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MQA Users & Discussion Thread


Guest AndrewC

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Guest AndrewC

Sorry, Charles Hanson is just as paranoid as you guys over MQA.....he didn't implement the MQA filter.  I asked him to implement because I know it will sound even greater on the Ayre but he refused to answer for obvious reasons.

 

So, the Lumin S1 now earned it's place on my Hi-Fi rack.

 

(Audio)

 

Audio, you misunderstood.. I'm suggesting that .wav high-rez on the Ayre with its minimum-phase filter should sound far better than full-MQA decode on Lumin, when the master source are identical. Chord Mojo (non-MQA decoding DAC) wipes the floor with Meridian Explorer2.

 

ps: For MQA "Masters" on Tidal; my guess is MQA core decode on Tidal + Ayre DAC should also sound better than full decode via Lumin alone. :)

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Audio, you misunderstood.. I'm suggesting that .wav high-rez on the Ayre with its minimum-phase filter should sound far better than full-MQA decode on Lumin, when the master source are identical. Chord Mojo (non-MQA decoding DAC) wipes the floor with Meridian Explorer2.

 

ps: For MQA "Masters" on Tidal; my guess is MQA core decode on Tidal + Ayre DAC should also sound better than full decode via Lumin alone. :)

 

I tried tonight....no, Lumin sounded better with MQA 96K...when the same MQA master track was forced to play on Ayre, the sample rate was 48K.

 

(Audio)

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Guest AndrewC

I tried tonight....no, Lumin sounded better with MQA 96K...when the same MQA master track was forced to play on Ayre, the sample rate was 48K.

 

(Audio)

 

If you were using Roon for Tidal playback, it doesn’t yet do core decoding when streaming into the Ayre (via RAAT). You’ll need Tidal natively (or Audirvana 3+) directly via USB into the Ayre.

 

Not the most convenient, but thats the only way to really compare on a non-decoding DAC at this point  :)

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If you were using Roon for Tidal playback, it doesn’t yet do core decoding when streaming into the Ayre (via RAAT). You’ll need Tidal natively (or Audirvana 3+) directly via USB into the Ayre.

 

Not the most convenient, but thats the only way to really compare on a non-decoding DAC at this point  :)

 

....and that's why I use the Lumin S1.

 

(Audio)

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Guest AndrewC

....and that's why I use the Lumin S1.

 

(Audio)

 

Right, so when you say "MQA is better", you're really talking about better for the convenience... (not ultimate sonic better ;D)

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Lumin S1 and Ayre QX-5 play AIFF 192K 24 bit Blue Bayou - Ayre sounds better.

 

Lumins S1 and Ayre QX-5 plays MQA 96K Blur Bayou - Lumin Sounds better...Ayre shows 48K sampling, not native MQA.

 

Constantly MQA 96K Blue Bayou on Lumin sounds best.

 

That is why I requested Charles Hanson to implement MQA as soon as possible because clearly if Ayre implement, it will sound better than Lumin.

 

But MQA is very taboo everywhere.....

 

(Audio)

 

 

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Are all 7000+ MQA titles available to Tidal subscribers in Singapore?

 

Different music is licensed differently to different countries, so there'll be slightly less.

 

Note that the Tidal top-level masters list is a human-edited recommended list with several hundred albums only.  Therefore someone created the spreadsheet.

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Different music is licensed differently to different countries, so there'll be slightly less.

 

Note that the Tidal top-level masters list is a human-edited recommended list with several hundred albums only.  Therefore someone created the spreadsheet.

 

thanks to you and Audio for the clarification :)

 

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Guest AndrewC

Need to do spectral analysis on both versions of blue bayou...

 

There’s no need to do any spectrum analysis;

 

The only 192K PCM version of "Blue Bayou" appears to be from the 2014 “Linda Ronstadt - The ‘70s Collection” (on HDTracks). While the MQA version on Tidal is from the “Simple Dreams” (40th Anniversary Edition)” remastered and re-issued in 2017.

