MQA of Meridian : 你信唔信?

CKKeung

Meridian 之 MQA 在海外被吹得很大，也有很多hifi友和廠家支持。
不過在本地就沒有太多hifi友有留意到。

關於 MQA 的 理論 和 是否有好處 等等，海外雜誌和網站有極多討論和意見，小弟不在這裏詳述了。

但各 hiendy brothers 請讀讀這篇 Meridian老板 Bob Stuart 的訪問 :
http://www.stereophile.com/conte ... s82o7yEiwH1feoZp.97

其中講到 :
" ... Has Warner Music Group really transcoded their whole vast catalog?
Are they really transcoding all the music?
Yes, all of it, ... They expect to have completed everything—the whole WMG catalog—by next spring ... " !!!

全部都「MQA化」!??  
那麽舊有的 original files 會否被 delete 呢？  

老實說，小弟對 MQA 並不有好感。
各位 hiendy brothers，你們有セ意見呢？  

AS881

真係一日未死都有新嘢玩

eds60

我在3個月前聽過 MQA。只有 Meridian 808V6 可以播放。聽咗幾首歌，最高是 352kHz。

charliey

this news sound good to me, theoretically ... as i always think even if i can have a CAS, i don't really sure where to buy the "original" soft copy songs and musics ... if MQA really helps to give a trustworthy label of digital source, this could speed up the evolution of CAS ...

CKKeung

eds60 發表於 2016-10-31 10:33
我在3個月前聽過 MQA。只有 Meridian 808V6 可以播放。聽咗幾首歌，最高是 352kHz。

eds60兄 :
另一個疑問是 : Warner Music Group 現時所有 masters 已是 digitalized，當全部「MQA化」後，會唔會以後所推出的 CD & LP 都是使用「MQA masters」 呢？

eds60

CKKeung 發表於 2016-10-31 10:44
eds60兄 :
另一個疑問是 : Warner Music Group 現時所有 masters 已是 digitalized，當全部「MQA化」後， ...

我不知道。

charliey

eds60 發表於 2016-10-31 10:33
我在3個月前聽過 MQA。只有 Meridian 808V6 可以播放。聽咗幾首歌，最高是 352kHz。

how is the sonic performance ?

eds60

charliey 發表於 2016-10-31 10:46
how is the sonic performance ?

我不喜歡聽 file。我平時只聽早期的西德版、英國版、日本版等CD。

diamondblack

In my very limited understanding, MQA is a "lossy" coding algorithm which can be packed into lossless file format such as FLAC. New MQA-ready decoders are capable to transcode and play back at "high resolution". The files can be decoded by not-ready MQA DAC but will result in playing back at a lower resolution.

I see major application in portable streaming services because of the streaming friendly file size (when at CD quality, 1 minute of music in WAV is about 10MB in size, so 1GB of data is about 100 minutes of music. Using FLAC/ALAC will be better at about half the size but still 1GB may only be enough for 2 or 3 days on bus or train), and the application of various digital filters and EQ to tune the sound. I think it's a great tech for the industry but may not be as satisfactory for serious listeners with a revealing playback system.

Sounds like MP3 with a modern face lift (underlying coding is different of course, but the end result probably is an upgrade to MP3).

My 2 cents. Nothing technical, which can be where I am entirely wrong about MQA.

CKKeung

diamondblack 發表於 2016-10-31 12:18
In my very limited understanding, MQA is a "lossy" coding algorithm which can be packed into lossles ...

Exactly my thought!
無論被吹到幾咁偉大，MQA 始终係個 "lossy" process!


小弟寧可要原裝那個 native file!  

diamondblack

CKKeung 發表於 2016-10-31 12:38
Exactly my thought!
無論被吹到幾咁偉大，MQA 始终係個 "lossy" process!

Perhaps we just put too much emphasis on whether coding is lossless or lossy and how that affects playback quality, as a lot has been lost already along the whole recording, mixing and mastering sequence of events.

locusyam

MQA私主力應該系Mobile Streaming，如果用TIDAL起DAP播放，我都會用MQA。

CKKeung

diamondblack 發表於 2016-10-31 12:48
Perhaps we just put too much emphasis on whether coding is lossless or lossy and how that affects  ...

