Meridian MQA

[Markpd]

Pim,
I continue to be enamoured with the sound of MQA, whether from local  files or more usually streamed from Tidal - a natural, deep and wide soundstage, a tightly localised solid "body" to instruments and singers.

The 24/96 or 124/192 PCM versions do seem initially more "lively" or "busy" with lots of detail "at the front of the soundstage". No one would or could say it sounds less than very good, but the decoded MQA version consistently pushes the image of the players back into the sound stage, which I have come to believe is a much more natural and musical presentation.  It also makes it easier to hear the artistry of great performances. For example I have never heard Phil Collins bring more intensity and emotion to one of his songs than on "The Roof is Leaking" Face Value (2015 Remaster MQA). 

I am very open to the possibility that going back to the "best master" has something to do with the improvement I hear from MQA versions, but I note that the MQA improvement is of a similar nature in each case - the soundstage and imaging improves: instruments have more body, drums and cymbals sound more punchy and real and well localised. However the timbre and tonality of the music does not change. Sweet still sounds sweet, reedy, reedy and harsh, harsh.

I would also say that generally I do not like modern remasters - it seems that invariably the dynamic range is compressed. But MQA offers compensating benefits.

I have some local 24/192 and DSD 64 tracks which do sound superb (like Supertramp Crime of the Century remastered 24/192) - even better on my D440 / ProAcD40Rs than MQA 24/192 versions fully hardware decoded on my low cost Meridian explorer2 (albeit analogue into D440). Given the significant improvement I hear on the explorer2 between MQA and non MQA tracks I would really like to hear it "natively" decoded on the D440.

I believe there is the decoding hardware power already to do this , the main issue is Devialet having to come to terms with someone else having "sound ideas"  :-)

Just my tuppence worth. Mark