2. misc-audio
  3. 181571-179096

Why is everyone so down on MQA?

Ok. MQA is a little bit complicated to understand without doing a little research. First of all: MQA is not technically a lossy format. The way it works is very unique. The original master tape (Holy grail of SQ) is folded or compressed into a smaller format. It is later unfolded through a process I don’t claim to understand. The fully processed final version is lossless! It is the song version from the original master tape. FYI, original master tapes are usually the best sounding, they are also the truest version of any song- they are painstakingly produced along with the artist in the studio during the recording process. Ask anyone, they are the real deal. For some reason most people hate the sound quality! One caveat, the folding/unfolding process is usually carried out at one time by a dac. But some dacs only compress and do not unfold….I think Meridian should explain dac/ streamer compatibility issue. When your hardware supports the single step the sound quality is pretty amazing. They should have explained in more detail what the format is all about.

128x128walkenfan2013
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toro3
336 posts
 

@bobdg2000 Square has had majority (80%) ownership since March of 2021…

pedroeb
493 posts
 

Why is everyone so down on MQA?

There's no definitive answer. You might as well ask why do people claim technology they don't prefer is DOA?

Just because it doesn't meet their levels of popularity is no excuse. They might emphatically claim that SACD is DOA, but if it's true, why then is Mofi still releasing them? Same thing with other statements in this thread. If it's still being manufactured, it's not DOA. No matter how much they insist.

The only sane thing to do is ignore their biased ramblings and unjustifiable statements. Try not to let them frustrate you or influence you. Sometimes they are so cunning it's hard to know what to believe, especially when they are technophiles rather than audiophiles.
 

kennyc
1,531 posts
 

I'm MQA indifferent - it won't affect my purchasing decision. 

flyfish77
47 posts
 

I do not like or use MQA because it is a proprietary, licensed format that is far more complex than the alternatives, like FLAC.  The sound differences have nothing to do with my decision especially since the differences that I have heard have been  subtle. I prefer to use music formats that allow me to get the highest quality sound from any gear that I use in the house. 

 

cycles2
207 posts
 

@walkenfan2013 It's likely going to die because it doesn't sound as good as true lossless hi-res. My dCS Rossini DAC/Streamer supports hi-res and fully renders MQA Studio Quality. I used to subscribe to TIDAL and found that MQA tracks generally sounded better than the same tracks in Redbook CD format. Once Qobuz came to the US, game over. Qobuz hi-res tracks generally sound better than the same song in MQA format.

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