Does anyone remember the movie Groundhog Day? 
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I can understand the urgency this update has for many people here. If you have the best and most expensive kit, you want to play the best available media. But don’t expect any improvement in sound quality, most over 60s like myself no longer have the hearing acuity to appreciate any difference.
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Its the big Tidal MQA ending and switch over to full FLAC today.
I think you’re partly right, yes the higher frequency quality is probably the most noticeable difference going to high-res 24bit 96/192khz streams, and as you age/abuse your ears that’s the region likely to be negatively affected.
However, I suspect even if you’ve lost some high-end hearing you can still reliably identify well produced 24bit 44/48 streams. It sounds like extra detail/resolution/clarity even in the low and mid-range.
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For a short period I have tried Quboz instead of Tidal. In my opinion the sound of the 24bit Quboz files was too polished. Certainly a lot of details/clarity, but I missed the dynamics and depth in the music from Tidal. So I hope that with the Tidal update to 24bit Tidal will not sound like Qobuz.
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in my experience (66 y o ears) hi-res made a huge difference. at first it was highly disconcerting especially on close-miked classical chamber music where it sounded as if each performer was floating in a bubble. luckily my ears/brain quickly adjusted and the bubbles burst. i am convinced the perception of greater reality persists even with the weird illusion gone. but i admit if you played me tracks in a blind test i probably wouldn’t be able to tell which was hi-res - its more an unconscious relaxation - the brain doesn’t have to work as hard to decode the sound YMMV
Arcam has bowed to user pressure.
Hi Naim. What’s the plan please.
Perhaps ‘details / clarity’ on those tracks which you used, in a short period, to reach this conclusion?
The choice of music may, or may not, be significant…just asking!
No I listened to the same albums and tracks and on my system (300 NC) the difference was very clear.
I have never reliably detected a difference between identical recordings. Often hi res have come about from a remaster which confuses the issue.
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Very disappointed with Tidal today - Albums that were present at 24bit MQA 48/96/192/362 have been downgraded all the way back to 16/44.1 basic Redbook rips.
Backwards step 10-years to when Tidal was made available with 16/44.1 lossless streaming.
For those with a Roon environment unpacking of the MQA files to a max of 24/96 was much better than 16/44.1
Not interested in Tidal with just 16/44.1 streaming
With the transition away from MQA yesterday, I have found that generally the MQA 24/44 and MQA 24/48 tracks have changed to FLAC 16/44, however, previous to yesterday the MQA 24/96 and MQA 24/192 tracks had been changed to FLAC 24/96 and FLAC 24/192.
Since Tidal Max roll out last September new album releases have been, where available, FLAC 24/96 and FLAC 24/192.
I agree we have lost quite a lot of Hi-Res in the transition from MQA to FLAC and hopefully going forward Tidal will increase their Hi-Res FLAC library to compete better wifh Qobuz in the Hi-Res tracks that they provide.
For many of the 24bit MQA 48/96/192/364 versions that are now just 16/44.1 it means Tidal haven’t bothered going back and getting the HiRes PCM versions here and just defaulting back to the Redbook version for the non-HiFi lower-tier Tidal service.
So to those who killed MQA, you have reduced the availability of many HiRes versions for the rest of us, who had no issue with MQA and the unfolding in Roon Core, etc. Many thanks to you.
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I agree with you, the same for me.
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The main reason MQA failed is that they wrapped lower res files in
hypothetical
higher rate MQA envelopes…
This wasn’t the case. I had several files where I had the PCM HiRes in 24/44.1, 24/48, 24/96 and even 24/196 & 24/364 and the MQA equivalents.
Playback of the MQA 44.1, 48 and 96 once unpacked via Roon sounded identical against the PCM versions. Obviously, the 1st unfold process only goes to 24/96 so the MQA 192 and above would only play at 24/96 or comparing that against the 24/192 versions wouldn’t be right.
This was not a one instance, but on several occasions with different artists, labels etc.
Before I make comments and give opinions I always listen first, to ensure that I relating my posting to actual observed experience.
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This is a quote from Naim tech support earlier this month:
" Tidal Max - UPDATE:
The implementation of Tidal Max into current Naim products is still on our roadmap for 2024.
This was originally planned for release around the start of the year, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we have made the decision to delay the launch until such time that it can be given our full support.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused - as soon as we have a clear date of release for Tidal Max, we will send a formal communication to our retailers and customers.
This new service from Tidal will become available on our New Platform Streamers, these are listed below:
NSS 333
NSC 222
ND 555
NDX 2
ND5 XS2
Uniti Nova
Uniti Star
Uniti Atom
Uniti Atom Headphone Edition
Mu-so and Mu-so QB 2nd Generation
…
Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the older streaming platform, this new service from Tidal will not be available on the older streamers.
The streamers that will not be updated because they are unable to run the new service from Tidal, are as follows:
NDS
NDX
ND5 XS
NAC-N 272
NAC-N 172 XS
SuperUniti
NaimUniti 1
NaimUniti 2
UnitiLite
UnitiQute 1
UnitiQute 2
Mu-so and Mu-so QB 1st Generation"
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The SDK from Streaming Unlimited that support Tidal Max hi res has been available for many months. Lindemann which use SU streaming boards released a software update in June now supporting Tidal Max. My vote is this is down to resource constraints/priorities over at Naim HQ.
This line to me confirms this.
“but due to unforeseen circumstances, we have made the decision to delay the launch until such time that it can be given our full support.”
(They should update their default answer mail template to include the Nova PE. SCNR.)
Who do you believe killed MQA?