I’m sure this is true, but every streaming service from Apple to Tidal to Qobuz to Amazon have proprietary masters they utilize for their catalogs, and I’m not sure any of them is any more predatory than the other. All of them (except for Apple to a degree) require subscribers to pay substantial monthly fees to access high quality audio, and they aren’t doing it for altruistic purposes.
I don’t use Tidal much (I prefer Qobuz or albums I purchase in DSD or FLAC format from online audiophile retailers), but I do acknowledge Tidal’s efforts to obtain source material provenance for their Tidal Masters catalog, especially given the number of junky masters out there. And I’ve found that some of their albums have noticeably better sound quality than the same versions from other streaming services, just as I’ve found the same with Apple and Qobuz. Either way we’re all paying for access to any of these catalogs, and the addition of Tidal’s MQA masters to the mix is just one more of a dizzying number of versions out there on which every music retailer is making a killing.
Also, upon some research I’ve found that the addition of the tiny XMOS chip that decodes MQA really doesn’t add much in the way of extra cost in the manufacturing process. I’ve seen some folks refuse to buy superb DACs like the Gustard x26 Pro or the Topping D90se because they view these otherwise highly-reputable manufacturers as “selling out” to MQA—when in fact I think they’re simply including the chip so that Tidal subscribers won’t be left out from enjoying a terrific product. There’s a reason why these emerging mass-market Chinese brands like Topping, Loxjie, SMSL and to a lesser extent Gustard are shifting units like hotcakes, while Schitt and RME remain boutique brands. We may not like it as audiophiles but it’s inarguable that many, many folks are happy Tidal subscribers and I don’t think that will change anytime soon.
I’m not directing this to you personally at all. But honestly I’ve never seen a feature cause so much political controversy, especially when those who don’t want to use it certainly aren’t forced to. I don’t use the RCA or S/PDIF jacks on my DAC either, but I don’t hear folks expressing outrage paying for those inclusions, which are far more costly to implement.
At the end of the day, I think that with the ongoing increases in bandwidth availability and device storage capacities the MQA format will eventually become obsolete—and true lossless formats will prevail by virtue of their superior audio quality (assuming that other services prioritize provenance in their own masters). Those who think MQA sounds “better” are likely either unconsciously persuaded by the marketing of the Tidal wave, or are earnestly hearing the results of well-chosen and sampled original masters. When file sizes no longer matter, it’ll be the choice of superior masters that guide the eminent streaming service, and I think that that criterion will drive where people opt to part ways with their cash.
