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In Reply to: RE: 2 weeks of MQA thoughts posted by bigshow on January 18, 2017 at 14:05:09
I have the Meridian Explorer 2 and compared to an Auralic Vega.Meridian Explorer 2 sounds plastic and tinny. Good for $199 which is what it is going for now but no more than that.
I'll be on the lookout for a proper MQA DAC that is not a toy.
Edits: 01/18/17Follow Ups:
I'll be on the lookout for a proper MQA DAC that is not a toy.
The Mytek Brooklyn DAC supports MQA and it's $2000. I haven't kept up, any other DACs out there TODAY that support MQA that are NOT little 'toys'?
As well as the NAD pieces listed in another posting, MQA now lists models from MSB, Brinkmann, Bel Canto etc. ( see link). None of these can be considered as "toys".
Apparently dCS have a firmware version of the full decoder running at their factory but are only considering releasing it once the MQA market is reasonably sizeable. Also bad news for me as new firmware upgrades from them are, reasonably, normally only made available in respect of current models - mine now being out of production :-(.
I wonder how much MQA equipped hardware will be launched at the Munich show in May?
You can configure Tidal to passthrough MQA and the MQA DAC will do all of the decoding. That is one of the benefits of the MQA DACs.
I'm not sure how much money the next step up in the Meridian line is which can do the same, but the Explorer 2 was only $199 on Amazon if you want a taste. The Explorer 2 is not something to base the full blown MQA experience on however if you do have an itch for something better.
Overall the Meridian Explorer 2 sounds very good for what it is worth, I bought mine on amazon for $199.
In terms of the Brooklyn DAC I'm not aware of any other DAC that doesn't look like a toy besides a step up in the Meridian line. That one is called the Meridian Ultra DAC.
I read your other post about the Mytec, if you do get it let us know how it goes. There is a lack of MQA DACs right now.
The Meridian Ultra Dac is $23,000
Alan
It is a real mistake to call the Meridian a toy. In a good system it sounds quite good. Bob Harley gave it an excellent review
Alan
Merely stating my own experience, you said the same about your Master 7 sounding better.
It sounds quite good, however if one is to take MQA seriously there has to be more options. Particularly in the entry level space ($2-4K).
Perhaps it does take $23,000 and a good system to get good results.
My system is not up to any level to properly listen to a $23,000 DAC and make a decision, I've been properly put in my place.
"I've been properly put in my place"
Who is putting you in your place? Not me. Tidal has been streaming for 3 weeks now. Way to early to reach any definite conclusions about Tidal.
As I said above we will still be having these discusions a year from now. Hell, we still debate ss vs tubes and analog vs digital. I like what I am hearing from Tidal through both the Meridium and the master 7. That's all I've said
Alan
When I said I've been properly put in my place I was referring to the $23,000 DAC which is pretty expensive for my wallet, that and the choice between the $200 Explorer 2.What else is there?
When I mentioned Frustration before, I have two options one $200 the other $23,000.
I picked the $200 one and am not impressed. I'm not about to spend $23,000 to find out if MQA is worth it. I cancelled Tidal, I'll be patient.
This is an interesting topic to me, it could make or break the industry's credibility.
Edits: 01/19/17
There is the Mytek Brooklyn dac at $1995. As far as breaking the industries credibility this has happened many times before. When solid state came out many people hated it. Same for CDS. Although many people like SACD it has not really been a commercial success. Same with DSD. The industry is always changing. There is now more money spent on streaming and downloads then sale of CDS. Also for the first time more people are streaming then downloading. The industry has been pushing MQA relentlessly but the general public has never heard of MQA. Just us. We all need to relax and go back to listening and enjoying music.
Alan
Even other audiophools haven't heard of MQA. I read about it just this past weekend on this thread. My guess is that it is DOA, just another format that matters to too few people to make any headway. It is on a smaller streaming service, requires a monthly upgrade fee, needs special equipment, doesn't work on an iPhone and an add-on DAC costs $2k? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Most people don't even buy decent headphones and just use what came with their phone.
I've played around with some 24/96 on my home system and then always just go back to vinyl. 24/96 does sound good, and I'm sure the other hi-res formats may even be better, but it just isn't convenient.
Most of what you have said here is incorrect. Tidal is not a small streaming service. You can also download MQA files. There is no upgrade fee. It is playable on any dac with 90% of the benefits of MQA. There is no $2000 upgrade fee. In fact the Audioquest Dragon Red and Black is upgrading to MQA decoding with no charge. I suspect you have never heard MQA. If so, why comment on it? By the way, Sprint just invested 200 million dollars into Tidal. Small indeed
Alan
Edits: 01/24/17
OK, I'm buying the Dragonfly Black, so we'll see about sound. I have no doubt that 24/96 or better will sound good. I'll sign up for Tidal's free trial when it comes, the DAC is out of stock everywhere.
That doesn't change my opinion that it won't be more than a niche product and will fail in the broader market.
What some people on this site fail to realize we are all part of a niche industry
The bulk of consumers have never heard of any of the companies we buy equipment from. They know about Bose and that's it Do you really think that Meridian who developed MQA real sells there gear to the general public. So for MQA to succeed it just has to catch on with the bulk of audiophiles. If the general public gets to like it listening to music on there I-Phones, that will be a bonus. A big one but a bonus. SACD is a niche product. DSD and Hi-Rez is a niche product.Enjoy your dragonfly and have fun playing with Tidal. If you like MQA, great. If not, no big deal. It's still all about enjoying music
Alan
My SimAudio Moon dac cost 15 times the Meridian Explorer. It sounds great with Tidal doing the partial decode. I won't be running out to get a new MQA dac. However it is great to have Tidal streaming sound so good without buying new equipment. I can't find a downside. Anything that makes music sound better is pretty great.
bigshow
If your moon DAC has multiple digital filter options, did you find one that seemed to work better than the others with Tidal's MQA stream?
_
Ken Newton
Edits: 01/19/17
My Moon dac does not have filter options. I do however believe it is an very high quality dac compared to others about the same price.
I did contact SimAudio and asked if it was possible that non MQA Moon dacs would be upgradable and they said it is a hardware upgrade not a software upgrade. They may in the future factory upgrade current dacs to handle MQA but at this time they didn't know which ones.
bigshow
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