Tidal has been here and is AWESOME !!!!
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… Logical.DaveVoorhis
Addicted Member
*sigh* And I thought we were doing quite well keeping most of the snark out of this thread...
Major audio equipment manufacturers do scientifically rigorous listening tests because without them, the results of listening tests would be meaningless. There are simply too many factors that affect perception of sound to give uncontrolled listening tests any general credence.
Of course, that doesn't apply to the what*.com sites and what* magazines -- not because uncontrolled listening is fine, but because they're not even an attempt at objective reviewing; they're advertising made to look like objective reviews.
tubeyea
Active Member
Sad news for all of us, nearly 100% if not a 100% of the listening evaluations and opinions posted by members on Audiokarma are uncontrolled and therefor they have no credence.
Life without CCR?!? Tidal's MQA content is the Devil...
DaveVoorhis
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Unlike most AK listening reports, WhatHiFi is -- like most published reviews -- at least implicitly positioning itself as a source of objective advice.
As such, it used by buyers to make buying decisions. So what is no more than the personal opinion of one reviewer -- and what might easily be the paid "opinion" of one advertising agent -- may be misleading readers who could otherwise, in their own listening tests, experience something very different.
Of course, I'm sure the vast majority on AK -- typically being experienced buyers of audio products -- will disregard it. They will make their own listening decisions.
Indeed, reading this thread, it's clear that some already have; they had a different listening experience to that reported by the writer for WhatHiFi.
tubeyea
Active Member
Let's be honest, the different listening experiences for the most part are you and the other guy with the scientifically and rigorously vetted golden high frequency detectors attached to each side of his brain bucket, neither of which started this thread but felt compelled to make it clear that MQA is the Devil... We got it, it's the DEVIL.
If it looks like and smells like a crap, chances are its probably a crap, I would suggest taking it somewhere else. Start a MQA is the Devil thread becasue it has no place here because Tidal is here as the title of the thread states, QoBuz is in limited beta, which is to say its still really not here. But Qubuz does have one thing going for it, a different snippet from that W HiFi review did state it was decidedly less french than it used to be, so progress then...
DaveVoorhis
Addicted Member
Oh dear.
I think this thread -- or at least any chance of enjoying a rational conversation in it -- is over.
+48V
hi-fi or die
I think the word you're looking for here is touchè.
Ok, I been away from my thread for a couple of days entertaining my company and I still see it’s the same ol hubbub. MQAs the Devil .
Anyway, I have been browsing the Tidal MQA MASTER selections using Meridian Explorer2 DAC and have been finding that the majority of the MQA Master tracks are 24bit/96kHz. There are quite a few 24bit/192kHz tracks that I have been able find that sound superb also. 24/96kHz is definitely not a bad thing, especially when it’s Authenticated by the blue indicator on the Explorer2 DAC that it is a studio quality MQA track.
highest resolution indicating 24/192kHz MQA (MASTER QUALITY AUTHENTICATED STUDIO) from Tidal MASTER -BACH Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major.
The only bad part is that I find myself not wanting to listen to anything under 24bit/96kHz. I can definitely tell the difference between 96kHz and 48kHz audio tracks. Those 48kHz tracks never seem to get marked as a favorite by me because I know it’s 48kHz by the DACs green indicator light and the sound is not as detailed as the 96kHz songs. The song may have only been mastered at 24/48kHz also.
Those songs with the higher bit depth are much more enjoyable. The openness of a higher bit-depth song is captivating. The sounds of a guitar pluck, the singers breathing, the realism of a female vocal, the lifelike sound of baby grand piano, the smooth extension of a cymbal fading, drums are tight & punchy. Everything seems so organized that I can pick out the position of each and instrument and singer location. It’s truly Amazing!
Tidal & MQA gives my music listening experience a whole new meaning! I get chills and goosebumps when some artist perform when listening to them in 96kHz MQA. This is my take after critical listening of Tidal and MQA using a Meridian Explorer 2 DAC. Like I said in my thread title, IT’S AWESOME!!!!!
Note- Since using the Meridian Explorer2 DAC I may get an occasional static record pop that I have to locate in my analog audio chain. I didn’t get that when using digital optical Toslink DAC. I think it’s my aquarium heater cycling. Update to come.
