MQA Listening Impressions

[realhifi]

On 1/9/2018 at 9:32 AM, Norton said:

 

Thankyou  for  your efforts nonetheless.  Currently playing MQA via XXHighEnd (to my Esoteric DAC with upsampling  and filtering disabled) and it does sound very, very  good indeed. Maybe a cliched comparison, but (to this vinyl fan) rather  similar to good analogue replay.  

 

Nice when something good happens in this crazy pursuit isn’t it?

[firedog]

Opened Roon today and searched for "Astral Weeks" by VM. Started listening. Not happy. sounded harsh, without much breadth, depth, or air. Pretty bad, actually. 

 

Looked in Roon to see what was going on: saw that I'd accidentally clicked on the MQA version. 

 

Clicked on my 24\96 remaster version: What a difference! No harshness - air etc, was back. 

And to think they claim that the MQA version sounds better than a CD, even without a MQA DAC. 

[botrytis]

On 12/18/2017 at 2:02 AM, manisandher said:

 

How could it, when only a handful of people here can hear what we hear (due to the particular playback system we use)? I knew my efforts to share were probably in vain, but tried anyway. Why? Because IMO (and it's all thanks to Peter's work that I can hear this) there is a baby in that bathwater.

 

 

Yep, probably lost. Which is a shame... IMHO.

 

 

Mani.

 

 

Nonsense. I have heard, more recently, some MQA comparisons. Why do people who do these comparisons only use CD quality, not regular high res? I asked and got no answer and that is telling to me.

 

You like MQA , I get that. I don't because it is mutually exclusive to what I like to listen to. If MQA becomes popular, I think that will put a nail in the coffin of regular high res files. Why? More control for the labels, plain and simple.

[manisandher]

On 2/21/2018 at 12:11 PM, botrytis said:

Why do people who do these comparisons only use CD quality, not regular high res?

 

Huh?

 

On 11/22/2017 at 4:34 PM, manisandher said:

Edit 30/11/17: Please use the following files (captured directly from the analogue outputs of my DAC using a Tascam DA-3000) to compare the original 24/88.2 against the 16/44.1 and 24/44.1-MQA... all from the same master.

 

Track: Christina Pluhar - Music for a While - Improvisations on Purcell - 09_Wondrous machine_, Z. 328_8 (arr. Pluhar)

 

24/192 PCM

 

24/88.2 original _ HQPlayer _ poly-sinc-short-mp to 705.6 _ TPDF:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ouSdts0JtlCyjlJCN40iIYvI0jtSETRk

 

16/44.1 _ HQPlayer _ poly-sinc-short-mp to 705.6 _ TPDF:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oTW7ra5cWln9R_fYQYotSm7q8nYVwA3K

 

24/44.1-MQA _ XXHighEnd _ first unfold to 88.2 _ Arc Prediction to 705.6:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1m2npYzIraEKweh-I8Eu-u7VMXTCNzzx-

 

DSD128

 

24/88.2 original _ HQPlayer _ poly-sinc-short-mp to 705.6 _ TPDF:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EpKgFkcpkaTsm54Ot21ZM_9YW2CgnGR5

 

16/44.1 _ HQPlayer _ poly-sinc-short-mp to 705.6 _ TPDF:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DHXqn7IDeU0__WEb2IPvfQHlEZAMDfwh

 

24/44.1-MQA _ XXHighEnd _ first unfold to 88.2 _ Arc Prediction to 705.6:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1i3PE4GB2VbLBSjGSnPQMTsiPM5_atAqC

 

So, which sounds best to you, and why?

 

********************************************************************************************

 

Just wanted to share my listening impressions of MQA. Happy for anyone else to share their listening impressions too, but ask that people refrain from turning this into yet another ' MQA is evil' or 'Bob Stuart is the devil' type of thread. Much appreciated.

