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Tidal MQA vs Qobuz hi-res

My brief experience.. for posterity.

Comparing Tidal MQA to Qobuz hi-res, you -will- hear degredation/loss in the high frequencies (violins in an orchestra etc) on MQA... assuming you have reasonably resolving equipment. For me, that’s Macbook USB to a $150 Audio Engine D1 DAC going to a $600 used Parasound A23 going to used $600 Kef LS50’s, $100 Transparent speaker cables and cheap USB and RCA cables.

The Audio Engine is surprisingly good for it’s price BTW. Over the years, trying different DACs in audio stores when I had an opportunity, I feel like you’d need to spend close to $1,000 to get something significantly better.

The A23 and LS50’s are really good too for today’s used prices. New, they would’ve been $2,500 a few years go

bataras
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,501 posts
 
No lossy compressed overpriced crap for me, thank you.
goofyfoot
1,323 posts
 
I can’t believe people are still using MP3.
p05129
482 posts
 
MQA sounds great most of the time, same goes for dsd. Get a good dac and you will hear a difference.
Good luck on getting the Hegel supporting Roon. I have had 3 Hegel integrated amps and for a couple years now, Hegel was promising to support Roon. I gave up and went another direction 
goofyfoot
1,323 posts
 
It’s hard to know what sounds good if one cannot here it matched with one’s own system. People insist on a particular DAC chip as being preferred above all others but implementation is key, filtering, power source, etc... Most people will buy over the internet, especially those living in smaller towns. A good DAC is essential but how that DAC functions with the other components is just as important. Most brick and mortar stores are struggling and may only carry a hand full of companies so we Audio lovers are at a disadvantage.
tom8999
151 posts
 
Wow - OP - your system is only as good as your weakest link - you have multiple weak links - hear is my system - 

Source - Tidal Hi Fi with MQA accessed via a LUMIN T2 (has the Sabre DAC)
Integrated amp - Krell K300i
Speakers - Maggie 1.7i with Maggie base panel
Cables and speaker wire by Anti cable.

my results with Tidal using MQA are amazingly good - I find new music all the time and the Soundstage is the best I have ever achieved. Horns and strings and vocals POP. Retired my turntable.

just my 2 cents 
Happy Listening

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