Ultimate HQCD (UHQCD) - new CD format, King Crimson on UHQCD and more

All information in this post was taken from the Universal, Japan website.
Now cdjapan has new information.
According to them, only the first 5 albums of The Beach Boys will be transferred from the Japanese original master tapes, which were compiled in Japan and used for the original production of LP.
MQA UHQCDs will be miniature copies of these records. The remaining 4 albums will be based on the original US and UK master tapes.
It seems that Uni has provided cdjapan with new information, but has not yet fixed its own site, if at all.
It is unclear whether Uni will transport tapes for transfer to Japan. We recognize this by credit notes.

- edit -

Universal 'Rock: Best Album Series'

Sep. 30, 2020

(Mini LP MQA UHQCD)
The Beach Boys The Best of Beach Boys (Japan OMT)
The Beach Boys The Best of Beach Boys No.2 (Japan OMT)
The Beach Boys Deluxe (Japan OMT)
The Beach Boys Deluxe Vol. 2 (Japan OMT)
The Beach Boys Instrumental Hits (Japan OMT)
The Beach Boys Ten Years of Harmony (2 MQA UHQCD) (US OMT)
J.J. Cale Special Edition (US OMT)
The Moody Blues This is The Moody Blues 2MQA UHQCD (UK OMT)
Status Quo 12 Gold Bars (UK OMT)

(See details in Japan Mini LP SHM-CDs - New Releases, George Harrison and more , (Posts#1082-83).

 

Has anyone compared MQA CD with SACD or DVDA? Is it really better? Remember it's a lossy format.Most people can't tell a difference between 24/96 and 24/192 so these ultra high sampling rates maybe just figures to impress people. If these were available other than Japan at normal prices maybe would take off to some extent, but as is it is another audiophile format that is going the same way as BluRay audio despite HF getting all worked up.

 

I have not seen comparisons of MQA-CD with SACD and CD with the same mastering at all.
Suddenly I found one on Audiophile Review.
I was so surprised that I posted it in full:

A Comparison of SACD vs MQA In Physical Format
By Paul Wilson February 15, 2019

(“Paul Wilson has been an avid high-performance audio enthusiast since 1972. In that time, he has had numerous audio systems, sold for several audio dealers and has done business with several manufacturers. He has been a member of the Audiophile Review team since 2013 where he writes weekly about the audiophile hobby and also contributes music reviews. He lives in Charlotte, NC where, since 1988, he has owned and managed his own successful sales company. Beyond his world class audio system, his interests include sports, sports cars, collecting watches, art, cooking and listening to finely recorded music”.)

“If there are any consistencies in the audiophile hobby it is that there are almost no unilateral agreements. Differing opinions exist on almost everything audio related. We have any number of amp and speaker technologies. We have multiple music formats and even a few not considered as meeting the basic acceptable standard of audiophile grade sonics. For about two decades, we had digital music solely in the form of a CD. Streaming changed all that, almost overnight. MQA is poised to possibly change things in a profound way, depending, that is, on the acceptance of what is, admittedly, a controversial subject.

Most audiophiles have read at length about MQA. I feel sure there are those of us who have grown weary of the debate surrounding this new format. To a certain degree, that describes my position on the matter. There are too many variables that affect streaming, and the systems on which music is played, for me to make an absolute declaration about MQA's sonic quality. I have seen many comparisons of MQA to CD quality and Hi Rez but those comparisons were based on streaming. I have yet to see much of anything on a comparison of any resolution - SACD, to MQA, to CD in the physical format. Until now, that is.

I recently received four discs from our editor, Steven Stone. Two of the discs were mastered in MQA and two were SACD. The original purpose was a sonic comparison of MQA to SACD in the physical realm. I decided to include CD quality as well - and a couple other comparisons thrown in for good measure. As to the two selections, one is the Bob James Trio - "Espresso" and the second is Chlara - "evo sessions." While the links are for the purchase of the MQA physical disc, both are also available on Tidal in CD quality and MQA as well. For the comparison, an MQA encoded DAC was used and amplitude of all the recordings were level matched.

I elected to jump straight to the presumed top of the food chain and immediately chose Bob James' MQA disc. When I pushed play, I immediately heard an expansiveness in the overall presentation. It simply sounded big. I've been to several of James' live performances and to a certain degree, this large-scale presentation reminded me of those concerts. Reminded me of, please note, NOT identical to. There was also a perceptible ferocity in how he sometimes struck the keys. It actually sounded quite surprising. I also noticed that on piano solos, and especially on more robust passages, there was a "reverberation" in the sound as his fingers struck the keys. I also felt the notes were better sustained, that is they hung in the air longer than what I would think CD quality would represent. This level of detail is what I would expect to hear when a piano was played live. As you might expect from such a high resolution recording, the clarity was magnificent. Frequency range was also spot on - that is, the bass line could be easily followed and the mids and highs sounded very accurate.

As to the SACD disc, I must admit, it was a very close second, but indeed a second to the MQA format. The overall width of the presentation was not quite as wide and the perceptible ferocity of James striking the piano keys at times was not as distinct. Make no mistake, the differences I noticed were very slight and were I not looking for any differences, with the exception of the sonic width, I might not have noticed much of a difference at all. From a frequency range, clarity, definition and accuracy standpoint, the SACD disc was almost on par with the MQA disc.

