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How Is MQA Fareing?

 In another thread here are posters are making comments about MQA suggesting that it isn't a big commercial success, that is should be called DOA, etc.  Yet there are always announcements about companies adopting MQA, testimonials from happy Tidal streamers, etc.
  I'm neutral on MQA but having witnessed more than a few formats go down in flames in my time, and still puzzling over the resurgence of vinyl, I wonder how one measures the marketplace progress of MQA.  Do we look at Tidal subscriptions?  Sales of MQA compatible DACs?  The size of Bob Stuart's house?
mahler123
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lalitk
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For the benefit of those still unclear about how MQA works, this is a very nice article about demystifying the ambiguity surrounding the MQA, 

https://www.audiostream.com/content/mqa-decoding-explained


shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
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@lalitk    

Thanks. It explains things without explaining anything.

How lossy is the unfolded data? Obviously taking a 24 bit 196KHz original and compressing to 24 bit 48 KHz file means that there is some lossy compression.

Also de-ringing implies DSP???
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lalitk
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@shadorne 

I thought the article was pretty self explanatory on how MQA files are being decoded through non-MQA and MQA compatible DAC's. 

If you want to learn more about MQA, there are plenty of articles related to MQA on worldwide web. 

Cheers!

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shadorne
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@lalitk 

MQA is a black box. I guess the benefits depend on whether the MQA lossy de-ringing processed 24bit 192KHz file is better than a lossless bit perfect 24bit 48 KHz file....
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lalitk
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@shadorne

In the words of Peter McGrath, an accomplished recording engineer, A/B comparison between unprocessed hi-rez files of his orchestral recordings, followed by the time-corrected MQA versions, the differences were quite profound. The MQA versions had greater image solidity and three-dimensionality, and wider perceived dynamics.

I am sure you read this not too long ago ~ ’Listening is the only way to judge audio devices’. So do us a favor; beg, borrow or steal a black box and only then report your findings.
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