Perhaps not surprising since Mike Jbara went from Warner to MQA.The evidence now is that Warner Music replaces their non-MQA FLAC files with MQA versions, but some other labels may keep both versions.
Perhaps not surprising since Mike Jbara went from Warner to MQA.The evidence now is that Warner Music replaces their non-MQA FLAC files with MQA versions, but some other labels may keep both versions.
From a quick look at that tool, it seems like it will miss some MQA files since it doesn't check all the allowed bit positions.Yes - of course I have not tested everything on Tidal, but from my sample yes. Using https://github.com/purpl3F0x/MQA_identifier for this and still haven't found an instance where I couldn't get a non MQA 16/44 FLAC. So definitely the information I quoted in my previous post is not correct.
If someone wants me to check a specific release on Tidal I'm happy to do it.
It has worked OK for me until now but I will bring that up on GitHub. The tool is parsing the waveform so I don't know how it could miss an MQA file, but my technical knowledge is limited, so, if you say so, I guess it's true. We'll get to the bottom of it.From a quick look at that tool, it seems like it will miss some MQA files since it doesn't check all the allowed bit positions.
Most MQA files have the marker that tool looks for in bit 16 counted from the top, i.e. the LSB of 16-bit data. However, a few files use other bit positions, and those will be missed by that tool. Mine (https://code.videolan.org/mansr/mqa/) checks all the bit positions allowed by the decoder.It has worked OK for me until now but I will bring that up on GitHub. The tool is parsing the waveform so I don't know how it could miss an MQA file, but my technical knowledge is limited, so, if you say so, I guess it's true. We'll get to the bottom of it.
Mine (https://code.videolan.org/mansr/mqa/) checks all the bit positions allowed by the decoder.
No idea. I'm just hosting that code on their servers.Silly question, but has VLC dectection capability for MQA files?
Ok, thanks.No idea. I'm just hosting that code on their servers.
https://community.roonlabs.com/t/why-do-manufacturers-support-mqa/155965/21?There is no evidence of MQA charging Roon, or Roon passing on that charge to anyone....
Right, but not for all at this moment.On Tidal, many albums in standard FLAC have been replaced by MQA versions...
Wrong and true as it's not on all tracks. Like I said, not the case for all tracks/album at this moment. It's easy to see that in Roon, some albums had a 16bit FLAC (what HiFi should be in Tidal) and 24bit MQA (Master in Tidal), but they now have 16bit MQA (in HiFi in Tidal) and 24bit MQA (no change for that).So, at least the quoted part of this post is currently not true.
I agree on most of your points, but this one is linked to the "past" and not "present" problem on Tidal :I was also a Tidal subscriber for their CD-lossless library (hifi tier) and then they added MQA without changing the subscription fee.
So for me personally, MQA has been free as has been for vast majority people who consume it.
You got it, and some people discovered that just by listening, because yes, and on some tracks, you can hear a difference (I'm even not saying "negative" or "positive" difference here, just a difference). Other discovered that from Roon info, but Tidal has never communicate on that precise thing.And this seems to me to be the crux of the problem with Tidal. If MQA was optional then anyone that wants to use it can. Which, btw, was the way I thought Tidal worked until recently. Now that I know that's not the case, I'm out.
Right, but not for all at this moment.
Wrong, it's true, but like I said, not the case for all tracks/album at this moment.
You have a Tidal account or are you repeating what you've heard.On Tidal, many albums in standard FLAC have been replaced by MQA versions (especially from Warner Music). In the past, when an MQA version was added, the original FLAC version would remain and both would be available. Now it seems that when an MQA version is published, it replaces the original FLAC (which becomes no longer available). As I understand, Warner is converting their entire catalog on Tidal (millions of tracks) to MQA and I have seen this happen to many albums on Warner.
Your beef is with a company and its style of business. That, as I have explained, is out of line.
Will edit, it's indeed not clear. Actually, you were both right and wrong, because it's the case on some tracks, and not on other tracks. We can't generalize it.I am now very confused since you are saying that the statement was true, and in the very same sentence confirming it is not true by saying "not the case for all tracks/albums at this moment".
I don't know if he has, but I have subsciptions to Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon, Deezer, Spotify (for different members of my family but I can use all), Roon and more, several DAC including ones with MQA decoding+rendering, and can confirm it, but being clear, it's 16bit FLAC that are starting to be replaced by 16bit MQA (the 24bit MQA are not the problem, they appear when they launch the Master option, and did not replace any other format, they were added and are always link to the Master option).You have a Tidal account or are you repeating what you've heard.
Tidal is the same price as it always been,it didn't go up or down.I have read this thread with much interest and will chime in.
I signed up for Tidal Hifi (I also have a Spotify Family Premium account) years ago before they got into MQA. I am paying a whole lot extra for what they advertised: Lossless. Now where I live, it is not exactly very cheap. I went with Tidal with the assurance I am getting CD quality as I do not have a huge CD collection. I wanted to have the option to listen to more bands and discover new ones.
Then MQA came about. At first I wasn't too bothered but then I started to read about how great MQA is. I don't own any MQA DACs and the only way I could decode MQA was to purchase the option in UAPP for the first unfold. Did I hear any differences? For some albums yes and some no. Abbey Road was the album that I could hear differences as an example (I have the FLACs ripped from the CD). Did MQA sound better? I don't know.
Now that I am more aware of what MQA is and isn't.......... and what I am seeing happening in Tidal... I think it doesn't work out for me anymore. I am not dissing the codec, but I started out with Tidal cos I wanted lossless. I would not have given a hoot if they had regular CD and MQA versions of the same material side by side, but I do see stuff being replaced with only MQA.
So there is a principle here. I am paying for lossless... not lossy. So I have left Tidal following that principle.
I can pick the albums (version's) I chose to play,I don't understand why other can't.Will edit, it's indeed not clear. Actually, you were both right and wrong, because it's the case on some tracks, and not on other tracks. We can't generalize it.
I don't if he has, but I have subsciptions to Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon, Roon and more, and can confirm it, but being clear, it's 16bit FLAC that are starting to be replaced by 16bit MQA (the 24bit MQA are not the problem, they appear when they launch the Master option, and did not replace any other format, they were added and are always link to the Master option).
The problem is on Hifi option.
Most of them don't have a Tidal account, don't listen to MQA track's,most of them are just ranting about something they don't even use and it's stupid.The further this thread goes, the more it looks like this is just a mess on an epic scale.
Thanks for you concern and kind words.Most of them don't have a Tidal account, don't listen to MQA track's,most of them are just ranting about something they don't even use and it's stupid.