The first hands-on review of MQA’s groundbreaking new high-definition audio streaming codec has been published, and it’s unlikely to be great reading for the folks behind competing formats at Qualcomm and Sony.
Previously launched last year under the name MQair, the SCL6 aims to deliver higher quality audio files when streaming to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, with audio that can scale from Bluetooth streaming to high-bandwidth lossless files and lose less detail at all levels.
Acting as a “bridge” between the resolution of the file you’re streaming and how much of it can actually reach your ears, the SCL6 is compatible with any type of file, be it PCM, MQA, FLAC or WAV audio formats up to 384kHz and can transfer them over Bluetooth, ultra-wideband (UWB) and Wi-Fi streaming connections.
All-digital audio files lose information due to compression when they are packaged and sent over a wireless network. However, MQA claims that the packing and unpacking algorithm on which SCL6 is based retains more information from the original signal than its two rivals; aptX HD by Qualcomm and LDAC by Sony.
Arguably the key feature of this technology is that it is customizable, meaning it can scale data rates from 20 Mbps (considered lossless for wireless audio) all the way up to 200 kbps (lossy), depending on the quality of the wireless connection between devices.
In practice, this means that if the connection between devices weakens, SCL6 is able to reduce the data rate and then recover in real time if the connection strengthens.
In a demonstration at MQA headquarters, What HiFi? Andy Madden went hand in hand (opens in a new tab)with the new format and seems to have been very impressed with what he heard.
In one demonstration of a full 24-bit/96kHz MQA file played alongside the same track in SCL6 running at 660kbps, on a speaker setup specially designed to highlight any extreme detail changes, the difference in the wireless version is described as “virtually inaudible”.
Meanwhile, another test demonstrating the scalability of the SCL6 codec, with a track starting with a lossless bit rate before dropping to 300-500 kbps, was just as impressive, leading Andy to comment: “the sophistication and rhythm of the track seem to pass relatively unscathed “.
Analysis: It looks like the SCL6 will be a game changer in wireless audio
This first giveaway only serves to reinforce our excitement to see the first wave of SCL6-enabled devices hit store shelves.
While we’re always skeptical about lossless audio technology, we sense that the codec’s seemingly perfect preservation of audio data will likely be a compromise most audiophiles will be able to live with.
However, there remains the issue of adoption – the benefits are obvious, but there is no information about what devices can support it or what music services. With wireless codecs, you need three to tango: a wireless speaker or wireless headphones; your phone or anything that sends sound to your listening device; and music source.
Can MQA provide the best music streaming services on board? Or the makers of the best wireless earbuds? Even the higher-quality Bluetooth LE Audio standard, which is literally part of the latest Bluetooth specification, has been adopted slowly, so far without a word of support from Apple.
So while we are very excited about the potential of SCL6 technology, there is still a huge hurdle to overcome.