(UHQCD format x MQA technology). Disc's-DAC's-Streamers and Tidal

[cbmmm3]

here are 4 MQA discs that sound awesome. The Joe Walsh and Bryan Ferry are real stunners

 

[mandrix]

dont take this as a 'fer sure' but I dont see any problem why it would not work

Thanks. I'm thinking I would use it most at the pc. Wife is retiring soon and she loves her cooking shows (and the HT is right there with it).
sure wish there was a (cheaper) software solution.

 

[cbmmm3]

Thanks. I'm thinking I would use it most at the pc. Wife is retiring soon and she loves her cooking shows (and the HT is right there with it).
sure wish there was a (cheaper) software solution.

To make sure I am on the same page as you, are you trying to experience MQA ? If so - get on the MQA website and go to the Equipment section to see all the hardware available that is MQA enabled. There may an inexpensive DAC. Get said DAC, subscribe to Tidal HIFI Plus ( 3 month trial for 2 dollars per month !!! ) and - viola you are there ! There are tens of thousands - or more - MQA songs on Tidal. Any song that has the word MASTER after title is MQA

 

[mandrix]

To make sure I am on the same page as you, are you trying to experience MQA ? If so - get on the MQA website and go to the Equipment section to see all the hardware available that is MQA enabled. There may an inexpensive DAC. Get said DAC, subscribe to Tidal HIFI Plus ( 3 month trial for 2 dollars per month !!! ) and - viola you are there ! There are tens of thousands - or more - MQA songs on Tidal. Any song that has the word MASTER after title is MQA

Sounds like a plan! I will check it out.

 

[cbmmm3]

Sounds like a plan! I will check it out.

reminder - you want the DAC to be able to fully unfold MQA. Full Unfold

here you go -

Homepage | Experience the best sound with MQA | MQA

 

[mandrix]

I tried looking through their lists of companies, most tout their products but want you to visit a dealer. Sound expensive already? I think so.
I had better luck on Amazon. The cheapest small DAC was around $69. But you can spend the moon on one.

https://www.amazon.com/HiBy-FC3-Hea...09834&pd_rd_wg=38DA8&pd_rd_i=B09JF81FX9&psc=1

 

[Perp]

I tried looking through their lists of companies, most tout their products but want you to visit a dealer. Sound expensive already? I think so.
I had better luck on Amazon. The cheapest small DAC was around $69. But you can spend the moon on one.

I would go for a Topping DAC that decodes MQA, on all inputs, if possible. That’s what I’m going to do. As soon as I sell my OPPO UDP-205 for $10,000.

 

[mandrix]

I would go for a Topping DAC that decodes MQA, on all inputs, if possible. That’s what I’m going to do. As soon as I sell my OPPO UDP-205 for $10,000.

lol.

 

[cbmmm3]

I would go for a Topping DAC that decodes MQA, on all inputs, if possible. That’s what I’m going to do. As soon as I sell my OPPO UDP-205 for $10,000.

The Topping DAC is highly rated. Good job Perps !

 

[mrcond]

Do these Audioquest Dragonfly usb dac's only work with headphones? If not, would they work on a pc sound system where the dac is plugged into the pc itself (my pc sound AVR has no usb ports but is using the Asus motherboard's built in Realtek/analog out 3.5mm jacks)
Inquiring mind (or read as clueless individual) wants to know.

I don't own one but this should work. Plug the Dragonfly into your PC and use the 3.5mm output jack to hook up to your AVR setup. And it should handle the MQA decoding. There is an FAQ on the Dragonfly page here with further info and instructions.

https://www.audioquest.com/dacs/dragonfly/faqs

 

[par4ken]

Apparently you can play (decode) MQA via Foobar. Here is a link that explains how. I haven't tried it as I don't have any MQA discs.

http://www.pureaudiolab.com/assets/files/Configuring Foobar2000 For DSD and MQA Playback V1.0.pdf

 

[mandrix]

Apparently you can play (decode) MQA via Foobar. Here is a link that explains how. I haven't tried it as I don't have any MQA discs.

http://www.pureaudiolab.com/assets/files/Configuring Foobar2000 For DSD and MQA Playback V1.0.pdf

Not having much luck getting it set up. Going to have to uninstall and start from scratch as it got all borked up. Oh well try try again.

 

[mandrix]

Not having much luck getting it set up. Going to have to uninstall and start from scratch as it got all borked up. Oh well try try again.

Nope one of the .dll's Foo doesn't like at all. I'm going to quit on it for now.

 

[Owen Smith]

I can't believe people are still falling for MQA's snake oil. When not unfolded it is less than CD quality since it adds noise. When unfolded it is at best lossy high resolution. Lossless CD is better than either.

