When I decided to get into hifi-streaming I bought a unit that included MQA, a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. I gave Tidal and MQA a good audition and, yes, MQA improved bass, imaging and general clarity whenever I switched it in. The thing is, Qobuz consistently gave me better fidelity than I ever got from Tidal, this despite the fact Qobuz doesn't offer MQA. In other words, as good as MQA might be there are other factors to consider. As things stand it ain't the be-all end-all.
Liking MQA
Bought an exaSound e32 DAC to replace my e12 because I wanted to hear what MQA sounds like, and also just because. (I listen through exaSound's Sigma streamer, then to VTL integrated amp and Vandersteen Treo CT speakers.) I have to say I can definitely hear improvements in sound quality when listening to MQA music over Tidal, when compared to the non-MQA versions, and also compared my own CDs (which were upsampled to DSD when ripping).
I don't have the grand language the writers at Stereophile or The Absolute Sound use to convince me that a $10,000 interconnect is worth the money, but I can say the bass is stronger and the imaging clearer, in that the soundstage is more distinct and individual instruments sound more distinct from each other.
I've found 44 MQA albums on Tidal in the range of things that I like or that Tidal guesses I'll like. I'm hoping there'll be more in the near future, before I stop noticing the sound quality improvements. Listening right now to Getz/Gilberto, which I remember all the way back to '64, and it's really nice. The voices of Jobim and Gilberto are perhaps more intimate.
I don't have the grand language the writers at Stereophile or The Absolute Sound use to convince me that a $10,000 interconnect is worth the money, but I can say the bass is stronger and the imaging clearer, in that the soundstage is more distinct and individual instruments sound more distinct from each other.
I've found 44 MQA albums on Tidal in the range of things that I like or that Tidal guesses I'll like. I'm hoping there'll be more in the near future, before I stop noticing the sound quality improvements. Listening right now to Getz/Gilberto, which I remember all the way back to '64, and it's really nice. The voices of Jobim and Gilberto are perhaps more intimate.
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