MQA?

David Ten- I've seen all those and heard Bob speak on it.
None of those have technical details nor methods. They have concepts.  I'm OK with the concepts, but cannot honestly say i truly know exactly what is being done in the final unfold. That's why its burned in silicon and licensed.
Just sayin.
G

You can’t dismiss the facts by attacking the messenger. MQA adds distortion. This is a fact. Only the original lossless file has the full bit depth and correct phase preserved.

Be very careful here.  Lossless what?  Most lossless files don't even attempt to capture the extra resolution as does MQA. SO its not a valid comparison in all cases. You don't specify enough to know whether your statement, as you intended it anyway. is correct or not. As written its pretty shaky.
Now, as to phase coherency - this is a huge issue.  Is it correct in a recording after anti-aliasing filters?  I would argue no. The lossless hgih res file (or otherwise) preserves what got through the filters, which may or may not be correct. If betting i would generally bet on "not correct". So lossless then would preserve distortion faithfully.
Einstein quipped that things should be made as simple as possible but no simpler. We have violated his advice here.
G

@itsjustme  That post was a general and generic one and not directed at you. Agreed on the point you make.

@rbodner  The module lists for $250 with free shipping. Why would you not try it out??? Given the level (and cost) of your front end (Aurender W20 and Metrum Pavane Level 3) I would,.... just to get a feel for it's contributions.

I'm doing the same with a new board for my DAC and it has been an illuminating experience. 

David_ten - thank you for the references on MQA and it’s origin and inner workings. 

Vinylfan 62 and shandorne - OMG - digital music is here going forward. It has been a dramatic improvement over vinyl. Tidal HiFi with MQA has caused me to retire my Thorens turntable with SME tonearm (multiple cartridges). I still use two CD players in my two systems, as I have a large CD collection.  Tidal HiFi withMQA thru my LUMIN D1 has much better detail, lower noise floor, tighter base, etc. 

Progress is hard on people stuck in the 70s. 

In this hobby - your ears are the final judge - it is your money - but calling MQA claims ‘false’is over the top!! In my two systems MQA has given me better sound vs. analog compared to a live performance - IMO.

Happy listening!

tom8999

@david_ten Thanks for you input. I am definitely leaning towards getting the module.

F/U Question:

Some of the technical aspects are confusing to me.

Do you think playing an MQA file from the server sounds different than a standard HIFI file even if the DAC doesn’t have an MQA converter/module?