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July.
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Tidal MQA and 360 Reality formats are no more as of July 24, 2024
- Thread starter frogmeat69
- Start date
Ah. Silly me.
July 24th.
Askew
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Are they going to replace the files with fresh and clean FLAC files, or will they still stream FLAC files with MQA data folded into them? That is my main question here.
I left Tidal because I view MQA to be undesirable on principle. I hope that they replace their FLAC files with MQA free versions.
I left Tidal because I view MQA to be undesirable on principle. I hope that they replace their FLAC files with MQA free versions.
I read somewhere that they have replaced MQA with at least CD quality and will slowly add FLAC hi-res music in the future.
Not yet. I started one of their recommended mixes for "Hard Rock". Almost every song was showing as MQA 16/44 on my DAC. I just skipped to the next song every time one showed MQA.
tmtomh
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For those who think MQA is dead, there are plans for a new streaming audio service using MQA technology....
There's a new streaming service aimed at audiophiles from the people behind MQA
Lenbrook joins forces with HDTracks for a new streaming music platformwww.whathifi.com
(That reaction is to the new service, not to your comment. Thanks for the link and the info - much appreciated!)
Well it is done now I guess. I wonder if this also somehow is allowing Tidal to expand their catalog. I have been doing a Tidal trial and I noticed one album that I couldn't get on Tidal a couple days ago is now available.
The first thing I checked still has an MQA version available, at least in roon, but the default version has changed from MQA (only version available at release) to 88/24 flac. The MQA version still plays.
Listened to Tidal quite a bit today. I did not see an MQA indicator on anything that played.
I think it's yet to reach roon, there is a thread on their forum about it.
I am French and a user of Qobuz since its launch and I should defend this platform... but since its founder left, the quality of customer service has deteriorated and no improvement in the user experience has occurred:QobuzI mean question, doesn't someone already do that?
- still no possibility of DLNA-UpNP connection from the Qobuz application on PC or Mac;
- no highlighting of the really rare multichannel files present among the others... (I have never been able to read them in multichannel from the Qobuz application)
- therefore no Dolby Atmos files, nor 4.0, nor 5.0, nor 5.1: they nevertheless exist;
- On the other hand, marketing lies about the better sound quality of HR versus 16/44.1;
- Poor search engine that brings up lots of records that have nothing to do with the name typed in the search engine... sorting is better since Roon and Audirvana (I have both);
- PDF covers less and less present, because Qobuz does not claim them when they are not delivered (the founder of Qobuz made this a principle). Which means that in classical music, we may have no way of knowing the recording date of this or that version... But having the booklets in PDF is essential and it is comical to see that the Classical Music service Apple automatically omitted them...
- Visible metadata which reflects the extremely mediocre work of most editors and integrators... and obviously partially explains the mediocre quality of the search tool...
So much so that I am on the verge of dropping them for Tidal, which I rejected because it had used MQA which offered something that did not correspond to the idea we had of it because of the marketing presentation... At least I would have multichannel... but not the booklets, alas!
No streaming platform provides a service worthy of what a music lover expects... Rather than lowering prices, they would do better to work seriously...
Galliardist
Major Contributor
The article makes little sense. The Lenbrook initiatives are a Bluetooth codec, some kind of enhancement for ADCs and what appears to be some kind of filter set for a DAC: maybe a localised version of the claimed deblurring technology?For those who think MQA is dead, there are plans for a new streaming audio service using MQA technology....
There's a new streaming service aimed at audiophiles from the people behind MQA
Lenbrook joins forces with HDTracks for a new streaming music platform
So do they really intend to run a streaming service where the claimed special technology in use is - a Bluetooth codec? That's a bit of a push.
I wonder how HDTracks will help provide a streaming service outside of the US anyway. The key feature of their Australian download offering is still called "Product not available in your country" after all these years. My suspicion is that Lenbrook are touting the idea of an MQA service from somewhere, anywhere, to keep manufacturers licensing their codec for a year or two longer but don't have a concrete plan on how to deliver one.
The 24th date does not apply to room apparently, that's a work in progress.
If You Use Tidal
Response from Tidal via email: Debora M. (TIDAL) Jul 26, 2024, 9:42 AM EDT Hi Jim, Than you for your reply. We understand you would like to learn more about the recent changes. Please note that Roon and other third parties will stop receiving MQA tracks. However, this deployment is gradual...
community.roonlabs.com
More concerning is the claim (from 2L) that they are covering MQA to standard flac and not getting new tracks from the labels.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
(That reaction is to the new service, not to your comment. Thanks for the link and the info - much appreciated!)
I got nuthin' to add, except one more.
Miser_Audioman
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