[boxster233]

I just want to mention that reading negative, angry posts on audio forums has an effect on people’s mental health that they may not be aware of. Please just take a moment to see the wider impact of your posts. It also reduces participation on forums due to the anxiety of being 'jumped on'! Subscribing to TIDAL doesn’t make anyone a bad person. Many of us are literally trying to survive lockdown and music is an important factor in keeping us hanging on, whether that be music streamed from TIDAL or any other music streaming service.

This is a really great point. It’s detrimental to the communities as a whole. The opinions of anti-MQA are well documented and valid. But seeing them ad nauseum is exhausting. Headphones are a hobby of joy and passion for me. No topic has been more toxic than MQA on headphones.com, headfi, audiogon and Roon communities. Until this video happened and the research, these forums were quieter and while I agree with the research, I’m not sure we are better off as a community after it.

 

[Сomrade]

There are four categories of high-quality primary recording that helps to describe the origin of Hi-RES audio files.
• MQ-P (from a digital wizard PCM at least 48 kHz / 20 bits);
• MQ-A (Analog Master);
• MQ-C (increased discretization with 44.1 kHz / 16-bit wizard high-quality CD);
• MQ-D (Master DSD)

 

[pilgrimbilly]

There are four categories of quality master recording to help describe the origin of HI-RES sound files.
• MQ-P (from a PCM digital wizard at least 48 kHz / 20-bit);
• MQ-A (analog master);
• MQ-C (increased sampling from 44.1 kHz / 16-bit wizard of high-quality CD);
• MQ-D (Master DSD)

?

 

[littlej0e]

This is a really great point. It’s detrimental to the communities as a whole. The opinions of anti-MQA are well documented and valid. But seeing them ad nauseum is exhausting. Headphones are a hobby of joy and passion for me. No topic has been more toxic than MQA on headphones.com, headfi, audiogon and Roon communities. Until this video happened and the research, these forums were quieter and while I agree with the research, I’m not sure we are better off as a community after it.

You made a great point yourself. Anything that drives toxicity and separates people, especially in an extremely niche’ community, is absolutely a bad thing. It seems like a lot of folks are just pissed at the situation and inadvertently direct their anger at others in the community. The whole point of this forum is to share a hobby we all love.

It also seems like some people are so pissed off they are willing to badger the crap out of anyone that enjoys or uses Tidal and MQA thinking this is the correct way to incite change.
It’s really a shame.

 

[Hooster]

When it's about spending money on audio stuff i personally prefer honest statements over we're all unicorns living on rainbows and everything is great. Doesn't apply for Tidal more than for headphones though. Can't stand seeing these headphones hanging on trees and decorated with flowers in headphone reviews anymore.

So after some time comparing Tidal to Qobuz again i came to the same conclusion as i always got: Tidal sounds some sort of smoother and more organic maybe because the high frequencys are party smoothed out. Qobuz sounds cleaner, sharper, maybe a bit more detailed with better imaging. Hard to say what i prefer.

Since I have also compared Tidal with Qobuz let me share my experience. Tidal does comparatively sound superficially smoother and sometimes maybe bassier. I find that Quobuz does indeed sound sharper but that is because it opens things up and instruments seem to be more floating in their own space rather then piled on top of each other. Since I am pursuing 2 goals with my audio hobby I need to consider which of these serves me best.

Goal number one is to enjoy music. There is some superficial enjoyment to be had from the Tidal approach, smooth sound and bass can be fun and pleasing. There is a price to pay though. I find that the musical insight and emotion to be had from listening to Quobuz more than compensates.

Goal number two is simply higher fidelity sound. In this case there is no contest, Quobuz wins hands down. It is simply clearer and more 3 dimensional and it lets you hear into a recording while Tidal seems superficial. (Since I have invested a large amount of time, work and money into squeezing the highest fidelity sound I can out of my system I can not accept something that is counter productive to that goal.)

My conclusion is that for me Tidal is pointless and MQA is more of a hindrance than a help since I have high speed internet and I am not in any need of compression.

I can see how people pursuing goal number 1 could in some cases prefer Tidal. If smooth and bassy is what you like you are perfectly entitled to your preference. Enjoy.

 

[vonspanky]

Hello. My name is John and I love Tidal and MQA. There, I said it.
It has revived my enjoyment of music listening and audio. Before I was married and had kids I had the time, space and money to build up a multi ££££ hifi and record/cd collection. That all went and now I have streaming and the audio quality is excellent for a fraction of the cost.

...... I'll see myself out.

