MQA is an award-winning audio technology that enables music fans to stream the original master recording into their home, car or on their mobile. In the words of Gilbert O’Sullivan, iconic Irish-born singer-songwriter, “The great thing about MQA is that it delivers the finesse that was there in the desk sound. It’s tremendous, it sounds really good.”
And the good news is it works with all iFi audio’s DAC products… Read on…
The science behind MQA
MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) was developed using new insights in digital coding and a deep understanding of how humans hear. While we tend to trust our eyes over our ears, human hearing is quite remarkable: you cannot see in the dark or around corners, however your ears can and they’re always ‘on’. Human hearing is also incredibly adept at determining where a sound is coming from – as sounds reach us, microseconds apart, our brains build a 3D soundscape. This timing sensitivity evolved to help us survive in the natural world by pinpointing, for example, the direction of a potential attack. Using this same faculty, we can position individual instruments at a live performance, and, with MQA, this crucial timing information is captured and preserved from the master recording, so it recreates the original performance.
How it works
The technology delivers the original sound, in the highest quality, with the most flexibility, using less data, while authenticating provenance. No other system can do this. MQA captures the original recording, ‘folds’ the file for efficient distribution, and ‘unfolds’ the file dependent on the playback set-up and device capability. Visit the How it Works section for a visual overview.
The best sound
MQA connects creators directly with their fans. Our label partners ensure the master recording is converted to MQA and delivered to the music service. On playback, the MQA decoder authenticates the sound using a digital display – either a light or a logo on the UI – so that listeners know they are hearing a true version of the original recording.
Some of the world’s leading engineers have endorsed the qualities of MQA, for example mastering engineer Bob Ludwig, “The thing about the authentication aspect of MQA is that I can know that the listener at home is listening to the identical analogue sound that I’ve approved, and that the artist has approved.”
Where to listen
Global streaming platform TIDAL, multiple winner of What Hi-Fi? “Best Music Streaming Service”, was the first streaming service to adopt MQA to deliver master quality sound via TIDAL Masters. TIDAL differentiates itself by bringing fans closer to artists through unique experiences and superior audio offering. In partnership with MQA, its growing catalogue of recordings offers studio quality music across all genres and is now available in more than 60 countries. Hear the difference with these recommended tracks by What Hi-Fi?
MQA and iFi audio
All iFi audio DACs (excluding Pro iDSD Signature, NEO iDSD and iDSD Diablo) are MQA renderers only and therefore require software such as Tidal to perform the decoding. Whereas the Pro iDSD Signature, NEO iDSD and iDSD Diablo are decoders and renderers, therefore can fully unfold MQA.
MQA Renderer Implementation
The newly launched ZEN Air DAC includes MQA Renderer technology, which can connect to an MQA Core signal (such as TIDAL) and complete the final unfold of an MQA file. This product will include ‘stream lock’ but is not able to decode an MQA stream or authenticate it.
MQA Decoder Implementation
The recently upgraded Pro iDSD Signature includes MQA technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording. The LED glows green or blue to indicate that the unit is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to that of the source material. It glows blue to indicate it is playing an MQA Studio file, which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner.
Award-winning technology
Not only does MQA power many award-winning partner products and services – see the most recent EISA roll call and latest What Hi-Fi? Awards – but the credentials of its founder Bob Stuart are well documented and celebrated. Most recently, Bob became the first audio engineer to ever receive the prestigious Prince Philip Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) in 2020. The RAE bestowed the honour in recognition of Bob’s “exceptional contribution to audio engineering which has changed the way we listen to music and experience films.”
Sustainable technology
Concerns about the environmental cost of today’s streaming-centred music business are mounting. The current model for digital music is very wasteful, twice as high as the CD era. MQA reduces the carbon footprint of high-res audio by up to 80% and makes resolution 15 times higher by using advanced methods for audio coding and packaging. This unmatched efficiency makes MQA the most sustainable technology solution in the audio industry. MQA CEO, Mike Jbara, recently highlighted the environmental impact of music streaming at this year’s NY:LON Connect Event.
To find out more about MQA visit mqa.co.uk
