Not sure why you expected that particular MQA track when streamed via the TIDAL HiFi quality (16bit/44.1kHz only resolution) connection to be bit-perfect with the original MQA track (as streamed via the Masters Quality connection). The original MQA track (undecoded) is hi-res 24bit/44.1kHz, with an original MQA sample rate of 88.2kHz!
The TIDAL HiFi quality version could still be sourced from the original MQA track, though not bit-perfect but truncated to16-bits and very likely still recognised as MQA when played to a full decoding MQA DAC.
Agreed, access to the original HD LPCM track is required to be certain.
IF there is not HI-Res audio master, then it is reasonable to assume that difference are artificial, still you need the Redbook master to know for sure.
Will MQA be cooperating in such analysis?
- Rich