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In Reply to: RE: Mastersound (MQA) on Tidal streaming posted by ahendler on January 06, 2017 at 12:43:09
Alan, TubeDriver : It seems that the mystery is solved. Tidal have announced at CES that their desktop player does the MQA decoding. I have to say that this is very attractive to me and I may try a subscription once things have settled a little and I can see what repertoire is on offer (if it is mainly pop and rock then I won't find it worthwhile).
As for the repertoire, at least numerically, Tidal say that they are making 30,000 tracks available " immediately". Looks like that immediate availability is going to take a few days to bring about judging by user reports here.
Follow Ups:
If that is true I need to apologise to everyone for arguing that Tidal is not decoding.
If that is true I don't know why the blue light on my explorer 2 lights up indicating it is getting a MQA file. If it was already decoded why would it light up?
Here is a quote from a press release at CES indicating something else
"For the full MQA experience, including hi-res unpacking, an MQA DAC is required."
So the jury is still out. Need to see a link to a press release from MQA or Tidal confirming they are doing the decoding. It does not make sence. If Tidal decodes MQA people will not flock to buy new MQA dacs including those from Meridian although you would need a MQA dac for MQA downloads
Alan
Edits: 01/07/17
Do you have the MQA software decoding option set to disable?
As I understand it now, you need the following:
1) Latest Tidal app (not browser version)
2) with MQA software decoding enabled, non-native MQA DACs will get some benefit (ie hirez stream at 24/88 or 24/96).This is what I am seeing now.
3) for native MQA DACs, you can disable the Tidal software decoding and get the actual MQA stream which should light up your DAC. You need to insure that the Tidal app is set to allow exclussive access or your OS may up/down sample and effect the integrity of the MQA stream.
when I use 'Exclusive Mode', at least on 2L Nordic Sound tracks.
That said, 'Sailing to Philadelphia' track sounds as good or even better than a ripped CD, or so it seems to me. Not sure my version are is from the same CD?
And sound good as well, if you like that sort of thing. ;-)
Here's the Computer Audiophile story from CES which is where I picked it up. I also checked the Tidal website and "Master", as they are referring to it, is now shown as a benefit to subscribers to the hifi service but no mention is made to any external decoder being required.
NB: I have been aware that Tidal were developing something along these lines for along time. I gather it has not been straightforward to implement. When I say a long time I was discussing this possibility with guys from MQA and Tidal (together) at a show in in London in January 2015. Obviously they were not in any position to indicate more than it was a concept being looked at.
Regards
Pete
when streaming TIDAL, it's not a hardware implementation after all.
It's just the part of MQA that folds a 'Hi Rez' file/stream into a 16/48 packet.
Which is all I was looking for anyway.
Now we need them to do that to the entire classical catalog.
" Now we need them to do that to the entire classical catalog."
Yes indeed. I am going to hang back for a couple of weeks as Tidal load their initial offering onto their servers. Then I will take the trial period offered and see what is what. Can I afford or justify both Tidal and Qobuz?
I understand that most of the first titles are sourced from Warners which may mean that a lot of the old EMI catalogue will be available as well as Warner originals (fingers crossed). Reading between the lines on other MQA stories that have emerged over the past year, UMG may be the next.
Incidentally, did you manage to get that UK subscription to Qobuz? I have come to much prefer the beta desktop player to the old one despite its minor failing with certain lengthy track titles.
If you are looking for EMI classical stuff there is almost none on tidal right now but they continue to load new stuff. I am sure classical will get the least attention
Alan
I am sure that you are right about classical getting the least attention. However when you say almost no EMI stuff is on Tidal, do you mean just relating to MQA encoded or in a more general sense? In referring to EMI classical this is, of course, back catalogue now labelled as Warner. Is this what you mean? I am not expecting anything classical with an actual EMI attribution since Warner Classics purchased the marque.
Thanks in advance.
Regards
Pete
I did notice there are several Von Karajan MQA files
Alan
Thanks Alan. However most of HvK's recordings are on DGG. Only the early ones with (mainly)the Philharmonia Orchestra and L'Orchestre de Paris are EMI originated and now on Warner. So HvK being on Tidal isn't in itself a guide to the availabilty of the ex-EMI catalogue. However see below.