In regard to chlara - "evo sessions," the MQA version was much the same as the Bob James selection. The music almost "exploded" from the speakers. There was a power and authority in the guitar playing that was easily noticeable. The sometimes transient percussion that is oftentimes difficult to hear, and makes music more interesting, was readily noticeable. There was excellent separation of the instruments and a lot of air around them as well. I also thought that at times, the presentation was a little bright but that was in all probability the recording itself and not the audio system. In all honesty, the attributes of the MQA recordings were very similar in both discs. This makes sense as both were released by the same production team.

Compared to the "Chlara" SACD version, the results were much the same as what I experienced on the Bob James disc. I noticed the presentation was not quite as "large" and the impact, especially on guitar, was not as powerful as the MQA version. It was almost as if the strings, when played with authority, were not struck as hard. Also, the separation of instruments was not as profound as with MQA but really, not by all that much. In fact, the SACD versions of both sounded very, very good. I would be happy listening to them anytime I played music.

The above comparison was my original goal, but I wanted to compare things in a few different ways. Streaming of both in MQA through Tidal compared to the physical MQA CD's was certainly surprising. I immediately felt the physical disc was better than the streamed version, again, in MQA. I know that streaming, depending on the system, can introduce profound amounts of jitter and consequently devastate a digital signal. This condition is greatly reduced when playing a physical CD. So perhaps jitter had something to do with the fact that physical MQA sounded slightly better than streamed MQA. It could also have been the streaming setup of my system compared to the CD player. Really, though, the streamed version in MQA had all the earmarks of the physical version, just not taken to quite the same level.

Finally, I compared all the various formats, physical and streamed, to CD quality. This was not a surprising conclusion. MQA and SACD sounded better, regardless of physical format or streamed, than Red Book CD. Not a huge difference but again, it would be noticeable. I should also mention that I thought all of them, regardless of the format, sounded very good. In summary, I thought both physical CD's in MQA sounded better than their streamed counterparts. The SACD physical format was a very close second to the physical MQA and quite possibly equal to, and depending on the system, better than streamed MQA. Any of the MQA and SACD version were better than CD quality, or 44.1 / 16.

Does any of this change my mind about MQA? No, not really. I have always maintained I have heard MQA sound profoundly excellent but also sound not so different than CD quality. That has absolutely as much to do with the system as with the recording. I will admit, however, I was very impressed with what I heard with an MQA formatted physical CD. On the right system, a physical MQA disc could conceivably be the pinnacle of digital music. But this would be very system dependent. Availability of MQA discs likely negates building a substantial library with them. If, however, this is a format that could catch on, and availability increases, hey, maybe so. Given the ever-increasing popularity of Internet based music at a minimum of CD quality, I question if the MQA format will ever take a firm hold in the physical realm. If it does, I feel sure it will be one more of a growing list of contentiously debatable subjects.”

Equipment used:
Amp - Esoteric AO2
Preamp - Esoteric CO2
DAC – Esoteric DO2
For MQA- DAC was a Berkeley Reference Series 2 w/ MQA Upgrade
CD Player- Cambridge Audio Azur 751 BD
CD Player Interconnects- Nordost Valhalla 2
All Other Cables - Nordost Odin and Odin 2 throughout
Speakers - KEF Blade Graphite
Speaker Footers- (8) IsoAcoustics Gaia 1
Subwoofers - (2) REL G1 Mark II
Speaker Platforms - (2) Symposium Super Plus
Subwoofers Speaker Cables - (2) REL Baseline Blue
Subwoofer Power Cord - (2) Nordost Valhalla 2
Streaming Device - Bluesound Node 2
Streaming Digital Cable - Nordost Tyr 2 (BNC to RCA)

Power: Nordost QX4 Power Purifier, (2) QBASE Qb8 Mark II Power Distribution Blocks, (2) Nordost Qv2 Line Stabilizers, QK1 Line Enhancer

P.S.
“I am simply reporting what I heard on my system. … I am not advocating for or against any format. I'm simply describing what I heard when I played these various songs in the formats listed. And by the way, I'm not really a big fan of MQA. I've heard it sound great, and not so great. In the case of these two physical CD's, I thought MQA sounded fantastic. However, I would not even begin to suggest that all MQA physical discs will sound as such.”-- Paul Wilson

toilet_doctor, Sep 5, 2019 #1598

And this is plain vanilla MQA-CD, while we are talking about MQA UHQCDs

 

The "lossiness" of MQA is inaudible:

(from the Post #936, p. 38)

How Lossy MQA Is?


