What Is MQA Audio? Understanding the Future of High-Resolution Music

Are you a proud audiophile? Is music an integral part of the way you enjoy your home, and one of the top reasons smart home technology is appealing? Is listening to MP3s just not doing it for you anymore? For passionate music lovers, MQA Audio is transforming the way we listen to music. Trust us, you’ll never go back once you’ve tried it. But what is MQA Audio, and how can you get it?

What Is MQA Audio?

MQA Audio is nothing less than the future of music consumption. The new technology creates unprecedented authenticity using advances in digital coding and new insights into how we hear sound. It gives you easy access to your favorite songs without sacrificing listening quality. Imagine streaming the original master recording of your favorite songs straight into your home or car. Imagine taking studio-quality recordings everywhere you go via your smartphone. Now you can, thanks to MQA. It stands for Master Quality Authenticated, and its genius developers call it “digital audio with an analog soul.” MQA was developed by an award-winning audio engineer and created by Meridian Audio to efficiently transmit the highest quality audio. Meridian works with content creators, streaming services, and local smart home/audio-visual service providers to bring this fantastic experience to audiophiles.

How Does MQA Work?

If you’re listening to digital music on your smartphone, you probably use MP3 files. MP3 technology compresses audio files to reduce size for quick uploads and easy storage. The downside is that the convenience of MP3 files means sacrificing sound quality. They deliver just ten percent of the original recording quality. On the other hand, MQA technology allows us to tap into all of the rich details of the original recordings. According to its developers, MQA captures the original sound in the highest quality. It “folds” or compresses the file for efficient distribution and then “unfolds” it for stellar playback through your upgraded audio setup. MQA works with record labels to convert master recordings into the new MQA format. The developer also partners with the award-winning streaming platform TIDAL to deliver unprecedented quality to listeners.

What Are The Benefits of MQA Audio?

For music lovers, the choice has been between low-quality formats like MP3  and high-resolution options, which are unwieldy and inefficient. For MQA early adopters, achieving studio-quality sound is a top consideration. We want higher quality than MP3 but with more efficient delivery than other high-resolution formats like WAV and DSD. Smaller file sizes make MQA a delivery dream compared with traditional high-res formats, offering the best of both worlds. MQA also offers universal compatibility. You can play it on any device with the appropriate hardware for full decoding.

How Can I Get MQA?

Ready to plug into MQA? This is where your local audio-visual service provider comes in. You need MQA-compatible hardware and software to achieve that amazing playback. You’ll need MQA-compatible Digital to Analog Conversion (DAC) hardware (including decoders and renderers to” unfold” the files) and headphones and speakers for the complete experience. MQA fans also need apps and players that support MQA decoding, including app software via TIDAL, to listen to their phones.

The leading smart home service provider, Control4, was one of the first companies to offer MQA as part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing the smart home experience. Control4 is proud to provide multi-room, studio-quality audio experiences as part of its comprehensive smart home makeovers. As an authorized Control4 vendor, Aegis Technologies can help you get the studio-quality music experience of your dreams. In high-tech audio-visual services, we know you don’t have to sacrifice convenience for a superior listening experience. Contact Aegis in the Virginia/Maryland/DC Metro area today. The future is here, and we’re making immersive audio happen for clients every day. Are you next?