Hi-Rez Highway

New high resolution SACD releases, players and technology.

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If I have the 24 bit master file, MQA is of no value to me...

Posted by Ivan303 on March 29, 2017 at 20:49:01:
What folks have on their shelves are CDs.

What TIDAL and other lossless streaming services are streaming is 16/44.1 Lossless FLAC. What they are calling 'CD Quality'.

Like it or not, the bulk of all music currently sitting on consumer's shelves are on CD.

Yes, folk do download Hi-Rex, and they do, on occasion, purchase an odd SACD or two. I have a hundred or so. Some like myself have thousands of LPs but not many folks do.

OK, kids are streaming and downloading MP3 files, but that's a different topic for another day.

So all MQA has to do to justify its existence is better the Redbook CD.

Why?

Because Redbook CD is the existing standard. Redbook CD is the format that is currently in the the hands of the bulk of consumers, NOT the master file.

MQA does not have to meet master file sound quality (how could it if it's a 'lossy' codec?) because the 'average' consumer will NEVER hear a master file.

All it has to do is sound better than a Redbook CD.

Does it?

Who knows?

Some audio reviewers say it does(but who trusts them). ;-)

TIDAL's MQA MASTERS sound better to my ears than TIDAL 'HiFi' (16/44.1 Lossless FLAC) with the Meridian Explorer USB DAC.

Better than a ripped CD on the same computer with the same Meridian USB DAC?

Don't know, haven't tried it.

On the plus side, MQA seems to have given you something to live for, so there's that.