"Lossiness of MQA is beside the point."
(Jim Austin)



Who is this Jim Austin, anyway?
Jim Austin is a music enthusiast, an audiophile, a writer, en editor (14 years with Science magazine) and Ph.D., a scientist who graduated from the University of North Carolina with master's degrees in Physics.
Jim decided to explore MQA inside-out and publish the series of articles about his experience:

"My goal for this series of articles, of which this is the first, is to subject MQA to a fair and thorough vetting—not as an expert, but as a science and technical writer. My role is not to make absolute judgments, but to do the hard work, struggling through dense technical articles, pestering people with questions, evaluating evidence in consultation with experts, and assembling what I learn into something coherent and accessible. I'll present the evidence, and people can then decide for themselves.
This is a complex business, with far too much to look into all at once with any sort of rigor. So I'll take on the issues one at a time, beginning here with an aspect of MQA's time-domain behavior: its decoder/renderer's impulse response."

"Master Quality Authenticated (MQA), the audio codec from industry veterans Bob Stuart and Peter Craven, rests on two pillars: improved time-domain behavior, which is said to improve sound quality and what MQA Ltd. calls "audio origami," which yields reduced file size (for downloads) and data rate (for streaming).
In MQA Tested Part 1 I took a first peek at those time-domain issues.
In MQA In Part 2 I take a first look at the second pillar: MQA's approach to data-rate reduction.
In particular, I'll consider critics' claims that MQA is a "lossy" codec."

However, before reading his entire article with diagrams and explanations,
I will explain why MQA is "lossy" on two fingers:

Lossy MQA Explaned
(by toilet_doctor, July 30, 2018)

MQA is lossy on a purpose.
To tell more:
They designed it lossy to sound better, as strange as it seems.

1. Hi-Res PCM file was compressed to standard resolution 16 bit/44.1kHz that it can be stored to save a lot of space or simply placed on the reg. CD. They named it "folding" due to the stages of this complex process, depending on the frequency range in each stage.

2. Entire spectrum of the frequency consists of valuable music data and unwanted noise (mostly in higher frequency range). They designed the algorithm of the decompression/"unfolding" back to Hi-Res the way that it can lose the noise and keep the musical data in more clear state - they named this process "debluring".
That's what MQA "Lossyness" is all about.

3. In addition, not only MQA clears musical data from this unwanted noise, it also eliminates distortions added during the AD and DA conversion process by the equipment itself.

4. MQA improves time-domain issue.

Jim Austin tested this lossiness matter and come to conclusion: the loss is inaudible.

"Is MQA lossy? Yes, but that's not really the right question. That is my conclusion after reading widely about it, and talking and corresponding with experts, including MQA's Bob Steart and digital engineers who don't support MQA.
At worst, lossy is a cudgel—a scare word intended to evoke associations with MP3 and a negative emotional response.
At best, framing the issue as one of lossy vs. lossless largely misses the point."
...

"To sum up the losiness issue: In its folding and unfolding, MQA distinguishes between music-correlated data and noise, tries hard to retain the music-correlated data, but sensibly worries much less about preserving the noise bit by bit. This allows MQA to achieve their goal of preserving the benefits of high-resolution data without the burden of large, weighty swaths of pointless noise."

It is a nice article. I was surprised to read such things about MQA, for example:

"In that handful of recordings mentioned above, however, there is that tiny bit of musically relevant information present at such high frequencies. If it's there, we'd like to keep it. How does MQA deal with it? I believe it's largely preserved... The MQA encoder can detect "spectral components above 48kHz," and has "several strategies" for dealing with it, including choosing from among more than 2000 encapsulation algorithms. The encoder will choose the option that will "allow the decoder to most accurately reproduce the signal 'envelope' and slew-rate."

"At this point I would love to show you what an MQA-decoded file looks like, point out all its nuances, and tell you what they mean. But I've recorded and analyzed dozens of MQA files, and have noticed few patterns. I've likely encountered most of MQA's 2000+ encapsulation algorithms: Every MQA file seems to do things in a different way, diverging from the apparent non-MQA source in many different ways, and sometimes not at all. Every time I thought was getting a handle on some aspect of MQA, I'd look at another file and find that it didn't conform to my theory."
...
In the end, he concluded:
"Earlier, I wrote that the lossiness/losslessness question is beside the point. Here's what I was getting at. There certainly are differences in the MQA version of this recording, and the changes due to the MQA encoding/decoding seem to indicate some loss of resolution, even if it isn't audible. And yet, whatever the cause of the differences between the DXD and MQA versions—whether the results of origami or of some other change wrought during encoding—well, we already knew that. We already knew that MQA changes the music. MQA's goal is to make music sound better, and you can't make music sound better without changing how it sounds. Lossiness is beside the point.

How, then, should we evaluate MQA? The next step would be to confirm that it indeed offers superior time-domain behavior, which will require cooperation from Bob Stuart and the MQA team.
The next step after that would be to get a fix on MQA's sound in some rigorous way—something beyond casual subjective observations.
Then we can start to weigh, with analysis and careful listening, any frequency-domain degradation against time-domain improvement.
Finally, we need to decide whether MQA is good or bad for music. We audiophiles probably won't get to decide MQA's fate, but we do get to have an opinion."—Jim Austin

MQA Tested Part 2: Into the Fold

 

Apart from reading up specs and marketing how does it sound and is it actually better to your ears (if you actually have listened to it)?

