“MQA is a philosophy”..John Stuart

+1 Erik

“The full scope of it’s ambition, to correct all timing errors in the A/D, D/A chain and to do so using equipment specific data is monumental.”

This is impossible. Everything is done in the studio to try and get it right with as little processing as possible. Basically every instrument and vocals are often recorded in a seperate chain to a separate track. No amount of clever processing in playback can magically fix a recording. You actually need master tapes with all the tracks separately to do anything really meaningful to improve a recording - anything else is just simple noise filtering and eq that affects the entire recording.

MQA is hand waving nonsense. Stuart is so full of it.

erik_squiresI'm afraid I can't follow your "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to constructing an argument

Do not be afraid I have discovered that most often when an argument can not be followed/understood it is because the person putting forth the argument can not follow they're own reasoning, ideas and thoughts because if they could then everyone else could too.

I subscribe to the philosophy at Schiit. There is no interest in MQA. Period. There is no interest in Class D amplifiers. Period. Same for DSD. Period.
Jason and Mike make my predominantly Redbook collection of Music sound Magical. I would like to say that maybe a more expensive DAC might improve 24/96 Hi-Res files...but that isn't what I have collected. Make my CDs sound better, without charging me $25 per SACD or DSD download. Never heard MQA, probably never will. That's why I am listening to 16/44.1 CDs. Because I have already bought them.

Tidal desktop will stream MQA at 24bit/96khz without a MQA decoder. I have an Oppo HA-1 DAC will can decode 24/96. Consider MQA is free with Tidal, I have no complain. Compare 24/96 to 16/44.1, 24/96 is much better.

No argument about 24-bit files sounding great. That is to say, both my DACs play them. But, before I spend money on HDtracks I have a good library of Redbook CD quality discs. I am glad they had a $99 entry-level Modi which did 192 native on Linux. If you're able to get a new library for MQA for free but how much is Tidal... that is the hitch. Being an Audiophile on the Cheap means listen to what have. Thanks for your help, I will look into it. Funny thing is I had use of a pair of HFC Ultimate Titanium interconnects and even MP3s sounds good. I have an opinion in the cable discussion...$6,000 cables sound better than $20 Straight Wire PYST. From my lips to God's ears...