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How to Download MQA Music: A Guide for Audiophiles
If you are an audiophile who loves listening to high-quality music, you may have heard of MQA music. But what is it exactly, and how can you download and play it on your devices and speakers? In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about MQA music, including what it is, where to find it, how to download it, and how to compare it with other audio formats.
What is MQA Music and Why You Should Care
MQA stands for Master Quality Authenticated, a new audio format that claims to deliver studio-quality sound in smaller file sizes. It was developed by Meridian Audio, a British company that specializes in high-end audio products.
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MQA offers studio-quality sound in smaller file sizes
MQA music is encoded from the original master recordings, which can have resolutions up to 24-bit/352kHz. However, instead of storing all the information in a large file, MQA uses a proprietary process called "folding" to compress the data into a smaller file that can be streamed or downloaded more easily. The file size of an MQA song can be as low as one-third of a FLAC song of the same resolution.
MQA also claims to preserve the timing and spatial information of the sound, which can enhance the realism and depth of the music. According to MQA, their format can capture the "soundstage" of the recording studio, which is often lost in other digital formats.
MQA requires specialized hardware and software to fully unfold
While MQA music can be played on any device that supports FLAC or WAV formats, it will not sound as good as it should. To enjoy the full potential of MQA music, you need a compatible device that can decode or "unfold" the MQA file. This can be done by either software or hardware.
Software decoding can be done by certain desktop or mobile applications that support MQA decoding, such as Audirvana, Roon, or Tidal. Software decoding can unfold the MQA file up to 24-bit/96kHz, which is already better than CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz).
Hardware decoding can be done by certain DACs (digital-to-analog converters) that have MQA certification. Hardware decoding can unfold the MQA file up to its original resolution, which can be as high as 24-bit/352kHz. Hardware decoding can also apply a filter that corrects the distortion and noise that may occur during the digital-to-analog conversion.
To get the best sound quality from MQA music, you need both software and hardware decoding. This means that you need to connect your device to an MQA-compatible DAC via a wired connection, such as USB, optical, or coaxial. You also need to use an MQA-compatible music player or streaming service on your device.
Where to Find and Buy MQA Music Online
Now that you know what MQA music is and how to play it, you may wonder where to find and buy it online. There are several options available, depending on whether you prefer streaming or downloading.
Tidal is the most popular streaming service that offers MQA music
Tidal is a music streaming service that offers over 70 million songs in various genres and moods. It also has a large catalog of MQA music, which it calls "Tidal Masters". You can access Tidal Masters with a Tidal HiFi Plus subscription, which costs $19.99 per month.
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Tidal Masters are available in both desktop and mobile applications, but you need to enable the Master quality option in the settings. You can also download Tidal Masters for offline listening, but you need to have enough storage space on your device.
Tidal has a partnership with MQA, so it can perform both software and hardware decoding of MQA music. However, you still need an MQA-compatible DAC to get the full resolution and quality of the MQA music.
Qobuz, Highresaudio, and 2L are some of the download stores that sell MQA music
If you prefer to own your music rather than stream it, you can buy MQA music from some of the online download stores that specialize in high-resolution audio. Some of these stores are Qobuz, Highresaudio, and 2L.
Qobuz is a French company that offers both streaming and downloading of high-resolution music. It has over 70 million songs in various formats, including FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, and MQA. You can buy individual songs or albums in MQA format from Qobuz, or you can subscribe to Qobuz Studio Premier for $14.99 per month to stream them.
Highresaudio is a German company that offers only downloading of high-resolution music. It has over 50,000 albums in various formats, including FLAC, WAV, DSD, and MQA. You can buy individual songs or albums in MQA format from Highresaudio, or you can use their voucher system to get discounts.
2L is a Norwegian company that produces and sells high-resolution music. It has over 200 albums in various formats, including FLAC, WAV, DSD, DXD, and MQA. You can buy individual songs or albums in MQA format from 2L, or you can download some of their free samples.
Audirvana and Roon are some of the desktop music players that support MQA music
If you already have some MQA music files on your computer or external hard drive, you need a desktop music player that can play them properly. Some of the desktop music players that support MQA music are Audirvana and Roon.
Audirvana is a French software that offers a simple and elegant interface for playing high-resolution music on your computer. It supports various formats, including FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, and MQA. It can also perform software decoding of MQA music up to 24-bit/96kHz. You can connect Audirvana to an MQA-compatible DAC via USB, optical, or coaxial to get hardware decoding as well. Audirvana costs $74.99 for a lifetime license.
Roon is an American software that offers a rich and immersive experience for playing high-resolution music on your computer. It supports various formats, including FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, and MQA. It can also perform software decoding of MQA music up to 24-bit/96kHz. You can connect Roon to an MQA-compatible DAC via USB, optical, or coaxial to get hardware decoding as well. Roon also integrates with Tidal and Qobuz, so you can stream MQA music from these services. Roon costs $119.88 per year or $699.99 for a lifetime license.
How to Download MQA Music from Tidal on Computer and Mobile
If you want to download MQA music from Tidal, you need to follow these steps:
You need a Tidal HiFi Plus subscription to access MQA music
Tidal offers two types of subscriptions: Tidal Premium and Tidal HiFi Plus. Tidal Premium costs $9.99 per month and offers standard quality music (320 kbps). Tidal HiFi Plus costs $19.99 per month and offers high-resolution music (up to 24-bit/192kHz), including MQA music.
To download MQA music from Tidal, you need to have a Tidal HiFi Plus subscription. You can si