 

24/352 is not an ultra-high sampling rate - this is exactly what we need. It covers the first most important stages of sampling 88, 96, 192, where audio is most beneficial.
After 352 each next step in the sampling will benefit less and less to inaudible.

 

99% of people don't care about SQ, even they love music as much as you and me. I remember the first mass market sales of Floyd and Police SACDs at the price of the regular CD, did they take off? We don't need that.
More than 50% of people switched to HD-tracks - this is only better for us, physical media guys.
What we need are the limited editions with quality control at every stage of the production line. Limited pressing? Yes.
And we have to pay more for this. It cannot be another way - better quality comes with higher price, and in audio too... Sorry about that.
Format does not matter!
Blu-ray? Where is this Blu-ray? Give me this Blu-ray audio, I'll buy it.
We will support any format, whatever float their boat. And we did, but where is this damn boat now?
It can sank again... anytime.

 

I don't have MQA decoding gear yet. I have to buy something that will match to the rest of my system, which is challenging thing money-wise.
However, I compared good sounding undecoded MQA UHQCDs in my system, and I like what I heard very much:
I compared two excellent sounding MQA UHQCDs (undecoded versions) against Platinum SHM and SHM-SACD with the same mastering:



Roxy Music Avalon 2018 MQA UHQCD (2015 flat transfer) vs. 2015 Platinum SHM-CD version vs. 2015 SHM-SACD
Ultimate HQCD (UHQCD) - new CD format, King Crimson on UHQCD and more
Post #1141, Page 46.



Wishbone Ash Argus 2018 MQA UHQCD (2013 flat transfer) vs. 2013 Platinum SHM-CD version vs. 2016 SHM-SACD
Ultimate HQCD (UHQCD) - new CD format, King Crimson on UHQCD and more
Post #1162, Page 47.

Undecoded MQA UHQCDs sounded a little better than the Platinum SHM-CD versions.
It seemed that if I had the right equipment (at the level of the rest of the components of my system), it could beat the sound of SHM-SACD.

I posted this a few pages back, but I see necessity to re-post it again:

I will update a Short Guide to the Thread Posts #1681-2, p. 68, in a mean time, for newcomers, I want to present one more comparison with the same mastering that was not include in this guide:

- comparison test -

The Allmam Brothers Band At Fillmore East 2018 MQA UHQCD vs. Regular CD vs. 2016 SHM-SACD with the same mastering (2013 Flat Transfer from OMT)
(non-decoded MQA experience)

For this comparison I didn’t buy full MQA UHQCD version of this album, since the Rock Sampler double MQA UHQCD/ Reg. CD set has a 19-min song “You Don’t Love Me”.
I listened to the whole song twice, first a regular and then non-decoded MQA version. Then I compared the different moments of the song, which has a lot of ups and downs, vocal and instrumental parts.
I especially liked the very dynamic 2-min part, starting at 14:15 with harmonica, and soon the rhythm guitar and drums joined it, creating an amazing rhythm section in support of the distorted solo-guitar long passage.

I spent a quiet bit of time with this song and I can say:
A regular disc already sounded very good - good dynamics, bass, soundstage and sound balance; No brightness at high frequencies – an excellent result for live recording.
MQA-UHQCD added to this more clarity and better separation between instruments.



Then I pulled out SHM-SACD, the same song, the same transfer, but a different sound. SACD outperformed the MQA UHQCD with much smoother sound. Hi-Res DSD eliminated distortions, the bass was fuller, more ambient. At the same time, the crispiness of the high frequencies and the upper mid-range were outstanding on MQA UHQ disc. I dare to say, clearer than on SACD. And this is an unfair battle - Hi-Res vs. Red Book CD.

All this ordeal left me with a very strong impression:
If I could unfold MQA UHQCD in Hi-Res with equipment equal to my Cary SACD player, the MQA UHQCD would achieve smoothness and outperform SACD in overall sound clarity.

Conclusion:
MQA UHQCDs (non-decoded) are the best sounding Red Book CDs, coming maximum close to Hi-Res sound.
They are the best alternative to SACD and are highly recommended for those who don’t have SACD playback.


P.S.
All that I said is true only for a good remaster.
If mastering/recording is so-so, neither MQA, nor UHQ, nor a combination of these technologies and materials,
as well as an improved manufacturing process, their effect will be much reduced.
toilet_doctor, Aug 15, 2019 #1557

 

P.S.

Classicrock, I want you to realize one thing that keeps so many people in this thread:
The best feature of the new MQA UHQCD format is: it pushes manufacturers to new remastering, which is 80-85% of the sound.
It is an audible improvement in any system. The rest is secondary.

 

^^^ A bunch of misleading (re-)posts about MQA-CDs above. Note that all the high-band spectral content (i.e. 22...44 kHz) in 24/88 MQA-decoded audio on them is totally fake. Spectral content above 44 kHz (44...176kHz), which was completely discarded at MQA-encoding stage, is just a product of "leaky" MQA-flavor 88->352 upsampling (i.e. images of in-band spectrum of MQA-decoded semi-fake 24/88 audio).

 

Fine but those versions possibly don't sound better because of MQA in that case.

