Apple Music issued a press release on May 17, 2021 announcing that the “next generation of sound” would arrive for subscribers in June — without any additional cost. Apple Music subscribers can listen to any track, anywhere, in CD fidelity for only $9.95 month. What Apple Music defines as the “next generation” of sound includes support for Spatial Audio in the form of Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio.
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A number of readers have forwarded links to the video below. In fact, I was in the middle of viewing it when I received a couple of emails. It was produced by a UK-based commentator under the name GoldenSound and it is absolutely spot on in its analysis and conclusion regarding the MQA format. I highly recommend you find 38″ and watch this video.
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In October of 2019, I wrote an article on probably the single most important link in the long chain of production steps required to bring a classic analog master tape into our digital music world. The importance of maximizing the fidelity of the tape playback using a state-of-the-art reproducer and associated electronics cannot be overstated.
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The news this week included the announcement by Spotify is upgrading the fidelity of their music streams to “CD-quality.” I watched a video by John Darko, read the press release about Spotify Hi-Fi and another article on CEPro by Robert Archer, and was so thoroughly disgusted at the inaccuracies included in a piece titled “High-resolution audio: everything you need to know” written by Verity Burns and Becky Roberts on WhatHiFi that I had to post a lengthy comment pointing out a few of the issues…
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I haven’t written about MQA for a while. But a couple of recent articles and some information from a reader make an update timely. I’ve ceased reading or posting comments on FB groups dedicated to MQA or with threads about the process because discussing the science behind it in the hopes of convincing audiophiles that it has no merit is about as successful as convincing a flat Earther (one of my former tenants believes the Earth is flat, so I have some experience in this area) that they live on a sphere.
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It has been a couple of months since my last post. I regret not writing sooner but I have been consumed with responsibilities at the university, studying like crazy for my oral exam and check ride (Private Pilot – Glider Certificate), and dealing with the successful outcome of my recent Kickstarter campaign. If you were not already aware, 375 backers pledged $16,271 to help bring A User Guide to Streaming, Downloads, and Personal Audio to life. I’ve been writing almost everyday and am confident that I can complete the project by the summer 2021 deadline. If you are interested in backing the project, I’m offering a 30% discount coupon (SDPA_NYS_2021) until March 1, 2021. Simply enter the code during check out.
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Just a quick note to let everyone know that the Kickstarter campaign for A User Guide to Streaming, Downloads, and Personal Audio ends at 8 am PDT tomorrow. The original $10,000 goal was met after only two weeks and an additional 50% has been added since then. The first stretch goal was met a few days ago. Every backer will receive an AIX Records sampler – either a Blu-ray disc or the iTrax/Sprint downloadable sampler.
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The Kickstarter campaign for my second book on high-end audio streaming, downloads, and personal audio successfully reach its financial goal
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Today was the deadline to complete and submit my AES Paper. It’s been almost 12 months since I announced the launch of the HD-Audio Challenge II on this site (click here to see the original post). Since then over 13,000 people have visited the launch page, 2000 audiophiles requested the tracks, 1250 downloaded them, and 498 submitted their results. And more music lovers discover the challenge every day. As long as everyone agrees not to post the…
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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a piece about the “cozy” relationship between some reviewers, audiophile websites, and the manufacturers that pay for the advertising on those sites or otherwise “sponsor” them. I heard from a number of readers who agreed that finding a trustworthy source of information can be very challenging. They asked what sources or websites I trust and would recommend. So I’ve listed a few of the best sources…
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