DSD vs. PCM vs. MQA - Group listening experiment

Look at the title, "DSD vs. PCM vs. MQA" it can't be done fairly without compromises using the same dac.
Maybe it's you that needs knowledge or professional help, as one of your statements suggests, "The ripped cd file sounds better than the cd spinning in the super heavy transport of my old Esoteric K-01."  

Cheers George

OP - " I only posted what was supposedly for an ideal file, not an ideal dac. "

+1, Erik.

Maybe it’s you that needs knowledge or professional help, as one of your statements suggests, "The ripped cd file sounds better than the cd spinning in the super heavy transport of my old Esoteric K-01."

Passing judgment without having listened to and compared both set-ups in the same system in the same room(mine, that is)......

Hmmm.....I guess someone just has to be right all the time.
Now, that would most certainly be a call for professional help.

DSD vs. PCM vs. MQA - Group "listening" experiment

"Listening" is the word that should ring a bell???

Hi Erik,

Coming back to the title of the thread, I have listened to PCM vs MQA files from the 2L website via the mqa-capable Meridian 808v6 player in my home system.

I found that the 808v6 renders the PCM version beautifully, and there is an incremental improvement with the MQA version. Having said that, I couldn’t compare DSD vs PCM or MQA versions of the same files as the Meridian does not do DSD.

But comparing PCM vs DSD via my non-MQA Esoteric N-05 dac, I preferred PCM. Needless to say, I can’t listen to MQA via the Esoteric.

That said, comparing the PCM versions through the Meridian 808v6 and Esoteric N-05, I preferred the Esoteric. The Meridian foreshortens soundstage depth, bringing me to rows 1-3 while the Esoteric places me at rows 7-9 which I find much more pleasant and natural. Meridian’s Explorer 2 does the same thing according to a Stereophile report while RH of TAS observes the same thing in his review of the 808v6. Also, the highs are airier via the Esoteric.

The only way to compare DSD vs PCM vs MQA, would be via Meridian’ s new Ultradac which does all 3. Now, that’s progress. I have not brought home the Ultradac simply because of its prohibitive cost.

Best regards.
Jon.