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How many of you believe in MQA?

I have recently purchased a Bluesound Node 2i.  The dealer suggested I connect the Bluesound by way of digital coax to a Pro-Ject S2 DAC by way of RCA anologue to my ARCAM AVR550.  However, I found out I will not be able to control my Bluesound with an iPhone, iPad or PC notebook.  The only way to hear MQA completely unfolded is to plug in a computer USB.  This would mean I would have to get up from where I am sitting, go to the computer to change songs and albums.  I believe the Pro-Ject RS2 DAC would work, but not sure what the sales price is or if this is a good option.

The dealer asked me why I wanted to even bother listening to MQA completely unfolded when the DAC sounded better than the DAC inside the Bluesound.  He thinks MQA is way over rated and it may not be around a year from now.  If I hook things up with the Pro-Ject S2 DAC I will be able to hear one unfold which would be at 24 bit/88.2 kHz.  If I do this, I will be giving up the opportunity to hear MQA recordings recorded at 24 bit/96 kHz or 24 bit/192 kHz.  

How many of you are enbracing MQA?  
128x128larry5729
kray's avatar
kray
229 posts
 
@brianlucey


+1 thanks for that great explanation as it’s what I’ve thought was the case thru my research

not sure why anyone would want to pay (licensing fees) a proprietary format that turns a lossless file into a lossy one so that only “special” hardware can decode it. 
Money grab pure and simple. 
atdavid
736 posts
 
Brian, your post is music to my eyes :-)

What MQA promotes as "restoring" the impulse response, is not much more than forcing a minimum phase filter on the DAC, which creates a potentially "nice" looking step response .... at least nice to those that are unaware of what a step-response should look like in digital system.  To your point, the distortions that creates may float some boats, which is totally okay, but a DAC with a switchable filter response also can do that, no licensing fee required.

I thought the "master authenticated" would have brought more quality recordings to the forefront, but personally have not noticed any significant difference.


brianlucey67 posts09-20-2019 12:09pm... .  If it “sounds better” to you that’s fine.  But that’s because the subtle harmonic distortions of the codec float your subjective boat. A cable or speaker alter sound subjectively and so does MQA.  To me however, it’s ruining my work, the client approved work.  It’s a travesty built on greed and lies.  ...
...Most audiophiles have playback rooms rooms that are by far the weakest link in their chain.  By far.

timo62
281 posts
 
I am enjoying the MQA playback through Tidal myself . 
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