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OK, MQA, JA, RH - Here is the review I promised (long)

Posted by TeddiJackEddie (A) on March 13, 2018 at 06:44:11

Yesterday, I said I'd post a review of MQA from a listening session on Sunday.

First of all, I'm not listing the equipment used, because someone always writes back and says, 'that review can't be credible because of the cheap/expensive interconnect' or some such crap. But let me assure you that 90% of the Audio Asylum would consider this a high end system.

Secondly, I'm not going into technical talk - folding, unfolding - whatever. Know that it was done correctly. Our host gave a 15 minute lecture on his 'technical perfection.' Most of us made coffee and ate donuts during this period, assured by the fact that an anal person like our host did everything correctly.

The third thing is JA and RH both claimed that MQA listening gave them more pleasure than their first sexual experiences (not with each other).

For the first 45 minutes, none of the listeners could tell MQA from a really good download! As the afternoon wore on, however, everybody could tell the difference. And the difference was (and JA gets a pass here, I think), the MQA sounded like a British mini-monitor. You know, a shoe box on a stand. It had that exaggerated 'hump' in the lower midrange upper bass that so many of those British minis had. I'm not putting them down. I think it was Corey Greenberg who once said 'A Creek amplifier playing two Rodgers speakers makes Morrisey sound magnificent in a small room in England.' (BTW, Sue, you should hire Corey).

So since John was brought up in England, he's probably subliminally attracted to that sound. So when he heard the MQA, he probably thought it was just about perfect. Robert Harley, on the other hand, I have no idea. He grew up in the US, but I have no idea what he grew up listening to. Maybe his family had monkey coffins on stands.

So there's the review. Charles Hanson and Tony Faulkner were much less impressed with this than I was. Tony should be looking over his shoulder for what he said... joke ...

But what worries me about MQA (not the sound) is the politics. First of all, it will make every DA converter that we all have right now obsolete. I have 5 or 6 of them. Secondly, if MQA is adopted and is widespread, the music company will have all of us by the balls. And I don't appreciate having to pay what they will charge for a download. And if you don't believe that, look what they've done in the past, starting with Caruso, the original jazz and blues singers, all the way up to John Fogerty (you should read his book if you haven't already).

We've finally gotten rid of the greedy bastards, and MQA is just another way of bringing them back. I'd rather spend my money on music and audio equipment rather than giving it to already billionaire music record companies.

Cheers, TJE

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