OMG. I just compared the MQA version of this and the 44.1/16 standard version, and at least through my Matrix Mini Pro 3 MQA DAC via microRendu 1.4 in the office, the standard version wiped the floor of the MQA and it only took about :30 seconds of listening to the MQA version and then switching. I can see how perhaps the MQA version sounds better on a phone or a Sonos, Bose etc setup, but on a decent hifi rig it sounds like a big curve was added to the MQA one in order to accentuate the upper and lower ends, and just doesnât sound like a real resonant piano anymore. I canât believe ECM has bought into this scheme considering they are so much about the recording quality.
Case closed - Iâll always opt for the standard version now. A bit extra work but worth it.
âWhy canât Roon both decode and render MQA?â
Does not fit into the marketing strategery of this proprietary black box lossy encoding (i.e. software). When trying to understand MQA, the first, second, and last thing to do is follow the $money$. For example ask yourself âHow does Roon doing both contribute to the cash stream to MQA/labels?â
Iâve mentioned this several times. Play a standard redbook CD. As soon as it finishes play a MQA track. Listen as the volume immediately goes up. Why? To make the sound more dynamic.
No Red Book is CD quality (PCM 16 bit 44.1 Khz) and is recorded on ânormalâ level. DSD (PWM) is normally recorded 6db lower than CD quality (Red Book) because of the higher dynamic range of the DSD format.
MQA is an end to end system and you need an MQA aware DAC to reap the full benefits. MQA is backward compatible and will play anywhere if you donât have one.
The second sentence is incorrect. The MQA sample rate shown by Tidal app is not the output rate, which you can only see from a non-MQA DAC with a sample rate display.
Tidal desktop app, Audirvana and Roon cannot do MQA rendering, for reasons I stated above in post #7. Nothing with a digital output could do. MQA rendering is limited to analog output only.
To my ears, MQAâs SQ lies somewhere between Redbook CD and 320 MP3. But if Chris and others prefer MQA, so be it. I will not be hurt or offended by their disagreeing with me. None of the technical arguments about the superiority of this over that mean diddlysquat. All that matters is how much each of us enjoys what we are hearing, no matter what format, no matter what genre, no matter whatever.
DSD is usually recorded either at the same max level as non DSD, and sometimes even higher. But, it usually also uses less compression, so that can give the feeling that the overall volume is less, as our brain uses average volume to judge loudness, not max volume.
