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In Reply to: RE: Dear Jim Austin, posted by rt66indierock on November 14, 2017 at 16:37:25
...I'm very skeptical that a lossy format can sound better than CDs.
It reminds me of the arguments I had with JJ about MP3, a very lossy format he designed using blind listening tests.
Critical listening and comparisons (not blind) are the only thing that matters to me.
For anyone to pay for MQA over 16/44.1 it must sound a LOT better.
Follow Ups:
Well I still can't actually test MQA because all my reference albums aren't available on MQA and they are not obscure. And I doubt Bob Stuart will convert my recordings of harmonicas, banjos and Cajun saw fiddling to MQA and return them to me even though I have met him and have his contact information.
The albums to do preliminary testing that are available in Europe still aren't available in the Valley of the Sun.
The listening I've done certainly doesn't fall into the category of better.
Many if not most of the albums available in MQA format on Tidal are also available in their full hi-res glory on download sites such as HDtracks. I've compared a few of the Warner MQA releases from Tidal to my own DVD-A rips and downloads, via listening. They are close enough that I'm pretty sure the MQA was just encoded from the same hi-res PCM I downloaded. They are definitely different from the CD release.
It is possible to capture the PCM stream after MQA decoding by the Tidal desktop app, and then compare the result with the hi-res download in software. I haven't bothered to do this, but others have.
In the end though, what's the point? Why accept a proprietary lossy codec if we have the bandwidth today to stream 24/96 with an open lossless codec?
Does the desktop app do decoding? I thought that only Firefox was able to detwist, turn and unfold MAQ encoded streams.
When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it. ~ Bernard Bailey
You need to use the desktop app if you want to decode MQA (aka Tidal Masters). The web player will not do it. Also, the web player will only support CD quality lossless (aka Tidal HiFi) in Chrome. If you're using the web player in Firefox, you're getting an AAC stream, up to 320 kbps.
Dave that is what I call listening testing involves more.
My point is, the digital data is available so you can do whatever you think is appropriate to test the performance of MQA. Others already have.
(nt)
Artists and studios good enough?
Apparently there is a good bit there already.So, here's an idea, forget the blind tests, the press and forums, get off our rears and compare an ECM LP to the Tidal MQA version!
If it sounds near as good as the LP, then ... Bob's your uncle!
... someone besides me, I just bought a DAC, an' it don't have MQA ahhhh
Edits: 11/14/17
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