Maybe you don't keep up on this stuff. I don't always either...But MQA has been something gnawing at my good sound quality curiosity for awhile now. It is a mysterious (to some anyway) approach to getting better sounding audio from just about any source including typical downloads (compared often to iTunes), streaming (compared often to Pandora) and even CDs (compared often to "the industry").
So... enter MQA, not anytime that recently, as they (MQA Ltd. spun from Meridian-Audio.com) have been at this research and development for some years now.
My short version is:
Yes, in order to get the hi-res unfolded benefits of MQA encoded audio files you need a DAC that is MQA enabled. There are a few for sale out there now.
Yes, MQA is being supported by some large streaming providers including Tidal and 7Digital.
Yes, MQA folds the hi-res audio data such that the transport of the data whether streaming or downloaded as a file is a much smaller image than what most hi-res files require today in bandwidth.
MQA is always about the size of a normal CD (WAV or AIFF) to download or stream, no matter what bit rate it can unfold to all the way up to 24/384. You get the big hi-res unfolded quality when you play it with an MQA DAC! If you don't have the MQA DAC, it still sounds good and is playable on what you might have today. If you get the MQA DAC tomorrow....voila!
Yes, MQA playback can sound a lot better to my ears than what I usually hear from PCM masters. The biggest improvement in my unlearned opinion comes from what is referred to as a reduction in the temporal or time blurring of the playback. There is a better focus and location of each instrument in the mix. It is also a more relaxed, natural sound losing some of the PCM edge that I have become pretty sensitive to picking up over the years.
It is more ambient and to me, less boxy and ear fatuging, more DSD-like. It is also more 3-dimensional.
I described it to an audiophile friend as a pyramid of sound (the stage) with the tip of the pyramid pointed slightly towards the listener, not straight up in the air. So the image of a band performing the song came to mind very readily, with the back edge of the stage raised and tilted slightly towards me.
So I developed MQA masters of my hi-res albums and my newest CD release "Rare To Go - December Solstice" to allow easier and faster downloads of my masters to be accessed by those who are not especially interested in DSD, or who maybe are just especially interested in MQA or better sounding PCM masters.
Trying to download a non-MQA 24/352.8 audio file is a "good luck" proposition normally. But MQA allows this to be easily done where the total album zip file is small. The rule of thumb for WAV files (16/44.1) is 10 MB per minute of audio. So 3 to 5 minute songs are 30MB to 50MB in size. Same for MQA!
The playback sounds excellent with an MQA DAC in use. I am using the Meridian Explorer2 which retails for $299. It does not play DSD files, just PCM at all bit rates. Have I had issues getting this all to work and stay working with my computer audio setup? You bet... Was it worth it? To me so far, definitely yes.
My MQA Promo...Go here...
If you are listening to MQA today and want to hear how my albums sound with that encoding, I will give you a free title of your choice when you buy any of the four 24/352.8k releases: "The Window", "Crossing", "Acoustic Trio", "Coffeehouse Playlist".
I'll contact you via email after your MQA purchase and ask you what other title you would like, then send you the MQA download link for that title.
It's Memorial Day Tomorrow! You can get the Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal until June 15, 2016
If you have questions about MQA feel free to reply to this message, it just goes to me.
I have been working with MQA Ltd. in the UK on getting my DSD masters converted to DXD and then having the PCM masters encoded as MQA. All the work was done by MQA Ltd. and the results have been very and sometimes surprisingly excellent.
I like good sound. If it sounds good, it is good. I don't have to go too much beyond that for my own sonic barometer. Good job MQA.
PCM needs help.
Large hi-res file downloads (DSD and PCM) need help saving time and the ISP's gigabyte limit for many.
Streaming needs help sounding a lot better than it has from most big sites.
Regular CD download quality needs help sounding a lot better than it has since the beginning, especially when it's in the form of lossy compressed formats like MP3 and AAC from iTunes, but even as it's delivered on a typical CD.
MQA helps... Mahalo!
David Elias site : www.davidelias.com