 

Nothing we can say about MQA or new materials when it comes to new mastering.
But the comparisons that I gave you, all are with the same mastering:
In the post #2078, this is just the MQA effect.
In post #2083, it is the double effect of MQA and UHQ material.
I inserted two different discs into the player and reported that I heard.
(What is misleading here, Testikoff?)

 

The "Hi-Res nature" of MQA-CDs. There is nothing Hi-Res in them other than hidden fakery/trickery bundled with slow roll-off minimal-phase resampling of the audio source (Bob Stuart's preferred DSP?)...

 

Guy tested MQA-CD against SACD with the same mastering, and he said:
"I'm simply describing what I heard when I played these various songs in the formats listed. And by the way, I'm not really a big fan of MQA. I've heard it sound great, and not so great. In the case of these two physical CD's, I thought MQA sounded fantastic."
"When I pushed play, I immediately heard an expansiveness in the overall presentation. It simply sounded big... As you might expect from such a high resolution recording, the clarity was magnificent. Frequency range was also spot on - that is, the bass line could be easily followed and the mids and highs sounded very accurate.
As to the SACD disc, I must admit, it was a very close second, but indeed a second to the MQA format. The overall width of the presentation was not quite as wide... Make no mistake, the differences I noticed were very slight and were I not looking for any differences, with the exception of the sonic width, I might not have noticed much of a difference at all. From a frequency range, clarity, definition and accuracy standpoint, the SACD disc was almost on par with the MQA disc." (Paul Wilson, Audiophile Review, February 15, 2019)

The Hi-Res nature of MQA-CDs is here in this report.
The reviewer has a great system, capable to detect all these differences and details he is describing.
Why should I not believe him, but trust you, who actually did not conduct this test?

Testikoff, with all due respect, please stop in my place:
Who would you trust more, the guy who compared the MQA-CD to SACD with the same mastering, or who did not?

 

^^^ Excuse me, but downsampled/downrezzed version of a Hi-Res source can't sound "better" than the source itself unless it's been futzed with (by, say, using a minimal-phase SRC as a DSP effect)... I can do that myself anytime (if so inclined) & don't need MQA+Bob Stuart for this...

 

We talked about 10 Universal MQA UHQCD titles scheduled for the September release.
Universal added 15 titles more ($26.18):

- update -

Universal Jazz Masterpiece Series

Sep. 02, 2020

(MQA UHQCD)
Bill Evans & Jim Hall Undercurrent
Bill Evans with Jeremy Steig What’s New (2008; US OMT)
Antonio Carlos Jobim Wave
Wes Montgomery A Day in the Life (2010)
Art Pepper Quartet Modern Art
Chet Baker Sings
Helen Merrill Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown
Julie London Julie Is Her Name Vol. 1
Chick Corea & Return to Forever Light as a Feather
Oscar Peterson Night Train
The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard
Sadao Watanabe with the Great Jazz Trio I'm Old Fashioned
Masahiko Togashi Spiritual Nature
Bill Evans From Left to Right (2018)
Lee Morgan The Sidewinder (2017; US OMT)
Horace Silver Song for My Father (2017; US OMT)
Hank Mobley Soul Station (2017; US OMT)
Wayne Shorter Speak No Evil (2017; US OMT)
Harvey Hancock Speak Like A Child (2017; US OMT)
Eric Dolphy Out to Lunch (2017; US OMT)
Hank Mobley Dippin’ (2017; US OMT)
Diana Krall When I Look In Your Eyes (2002; US OMT)
Diana Krall The Look Of Love (2002; US OMT)
Norah Jones Norah Jones (2003)
Norah Jones Feels Like Home (2012)

Please Note:
All titles above are: “Reissue in Hi-Res CD format (UHQCD format x MQA technology). Features the DSD master in 2020, using Japanese original master tapes. The DSD master is available in 352.8kHz/24bit high resolution” (otherwise indicated). 11 titles in total.
7 albums of 25 were released in 2017 in SHM-SACD series with a new DSD mastering (jewel case in cardboard slipcase, about $40, OOP). Universal will use this DSD mastering for the new MQA UHQCD release.

(translation)
Light as a Feather [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Chick Corea & Return to Forever
[High-Resolution CD Jazz Masterpiece Series] The second work of Return to Forever, including the premiere of the famous jazz standard "Spain". A big feature of Flora Purim's vocals. ● 2020 DSD master based on domestic original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded (high resolution undelivered sound source) ● Green color label coat. <Personnel> Chick Corea (el-p), Joe Farrell (ts, fl), Stanley Clark (ds, per), Iart Moreira (ds, per), Flora Purim (per, vo) Recorded in London, September-October 1972.”

Review:
“Featuring the same band as the first Return to Forever album--vocalist Flora Purim, saxophonist-flutist Joe Farrell, bassist Stanley Clarke, and drummer Airto-- 1973's Light As a Feather was the result of a conscious effort on Chick Corea's part to communicate with a broader audience. Although Corea's electric piano and Purim's spacey-samba vocals might sound dated, the album includes a couple of Corea's most beloved compositions, "500 Miles High" and "Spain." Here, Corea strikes an appealing balance between art and accessibility." --Rick Mitchell



Night Train [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Pressing] / Oscar Peterson
“A long-selling disc that "Emperor of the Keyboard" imbues popular standards with the best members. Also includes a moving masterpiece of Tayo's original song "Praise to Liberty". ● 2020 DSD master based on domestic original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded (high resolution undelivered sound source) ● Green color label coat <Personnel> Oscar Peterson (p), Ray・Brown (b), Ed Sigpen (ds) Recorded in Hollywood on December 15, 16th, 1962.”

