[Triode User]

Pursuit Perfect System are interviewing Matt Bartlett, MD of Chord Electronics, live today at 1pm UK time.

INTERVIEW

 

[iamoneagain]

It's simple: the better your gear gets the less the file format matters. The quality of the recording is what I hear. I can no longer blindly tell if I'm listening to 16/44.1, 192/24, DSD, or MQA.

I wouldn't spend all my money on this gear and then limit the music I listen to because the wrong kind of filter was used. The music is what's most important.

I have played Joni Mitchell's "Blue" in MQA format for friends. The reaction I hear often is something like "wow I've never heard this album sound so good". I have an earlier mastering ripped from CD that doesn't sound as good. Why? Not sure but it very well could be that the master from which the MQA version was cut came from a better analog tape or it was converted to digital with a superior A/D. The recordings provenance is what matters most - not the file format.

I hate to be so blunt, but you really have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to the importance of the file format. I used to be a vinyl guy so it isn't the first time a person has wondered how I could listen to an inferior format.

It seems to me that the prestige of owning one of the finest DACs, the DAVE, matters greatly to you - and that is why you won't "shortchange it playing inferior files". I want a DAVE for exactly the opposite reason: because it will make more enjoyable my entire music library. It will bring forth richer tone, more accurate timbre, better timing, and more naturalness from even the worst recordings. Before I owned this Chord gear, I often found myself having to skip past too many recordings because they had a tendency to be too harsh. That rarely happens now. Better gear makes everything sound better and enables one to get far more enjoyment from listening.

The irony in all this is that the Rob's DACs can make MQA sound spectacular. I don't think I'd be this positive had I owned a different brand of DAC.

It's true, I have no idea what I'm talking about so I'll let Rob Watts say it

There are two elements to MQA - firstly the conversion back to 88.2/96 from 44.1/48 - the so called unfold - and the the second part the low tap length minimum phase interpolation filter. Let's deal with the second issue first, the interpolation filter - I have compared the MQA interpolation filter to my WTA filter and it sounds very much worse than the WTA - soft, fat bloated bass, poor instrument separation and focus, with a flat ill defined sound-stage. So there is no way I would ever offer this as an option.

As to the compression from 88.2/96 to 44.1/48 this is seriously flawed with major sound quality and measurement issues. For one, it has a massive notch at 22.05 kHz or 24 kHz that is introduced, which will have transient timing repercussions; secondly the system has completely unacceptable aliasing issues, which means distortion at 20kHz is a massive 1% - and aliasing has a huge consequence to the sound quality too, as again it degrades transient timing; thirdly the system is lossy, and converts a 24 bit signal into something like 17 bits. This is again unacceptable.

My advice is to ignore MQA and always go for the unchanged original file as the WTA filter will do a much better job of reconstructing the transient timing information to a much higher ability than MQA can.

And as far as owning the Dave and mscaler, I made a very poor financial decision to use some of my inheritance money to help me deal with the loss of losing both my parents within 2 months of each other earlier this year. It had nothing to do with prestige and really would be never have been able to afford it otherwise. So please, let's not make assumptions of each other.

 

[GreenBow]

I found an interesting video on 'power supply cleaners', which I think anyone thinking about buying them, should watch. It's a PS Audio video.



I don't know if he is being biased as the company he works for sells mains conditioners. In fact the a PS Audio mains cleaner was reviewed in last months HiFi Choice. It's called a Stella Power Plant 3.

This video however makes me wonder if I wasted £200 on the mains strips I bought. Probably did.


The TLDR of this video is. Clean power is not the most important aspect of power supply. Better watch the vid to find out why though.

He says power supply cleaners can clean mains supply, but they also have a negative effect on supply. That negative effect may be what is heard as change in system performance.

 

[kennyb123]

It's true, I have no idea what I'm talking about so I'll let Rob Watts say it

Well then let's interpret what he said correctly:

"My advice is to ignore MQA and always go for the unchanged original file"

My interpretation: when both files are available, choose the original file. That is great advice. I mentioned a few days back that I do that when I browse for music.

But what if both aren't available? In the quote you provided, he doesn't say that MQA needs to be avoided entirely. He doesn't say that MQA should never be played by a DAVE. He doesn't say that MQA still can't be enjoyable to listen to despite its flaws.

Rob also mentions that "the WTA filter will do a much better job of reconstructing the transient timing information to a much higher ability than MQA can". The WTA filter is still "reconstructing the transient timing information" for an MQA file, it's just "that the WTA filter will do a much better job" with the original file. The MQA file is still being reconstructed by the WTA filter - so it will be made to sound better. It's just that the original file will be made even better. So if an album you want to hear is only available in MQA, playing it through your DAVE will still make it sound better. I'd argue that it puts you in a rarefied group that's able to hear that album at its best.

