The Rise and Fall of MQA: A Historical Perspective on a Once-Promising Audio Format

📀MQA was a CD format introduced in 2018 that could be played on regular CD players but required an MQA decoder for higher audio quality.

🔊MQA is a high-resolution audio codec similar to FLAC but with smaller file sizes.

💽Tidal adopted MQA for their high-res streaming, but the format did not gain widespread adoption.

🛠️Initially, playing MQA CDs was expensive and complicated, requiring specialized CD players or decoders.

💡MQA faced challenges in terms of compatibility, price, and the availability of decoders.

What is MQA?

—MQA, or Master Quality Authenticated, is a high-resolution audio format that promises improved audio quality and smaller file sizes.

How does MQA work?

—MQA achieves its higher audio quality and smaller file sizes through a combination of encoding, compression, and decoding techniques.

What are MQA CDs?

—MQA CDs are CDs that contain audio encoded in the MQA format. They can be played on regular CD players but require an MQA decoder for full audio quality.

Did MQA gain widespread adoption?

—No, MQA did not gain widespread adoption. While Tidal adopted MQA for their high-res streaming, the format faced challenges in terms of compatibility, price, and availability of decoders.

Is MQA still relevant?

—MQA is now considered a historical audio format, as it has lost traction and is no longer widely supported or discussed in the audio industry.

00:08MQA, a CD format introduced in 2018, promised improved audio quality and smaller file sizes.

00:20Playing MQA CDs initially required specialized CD players or decoders, making it expensive and complicated.

01:43Tidal adopted MQA for their high-res streaming, but the format did not gain widespread adoption.

06:24MQA CDs were released with a second disc containing the same songs in a regular CD format, allowing comparison between the two versions.

08:56MQA faced challenges in terms of compatibility, price, and availability of decoders.