That year I went to school.Interesting. I came to US in 1977 as a 13 year old.
Thinking back about tapes, how freely we copied and transferred to other media, well, only other media was cassette. With LPCM we can do the same, we can reencode it to MP3 or DSD, if we wish. Some thinks that DSD is better for D/A process. With MQA we cannot do anything like that, it does not exist in digital format decoded, only analogue output is allowed. Same as with DSD some time ago. Isn't sort of DRM? SACD gave up, I understand, no problems get digital data from it, yes? Why MQA wants to step on the same raker? If they want a part of market, it would much easier to get it by allowing decoded digital data. Instead of new dac you can get add-on decoder box and everybody will be happy. If many people actually liked MQA sound as you say, why MQA do not want to distribute it as easy as possible.
I understand that in creating MQA file no analog processes involved, it is just repacking already existing digital data and all miracles happening in actuall D/A process. So, why do not drop this questionable folding, unfolding thing and present unaltered data to their own proprietary filter, like it was said before. They still can charge for it, people pay money for all sorts strange things to get good sound from their systems. Maybe it will be less money, but then it definitely will be about sound and not suspections about something else. And is it actually need to be hi-res data to make that specific MQA sound? 16/44 is not enough for streaming purposes? Maybe anything between it and 24/192 will do. For downloads should be fine any size what they want, I guess.