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In Reply to: RE: Bi-wiring and Cambridge Audio CXN network streamer posted by hesslemount@yahoo.com on May 09, 2017 at 00:45:33
O.K. I'll try to amswer as folows:
Premium grade music on Spotify still means a lossy code is used ( I think Vorbis Ogg). Spotify offers a data rate of 320kb/s. I was wrong in my earlier posting when I said that the free option looked as if it was the same. Although the descriptions for both mention " high quality audio" it is greyed out on the free option. That means that if you pay 10 pounds a month you will get better quality. However the difference between that 320kb/s and CD quality should be clear on listening. My own view is that Spotify Premium offers a fairly good sound but having had two Spotify subscribing friends listen to Qobuz in comparison, both are now Qobuz subscribers. Perhaps you could subscribe to Premium and try the free offers from Qobuz and Tidal and see what you prefer. Don't make an instant decision just get into them over the 15 days allowed. You can always cancel any of the free offers before they take any subscription from your account ( BTW you do this via the My Account option you will see on the player).
MQA is a method of streaming high resolution files via a standard resolution carrier. MQA also claim to improve the original sound by "deblurring" it. With Tidal CD quality option this means that they have a selection of MQA encoded files (currently all from Warners). You can choose to play these but only with the desktop player to carry out the processing you need to hear basic MQA. Otherwise you need an MQA equipped DAC to get the full effect or to hear MQA. So unfortunately your exisiting tablet/Bluetooth based system cannot take advantage of this.
A minumum standard for audiophile replay? I would generally say that any lossy or compressed audio carrier is insufficient for true high fidelity use. However all carriers have their own limitations. It is just that the losses occur ( hopefully :-)) in areas not important for normal music listening. So I would go with standard redbook CD as the minimum common standard. There is not much point in paying for audio hardware which has a performance capabilty significantly better than the signal fed to it. That is cerainly the case with the audio standard offered as a free option with Spotify.
I hope that helps. Please remember to let us know what you end up deciding upon.
Follow Ups:
Hi PAR (A)
Ok so in order to get MQA sound it seems like "Tidal Masters" subscription is one way forward. That being said I am looking for a network streamer, Cambridge Audio CXN or Oppo Sonica SDAC-3 are on top of my list, but neither streamer lists MQA in it's audio format support specifications.
http://acton.audio/oppo-sonica-sdac-3-audiophile-dac-network-streamer/
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/cx/cxn
Is this a concern? If the hardware does not support MQA? As I understand the App via the interface has a decoder but is this sufficient to give the "Master Qualifty Authentication" sound?
I now understand the desire for plug and play now but I'm enjoying the hi-fi ride; it's all in the faff for me ;-).
Frankly at this point in time I would not be very concerned about MQA. Yes it exists but it is very (very) limited in its application so far. Most importantly even if it is proven to work technically it is not yet proven to have any commercial traction. It may well be one of those audio inventions that fails to get a grip in the market and ultimately fades away (like digital tape or dbx).
I would not advise investing in it at this point in its development unless the component that you really want offers it as a bonus. If it does become established that will take some further time by when you may be moving on to another component anyway. You will also need to have a wired system, not conneceted via Bluetooth. And, as other inmates have observed, a very good DAC without MQA beats a less good DAC with it.
Will the Tidal app give you Master Quality Authenticated audio? As I understand things the phone/tablet app will not. That software MQA decoding is only available on the desktop player. It will give you the basic form of MQA which is called the first fold ( the idea is that the hi-rez data is "folded " three times to fit it into the standard-rez carrier). That first fold allows a data rate of up to 24 bit/96Ks/s. Incidentally as this data rate is now pretty standard in recording studios most current hi-rez repertoire will be of this nature unless upsampled ( which has its own negative aspects). Higher rates like 24/192 require the full monty.
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