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What happen to MQA on Tidal?

After listening to Tidal only on my phone the last few weeks, I went to stream on my home system but soon realized all my MQA tracks were no longer showing up and the MQA parameters were absent in my streaming settings.  I see Tidal is in "administration" (Chapter 11???).   One of the main reasons I subscribed to Tidal was MQA and purchased a DAC that could decode the format.   I think I should have at least been informed by Tidal if it was cancelling MQA.  Any thoughts? 

I know a lot of people hate (hated) MQA, but like any format I have listened to (Vinyl, CD, SACD, FLAC, MQA, etc.) , some things sound great and others on a plain old red book CD sounds better. 

bubbagump
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,502 posts
 

MQA was a fraud like crypto. Solution for a problem that doesn't exist anymore.

Anyone that bought into it deserves an F.O.P. decal on the window.

dinosore
100 posts
 

Tidal announced that, starting in August, FLAC will be their preferred source for hi-res audio.  MQA and hi-res FLAC will co-exist for a while as they transition, but it appears that they will eventually phase out MQA.  My Tidal apps on iOS have already removed the MQA logos (although some MQA files are likely still streaming if hi-res FLAC files are not yet available).  It sounds like TIDAL on other streaming devices (i.e. BluOS, ROON, etc.) will start the transition in October.  My BluOS still shows MQA files.

kota1
2,706 posts
 

My android still shows MQA files

erik_squires
15,794 posts
 

Atmos for music will go nowhere, but even if no one ever buys more than 5.1 speakers for their home it will still succeed based on buyers wanting to have the most modern gear.

soix
8,751 posts
 

MQA was a misbegotten solution to a problem that nobody asked for.  I mean, introducing a computer algorithm that alters the original intent of the artists and recording engineer because the algorithm thinks it sounds better — really???  Good riddance MQA!

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