There will be a spike in ODs from uncut PCM hitting the streets.
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YES!! Seems like Qobuz really got the message lol …currently listening to that and it actually sounds amazing. That’s how it’s done!
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Help, what does this mean and is it science ? Think i want to discover the flaws in search of excellence. Also im not against altering the recording to gain a sterile digital version. Theres another ASR video that brings into question the source files websites obtain to market as high resolution music.
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I’m a Qobuz subscriber now. $12.99 a month when paid up front for the year. Some observations since I’ve been playing with it for nearly a month.
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It’s not as polished an interface as Tidal but workable and it doesn’t suffer from real nasties with Windows. (not as big of a deal since I use Roon)
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Definitely different libraries than Tidal, I found one album by Caribou that was in Tidal but not on Qobuz, but I also found DJ mixes by Roisin Murphy on Qobuz that weren’t on Tidal, so definitely a mixed bag.
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Another point to mention, there’s clearly suspect stuff happening at Tidal. The new Yello album, 40 Years. Not available anywhere outside of 16/44 CD quality and 24/48 Hi-Fi… well on Tidal it’s magically 24/96 MQA.
I will never claim that my ears are good enough to hear those subtle differences but it goes to support the claims on the MQA video up empty up sampling.
I’m paying more because I was getting Tidal’s college student discount $9.99 a month, but it’s a small price to pay for shedding the forced MQA even when listening to 16/44 tracks. Paying attention to Roon I was able to see a whole bunch of 16/44 tracks that were being MQA unfolded by Roon, why the need to do so? Don’t know, there is literally nothing to be gained and as the MQA video shows it’s adding artifact shit for no reason.
- The biggest benefit, it’s being able to listen to 24/192 tracks where with Tidal’s software unfolding for DACs without MQA, the max attainable was 24/96
That’s it, nothing but facts in this report, leaving all subjective judgements to you as the listener. 
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I assume you mean per month?
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Hello,
I don’t know about Roon, which may be similar to Audirvana or simply a player that upscales.
The fact is that my listening test also confirms this
It doesn’t matter what happens to the source material once it is upscaled.
I did not hear any difference in Audirvana.
whether the file is 16/44 or 24/192 because it upscales it to 32/96 depending on what is set.
It can/will be different if you use the bad developed app in Windows.
Among other things also because mainly wasapi is used and of course the difference in the bit rates and frequencies.
The question now is does what was mentioned about MQA happen under the bad developed app and Wasapi mode with a MQA Dac?
Or can the whole story be buried if one uses a MQA dac together with Audirvana and possibly operates with the Asio to achieve better results, possibly even with Roon?
For me it doesn’t really matter whether I leave the 20$ with Tidal or Quboz.
I’m still thinking about it, but I can’t come to any conclusion about it.
Also because I know that I won’t promote buying an extra Mqa Dac, especially if I don’t have to.
I would be more interested in Denafrip’s Ares 2 than in a MQA Dac at the moment.
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very, very much rightfully so. The benefits of a better, higher-tier DAC far exceeds getting a lower-tier DAC, or one that doesn’t meet your sound goals, just for the (litteraly dubios) benefits of MQA. That’s an absolute no-brainer for me. Just imagine all of 16/44 sounding worse just because you want MQA … LOL. And just imagine listening to 24/192 recordings via Qobuz on your Ares II. What is MQA for again?
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The nearest trash can.
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I heard “This is Amir” and stopped the video.
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MQA may not be headed for the trashcan but if I have a choice between free stuff and license encumbered stuff I’ll choose free stuff.
Of course Meridian, Tidal and Warner will do their best to get everyone on the MQA bandwagon.
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If a youtuber can help improve sound quality out my system. 
The rate things are going, both Tidal and MQA might be heading to the trash bin. People are leaving Tidal left and right (me included), and with the recent buyout, there’s rumors of Tidal being shut down within a year or so, so there’s that.
And the more people learn about MQA, that bandwagon will be growing smaller and smaller until it’s no more.
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It’s funny, because I just had watched a video from DMS where he ask a bunch of audiophile which streaming service they are going with… Tidal came out often… + Tidal pay the artist considerably more than other streaming services…
So I thought, I’ll give Tidal a shot again.
(Currently been using Amazon Music since it was introduced in Canada, last year).
Anyway, after a quick 30 minutes of A/B testing, I always preferred Amazon Music through my setup.
Sounds fuller, warmer, more pleasant. Not a huge difference, but it was there if I looked for it.
Which brought me to this thread to then found out about GoldenSound video…
Guess I’ll stick with Amazon Music! 
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Isn’t that what Golden Audio is doing?
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Seems like the quality of hi-res is a thing even Zeos has concerns.
Fact is you can get tidal for $3 a month using the Turkish vpn trick (tidal staff were so dimwitted they made the hifi tire in Turkey the same numerical value US $ which comes in at just under $3). Fuck them too as they charge £20, which is extortionate. At that price, it doesn’t matter what Amazon Music is doing, its 5x more expensive.