 

[Deolum]

Best thing about Tidal is still the TV app.

 

[jsmiller58]

Hello. My name is John and I love Tidal and MQA. There, I said it.
It has revived my enjoyment of music listening and audio. Before I was married and had kids I had the time, space and money to build up a multi ££££ hifi and record/cd collection. That all went and now I have streaming and the audio quality is excellent for a fraction of the cost.

...... I'll see myself out.

An admission like that will require you to be placed in the Audiophile Witness Protection Program -

 

[UntilThen]

Hello. My name is John and I love Tidal and MQA. There, I said it.
It has revived my enjoyment of music listening and audio. Before I was married and had kids I had the time, space and money to build up a multi ££££ hifi and record/cd collection. That all went and now I have streaming and the audio quality is excellent for a fraction of the cost.

...... I'll see myself out.

Hahaha ... I still have Roon / Tidal but I also have Apple Music now.

 

[iFi audio]

Hello. My name is John and I love Tidal and MQA. There, I said it.

Good for you, honestly. This hobby is so subjective that we should rely more on what we like and not what others say

 

[PROblemdetected]

Since I have also compared Tidal with Qobuz let me share my experience. Tidal does comparatively sound superficially smoother and sometimes maybe bassier. I find that Quobuz does indeed sound sharper but that is because it opens things up and instruments seem to be more floating in their own space rather then piled on top of each other. Since I am pursuing 2 goals with my audio hobby I need to consider which of these serves me best.

Goal number one is to enjoy music. There is some superficial enjoyment to be had from the Tidal approach, smooth sound and bass can be fun and pleasing. There is a price to pay though. I find that the musical insight and emotion to be had from listening to Quobuz more than compensates.

Goal number two is simply higher fidelity sound. In this case there is no contest, Quobuz wins hands down. It is simply clearer and more 3 dimensional and it lets you hear into a recording while Tidal seems superficial. (Since I have invested a large amount of time, work and money into squeezing the highest fidelity sound I can out of my system I can not accept something that is counter productive to that goal.)

My conclusion is that for me Tidal is pointless and MQA is more of a hindrance than a help since I have high speed internet and I am not in any need of compression.

I can see how people pursuing goal number 1 could in some cases prefer Tidal. If smooth and bassy is what you like you are perfectly entitled to your preference. Enjoy.

U know u got multiple versions of the same LP on both platforms?
Because I found downloading all version of one LP that some versiones are the same, others and differents (M, ME, E, differents bitrates...)

So the differences are u claiming for are not for the platform, are for the versions.

And the player maybe add some "touch".
Just try to play any song on tidal app, after that use the UAPP player and sure it will be less warmer that the first one.

 

[wormcycle]

I just want to mention that reading negative, angry posts on audio forums has an effect on people’s mental health that they may not be aware of. Please just take a moment to see the wider impact of your posts. It also reduces participation on forums due to the anxiety of being 'jumped on'! Subscribing to TIDAL doesn’t make anyone a bad person. Many of us are literally trying to survive lockdown and music is an important factor in keeping us hanging on, whether that be music streamed from TIDAL or any other music streaming service.

Another big, fluffy safe space? No thank you

 

[Hooster]

U know u got multiple versions of the same LP on both platforms?
Because I found downloading all version of one LP that some versiones are the same, others and differents (M, ME, E, differents bitrates...)

So the differences are u claiming for are not for the platform, are for the versions.

And the player maybe add some "touch".
Just try to play any song on tidal app, after that use the UAPP player and sure it will be less warmer that the first one.

I don't have Tidal any more and I am not interested in getting it again.

I have high speed internet and I do not need any lossy compression so MQA is of no value to me.

 

[PROblemdetected]

I don't have Tidal any more and I am not interested in getting it again.

I have high speed internet and I do not need any lossy compression so MQA is of no value to me.

That's not the point.

I just told u that tidal and qoobuz shares a lot of LP, not MQA, just the 16/24 bits version on qoobuz are the same than tidal.

If u are angry about MQA dont told to me mate, just vote with ur wallet, but the files are the same, try with another external player, just have to download files from them and u ill figure out.

 

[Hooster]

That's not the point.

I just told u that tidal and qoobuz shares a lot of LP, not MQA, just the 16/24 bits version on qoobuz are the same than tidal.

If u are angry about MQA dont told to me mate, just vote with ur wallet, but the files are the same, try with another external player, just have to download files from them and u ill figure out.

There is nothing to figure out and nothing to be angry about. MQA was useful when internet speeds were slow. These days it has become irrelevant.