Vapor IP? I hope there was some value picking up MQA's pieces. Not all hucksters are so lucky.
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Lenbrooke acquires MQA
- Thread starter Mulder
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OP
- Thread Starter
- #262
Of course, Tidal's or Qubuz files are not better. What I was referring to was the "policy" of the two streaming services to make it possible to integrate their services into various manufacturers' HiFi equipment and into third-party software. What I meant by "no future for HiFi among streaming-services" was that I don't think anyone else has an interest in developing a similar policy.
(Some Windows streaming-clients for example do not even make exclusive mode possible, and for Apple they have had a history of really awful Windows software. So, when some do not even care for the Windows plattform, I don´t expect them to care for the HiFi-folks.)
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Galliardist
Major Contributor
But... we have an industry view that says that what proper audiophiles want is vinyl.In a way, I hope this doesn't happen.
It's sort of like how landmark free speech cases always hinge on the most offensive / objectionable content around. The worst of it makes space for everything else.
So if people keep demanding 24/96 lossless or something (even more) stupid, at least 16/44 is safe.
If people stop caring about sound quality altogether, then maybe we go back to 192 or even 128 MP3 quality. Maybe the loudness wars start back up again. Who knows?
Let the high-res nonsense shout for attention and at least useful levels of quality will not end up on the chopping block.
Maybe Atmos will prove safe for a while because it's a new toy, but nothing digital and stereo is truly safe. I suspect that dynamically flat AI mastering is the next horror that awaits us. Make it flat but bright and it'll beat the DR meter: and unlike with the current problems restricted to rock and pop, they'll feed the whole damn lot through.
Sorry for the dystopian prediction, but that's how I see it.
Spotify has had Spotify Connect out there longer than any of them, integrated directly into many receivers and AVR's.
Also even offering a special Linux build desktop app. We shall see what their lossless future brings.
Zensō
Major Contributor
Right. There’s also Airplay and Chromecast. There’s nothing particularly special about Tidal or Qobuz other than their willingness to work with Roon.
Galliardist
Major Contributor
You do realise they've been promising lossless since March 2017.
That's a whole six and a half years of announcement after confirmation after announcement. It was launched again, absolutely definitely, in March 2021. That's only two and a half years ago.
They still haven't worked out what to call it yet. I propose"Spotify Vaporware", and suggest it will actually appear shortly after the first Atmos-on-vinyl release...
kacos
Active Member
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Sure, but in this worldview, only ultra-high res digital is seen as approaching the fidelity of vinyl. So as long as vinyl remains queen, high-res digital will always be the princess.
AI mastering is already mainstream. Image-Line (behind the very popular FLStudio DAW) announced an AI mastering service this very week.
Patience grasshopper, Rome wasn't built in a day. LOL
Along with $10,000 power cables, $50,000 HDMI cables and grounding boxes.
There's no easier job than separating an audiophool from his wallet.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #270
I just had a look at the WiiM Pro plus streamer/DAC, and it actually integrates several different streaming services into it´s software/hardware solution. So maybe I am wrong.
Look what came in the mail today. :-D I had no idea there was such a thing as an MQA CD...
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Big in Japan apparently..... (MQA CD, no idea about Bob)
Zensō
Major Contributor
Hey, you got some free de-blurring!
Steve H
Member
I was heavily criticized for wanting MQA Ltd liquidated and the IP in someone’s hands who wouldn’t use it. With a lot of help and Companies House database, MQA Ltd. will be liquidated. But Lenbrook purchased the IP and intends to use it. Why?”Lenbrook Corp., a diversified, privately-owned Canadian enterprise with activities in brand development, technology, and distribution in both residential and commercial audio and the communication sectors, has acquired the assets of MQA, a UK-based industry leader in high-resolution audio encoding.”News - The Lenbrook Group of Companies
lenbrook.com
· Lenbrook lost (confidential settlement) a patent infringement case against Sonos in 2020. They have to pay Sonos royalties for a license on all BluOS enabled devices they sell. They may believe they can use MQA Ltd.’s IP to get around Sonos patents and stop paying royalties.
· NAD paid significant royalties and licensing fees to MQA Ltd. Now they don’t have to.
· PSB has wireless headphones in the pipeline and would be hard to impossible to change course and use a different technology than SCL6.
To complete our quest, we have the following in our favor.
· Tidal is a big drag on Block Inc.’s earnings. Tidal’s revenues have been flat since 2020. A death sentence in the technology sector. A good case can be made to kill it anytime Jack Dorsey is willing to listen.
· MQA is now old technology and people like shiny new technology.
· The high-end audio press does not have the status and influence to promote MQA to anyone except those on the wrong side of the audiophile bell curve.
· Lenbrook has consistently overstated the market for high resolution audio. Clouding their judgement on the value of MQA Ltd.’s IP.
Good point. For most people high-res audio is a genuinely marginal benefit. In other words if they can't make up their minds between two pieces of electronics, the one with high res will win. But my guess is almost no mainstream consumers seek it out as a primary requirement.
I spent a good while selling consumer audio ... very rarely did anyone complain about our lack of high-res specs.
Spotify is well over a year late delivering their high-res tier. Have they lost droves of customers over it? No. Did most of them even notice? No.
I can attest to that even as we speak. Listening to a relaxing playlist I have both locally as a flac and also on Spotify. So easy to simply fire up the supposedly lower quality Spotify version (on the left). They are very well recorded albums. I honestly don't feel like I miss a thing. The fact I own the flac versions shows I care - but it's mostly for archive reasons rather for hearing "more"...
MQA CD (including the same all over Tidal) was/is probably the worst thing of MQA.
Taking a lossless 16/44.1kHz file and then messing with it
There is still so much all over Tidal with this crap - we don't know if Tidal will just turn off the 1st unfold for these making it look like non-MQA
Matt_Holland
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Hoping it'll soon be Wave Goodbye.
Steve H
Member
They may not have the right to use MQA now that Lenbrook has purchased the IP.
I was told that Bob Stuart doesn’t listen and will never give up early in the MQA fight.
In any case the renamed company will have to get into compliance and emerge out of administration to exist as a company.