 

I started by comparing the various 'Mozart: Violin concerto in D major - Allegro' free download files from 2L. I compared the original DXD (24BIT/352.8kHz ) to the 24BIT/96kHz, 16BIT/44kHz and MQA files. My preference was as follows (in descending order):

 

1. original DXD

2. MQA (very close to 1.)

3. 24BIT/96kHz (big gap between this and 2.)

4. 16BIT/44kHz (OK, if you have no other choice, I suppose)

 

I've since been playing a bunch of MQA albums from Tidal. Invariably, I prefer the sound of these MQA albums over the CD rips and/or downloads of the same albums I already have. They tend to have a clarity that my rips/downloads don't have. Overall just a nicer listening experience. But I have to say that apart from the 2L files, I've not managed to compare MQA to any original hirez files.

 

From a purely sonic perspective, MQA seems to do 'what it says on the tin'.

 

Mani.

 

But this is a sample of... one.

 

I personally have no inclination to undertake any further MQA/HR comparisons. If an MQA is available, I'll happily try it. If it isn't, no worries.

 

Mani.

[botrytis]

The point was, this was a listening test at a dealer. They used 'high res' MQA files and compared to CD-quality and told people what to hear in the MQA files. Not a good way to do a listening test.

[manisandher]

10 hours ago, botrytis said:

The point was, this was a listening test at a dealer.

 

What? I wasn't involved in any "listening test at a dealer". You quoted me and then said "nonsense" immediately after:

 

 

And that's what I'm straightening out for you.

 

Mani.

[Rexp]

Try listening to Tidal MQA via the AK connect2 app on ios device, listen to the opening piano on the title track of Desperado by the Eagles. The non MQA version sounds like the piano is out of tune.

[mansr]

Just now, Rexp said:

Try listening to Tidal MQA via the AK connect2 app on ios device, listen to the opening piano on the title track of Desperado by the Eagles. The non MQA version sounds like the piano is out of tune.

Since when do mobile devices get the MQA tracks on Tidal?

[Dr Tone]

4 minutes ago, mansr said:

Since when do mobile devices get the MQA tracks on Tidal?

 

I think it might be specific to the AK devices and Tidal integration in their software.  I know the Tidal app itself doesn't do it.

[mav52]

10 minutes ago, Dr Tone said:

 

I think it might be specific to the AK devices and Tidal integration in their software.  I know the Tidal app itself doesn't do it.

 

from what I read, The LG V30 and the Onkyo DP-X1 (with a firmware update ) are the only cell phones that can handle MQA.

[mansr]

30 minutes ago, mav52 said:

from what I read, The LG V30 and the Onkyo DP-X1 (with a firmware update ) are the only cell phones that can handle MQA.

From files, yes. Tidal still doesn't deliver MQA to them, unless that changed very recently.

[mav52]

17 minutes ago, mansr said:

From files, yes. Tidal still doesn't deliver MQA to them, unless that changed very recently.

 

Your correct,  Something to do with the application in the LG phone  " company has yet to update the android application to have MQA capability ".  The application in question is the USB Audio Player PRO." 

[rickca]

Tell me again why Softbank/Sprint invested $200 million in TIDAL?

[Dr Tone]

Searching high and low and there is no reference to the Atell&Kern doing MQA yet, so I'm guessing a different master or even expectation bias might be playing a part in @Rexp results.

 

We'll need some type of proof from him to the otherwise.

[church_mouse]

1 hour ago, Rexp said:

Try listening to Tidal MQA via the AK connect2 app on ios device, listen to the opening piano on the title track of Desperado by the Eagles. The non MQA version sounds like the piano is out of tune.

Can you clarify how you have this set up to get the MQA decoding?

[Rexp]

7 hours ago, church_mouse said:

Can you clarify how you have this set up to get the MQA decoding?

What I meant was I compared the MQA version to the flac version, no MQA dac used. The 24/48 MQA is accessable via 3rd party mobile apps:

 

[bambadoo]

I think the latest tidal app har MQA support for the LG V30 phone.