What news in 2023 struck you?

MQA appears to be about to-a-degree compressed, so-called high-res music files sold off as true high-res, and deals made with hardware and software manufacturers to deliver MQA-"ready" products that unfold MQA material to its fuller potential.

I fail to see the need for compressed streaming files in this day and age, even with true high-res, and not least the need to invest in MQA-specified products to take better advantage of their pseudo high-res venture. It’s the principle matter of taking what we already have, converting it into a compressed "high-res" variation, and making money on product deals that are necessitated to more fully harness a file-product, that’s worrying.

The same in essence could be said about harnessing the potential of raw CD-files, true high-res and DSD ditto with better DAC’s, but it’s the MQA labeling, business and manipulation of raw material into compressed form that annoys the hell out of me, and why I applaud what will hopefully be the eventual demise of MQA.

With regard to sound quality, some feel MQA-files sound better - through the proper "approved" source equipment, I take it - some don’t, and even considers them inferior. I belong in the latter camp and prefer the unadulterated, plain ol’ raw 16-bit/44,1kHz CD-files, even over much if not most true high-res material.

@phusis - I mostly agree with you.  Given how inexpensive the internet and disk storage has become a super high compression algorithm for music seems like a waste of effort.

The one area where I believe we do have a need for something like this is a way of authenticate whether the stream we are listening to is bit perfect or not.  I wish MQA didn't also throw a lot of other stuff on top of that.

The GAN coverage has caught my eye, though I've not had the opportunity to compare a GAN Class D amp to one made with conventional silicon.

As a Roon user, I am a bit concerned about the new ownership (Harmon/Samsung), though it's a far better development that than what Classé has gone through. Maybe Samsung will convince Spotify to work with Roon.

If a pattern has emerged, it's a renewed emphasis on value in much of the market, along with highly publicized development of extreme-priced gear for the extremely wealthy.

Another interesting pattern is that DSP is becoming available in more products, a good thing in my opinion. It can't do everything, but it's a good solution to some audio problems.