Another audio standard, MQA

[jim_lewis1]

Hi all, I have just become aware of the latest buzz acronym to be bandied about in connection with audio streaming.

MQA or Master Quality Assured is apparently a new way of packaging audio files in a lossless format.

So, my burning question, even though I don't actually have a need for compatibility with this (yet?) is, will the Joggler be capable of handling/parsing this format?

It seems at present that, eg Hifi Tidal subscribers can get files using this format.

Thanks,

Jim

[hawsey]

That's a new format for me too , Tidal loads up fine for me on Android on the Joggler but I'm not signing up for the free trial



Looking at the info it looks like it is carried within say a Flac or other file as a carrier and needs decoding software or hardware after that probably in an Amplifier looking at who some of the "partners " are , interesting stuff , more digging required ...

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[roobarb!]

MQA or Master Quality Assured is apparently a new way of packaging audio files in a lossless format.

It isn't lossless; it actually uses lossy compression in the high frequencies and adds a sort of 'reconstitution' stream into the audio for an MQA decoder to process.

So, my burning question, even though I don't actually have a need for compatibility with this (yet?) is, will the Joggler be capable of handling/parsing this format?

The Joggler's just a computer at the end of the day, with more than sufficient power for pushing stereo (and greater) audio around, so as long as you've got an MQA compatible audio interface hooked on to the USB port, the Joggler would be able to play out the MQA-formatted audio file in to it and the decoder would do the magic to reconstitute the stream (as MQA is backward compatible, playing an MQA file into a standard audio interface would result in non-enhanced playback). You wouldn't want to try decoding in software (in fact, I'm not certain that's even possible from MQA's licensing point of view) as the Joggler's analogue audio output would be by far the weakest link.

But, having said all that, I think MQA is already dead. This is an interesting read. I don't see the point in trying to push a new lossy compression format, especially one with decoder requirements, when we're already at the point that we have the storage and bandwidth to move around very standard FLAC and ALAC files which get you more than sufficient levels of data compression with zero loss in audio data. It's a solution looking for a problem in my book.

[hawsey]

It's great when someone knows what they are on about no point in it at all if that's the case .
Always trying to sell us something maybe .
I haven't heard of the Neil Young one for a while , the HD music stuff he was pushing , supposedly in talks with Steve Jobs with it before he died .
I've done a few Flac / standard 320k MP3 vs Vinyl comparisons with a mate who is no HiFi nut , Flac vinyl came top with Flac close second , all witchcraft though to most folks ha haa....
Would like to hear this format still though .

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[roobarb!]

Would like to hear this format still though

Oh, I'd definitely like to hear it - this audio malarkey is actually much more practically aligned to the day job these days than it used to be, so it'd be a great comparison against other formats on some of the speakers I've been kitting work out with recently. Speakers like these. Oh, they're so nice.

[hawsey]

Wow, 35 grand for speakers ha ha , they look lovely , I use a pair of old MS 55Ti speakers floor Stander's I take it those are for studio use for that price .

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