Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion MQA - Related technology, products and music HIGHRESAUDIO STILL offering MQA downloads

Well whoever posted that original comment was fairly brave in these litigeous times. Surely no respectable commercial organisation would say such a thing?

Imagine someone alleging that the suspension on an LP12 was a source of excess bass energy in the 20-250hz range to emphasise rhythm, or that a Nordost Odin interconnect cable acted as a mild low-pass filter to emphasise high frequency detail. Neither of which are true of course.

The lawyers would be salivating over their Mercedes brochures.

This is true. MQA downloads are still available. In fact, the first thing I did after posting here was buying another MQA album just in case they weren't kidding. It was implied elsewhere that HRA would stop offering MQA starting March 1st. 2017

Makes you wonder why they would throw customers away? I dont see it. Time will tell.

The following was posted on the Naim forum:

"HIRESAUDIO have just confirmed they will be removing all MQA content on 1.3.17, in response to an email I sent them."

See here

Hi guys

Just wanting to understand the truth in the statement - MQA states that it is trying to reproduce the studio analog signal. The nay Sayers claim that it is lossy at best and has artefacts. Isn't this so opposed that one side has to be lying ?

Best /bt

I enjoy MQA as per earlier posts. Technically it is lossy with respect to 192, but selectively so and prioritising timing information preservation. The work in the studio and within a full MQA DAC (as opposed to a renderer) to correct for timing errors is also significant and clearly audible. The Tidal conversion passed to a non MQA DAC being significantly inferior to Explorer2 . So these aspects are ignored by detractors, and in addition in most 'anti' forums 'lossy' is used as if it were lossy in comparison to 44.1 which is incorrect.

Thank you Booster you stated succinctly what the value proposition of MQA is tempered against what the other camp is concerned about. I fired up Natalie Dessay duetting the French version of Windmills of the Mind, and could not believe folks would complain about what was coming through the speakers.

Asa and I had a side bar though on Karajan's Ma Vlast; it doesn't sound good at all!

It would appear that there is no such thing as lying in this business, just a difference of opinion, usually to protect future sales potential.

I think today you can buy very cheaply, a virtually unused pair of audio receptors, previously owned by an audio sales and marketing exec.

As far as "Karajan Ma Vlast" goes it is preceded on the album by an acceptable version of Dvorak 9, IMHO the Smetana album filler should be considered as CICO.

MQA is not a cure all.

Hector

MQA downloads still working from Highresaudio today!! btw

I sent them an e-mail yesterday the 22nd asking why I could not longer search for MQA titles on Highresaudio. They responded back that they were no longer going to provide MQA files for a few reasons. I let them know i was disappointed and that they had lost me as a customer going forward. He did reply back with a few reasons why had stopped and suggested I just purchase the "full" high res version .

On a couple of titles I have purchased both the 24/96 and MQA version and let them know that although the differences were not significant I preferred the MQA version due to less "fuzz" around vocals along with cleaner and tighter bass with more space around some instruments. That's my take.

I think he's going to regret throwing his toys out of the pram.

I can imagine the tears "streaming" down his face.

His business model has been "rendered" obsolete.

Hector