Hi-Res CD Sampler for Rock & Pop [Hi-Res CD (MQA x UHQCD)] [Limited Release] Customer Reviews

I have a hifi system worth about $45,000 with the Auralic Aries G2 & Vega G2 (connected by Audioquest Diamond HDMI cable) in front of vintage Sonus Faber floor standing speakers. I ripped the MQA-CD to my Synology NAS and played it just now. It is compressed, distorted and unlistenable. Of course! It must be the upscaling software used by Auralic being incompatible with the MQA encoding on the disc. Ripped the standard CD and told myself the tracks are good, and there's nothing wrong with good old Redbook, anyway. Still sounded terrible. I compared "Mandolin Wind" with my "Sing It Again Rod" CD (also from Japan) and "California Girls" with my Japanese "Endless Summer" CD. Both CD's annihalated the tracks on this 2018 sampler. As the Review Title states this is going straight into the garbage bin. There were also some annoying clicks also on some tracks. Not that it matters now as this disc is no longer part of my music collection.

I did a A-B comparison between the High Resolution (Hi-Res)and the normal CD included for precisely such purpose. I did my test listening on the Yamaha CD S3000 SACD Player, as I do not have the MQA hardware. The Hi-Res version gives more depth and wider staging. The sound is also fuller. The stand out track is Rod Stewart's Mandolin Wind for which I also have the SHM I did my test listening on the Yamaha CD S3000 SACD Player, as I do not have the MQA hardware. While it is unfair to compare the Hi Res version to the SHM SACD which is by far the best version, it highlights the potential role of the Hi Res version to fill the void between Blue Book CD and SACD. I can see this as the challenge for the Hi Res format in MQA since not many people have or likely to buy the gadget that plays MQA format. Perhaps, the sound is even better when played back in MQA. If the SACD format experience is any guide, it would require something special for the MQA format in the physical medium to take off. Eric , Sydney Australia