(Tidal) If not decoding MQA, what's the difference between Master and Redbook albums?

[SIY]

The difference is you get to hear more of the overall sound. Non-MQA has the in your face sound it's like watching the concert in front while the MQA is like you are listening from a distance, there's a sense of focus

Can we assume that there’s no controls here? This sounds very much like a description of a sighted comparison without rigorous level matching.

 

[awdeeoh]

Can we assume that there’s no controls here? This sounds very much like a description of a sighted comparison without rigorous level matching.

No controls.

Last comparison I did was Led Zep Remasters, I got 24/96 and the MQA and the Beatles.

The Beatles MQA is not "MQA Studio", my only guess is that the source is the hires master distribution not the blu ray master.

I think the best answer is for you to try it yourself, not just a couple of songs/albums but a lot. You can do it without Software Decode or MQA DAC.

My first listening was with No Decode then Software Decode.

I don't plan to buy MQA DAC because No Decode is enough for me.

 

[flaviowolff]

The difference is you get to hear more of the overall sound. Non-MQA has the in your face sound it's like watching the concert in front while the MQA is like you are listening from a distance, there's a sense of focus.

What?

 

[Fluffy]

MQA is basically snake oil. There are no proven sonic improvements, and there is plenty of proven greed. Listen to everything on Hifi and don't worry about it.

 

[Darwin]

How is you ripping off Jay Z?How can the MQA file be bigger than the original file?You're not making sense.

He's not making sense is right. Why the hell do you care aboutJay Z to begin with? Also you are actually ripping off the artists and one good thing about Tidal is they pay artists. So does Apple. Oh and by the way you want to pirate music then whatever but why drag this forum into it...

 

[Darwin]

MQA is basically snake oil. There are no proven sonic improvements, and there is plenty of proven greed. Listen to everything on Hifi and don't worry about it.

Says you. I think it sounds great with an MQA dac and good headphones or even letting Tidal/Roon do the first unfold. Some of it sounds downright amazing. Yes I've read all the arguments pro and con...but I listen to my ears before some anonymous internet axe grinder.

 

[Darwin]

You would need an MQA dac to do the unfolding,see you could put a MQA file on a redbook cd and it would play back as a regular cd,unless you have something to unfold it.

Tidal does the first unfold in software and so does Roon.

 

[BDWoody]

Says you. I think it sounds great with an MQA dac and good headphones or even letting Tidal/Roon do the first unfold.

I would agree it sounds great...just not any better than non MQA.
MQA is a money grab...that's it.

 

[amirm]

do you mind sharing your 1TB MQA rips.

He better not. We don't allow sharing or instructions for sharing of copyrighted content.

 

[dmac6419]

He's not making sense is right. Why the hell do you care aboutJay Z to begin with? Also you are actually ripping off the artists and one good thing about Tidal is they pay artists. So does Apple. Oh and by the way you want to pirate music then whatever but why drag this forum into it...

I care about all artist,They have to eat too when i was growing up music was not free except on the radio but somebody got paid.Oh and let me let you in on a little secret I have the physical media I have only brought 1 streaming album and that was 256 so that's why i don't buy streaming i rather rip it myself.