And as far as owning the Dave and mscaler, I made a very poor financial decision to use some of my inheritance money to help me deal with the loss of losing both my parents within 2 months of each other earlier this year. It had nothing to do with prestige and really would be never have been able to afford it otherwise. So please, let's not make assumptions of each other.

My apologies and sorry for your loss.

 

[iamoneagain]

Well then let's interpret what he said correctly:

"My advice is to ignore MQA and always go for the unchanged original file"

My interpretation: when both files are available, choose the original file. That is great advice. I mentioned a few days back that I do that when I browse for music.

But what if both aren't available? In the quote you provided, he doesn't say that MQA needs to be avoided entirely. He doesn't say that MQA should never be played by a DAVE. He doesn't say that MQA still can't be enjoyable to listen to despite its flaws.

Rob also mentions that "the WTA filter will do a much better job of reconstructing the transient timing information to a much higher ability than MQA can". The WTA filter is still "reconstructing the transient timing information" for an MQA file, it's just "that the WTA filter will do a much better job" with the original file. The MQA file is still being reconstructed by the WTA filter - so it will be made to sound better. It's just that the original file will be made even better. So if an album you want to hear is only available in MQA, playing it through your DAVE will still make it sound better. I'd argue that it puts you in a rarefied group that's able to hear that album at its best.



My apologies and sorry for your loss.

So think we're on the same page now. And it's been shown that the mscaler can make even mp3s sound better. So no matter what you feed it, it will offer some improvement. That's also why there's even a video mode for it.

But the mscaler is not a miracle worker. So some poorly recorded albums are not going to show much improvement but sometimes I'm shocked at how good some throw away 80's tracks sound through the mscaler. I don't listen to much classical so can't comment but for some of the jazz stuff, this is where it shines the most. So lifelike.

 

[blueninjasix]

Hqplayer Vs M-Scaler
Ha ha, competing products? One costs £230, the other £3,495. It's like comparing a Ford Fiesta ST to a Ferrari Pista!

 

[edwardsean]

Ha ha, competing products? One costs £230, the other £3,495. It's like comparing a Ford Fiesta ST to a Ferrari Pista!

You're bringing up HQP correct? Ford Fiesta v. Ferrari?

Not exactly right? I'm not sure, but I don't think that HQP can do its best processing running conceptually in the ether right? I think you actually need to take its code and put it inside, what's that thing? Com... compu... a computer.

If you take HQP and add in the cost of a PC to run it, and proper connectivity that gives a closer value approximation. Or, to go the other way, if you take the algorithms out of Mscaler and doff the FPGA chip and all the core hardware, multiple connection components, casing, power supply, etc. and price the pure software, again now you have a better basis for comparison.

Yes, the Mscaler is a fine piece of software/hardware, and you are getting all that for the price. However, the only real world evaluation that counts, at least to me, is when you compare that to an actual properly set up HQP system.

It's not like comparing a Ford Fiesta to a Ferrari. It's much more like comparing Windows 10 to a MacBook Pro. I'm personally a Mac guy, but I didn't make my decision based on the fact that my Mac cost a few thousand dollars and Windows cost $139.

 

[kennyb123]

Hqplayer Vs M-Scaler
Ha ha, competing products? One costs £230, the other £3,495. It's like comparing a Ford Fiesta ST to a Ferrari Pista!

It isn't easy to do an apples-to-apples comparison as the HMS is specialized hardware + software. Even factoring the cost of a good PC to run HQP, they are still not apples-to-apples given the differences in CPU architectures.

 

[N Quarter]

Maybe somebody can help me with connecting my TV to my Mscaler/TT2. Previously I always ran my TV through my Cary Audio Cinema 12, but I have moved the Cary on. My TV is a Panasonic Plasma, and does have an optical out. Do I just run the optical from the TV to the Mscaler (any optical port), select whatever optical input i choose, and it should play through my Nagra integrated? I know there is some kind of video button to compensate for delay or something, but that is what I am not sure about using. I am also not sure if the video option is on the Mscaler or TT2.Any help appreciated

 

[bikutoru]

Let's not belittle anyone or anything here? Take the price out of equation because the money will distort any human value.
I actually hate the prices of Chord gear, I understand all the justifications, just TT2 alone cost me more then my first car, more than both of my parents annual pension, should I continue? - I do HATE that.
M Scaler is great, but I think so it HQP, both allow one to enjoy music and attempt to reconstruct the original recording. They are different approaches, different constraints.
One is a luxury item only few lucky ones can get, the other, more of an experimenting platform if you mind works that way and you are willing to put a lot of time into it.
It is like comparing apples to oranges. Some prefer apples, some oranges, others enjoy both and do not care for anybody's comparisons.