多一個都唔想！  

diamondblack

locusyam 發表於 2016-10-31 13:00
MQA私主力應該系Mobile Streaming，如果用TIDAL起DAP播放，我都會用MQA。

我覺得MQA個decoder唔係hardware based，應該有FPGA或者SoC嘅DAC都可以透過firmware update變成MQA-capable，transcode番去PCM。

CKKeung

diamondblack 發表於 2016-10-31 13:04
我覺得MQA個decoder唔係hardware based，應該有FPGA或者SoC嘅DAC都可以透過firmware update變成MQA-capab ...

任何牌子的 MQA-compatible 器材，每賣一件，Meridian 都有錢收。
叻 Bob !  

koalakoala

Mytek 同 MSB 都開始支援 MQA,  可能係M 字頭的廠家就要支持

最近日本stereosound社出版的DigiFi 雜誌附送dvd 連sample track
1) 24/352
2) MQA (沒 decoder 可以用未unfold 8 倍嘅24/44 解)
有興趣可以比較吓……

blau.vol

CKKeung 發表於 2016-10-31 13:09
任何牌子的 MQA-compatible 器材，每賣一件，Meridian 都有錢收。
叻 Bob !

Hi CKKeung hing,  

其實.  一個fundemental problem is  佢只係將 24/192 變成 16/44.1 PCM bandwidth required file,  個情況exactly the same as realtime send  個 zip file 比我!!!  其實條algorithm 好似 JPEG 的different layers  

要部DAC 係內部CPU 做 de-compression ( 等於要DAC 的FPGA/ CPU做 WinZIP 的 UNZIP 工序 ! 要大量 CPU/FPGA processing power =>  即係變成高 Latency !!! 只會比真 PCM 24/192 更衰聲！

情形就好似play AIFF / flac 唔會好聲過 de-compressed raw WAV FILE .  原因就係部 Music Server or CAS system 要做 REAL TIME de-compression => 提高了部device 的latency !!

For the best performance,  it will NOT better than original 24bit/192Khz !  the main benefit is  good for outdoor listening!  唔會用太多 4G 無限plan 的數據量 !!!

如果我係家..... 我的SSD / NAS 又好多位! 為什麼要部DAC 做多一個de-compression 工序, 而唔比個raw 24/192  wave file (raw PCM stream ) 我部DAC 呢!!  

佢而家的做法只係將 CAS 內 ,  用JPlay / JRiver / HQPlayer 部 電腦粒 i7 CPU 做 aiff/flac de-compression !  而家send 去比部 DAC 做, 比 FPGA 做 ,  而家最大的問題係.  佢其實唔比人知 佢的 decoding algorithm!!!  要同佢買IC ,  但粒 IC 係會影響成個 USB=> FPGA => Delta Sigma IC 個 chain的聲底的 !

so.... if I am using iPhone for playing Apple Music outdoor ,  我明為什麼要行 MQA 壓縮 (or encoding) for streaming  ,但 for serious 2 channel listening ,  我唔明為什麼要做多一次 compression and de-compression !

Best,
Blau
   

CKKeung

blau.vol 發表於 2016-10-31 13:39
Hi CKKeung hing,  

其實.  一個fundemental problem is  佢只係將 24/192 變成 16/44.1 PCM bandwidth  ...

Bob Stuart 最厲害就是吹到有廠家信佢話 經 coding & decoding 後會有 sonic benefit 而 就算只有 coding而用普通dac 也無損音質。

佢神神秘秘，講啲唔講啲 (http://www.stereophile.com/conte ... mW7Czwk31IylCrA3.97 ) ，但又揾到人信喎！

blau.vol

CKKeung 發表於 2016-10-31 14:21
Bob Stuart 最厲害就是吹到有廠家信佢話 經 coding & decoding 後會有 sonic benefit 而 就算只有 decodi ...

一定啦!  所有k2HD ,  HQHD,  XRCD and xxCD 都好聲過original cd..... 一定係!!!! 無理由唔係.....

CKKeung

blau.vol 發表於 2016-10-31 14:30
一定啦!  所有k2HD ,  HQHD,  XRCD and xxCD 都好聲過original cd..... 一定係!!!! 無理由唔係..... ...