Tidal - offering MQA

Normally I listen to Tidal via an ethernet line into the Bridge II in a PS Audio PWDII.  It's superior to running USB into the DAC, which sounds a little flat and uninvolving.  Since Tidal MQA is through the desktop app only, I did listen last night via Macbook > USB > DAC.  

Holy crapballs, we are on to something here!  Is this the new sound of no pre-ringing?  Transients and percussion were just more natural and pleasing; ambience and impression of the recording venue's room acoustic were more clearly present.  Bass was somehow more plump and more taut at the same time -- and better pitch-defined.

I found that the most satisfying level was a 1-3 dB louder setting on the pre-amp.  Not sure if that's because the mastering level is lower or if because the reduced digital hash makes a higher SPL more palatable.

This technology will become disruptive.  Why? Your lifetime collection of redbook CD's will soon be smoked by streaming the MQA version of the same album.  

Still buzzing this morning over what I heard last night.  Wow.



 

I think we'll have half the Tidal catalog in MQA within a year.  For now it's kind-of quaint to have just those 199 titles, which include a variety of gems.  It's like you just got your first vinyl setup and went to the flea market to start your collection.

Grannyring, for the moment Tidal is only doing MQA through their desktop app.  There may be a workaround in which you log into the desktop app, select a MQA album as a "favorite" and then find it in Roon under your favorites.  Let us know if that works out.

EJR and ahendler, I _think_ that dbtom2 is right; even without a MQA-enabled DAC, through Tidal we are getting 1) the origami that allows hi-res transmission in a redbook-flac-sized container or file, 2) The pre-corrective filter applied by MQA using knowledge of the original ADC. 

Granny, on a computer you can use Tidal through a web browser (no MQA) or through the application (MQA.)  You might be right that Roon is looking for the web app and hence no MQA.  If you can USB your desktop or laptop into your DAC, then game on.  This is all rolling out so fast, it's pretty exciting.  (BTW, are you into vintage jewelry or a slow cyclist like me?)

There are a lot more MQA albums available than the ones under the Masters tab in "New."  They just haven't yet made 'em easy to find.  Search for all the albums by an artist you see under the Masters tab, and when you see duplicates of an album, then one of them is MQA and will play as Master rather than HIFI.

Those who haven't seen the catalog, I'd guess it's got 3/4 of the albums ever digitized.  Classical is a little lighter, but for rock/pop/jazz/etc you have to get pretty esoteric to stump it.

To repeat:  I don't have an MQA DAC, and the sound quality of MQA through Tidal is stunning.

Fascinating that most (but not all) of the folks poo-pooing MQA have not listened to it but are just so smart that they know it must suck.

Acurus, sit tight.  No timeline announced for further rollout, but it'll come.

Here are 835 Albums:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10VtON9VjMAt3uyHC2-Oo2MjIa3orv9DKZfwiRQKmTAA/htmlview#

Ain't my work!  Just stumbled upon and shared here.  Yes, people are just reporting when they've seen seen duplicate albums and verified that one plays as a Master.