn’t used this opportunity to do a new transfer with the MQA team and really produce something special, seeing as their high res effort was something very short of special, as you also hinted.
Oh well, we still have the earlier CD’s with high DR.
A lot of my CD collection are CDs produced before the loudness wars. They sound very very good still. Holding up to even the Hi Res but compressed versions.
Well, last night we had The Frankie Davies Band playing for us at the Little Rabbit Barn. They played a stonking version of Fleetwood Macs ‘The Chain’.
That is a memory that will live in my mind for a very long time. It was incredible, a bit of a statement for them.
Lucky me, we filmed and recorded it.
Live Music is where it’s at and if MQA brings us closer, I’m all for it.