 

[jaybird100]

Was thinking the same thing, Ricky. Have yet to purchase Chucky's amazing device but I cannot see why NOT. AFAIK, there is only one UHQ MQA~CD which 'retains' the original QS encoding [it was a single inventory QS encoded disc] and it sounds pretty amazing through a DOLBY PRO LOGIC II decoder:

{The titles above were released only in quad, no stereo version known} From Mark Anderson's QUADRAPHONIC DISCOGRAPHY

BTW, Am currently spinning Bob James fantastic MQA~CD [EVOSOUND] 'FEEL LIKE MAKING LIVE' which was included with the stunning BD~V disc.

Pretty much all of Impulse's QS LP releases were single inventory.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I can't believe people are still falling for MQA's snake oil. When not unfolded it is less than CD quality since it adds noise. When unfolded it is at best lossy high resolution. Lossless CD is better than either.

If you recall back in the day when the snob magazines Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, What Hi~Fi, etc. reviewed SACD and MLP DVD~A, they said it was inferior to vinyl and snubbed it. Of course the demo players they were using were not what I'd call HiFi [like an cheapo not ready for prime time Panasonic for DVD~A] and of course the majors stopped producing those 'hi resolution surround/stereo discs ....'

I am hardly decrying the efficacy of well produced Vinyl but the same mags were utilizing multi~buck turntables for comparison ....... Talk about snake oil syndrome! Had they utilized the then available Meridian Reference 800 DVD~A player with Meridian's 861 processor for their reviews, I think they would have been having a 'MUCH different conversation....'

But, as always: TO EACH HIS OWN!

 

[Robbio]

Maybe others are watching this thread and we all can be helpful, so I will give my experience with MQA.
1. I completely agree with Ralphie. Even without unfolding the MQA the CD by itself is real good.
2. For me, I have acquired a fair amount of MQA discs. Many of the MQA discs sold have also been released as SHM SACD and SACD. I refuse to double dip between a MQA and a SACD.
3. I own a Luxman D-O3X for direct hard disc MQA play. They play and sound great through the Luxman unfolded completely.
4. I have ripped all my MQA discs into FLAC digital files. When I listen to them via my JRiver software they only play as 16/44.1 RBCD.
The Luxman has a driver where you can take your ripped digital (MQA) disc and add to the playlist of this Luxman driver, play the song/album and the Luxman unfolds the ripped MQA FLAC file for a quality sounding listen.
5. You can also run Tidal through the Luxman (@cbmmm3 knows how) for true Tidal Master Quality.
6. All MQA discs unfold at different rates, higher and lower.
7. My advice: If you are looking to spend your hard earned money on upgrading your audio situation, go in the direction of creating an Atmos listening situation, with the ability to playback Atmos in either hard discs, streaming, or ripped files.
MQA should be after that, and really only for the pure lover of stereo, which I am, I love stereo.
It would be also cheaper, which I have done also, is to be able to play Tidal from your phone, with AudioQuest Dragonfly DAC with MQA decoding, I have the Dragonfly RED DAC. This way you can have many more MQA releases than the hard discs available for purchase.
8. Hopefully this helps someone who has no experience with MQA so that you can decide for yourself whether MQA is a worthwhile experience and investment.
9. If you have no experience with MQA and you own no MQA equipment, please, we don't need to hear all the ramblings and science of what you think based on no personal experience, that never helps someone who is trying to weigh the decision for themselves.
I say this because I actually can't believe how many people on QQ comment about Atmos, who say I don't have Atmos, but listen to what I say,
really, just boring to me.

Just curious, for those cds you ripped to flac did you use the MQA tag restorer app to add the proper MQA tags to each file.
The reason I ask is when I used USB audio player pro. It often didn’t recognise the Flac files as MQA until it had been tagged properly.

 

[marpow]

Just curious, for those cds you ripped to flac did you use the MQA tag restorer app to add the proper MQA tags to each file.
The reason I ask is when I used USB audio player pro. It often didn’t recognise the Flac files as MQA until it had been tagged properly.

When I ripped the MQA CD's I used the same that I use for all CD's which is the Windows Media Player that came with my PC. I set to FLAC and they download to my download folder. There where a few where the tags where in Japanese writing, that I manually corrected when I moved them over NAS to my JRiver
If I play the MQA files from JRiver they only play as 16/44.1 CD's. It takes the Luxman to do the unfold.
Now, when I set up the Luxman driver to play the MQA discs via my ripped files which was very easy, I had no expectation that they would unfold completely to MQA, but to my astonishment it did the complete unfold. I cannot explain why as I am not educated enough, but that aside, I was thrilled.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Another STUNNING Japanese MQA~CD which I would never have known about had it not been MQA encoded: DREAMWEAVERS

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/RINC-73?s_ssid=e42cdf62069bd3f520

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[jaybird100]

Another STUNNING Japanese MQA~CD which I would never have known about had it not been MQA encoded: DREAMWEAVERS

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/RINC-73?s_ssid=e42cdf62069bd3f520

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MQA vs. SACD...which is better?