DSD vs. PCM vs. MQA - Group listening experiment

The title of this thread is :-

" DSD vs. PCM vs. MQA - Group listening experiment"

OP - " I only posted what was supposedly for an ideal file, not an ideal dac. "

If someones wishes to talk about dac types, please start a new thread.

When will this hijacking ever stop? - and it’s always about the same thing.

"....forum cop."
Hmm...the irony of it all, judging from history, that is. 

I have said this before and I will say it again, you need professional help. 

OP - " I only posted what was supposedly for an ideal file, not an ideal dac. "

+1, Erik.

Maybe it’s you that needs knowledge or professional help, as one of your statements suggests, "The ripped cd file sounds better than the cd spinning in the super heavy transport of my old Esoteric K-01."

Passing judgment without having listened to and compared both set-ups in the same system in the same room(mine, that is)......

Hmmm.....I guess someone just has to be right all the time.
Now, that would most certainly be a call for professional help.

Hi Erik,

Coming back to the title of the thread, I have listened to PCM vs MQA files from the 2L website via the mqa-capable Meridian 808v6 player in my home system.

I found that the 808v6 renders the PCM version beautifully, and there is an incremental improvement with the MQA version. Having said that, I couldn’t compare DSD vs PCM or MQA versions of the same files as the Meridian does not do DSD.

But comparing PCM vs DSD via my non-MQA Esoteric N-05 dac, I preferred PCM. Needless to say, I can’t listen to MQA via the Esoteric.

That said, comparing the PCM versions through the Meridian 808v6 and Esoteric N-05, I preferred the Esoteric. The Meridian foreshortens soundstage depth, bringing me to rows 1-3 while the Esoteric places me at rows 7-9 which I find much more pleasant and natural. Meridian’s Explorer 2 does the same thing according to a Stereophile report while RH of TAS observes the same thing in his review of the 808v6. Also, the highs are airier via the Esoteric.

The only way to compare DSD vs PCM vs MQA, would be via Meridian’ s new Ultradac which does all 3. Now, that’s progress. I have not brought home the Ultradac simply because of its prohibitive cost.

Best regards.
Jon.

I'm curious if there's really a compelling story to go with format x or y and whether we could find it among these free to download files. 

None, really.

Only 7 hardware manufacturers have signed up so far :-

http://www.mqa.co.uk/customer/our-partners

Not much to wonder why. Main reasons are :-

1. Licensing fees from recording studios, artists and hardware manufacturers
2. Stringent hardware/software requirements for manufacturers
3. Lack of content (Warner Music has no time frame for launch since announcement of joint venture with Meridian)
4. MQA foreshortens soundstage depth which they attribute to the temporal
deblurring process(see Stereophile report on Meridian Explorer 2 and TAS report on Meridian 808v6); if temporal deblurring does this to all MQA files, audiophiles may not be interested
5. Hires MQA files cost more than pcm/dsd hires files
6. MQA redbook files cost more and take up more data space than regular redbook files.

Looks like a long journey ahead for MQA.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/listening-mqa#cp3kmAj6ToocuiAS.97

The comments section is interesting as always.

The difference is definitely there but it is a different type of difference, sort of like the difference between 2 dac's.
It's either choose between MQA vs non-MQA file or between MQA dac vs non-MQA dac.
It all depends on what type of sound one likes in his system.

However, though I hear no difference, the MQA recording makes my ears hot, and

uncomfortable. More on this later.

???

Very interesting.....

If you didn’t sound so serious, I would have thought you were punking us. :)
But it does sound real and at the same time, surreal.......

We have done direct comparisons between DSD and 44.1-24/192. In my reference system, DSD was more holographic. The difference were not night and day but for me and my audio friends, we all preferred DSD when compared to all other formats. We did not compare MQA. It does take a very revealing system to understand what DSD is doing but when you get it right, it is stunning!

I agree. I compared dsd vs hires pcm of the same files from the 2L website and dsd sounds superior to the hires pcm version.

Dsd done right is spectacular. That said, dsd isn’t always done as right as by 2L or Blue Coast.

Anyway, 2L does very right by hires pcm on its own too. I just downloaded the album Mozart/Grieg Vol 1 by Dena Piano Duo in 96/24 (dsd format not available) and the sound is to die for.

The proof as always, is in the listening.

If we can hear a difference in our system and with our ears, we choose the format that we enjoy. If not, we move on.

Setting all theory aside, let’s just enjoy the music.
This is the only fundamental that matters above all else in this very pleasureable hobby of ours.

@erik_squires
Just been there before your post and found out that they transfer from 1/2" tape masters. :)

On the home page, it also says, "We specialize in recording direct to DSD and tape to capture the natural acoustic sounds of our artists."

On one new DSD256 release :-
"Provenance: Recorded to 2" Analog Tape or DSD64 and mixed through analog console to DSD256.
All conversions were made from the DSD256 original source mixes. After several blindfold tests, it is our opinion that the DSF256 files sound the best, followed by DSF128. The best PCM sound is the WAV192. The difference is minimal. We suggest you purchase files for your best performing home DAC. The DAC will make more difference than the file type. Some DACs are not compatible with DSD256."


2 note-worthy points :-
1. The difference is minimal
2. The DAC will make more difference than the file type
(with regard to DSD in this context, lest someone pops his head up to.....)

It is nearly impossible to do pure DSD without either analog tools or PCM in the loop.

It has been said that recording direct to a dsd master bypasses all the analog and/or pcm processes.

Anyway, noise issue aside, some dsd versions of the same file sound better and some worse than the hires pcm versions.

PCM vs DSD....

http://audiophilereview.com/cd-dac-digital/dsd-and-pcm---horses-for-courses.html

...not saying I fully agree with respect to SQ.