Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Well you heard it sound better but I would be careful about ascribing the reason for that to be what you were told was the reason.
If you don't believe re-mastering can make huge differences compare for example the SACD re-master of 'Let It Bleed' to the original CD issue. Same scam there, make everyone think the huge step up in SQ was due to the SACD - okay so if you wanted the new re-mastering you had to buy into SACD anyway - once you buy it you realise it is a hybrid so will play on a CD player at 16/44 and guess what? Sounds just the same.
Maybe MQA have solved a problem which is generally thought to not exist, i.e 'temporal smearing' and maybe it really does improve SQ massively. But the industry has form in this regard so I would advise proceeding with extreme scepticism.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
I hear you. We've been already conned too many times by snake oil salesmen. I personally fell hook, line and sinker for the hi-res con. Only later realized, same as you, that the differences are down to different mastering, not different format.
Heck, I've now even gotten to the point where I'd much rather have a well mastered lossy mp3 than shoddy mastered hi-res 24 bit/192 kHz file.
Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?
Alex.
Yes, agree. My advice was meant generally, for anyone reading, I know you have been in this game a long time. The whole MQA thing interests but I just find the whole pitch hard to believe. Turns out 50 years of digital audio R&D has been wrong all the time and they have discovered why and developed a solution? It is pretty far-fetched. But people love the idea of a magic bullet.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Location: Hertford, Hertfordshire, UK
Posts: 321
I'm Adam.
I refer you all to the fabled Steve Hoffman Audio forum :-
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/forums/music-corner.2/
..simply choose the Search function and type in the Artist / Album and tick the Search Titles Only box....
...I guarantee that for your favourite album you will now have enough information to make an informed purchase (it's all in the mastering - mostly mastering earlier than approx 1997 IMHO). Unless of course your favourite album was released after 1997. But I guess that won't be the case for most forum members given the atrocious state of the music industry for the last 20 years !
Adam.