At The Village Vanguard [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / The Great Jazz Trio
“GJT by Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams left this live album at NY's prestigious jazz club. A masterpiece among the masterpieces that you can enjoy the best piano trio in the 70's. ● 2020 DSD master based on domestic original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded (high resolution undelivered sound source) ● Green color label coat <Personel> Hank Jones (p), Ron · Carter (b), Tony Williams (ds) Live recording at Village Vanguard, New York, 19th & 20th February 1977.”

I'm Old Fashioned [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Pressing] / Sadao Watanabe with the Great Jazz Trio
“A masterpiece that allows you to play freely with one horn, following the strongest rhythm section in the back. Starting with the masterpiece of Charlie Parker, the singing-minded and swingy performance never stops. ● 2020 DSD master based on domestic original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded (high resolution undelivered sound source) ● green color label coat <personal> Sadao Watanabe (as, fl), Hank -Jones (p), Ron Carter (b), Tony Williams (ds) Recorded May 21, 1976 at Vanguard Studios, New York.”

From Left to Right [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Bill Evans
“A popular album that the poet of jazz piano expresses unlimited lyricism in both acoustic and electric. Includes Jazz Bossa's masterpiece "The Dolphin". ● Converted 2018 DSD master based on domestic original analog tape to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded (high resolution undelivered sound source) ● Green color label coat <Personnel> Bill Evans (p, el-p ), Sam Brown (g), Eddie Gomez (b), John Beer (el-b), Marty Morell (ds), Mickey Leonard (arr, cond) Orchestra Recorded 1969-1970, New York & San Francisco.”




The Sidewinder [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Pressing] / Lee Morgan
“The Beatles A jazz rock monument that ran up the hit chart in the year of the US landing. The dynamism of an unprecedented genius trumpeter spills out. ●2 017 DSD master based on US original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ● Green Color Label Coat <Personnel> Lee Morgan (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Barry・Harris (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Billy Higgins (ds) Recorded in New Jersey, December 21, 1963.”




Song for My Father [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Horace Silver
“A masterpiece dedicated to a father and family by a funky missionary. An exotic title song by a new quintet including Joe Henderson is a big hit. ● 2017 DSD master based on US original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ● Green color label coat <Personnel> Horace Silver (p), Carmel Jones, Blue Mitchell ( tp), Joe Henderson, Junior Cook (ts), Teddy Smith, Jean Taylor (b), Roger Humphreys, Roy Brooks (ds) October 31, 1963, January 28, 1964, Recorded in New Jersey on October 26.”

Soul Station [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Pressing] / Hank Mobley
“The most popular edition of the "The Tenor Man" 4000 series trilogy, which Blue Note boasts. The best rhythm section is followed, and full-length play is performed. ●2017 DSD master based on US original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ●Green color label coat <Personnel> Hank Mobley (ts), Lee Morgan (tp), Harold・Mayburn Jr. (p), Larry Ridley (b), Billy Higgins (ds) Recorded in New Jersey on June 18, 1965.”




Speak No Evil [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Pressing] / Wayne Shorter
“A masterpiece that represents the new mainstream of the 1960s, where young talents gathered at the end of the 1964 Blue Note trilogy. Unique mysterious Shorter World is in full bloom. ● 2017 DSD master based on US original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ● Green color label coat <Personnel> Wayne Shorter (ts), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Harvey・Hancock (p), Ron Carter (b), Erwin Jones (ds) Recorded in New Jersey, December 24, 1964 (ts), Winton Kelly (p), Paul・Chambers (b), Art Blakey (ds) Recorded in New Jersey, February 7, 1960.”




Speak Like A Child [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Pressing] / Harvey Hancock
“A beautiful and romantic masterpiece left by young masters of the modern jazz world on a young day. With a colorful horn ensemble in the background, a piano trio dance lightly. ●2017 DSD master based on US original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ●Green Color Label Coat <Personnel> Harvey Hancock (p), Thad Jones (flh), Peter Phillips (b-tb), Jerry Dozione (a-fl), Ron Carter (b), Mickey Loker (ds) Recorded in New Jersey, March 6th, 9th, 1968 .“




Out to Lunch [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Eric Dolphy
“A masterpiece left behind 4 months before the charismatic lead player who died. Incredible improvisations by super elites including the famous song "Hut and Baird". ●2017 DSD master based on US original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ●Green color label coat <Personnel> Eric Dollfie (fl, as, b-cl), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Richard Davis (b), Tony Williams (ds) Recorded in New Jersey, February 25, 1964.”

