Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion MQA - Related technology, products and music MQA Limited in Administration (Chapter 11)

What HiFi - MQA is going into Administration.

Looking at the balance sheet, I can understand why MQA have taken this path. I hope this allows them to come back stronger.

Surely, Meridian would want to buy into MQA to ensure a competitor doesn’t get hold of the company.

Seriously, why? Meridian doesn't even have MQA support in its latest custom install speakers, hasn't added MQA support to its multi-channel processors, etc. etc. What's in it for them?

Prestige.

Folks,

Just read a post on the Roon Users Goup that MQA has gone into Administration. There was also a link;

MQA Limited - Into Administration England & Wales

There is also a second link so this is definitely for real;

UK Company House - MQA Limited

From this link you can read the MQA Limited Group Strategic Report for the year ending 32 December 2021. The report was approved by the board on 26 December 2022 just over 3 months ago. Not good reading when they admit they are not making a profit.

Since then Anthony Rupert a Director, resigned on March 17th 2023.

Going to be interesting times seeing where this goes with time. Hopefully someone like Apple can bail them out.
Sad to hear this news for Bob Stuart and I hope he doesn't have all chips down on the table. For all he has done for the world of digital audio, he deserves better at the age of 75 coming up in August.

Steve M

The full statement from MQA reads as follows:

It looks like Meridian Audio were paid a sensible amount for the IP rights to MQA and I'd read that Bob had subsequently sold at least some of his stake in Meridian Audio.

My hope is this means he is well looked after, after all he has done. I'm personally very grateful for the hours and hours of listening enjoyment over the past 25+ years.

I wonder how this affects longer term M strategy on high res. I know “nothing affected” from a PR perspective but administration is not to take lightly unless it’s Bob’s family’s exit strategy to release funds…

+1

As I understand it, the current entity that is Meridian got nada from the "sale" of MQA; its owner Richemont did (which retained a 25% stake in MQA when it was spun out, and which seems a likely candidate for the backer who wants to pull out). There was a complicated financial restructuring when Meridian underwent its John Buchanan led MBO, but the Meridian that resulted didn't benefit from MQA IP rights.

Given you were likely closer to the people involved in the MBO this than many of us, I can only say that I hope Bob did ok from the sale of Meridian, even if not directly from the sale of MQA