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I can only repeat it again.
If you play the streaming provider with Audirvana or Roon and have selected your preferred bit rate.
It doesn’t matter which provider you use.
Sampled is sampled.
It doesn’t matter if the file is 16/44 or 24/44.
As soon as you go beyond that, it doesn’t matter.
Unfortunately, the whole software is technically limited.
Audirvana only offers Hi-res, Qubozz and Tidal.
Roon offers more, but you have to pay for it monthly.
All those who do not use Roon or Audirvana and only use it as an app on their smartphone, Windows ect. Windows etc. will notice audible differences.
Why?
Because the apps are tuned differently and mainly the output runs via Wasapi.
And of course what the provider adds to make it sound “big”.
That’s just as much of a joke in this case.
That’s why there are numerous reports that Amazon is louder than the others, Tidal Qubozz a bit smoother and so on…
That’s why you have to clearly differentiate between additional programmes like Audirvana that not only sample but also play back bit-precisely, which Roon also does with more options.
The sound of the apps of the streaming providers.
And of course the house sound of the dac that brings it along, which also has a bit of influence on it.
Then there are the mobile versions where I claim that the apps of the providers are better adapted to the end device due to their technical possibilities.
Meanwhile, there are additional apps that can also transmit clear instructions to the Dac.
Bitrate sampling,Musicplayer ect…
What is MQA?
For me MQA is another file format like DSD,Flac,Mp4,ACC ect…
They tried to offer a format with MQA because there were always discussions about how the file actually sounds at the mixer or composition and as a private person I couldn’t get access to it.
That was probably the plan behind the idea.
Unfortunately, it requires technology.
In the end, however, one has to ask oneself, without wanting to defend Tidal, whether the manufacturer might not have been sloppy with the technology.
Perhaps there is so much inexperience that they are struggling with the noise floor as they did with the jitter problem.
When digital technology made its progress.
Manufacturers always want to save money but offer everything and the customer pays little.
That is today’s trend.
That’s why it will be difficult for the format.
And besides, there are some customers who don’t want any changes.
We are creatures of habit by nature.
But it is also the fault of the scene, which makes it difficult to make it easy for beginners.
And to overwhelm them with X number of things.
When I started it was so much and so big and so much very expensive just to be able to enjoy music halfway than the standard.
That’s exactly what streaming providers and manufacturers exploit.
The stupidity and ignorance.
Which is not a bad thing on my part, but the truth.
If people were a little more honest and informed with their customers, they would be more likely to give new things a chance.
I won’t buy a new Dac just to hear what happens during mastering, I don’t need that.
There are remixes that came out later that sounded better than before and were good from the start.
I don’t have to replace the producer with technology just because he’s good.He understands that and if he can do that he gets paid for it.Dr.Dre,understood what music is as well as his generation before.
Today there is hardly any and why?
Because the meaning was not understood.
And with MQA, they are trying to steer it in a completely different direction and replace it with technology.
Can it sound real because of that?
Time will tell how good the format is and whether it will catch on.I wouldn’t look at it in a prejudiced way.Some things take time,some have matured.
That’s why Tidal is not worse than before in my estimation.
There is also a rumour that other providers want to support MQA.There is no point in switching in the end, except to delay it.
The truth will lie somewhere in between, as is so often the case.5% is scientifically proven on YouTube, and many people forget that.The rest is conjecture, a source of information, half-knowledge, lies and rubbish.
I have a Tidal premium, family membership. I have this because I offen leave my music playing as I come and go. I also listen in the car over my Samsung phone. Lately more and more songs that I have played several times previously, won’t play. Sometimes I get the error message. Other times it just goes to the next song. Lately if I play a song from a playlist, that same song is the only one that plays from the that list. Earlier my Astel-Kern SP1000M stopped working completely with Tidal. What is the problem that this service is continually getting worse? If their app won’t work on my: DAP; streamer; or server, than what good is this service? I’d hate to just quit my account but if they can’t keep the service running, then what am I paying $30/ month for? Im just starting to try Qobuz but the layout looks different so it’ll take me awhile to learn. It sucks to get totally used to a format and then have to start over. Ill probably try Amazon as well. Its like you have to have a MSDBA just to listen to music.
Wow. Sorry to hear of your troubles. I wouldn’t be able to tolerate that either. Is there any tech support available to assist? I’ve never tried Tidal and never will so I don’t know. I hope either they can figure it out or you can find a suitable replacement service. I haven’t really experimented much with these services myself. I’ve only tried Youtube Music and Amazon HD. I have nothing bad to say about Youtube Music. Amazon HD has been wonderful for me and is my service of choice. I have been curious about Qobuz, but frankly I have had no compelling reason to leave AMHD.