Dippin’ [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Hank Mobley
“A blockbuster work known for "Ricardo Bossa Nova", a famous performance of passion and sorrow. It is a powerful quintet with Lee Morgan, and the Mobley clause is also clear in the whole volume. ●2017 DSD master based on US original analog tape converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ●Green color label coat <Personel> Hank Mobley (ts), Lee Morgan (tp), Harold・Mayburn Jr. (p), Larry Ridley (b), Billy Higgins (ds) Recorded in New Jersey on June 18, 1965.”

When I Look In Your Eyes [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Diana Krall
“In addition to the Grammy Award Album of the Year nomination, the masterpiece category has won two categories, including the Best Engineer Category. All 13 songs including the theme song of the movie "True Crime". ● Converted 2002 DSD master based on US original master to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ● Green color label coat <Personnel> Diana Krall (vo, p), Alan Broadbent (p), Russell Malone (g), John Clayton (b), Jeff Hamilton, Lewis Nash (ds) and others 1999 works.”

The Look Of Love [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Diana Krall
“This is a blockbuster work in which jazz to Brazilian music world's leading musicians are greeted and a famous orchestration is put on a beautiful arrangement. The Grammy Award and Best Engineer category winning work. ● 2002 DSD master based on US original master converted to 352.8kHz/24bit and recorded ● Green color label coat <Personnel> Diana Krall (vo, p), Russell Malone (g), Christian McBright (b), Peter Erskine (ds), Klaus Ogerman (arr, cond), etc. 2001 works.”

Spiritual Nature [MQA/UHQCD] [Limited Release] / Masahiko Togashi
“A legendary concert by a rare genius percussionist. A masterpiece in a suite format consisting of 10 people with 4 percussionists including 3 woodwind players and Togashi. The monument to Japanese jazz. 1975 Swing Journal Magazine Jazz Disc Award [Gold Award] [Japan Jazz Award] [Best Recording Award] ● Recorded by converting 2020 DSD master based on domestic original analog tape to 352.8kHz/24bit ( High resolution undelivered sound source) ●Green color label coat <Personnel> Masahiko Togashi (per, celesta), Sadao Watanabe (fl, sopranino, as), Shigeo Suzuki (fl, ss), Shozo Nakagawa (fl), Masahiko Sato ( p, marimba, glockenspiel), Keiki Midorikawa (b, cello), Yoshio Ikeda (b), Shoji Nakayama, Yoshisaburo Toyozumi, Noboru Tanaka (per) April 9, 1975, Tokyo, Shinjuku Employees' Pension Small Hall Live recording April 29, recorded at Victor Studio in Tokyo).”

 

Universal announced the 100th Anniversary of Charlie Parker's Birth UHQCD Reissue Series (Part 1), 8 titles:

Sep. 02, 2020

(UHQCD)
Charlie Parker Night and Day
Charlie Parker April in Paris + 4
Charlie Parker Quartet Now’s The Time +1
Charlie Parker Bird and Diz +3
Charlie Parker Charlie Parker Plays Cole Porter
Charlie Parker Fiesta
Charlie Parker Jazz Perennial
Charlie Parker Swedish Schnapps + 4


“Reissue from Charlie Parker featuring UHQCD format” ($16.78)

(translation)
Night and Day [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker
“[Charlie Parker 100th Anniversary UHQ-CD Reissue Series 1st] Charlie Parker's big band session playing the famous standard with the orchestration and strings of Joe Lippman arranged! The first UHQCD Conversion. Recorded in New York on July 10, 1950, January 22, 1952, March 25, 1952. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Joe Lippmann (arr, cond) Orchestra.”




April in Paris-Charlie Parker with Strings +4 [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker
”A masterpiece that vibrates the standard with the jazz revolutionary Charlie Parker strings released as "The Genius of Charlie Parker #1". The unique sound of the unique alto sax of the bird weaves beautiful strings and exquisite harmony. First UHQCD. Recorded in New York on November 30, 1949, July 5, 1950, January 22, 1952. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Stan Freeman (p), Bernie Leighton (p), Mitch Miller (oboe, e-horn), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (ds) and JoeLipman (arr), Jimmy Carroll (arr.)”

Now’s The Time +1 [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker Quartet
“Released as "The Genius of Charlie Parker #3" The masterpiece of the One Horn left by the genius Charlie Parker on Verve. Includes the title song and the original number of "Confirmation", an original number representing Be-Bop. You will be drawn into the world of unrivaled ad lib with an infinite variety of tones. Recorded in New York on December 30, 1952 and July 3, 1953. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Hank Jones, Al Haig (p), Teddy Cotic, Percy Heath (b), Max Roach (ds).”




Bird and Diz +3 [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker
“Be-Bop's two great masters, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, released in "The Genius of Charlie Parker #3" Historical masterpiece. The Thelonious Monk, who was still known to those who know it, participated, and it is also inspiring to both parties with a unique piano play! The first UHQCD. Recorded in New York on June 6, 1950. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Thelonious Monk (p), Curly Russell (b), Buddy Rich (ds).”




