Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion MQA - Related technology, products and music MQA confusion

Over on the Naim site Naim - Meridian MQA there is considerable confusion about what MQA is, how can it be played, what is the nature of the files and what benefits to sound quality it can bring.

Some think that it is a Meridian-only codec. There is also scepticism that it will ever get off the ground. And all this from audio enthusiasts, some of whom have been to the demonstrations or have read Stereophile. What hope is there for the general public ever understanding MQA?

There has been so much hard work by Meridian since the spectacular Shard launch but very little to show for it.

The public don't need or want to understand it in the same way they don't understand HD TV or much else for that matter.
It just needs to be there by default and they will hear it.

Us enthusiasts will squeeze the best from it though, at great expense as always.

Thoughts, Chris

Chris

But if the music companies see public and corporate indifference to MQA they may well question the need to invest? Something I am sure they are already doing.

Russ

Are people buying 4k TVs? Don't think there's much 4k content available...

Given its backwards compatibility on a large number of players it only need be adopted as the main format by the likes of Tidal, spotify, Napster and the downloadable media outlets to get widespread adoption. If the end users choose to invest in kit that can decode MQA then that's a bonus, as I understand it the decoders are being licenced to the OEM's free of charge so I think there is very little (bar content) to stop this becoming the next 'big' format.

Having spoken to the tin foil hat audiophile brigade there is some scepticism regarding the quality over and above red book which some still see as an unbeatable format, others don't like the fact the sound is going to be 'different' and not identical to the red book version and rest don't think it is possible to fold all of the information in to such a compact file without discarding audible data.

I know of a few people that won't even try streaming audio on their systems because it's not CD. :|

I believe you are missing one key point. Widespread adoption will only come when music labels provide "current content" along with the SOS that has been made available to the audiophile user on Hi-Rez sites. Sure we need the likes of Tidal to adopt MQA but first they need lots of "authenticated" titles.

Good point, I simply think people are buying the 'latest' tv's, that they are 4k capable is almost incidental.

Cheers

Russ

+1
It's (4K) about bragging rights, which can be flaunted - it's (in a sense) physical. Shame that the increased resolution is utterly pointless.

The same can't be applied to a MQA-version of an album, because other people can't (literally) see that you have something "better", so why would the masses spend money on that...?

M gone remarkably quiet on MQA.

Marketing strategy genreally suggests maintaining and building a excitement about a product, not a flourish followed by a expectant silence.

No doubt there is huge work going on behind the scenes, but perhaps M could be encouraged to drip feed some more regular snippets to keep up the momentum.

For M equipment owners of course some indications of which products will be MQA supported and which are too old could also lead into new sales

I don't think M can say much about MQA equipment now. VK told us MQA is in the hands of the studios. That's obviously where the content comes from so until there is a critical mass of sorts of content there is no reason for M to release any MQA related info or equipment. So M and we wait--and hope.

Ken

But Meridian have announced and promised delivery of MQA upgrades to 808 and 818 and they have also said that an upgraded 861 will follow later. They need to deliver on these promises. Sales of existing 808/818 and 861 must have been badly affected.

As per the Naim thread cited above, Meridian seem to be hamstrung by the perception that MQA is exclusively restricted to Meridian products. I had hope that some other companies such as Arcam, named at the Shard event, might have been offering products by now so as to generate momentum. There have been dark hints of many other companies signing up but, as yet, little evidence.

Also as per the Naim thread Meridian seem to be hamstrung by a perception that their sound quality is dull, unrevealing and unexciting.