 

As expected they’re totally different masters. Audio’s comparing Apples to Oranges  :)

 

ps: There doesn't appear to be any PCM native high-rez version of the 40th Anniversary release, so it's impossible to do a proper comparison. The Audiophile world is worse off with MQA around - http://www.rhino.com/product/simple-dreams-40th-anniversary-edition

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Does MQA sing to its full potential only if played on a device with core decoding like the Lumin?

 

Lumin S1 / A1 / T1 / D1 offers selectable MQA Full Decoding (better than Core Decoding only) and MQA Core Decoding to analog outputs and digital output respectively.  You get the full benefits of MQA with MQA Full Decoding to analog outputs.

 

Lumin U1 only offers MQA Core decoding to 96 or 88.2kHz to digital outputs, because U1 does not have any analog output.

 

Tidal desktop app and Audirvana also offers MQA Core decoding to 96 or 88.2kHz.

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There’s no need to do any spectrum analysis;

 

The only 192K PCM version of "Blue Bayou" appears to be from the 2014 “Linda Ronstadt - The ‘70s Collection” (on HDTracks). While the MQA version on Tidal is from the “Simple Dreams” (40th Anniversary Edition)” remastered and re-issued in 2017.

 

As expected they’re totally different masters. Audio’s comparing Apples to Oranges  :)

 

ps: There doesn't appear to be any PCM native high-rez version of the 40th Anniversary release, so it's impossible to do a proper comparison. The Audiophile world is worse off with MQA around - http://www.rhino.com/product/simple-dreams-40th-anniversary-edition

 

So, with US$18, i get to listen to the BEST version of Linda Ronstadt Blue Bayou on MQA 96K.  Whereas, there is NO high-res version available, not even the US$132 HDTracks version, which you claim it's inferior.

 

So what is wrong with MQA?  Available, sound great, cost US$18?

 

(Audio)

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Lumin S1 / A1 / T1 / D1 offers selectable MQA Full Decoding (better than Core Decoding only) and MQA Core Decoding to analog outputs and digital output respectively.  You get the full benefits of MQA with MQA Full Decoding to analog outputs.

 

Lumin U1 only offers MQA Core decoding to 96 or 88.2kHz to digital outputs, because U1 does not have any analog output.

 

Tidal desktop app and Audirvana also offers MQA Core decoding to 96 or 88.2kHz.

 

Does that mean MQA has planted hidden bits that only Lumin's Full Decoding can extract?

 

Or does the term "Full Decoding" really mean Lumin decodes and adds filters in a different way so that the MQA sounds better?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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There’s no need to do any spectrum analysis;

 

The only 192K PCM version of "Blue Bayou" appears to be from the 2014 “Linda Ronstadt - The ‘70s Collection” (on HDTracks). While the MQA version on Tidal is from the “Simple Dreams” (40th Anniversary Edition)” remastered and re-issued in 2017.

 

As expected they’re totally different masters. Audio’s comparing Apples to Oranges  :)

 

ps: There doesn't appear to be any PCM native high-rez version of the 40th Anniversary release, so it's impossible to do a proper comparison. The Audiophile world is worse off with MQA around - http://www.rhino.com/product/simple-dreams-40th-anniversary-edition

 

Actually if you can please do it.

 

It would be enlightening to see if there're any significant deviations from eq manipulations, overall mastering level increment, and changes in the envelop of ultrasonic spectral contents.

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Does that mean MQA has planted hidden bits that only Lumin's Full Decoding can extract?

Or does the term "Full Decoding" really mean Lumin decodes and adds filters in a different way so that the MQA sounds better?

 

MQA Core decoding results in 96 or 88.2kHz audio.  Full decoding means there is a next step of MQA rendering after Core decoding.  MQA rendering is DAC-specific to optimize for time domain performance, and unfolds to higher sample rates.

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/ca-academy/mqa-for-civilians/

 

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mqa-time-domain-accuracy-digital-audio-quality

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