Charlie Parker Plays Cole Porter [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker
“The last studio recording of Parker released as "The Genius of Charlie Parker #4". With a quintet composition, the famous pieces of Cole Porter's masterpieces are blown. From the heavy mood, a problematic work with a lot of controversial voices since the time of announcement. First UHQCD. Recorded in New York on March 31, 1954 and December 10, 1954. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Walter Bishop, Jr. (p), Jerome Dar, Billy Bower (g), Teddy Cotic (b), Roy Haynes, Art Taylor (ds).”




Fiesta [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker
“The only Latin jazz work that Bi-Pup giant Parker released as "The Genius of Charlie Parker #6". The Latin combo is composed by adding two Latin percussionists to the usual combo, and you can play Latin famous songs happy. First UHQCD. Recorded in New York on March 12, 1951 and January 22, 1952. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Benny Harris (tp), Walter Bishop, Jr. (p), Teddy Cotic (b), Max Roach, Roy Haynes (ds), Jose Manguar (bgo), Louis Miranda (cga).”




Jazz Perennial [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker
“4 types of sessions from combo to orchestra released from "The Genius of Charlie Parker #7" from '49 to '53 A collection of heavy performances that all jazz fans must listen to! The first UHQCD. Recorded in New York from April 1949 to May 1953. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Kenny Dorham (tp), Hank Jones, Al Haig (p), Buddy Rich, Max Roach (ds), Gil Evans (arr, cond), etc.

Please Note:
This is a rare title that was released on CD in 1999 and costs $30 on the market. Mini LP was also released in Japan as part of ‘The Genius of Charlie Parker # 7’ series in 2006 (not available).

Swedish Schnapps +4 [UHQCD] [Limited Edition] / Charlie Parker
“By Charlie Parker, an unprecedented genius alto player including a reunion session with Miles Davis released as "The Genius of Charlie Parker #8" A masterpiece of the mature period. In addition to "Oh Preverb", he will perform his own blues and adlib without sewing. Co-starring Kenny Dorham, Al Haig, Ray Brown and others. First UHQCD. Recorded in New York on May 5, 1949, January 17, 1951, and August 8th. <Personnel> Charlie Parker (as), Red Rodney, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham (tp), John Lewis, Walter Bishop Jr., Al Haig (p), Ray Brown, Teddy Cotick, Tommy Potter (b), Kenny Clark, Max Roach (ds).”

 

If they have a DSD master from the original analogue tape i’d buy an SACD or DSD download from that master. That’s the kind of reissue I’ll spend money on.

Can’t see any benefit from taking that DSD master, converting to DXD and then feeding it through an MQA “process” to generate a Red Book CD with 14 bit resolution for those without a decoder. Anyone who prefers that to the original DSD is entitled to their opinion, clearly, but nobody is going to convince me it can be a closer representation to the DSD master tape than, well, the DSD master tape.

Lots of marketing, little plausibility.

 

Another UHQCD set for release in September, America Greatest Hits in Concert.

 

Replying to my own post. Possibly a sign of madness.

Please don't think I don't appreciate this thread; there is clearly a lot of care being taken by a great deal of people to reissue a lot of classic recordings and the liner notes indicate a tremendous attention to detail. I keep coming back here because I love a lot of the music, and if the only way I can get the best quality issue is to buy an UHQCD then I will do it, despite my already posted reservations about aspects of the format.

I don't, however, think it unreasonable to challenge some of the release decisions, particularly relating to formats. I see lots of great old analogue master tapes being transferred to DSD. Give me those DSD masters on an SACD. Within the relatively small audio world the format is reasonably well established and the backwards compatibility of a hybrid SACD with normal CD players is sound.

I have one DAP that can decode MQA. I don't hear a benefit using files from the 2l test bench. I don't want to have to invest in new hardware to access the [dubious and far from conclusive] benefits of MQA on a CD when I already have several playback chains that can quite happily handle hi res and DSD. If the mastering is to DSD then there is a well documented means of releasing that with no need for the MQA process. We have all the formats we need, let's just have the music. Please.

 

You copied the entire copyright article and didn't even give the link A Comparison of SACD vs MQA In Physical Format

That aside, I am sure you are aware how difficult it is to do this kind of test properly. Personally I think blind testing is the only effective way, but even for sighted tests, there are a lot of variables you need to eliminate to get anything like a meaningful comparison. Source tape and EQ same, volume identical, listener seated in the exact same position or using headphones. Same DAC or different DAC, are we comparing DACs or source material?

It is perfectly OK of course to say, I listened casually to A B and C and I preferred B. But it isn't the basis for drawing conclusions about the merits of different formats.

Maybe the guy did all the above but it doesn't appear to say in the article.

Tim

 

Could not fine them. Is it MQA UHQCD in Mini LP? Can you provide some link?

 

Just UHQCD, available on ebay. uk for pre order.

 

You hit the nail on the head for me and I was having a hard time thinking about how to articulate it. Bottom line is I'm not willing to invest in yet another format unless it's proven to be a revolutionary leap in quality. That may make me an audiophile heathen, but I'm kind of done with formats. Well mastered DSD or high resolution PCM sounds great to me. I DO care about new masterings, though, so I appreciate reading about those. For those who are braver/more dedicated than I am, my hat's off to you !

 

Thank you, swintonlion, this is very important ...