Anyway, I have been browsing the Tidal MQA MASTER selections using Meridian Explorer2 DAC and have been finding that the majority of the MQA Master tracks are 24bit/96kHz. There are quite a few 24bit/192kHz tracks that I have been able find that sound superb also. 24/96kHz is definitely not a bad thing, especially when it’s Authenticated by the blue indicator on the Explorer2 DAC that it is a studio quality MQA track.
highest resolution indicating 24/192kHz MQA (MASTER QUALITY AUTHENTICATED STUDIO) from Tidal MASTER -BACH Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major.The only bad part is that I find myself not wanting to listen to anything under 24bit/96kHz. I can definitely tell the difference between 96kHz and 48kHz audio tracks. Those 48kHz tracks never seem to get marked as a favorite by me because I know it’s 48kHz by the DACs green indicator light and the sound is not as detailed as the 96kHz songs. The song may have only been mastered at 24/48kHz also.
Those songs with the higher bit depth are much more enjoyable. The openness of a higher bit-depth song is captivating. The sounds of a guitar pluck, the singers breathing, the realism of a female vocal, the lifelike sound of baby grand piano, the smooth extension of a cymbal fading, drums are tight & punchy. Everything seems so organized that I can pick out the position of each and instrument and singer location. It’s truly Amazing!
Tidal & MQA gives my music listening experience a whole new meaning! I get chills and goosebumps when some artist perform when listening to them in 96kHz MQA. This is my take after critical listening of Tidal and MQA using a Meridian Explorer 2 DAC. Like I said in my thread title, IT’S AWESOME!!!!!
Note- Since using the Meridian Explorer2 DAC I may get an occasional static record pop that I have to locate in my analog audio chain. I didn’t get that when using digital optical Toslink DAC. I think it’s my aquarium heater cycling. Update to come.
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I could only wish I was getting some salesmen throwback for stating my opinion of TIDAL and MQA. I’m just a very enthusiastic audiophile and hope Tidal with MQA remains and grows so I can continue to have the pleasure of using this AWESOME music service. I gladly paid my monthly Tidal renewal fee today.All the energy and effort you put into pitching "Tidal MQA" sounds a lot like salesmanship to me.
I think we've covered all the pros and cons -- and there are certainly both -- of MQA before, both in this thread and elsewhere. We needn't hash them again.
By the way, there is Tidal -- which is a company that provides music streaming -- and there is MQA, which is a digital stream format. "Tidal MQA" implies a version of MQA that is unique to Tidal, of which there is no such thing, or that they are somehow the same thing. They're not.
Criticisms are of MQA in all its applications, not just Tidal's use of it.
Me linking Tidal and MQA together as Tidal MQA is not correct. Tidal is the only streaming provider utilizing MQA so it was just easier for me to say Tidal MQA. I stand corrected and will refer to it as Tidal & MQA in future post.
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DaveVoorhis
Addicted Member
Definitely not.I think the word you're looking for here is touchè.
tubeyea
Active Member
I think the word you're looking for here is touchè.
RumpyLover
There is no replacement for displacement.
I subscribed to Tidal hifi for a while in late 2017 early 2018 and, like some others have said in this thread, had frequent interface and usability problems with it (using with a Node 2 and OiS). Eventualy switched to Spotify due to their excellent interface, better (for me) stability and superb search and discovery features. I don’t miss the fidelity reduction due to my primary use as background music and music discovery. Would welcome a Spotify hifi though!!
I noticed that the other day.
Spotify Premium sound fine to me, especially for $10 a month. Would a $20 a month plan sound twice as good? I doubt it.
Getting Tidal for $11.99 a month the difference was enough on my system to switch from Spotify. Twice as much I would tend to agree.
Twice the difference in audio quality I feel is dependent on a system’s ability to resolve hi-res audio and one’s ability to discern the differences.
I can instantly tell the difference in audio quality when a MQA MASTER 24bit/192kHz track switches to Hi-Fi CD quality 16bit/44.1kHz track.
The differences I found are:
1. A more defined soundstage
2. Better attack, sustention and decay, release
3. More realistic sounding instruments, especially piano and violin
4. Better music organization and Instrument separation
5. Vocals are more defined
I definitely prefer 24bit MASTER quality music over 16bit Hi-Fi CD quality and thus the $10 difference to $19.99 a month to me is justified.
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