Tidal adds hi-res audio streams with 'Tidal Masters' (with MQA)

I just did a compare to my non-MQA EAR DACute. The HIFI tracks sounded more forward and are a bit more enjoyable to me. The MASTER tracks had a bit more texture, but they seemed to not hold my attention. I'm sure the non-MQA tracks had more compression, but I was a bad audiophile and kinda preferred the HIFI.

Of course, with vinyl, I feel like I get the dynamic range and the attention grabbing-ness.

 

Yep, that's what I meant.

Maybe we can get an official list at some point.

I think at least some of the MQA albums are a different master. It's probably from the Hi-Res master or so. My Gungnir does change sample rates when switching between the albums so it seems that the files get output at Hi-Res. 24/96 would make sense. I only listened for a few minutes, but I actually generally like what I hear. For example the Hi-Res version of Muse - The 2nd Law is more dynamic than the 16/44.1 version and the MQA version seems to be from the Hi-Res master.

Otherwise I generally think the MQA version is a bit oversoftened, like you'd get when someone tries to hide the SABRE chip hidden in a DAC, but who knows what's more accurate. I do actually think they might be onto something with their anti-ADC-filteryness.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure though that the Hi-Res versions the MQA files get generated with sound better than the MQA files, but when I tried to downsample recordings that I made from vinyl, they sounded extremely grainy and shitty after going from 24/176 to 16/44 (no matter what settings I used) and it feels like MQA is trying to use a filter to get rid of the artifacts, but can't restore the information. Something like that.

I thnk there are a lot of issues with digital that need to be solved, but instead of Meridian trying to solve in software the sins of commissions of bad ADCs I wish we could have Mike Moffat simply make a GAIN 3 ADC.

 

This is a good way of putting it. I wonder if it's an official MQA DAC if it'll sound different/better.

 

Sounds like Roon allows MQA passthrough only at the moment?

Also I just spent far too much time figuring out how to SSH in to my Pi and install the Roon Bridge for testing only to discover that for some reason the default password on my Volumio install isn't working. I then grabbed a vinyl record and threw it on my turntable and lo and behold it played the record without an issue. Digital can suck it.

 

Yep!

And YUP!!

 

That issue I was having with my Pi convinced me not to bother with Roon at all. Volumio works for me without Roon, and Audirvana works for my desktop without Roon. The metadata is nice but at this point unless it's totally painless to use all the way down the line it's not worth the money to me.

 

The Pi-based end-points are the hardest to deal with. In most cases, it's no more involved than turning the device on and telling it to operate in "Roon" mode via a simple web-based config screen (e.g. SonicOrbiter, microRendu, Auralic Aries, etc.).

 

Right, but those devices cost a lot more than the Pi. I guess you're paying for convenience in those cases.

 

I was reading about the MQA hoopla on Digital Audio Review.

It notes Audioquest is adding MQA support to Dragonfly Red & Black via software update later this month, also MQA support coming to Audirvana in 3.0.
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/01/ces-2017-as-it-happens/

 

If it's just a software requirement then maybe LHLabs could add it to the Geek Out line.

 

1000x this. Is there anything technology can't ruin?

 

MQA is still a lossy codec and Tidal still fucks with tonality. There is noticeable mud or a bass boost with lossless streaming from it with WASAPI compared to JRiver or Foobar. Playing an EAC secure rip of the same CD through ASIO sounds noticeable better to me.

 

Is there a different streaming service you think is more accurate to the source (setting aside that all the other services in the US currently are lossy)?

 

Streaming pretty much sucks except for checking stuff out to see if you like it. Not good for hi-fi listening. i just check stuff out on Youtube or Bandcamp and end up buying a ton of CDs and Bandcamp FLACs of the stuff I would like to listen to more than once or twice.

 

Yeah, I also use it mostly for checking out new stuff too. Thanks!

 

The MQA Masters feeding my Modi Multibit via USB sound about the same as the CD version feeding the Modi Multibit via coax. The MQA's are a bit louder but overall, I would be hard pressed to tell you which was which.

 

The whole thing sounds like the HDCD scam again where albums that were DR 12 or something for the normal CD had HDCD versions with pretty much the same dynamic range and sound but peaks going above the Red Book level for more louderer = more betterer.

 

You pay for some guy's effort to debug the shit out of most use cases. I don't have a streaming service subscription, but it apparently does differ enough that LHLabs has a SSM filter.

 

Well, it has the filter but that doesn't mean it sounds the best of the filters they offer. And really it's not about the processing of the sound, it's about the ease of use. I have a GOV2+ and it's a great DAC but it doesn't act as a Roon endpoint.

 

Yeah I wasn't clear enough sorry.

I mean that streaming does result in a different sound, which is why LHLabs has a different filter.

Separately, you pay more for those end points as someone has had to test extensively common use cases and 'patch' it up before it reaches your hand, unlike with Pi based free distributions. Won't be surprised if something like the Geek Source supports Roon though.