On to something that may be of interest to you. I was checking a report from the closing day of last year's RMAF in regard to MQA. It now looks as if things are going to plan as the article says that all of the Warner catalogue had ( at that point in October) been MQA encoded and that Sony and UMG are anticipated to be ready by the coming Spring. So that indicates that the HvK tracks are the EMI ones (DGG not apparently yet being ready for adding to Tidal's MQA database). It is looking very interesting for later this year.
Regards
Pete
I seem to be managing, but I don't have or pay for cable TV!
And I also justified ClassicsOnlineHD until the cut their catalog to just NAXOS and affiliates.
There is significant overlap, but still quite a bit of stuff available on TIDAL that, while showing up on QOBUZ, will not play more that 30 sec. and is there mostly to prompt paid downloads. :-(
I get the blue light on my Explorer 2.
could be two things, you have to bypass software decoding, and also if he got the explorer 2 awhile ago there's a firmware update to MQA for it.
blue light works for me. Also it goes higher than 96khz for me.
I got it working again. Had to turn on "Use exclusive mode" The strange thing is the blue light comes on whether passthrough is on or off
Alan
Which operating system are you using? I believe there's probably what they call a handshake with the verification of the codec to the hardware.I'll be looking into DACs that have hardware MQA now. How is the explorer? Looks like I'll have to blow away my bonus on something. Just as I upgraded my DACa few months ago.
This is crazy, really,
Edits: 01/07/17
I'll be spending this weekend checking it out.do you have any articles or press release links that verify this?
Update, there's a lot of confusion about this here, I checked out the computer audiophile web site, lots more technical discussion on this there.
I'm updating my MacBook Pro to Sierra OS right now, I will do some listening this weekend.
I'm using Tidal Macosx app into Auralic Vega via USB. Should be ok, sounded ok just this morning was playing Black Sabbath, which I am very familiar with have lots of SACDs and CDs of their albums. Just want to update to newest OS if there were any sound improvements first.
Edits: 01/07/17
As requested:
Thanks, should be no difference, Just for shits and giggles I got a Meridian Explorer 2 coming today from Amazon.
Edits: 01/07/17
If Tidal is decoding MQA in there app then you would not need the explorer. I still don't think this question is answered. We need the guys from Stereophile or absolute sound to tell us what is really happening with Tidal.
Alan
From a business standpoint, this would make perfect sense. I would rather collect revenue from licensing millions and millions of albums using MQA through streaming services than getting something from licensed DACs which is surely a MUCH smaller market?
Honestly I don't think they know either,
Getting great results with tidal on the Mac.
Cheers!
Tidal MQA files decoded by my Explorer 2 sound really good. Certainly better than the identical non MQA files. Don't know yet if it sounds better than my Audio-GD Master 7. Haven't had enough time to compare yet
Alan
Listening to Black Sabbath self titled, it is at 96khz here on my Auralic Vega in direct mode, do you have any tracks where all 3 lights light up and also have the blue dot saying it is a verified MQA stream on the explorer 2?I should get mine tomorrow weather permitting, there have been rumors the software decoding limits to 96 which would be the second light, and MQA hardware would have the third light light up when in direct mode if the stream is verified and indeed higher than 96khz using a proper handshake.
Again all speculation I have read.
Thinking you have to have MQA setup to pass through to bypass the tidal decoder and let the hardware do its thing.
Edits: 01/07/17 01/07/17
That sounds great in theory but I think the Tidal decoded MQA files do not all sound as good as their normal 16/44 files. Maybe my ears are borked or maybe my DAC is having some weird issue with the decoded files? At least some of the MQA files sound significantly worse, although others may not (Natalie Merchant TiggerLilly sound terrible, Fleetwood Mac Rumors sounds good).
So I am sitting here thinking the sounds on the Master version of Natalie Merchant TigerLilly "Seven Years" actually sounds slower than the Tidal 16/44 version. So I look at the time stamp on the two versionsTidal 16/44 = 5 minutes and 30 seconds
Tidal Master MQA = 5 minutes 35 seconds
Is that to be expected? Where are the extra 5 seconds coming from?
Edits: 01/07/17
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