2. digital
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MQA•Foolish New Algorithm? Vote!

Vote please. Simply yes or no. Let’s get a handle on our collective thinking.
The discussions are getting nauseating. Intelligent(?) People are claiming that they can remove part of the music (digits), encode the result for transport over the net, then decode (reassemble) the digits remaining after transportation (reduced bits-only the unnecessary ones removed) to provide “Better” sound than the original recording.
If you feel this is truly about “better sound” - vote Yes.
If you feel this is just another effort by those involved to make money by helping the music industry milk it’s collection of music - vote no.
Lets know what we ‘goners’ think.
P.S. imho The “bandwidth” problem this is supposed to ‘help’ with will soon be nonexistent. Then this “process” will be a ‘solution’ to a non existing problem. I think it is truly a tempest in a teacup which a desperate industry would like to milk for all its worth, and forget once they can find a new way to dress the Emporer. Just my .02

ptss

Showing 4 responses by john1

john1
114 posts
 
Jon Iverson's even stronger condemnation in the new Stereophile won't be officially online likely for another month or so (other than to digital subscribers) >

https://www.stereophile.com/content/more-mqa
john1
114 posts
 
To whatever degree MQA  does good things to the sound for some, it is unquestionably trying to take over the entire, digital audio ecosystem (& may succeed).  John Iverson & Atkinson both warn in their full page As We See It columns in the last 2 Stereophile issues that could both easily modify all recordings in ways, not of our choosing as well as prevent and/or corrupt all future digital formats & improvements. This kind of "format monopoly" Iverson refers to in the current 2018 April issue on the first page will in no way, shape or form drive quality improvements either within MQA & certainly W/O.

The engine that drives capitalism is removing any and all obstacles to generating ever more capital. To what degree will a monopoly allow quality for its own sake to emerge as any kind of priority? Think about it.  Before you don the shining, seductive (at this moment in time only) restraints MQA appears to be. Cries of, "Who knew?" will then be factually answered with, "You knew."  Think about it.  Now & not in the future - after the fact.
john1
114 posts
 
As others have said, cannot we just get back to enjoying the music, no matter how we do it? I really do hope so...

That's the argument for cigarette smoking. Forget about the future, enjoy it now. That it's guaranteed much or most of the time to be not what the artist intended leading to we know not what (that has the incredibly polite John Atkinson passionately exclaiming publically for the first time in his long career) combined with its substantial potential for killing all more advanced improvements for digital, stone cold dead, is dismissed because the transitory pleasure of the moment is all & who cares how unstable the foundation it is built on is?

 If MQA is as radically successful as it hopes to be & many (& not that much fewer disagreeing) in this thread are nonchalant about - they will have plenty to bitterly complain about.   Just not their own culpability.

MQA is NOT improving. Other formats are, that they will kill if successful. Be careful about picking the winning (in terms of Quality) side. Surrendering to monopolies so cheaply says a great deal about you & us, encourages lack of integrity in audio & everywhere else in our lives. In VERY unsubtle ways. "I just don't care & like to sell out cheaply" is an easy response just now. You'll have to live with what that means & says about you - in addition to what it does to Audio.
john1
114 posts
 
John Atkinson of Stereophile begs to differ (for the first time in well over 3 decades going this public, this passionately). Alternatives could be very seriously sabotaged & take a VERY long time to emerge if MQA has its way. Time is the irreplaceable commodity & encouraging conditions that allow your children & not you to appreciate the progress materializing in real time, is somewhat problematic.

gpgr4blu above has a superlatively reasoned & reasonable response that if it spreads will indisputably help remedy the ills that too many are being complacent concerning.


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