 

[bikutoru]

Maybe somebody can help me with connecting my TV to my Mscaler/TT2. Previously I always ran my TV through my Cary Audio Cinema 12, but I have moved the Cary on. My TV is a Panasonic Plasma, and does have an optical out. Do I just run the optical from the TV to the Mscaler (any optical port), select whatever optical input i choose, and it should play through my Nagra integrated? I know there is some kind of video button to compensate for delay or something, but that is what I am not sure about using. I am also not sure if the video option is on the Mscaler or TT2.Any help appreciated

The video option is on the MScaler, it is only if you are watching movies and want your video and sound to be in sync, if you are planning on listening to music then leave that off. Otherwise just plugin optical out of tv to MScaler and play.

 

[edwardsean]

Let's not belittle anyone or anything here? Take the price out of equation because the money will distort any human value.
I actually hate the prices of Chord gear, I understand all the justifications, just TT2 alone cost me more then my first car - I do HATE that.
M Scaler is great, but I think so it HQP, both allow one to enjoy music and attempt to reconstruct the original recording. They are different approaches, different constraints.
One is a luxury item only few lucky ones can get, the other, more of an experimenting platform if you mind works that way and you are willing to put a lot of time into it.
It is like comparing apples to oranges. Some prefer apples, some oranges, others enjoy both and do not care for anybody's comparisons.

Just a quick clarification. I should be more careful. I don't ever want to be heard as belittling anyone.

If I ever come across that way, please know, I'm poking fun, without malice or contempt. I take no pleasure in causing offense. I would so much rather big up someone than be-little them.

I hope, hope, that there is at least enough grace and trust so that we don't have to be too careful with each other. Dialoguing here is so often such good fun.

 

[N Quarter]

Otherwise just plugin optical out of tv to MScaler and play.

Thanks for the reply, but I do not know what you mean by what I quoted? I am asking about the TV sound coming out of my stereo speakers, why else would I just plug in optical and play?

 

[blueninjasix]

You're bringing up HQP correct? Ford Fiesta v. Ferrari?

Not exactly right? I'm not sure, but I don't think that HQP can do its best processing running conceptually in the ether right? I think you actually need to take its code and put it inside, what's that thing? Com... compu... a computer.

If you take HQP and add in the cost of a PC to run it, and proper connectivity that gives a closer value approximation. Or, to go the other way, if you take the algorithms out of Mscaler and doff the FPGA chip and all the core hardware, multiple connection components, casing, power supply, etc. and price the pure software, again now you have a better basis for comparison.

Yes, the Mscaler is a fine piece of software/hardware, and you are getting all that for the price. However, the only real world evaluation that counts, at least to me, is when you compare that to an actual properly set up HQP system.

It's not like comparing a Ford Fiesta to a Ferrari. It's much more like comparing Windows 10 to a MacBook Pro. I'm personally a Mac guy, but I didn't make my decision based on the fact that my Mac cost a few thousand dollars and Windows cost $139.

You can't use M-Scaler without a source computer or server or cd player or dap. The computer that runs Hqplayer can also be the source. The M-Scaler doesn't operate in the ether either. The pc required to run pcm from Hqplayer at 768kHz doesn't have to be that powerful or expensive. There is no comparison in cost between Hqplayer and M-Scaler. Please note that I am not commenting on the quality of the two products.

 

[bikutoru]

Maybe somebody can help me with connecting my TV to my Mscaler/TT2. Previously I always ran my TV through my Cary Audio Cinema 12, but I have moved the Cary on. My TV is a Panasonic Plasma, and does have an optical out. Do I just run the optical from the TV to the Mscaler (any optical port), select whatever optical input i choose, and it should play through my Nagra integrated? I know there is some kind of video button to compensate for delay or something, but that is what I am not sure about using. I am also not sure if the video option is on the Mscaler or TT2.Any help appreciated

The optical out of your tv goes into MScaler, I assume MScaler connected to your TT2 and TT2 to Nagra? Then, as you stated, select the optical input on MScaler, since you want to play movies out of you tv(sorry I misinterpreted your intent), on MScaler select video bypass(should be white color, the most left orb of MScaler) and everything should work.