I have started to rip my vinyl to DSD128 via a Korg DS-DAC10-R. My front end is a refurbed Technics SP 10 MkII with Basis Vector arm and Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC through a Tom Tutay tube phono preamp.
My streaming front end is a Lumin A-1...So I have had the opportunity to do a little comparison of the same albums that are Ripped Vinyl@ DSD128 vs MQA vs High Res Download. I have only done this for 3-4 albums so my sample size is small. The albums I compared were:
Norah Jones - Come Away with Me LP vs MQA 24/192 vs HD Tracks 24/192
Beck - Morning Phase LP vs MQA 24/96 vs HD Tracks 24/92
Oscar Petersen - We Get Request 45RPM vs MQA 24/26, vs HD Tracks 24/96
In all three of those cases my order of preference was Ripped vinyl,
MQA, High Res Download. The MQA seemed more focused than the high res download...Sort of like someone used a fine focus on a camera lens. The ripped vinyl just seemed a little more real and 3-D than the MQA...although I can image MQA being preferred in many cases. I really love the MQA version of Yello - Toy...It is killer good fun.
I forgot to mention a comparison to direct vinyl. I have found that my rips at DSD128 are as good and sometimes better than playing the direct vinyl. Since my Lumin A1 does not play DSD128, I have Minimstreamer transcode to 24/384. But since when I rip vinyl I go from the Phono preamp directly to the A/D there is no potential for acoustic feedback. Given I have two subs that go pretty low (15Hz ish) the bass seems cleaner and better defined (slightly) when I play the rip, expecially at higher volumes even though my turntable is on a wall mounted 3 inch maple shelf sitting on Stillpoints.
BTW - the rest of my 2 channel system is TRL Dude Preamp, TRL Samson amps, Green Mountain Audio Continuum 3 speakers
with a pair of Seaton Submersive subs crossed over (low pass only) via DBX PA2 drive rack.
My streaming front end is a Lumin A-1...So I have had the opportunity to do a little comparison of the same albums that are Ripped Vinyl@ DSD128 vs MQA vs High Res Download. I have only done this for 3-4 albums so my sample size is small. The albums I compared were:
Norah Jones - Come Away with Me LP vs MQA 24/192 vs HD Tracks 24/192
Beck - Morning Phase LP vs MQA 24/96 vs HD Tracks 24/92
Oscar Petersen - We Get Request 45RPM vs MQA 24/26, vs HD Tracks 24/96
In all three of those cases my order of preference was Ripped vinyl,
MQA, High Res Download. The MQA seemed more focused than the high res download...Sort of like someone used a fine focus on a camera lens. The ripped vinyl just seemed a little more real and 3-D than the MQA...although I can image MQA being preferred in many cases. I really love the MQA version of Yello - Toy...It is killer good fun.
I forgot to mention a comparison to direct vinyl. I have found that my rips at DSD128 are as good and sometimes better than playing the direct vinyl. Since my Lumin A1 does not play DSD128, I have Minimstreamer transcode to 24/384. But since when I rip vinyl I go from the Phono preamp directly to the A/D there is no potential for acoustic feedback. Given I have two subs that go pretty low (15Hz ish) the bass seems cleaner and better defined (slightly) when I play the rip, expecially at higher volumes even though my turntable is on a wall mounted 3 inch maple shelf sitting on Stillpoints.
BTW - the rest of my 2 channel system is TRL Dude Preamp, TRL Samson amps, Green Mountain Audio Continuum 3 speakers
with a pair of Seaton Submersive subs crossed over (low pass only) via DBX PA2 drive rack.