What's Your MQE Ratio?

[1_sufferin_mind]

Skimming through old audio magazine articles is a favorite pastime of mine. I have fond memories of advancing on them with highlighter in hand not unlike that of a medieval jouster with his lance. Some articles contain knowledge we use to set up and tweak our systems. Others present food for thought on a philosophical level. In either case, we all indulge ourselves in this hobby to varying degrees. Inspired by one article in particular, I thought it might be fun and informative to find out who we are musically:

"(The author) began to develop the idea that the brains of audiophiles and music lovers are governed by three complementary needs, or desires, that define who we are. They are, respectively, the love, desire, and need for:

1) Music
2) Quality audio reproduction
3) Ease of access to music​

We can abbreviate the above factors to Music, Quality, and Ease, or MQE. The relationship among them constitutes a person's MQE ratio, whose three variables, expressed as percentages, always add up to 100%.

There is no perfect or superior MQE ratio. There are only different ratios that reflect individual proclivities and situations. The MQE ratio does not prove that one audiophile or music fan is more awesome or more correct or has better taste than another. It simply helps us understand what's going on in others' heads, which may then lead to a deeper understanding of others'—and our own—desires, and help explain a difference of opinion about a product or piece of music or format."

So what's your MQE ratio?

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

My MQE ratio is ( 60 / 35 / 5 ). Ease-of-access is becoming more important as I get serious about digitizing my vinyl and CD collections. Music has always been more important to me than it's recorded quality. But if it's far off the mark, then I won't listen to it - at least not on a high-end system. Those recordings are relegated to background mix "tapes" or the car.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Hmmm.... this is a tough one.

The young me would have been in the 45 / 45 / 10 range... but the current me is probably more in the 20 / 50 / 30 range (depending on my mood).

 

[Tonto]

Music 30: Music is music, it's there, if you like it get it!

Quality 65: This is where it get interesting, doesn't matter how much music you have, if you equipment is not right...I'm really into how good music can sound with good equipment & a tuned room. Amazing!

Ease 5: It's a networked/plugged in world. Go on line & order it, just that easy!

 

[Peter Loeser]

Very interesting. For me, M & Q are dependent on each other. I'd have to say something like 50/45/5. Honestly, I would be inclined to say the 'E' is out of place here, but maybe that's because my generation has really never had trouble accessing the music we like (legally or not).

In general, I'd rather not listen to music at all than listen to music I like with very poor sound quality (either recording/resolution or playback equipment). On the flipside, playing music I don't care for, at the highest resolution, on the best possible equipment, will not increase its appeal for me either. If I had to choose between good music (bad SQ) and bad music (excellent SQ) I'd still choose the music I like. Thankfully I don't have to choose The geek in me still loves hifi, regardless of what people choose to use it for.

 

[JBrax]

Very interesting. For me, M & Q are dependent on each other. I'd have to say something like 50/45/5. Honestly, I would be inclined to say the 'E' is out of place here, but maybe that's because my generation has really never had trouble accessing the music we like (legally or not).

In general, I'd rather not listen to music at all than listen to music I like with very poor sound quality (either recording/resolution or playback equipment). On the flipside, playing music I don't care for, at the highest resolution, on the best possible equipment, will not increase its appeal for me either. If I had to choose between good music (bad SQ) and bad music (excellent SQ) I'd still choose the music I like. Thankfully I don't have to choose The geek in me still loves hifi, regardless of what people choose to use it for.

I was going to reply to this thread but after reading this there's no need to. I couldn't agree more with Peter's thinking.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

It's confusing for me... good quality recordings have caused me to like the music in some cases. To me it's really all about sound quality, and I need certain equipment and proper setup to achieve this quality, along with a good recording. However, that doesn't stop me from listening to normal run of the mill recordings, which still sound pretty good. There are some bad recordings, even with some music I like, but it doesn't do much for me to listen to it, unless maybe I'm in my vehicle where quality is limited.

Can we define Music here?

 

[AudiocRaver]

Peter seems to have spoken for a number of us.

I will say that my taste has expanded tremendously in the last 10 years since getting so completely turned on by great recording and reproduction quality. I definitely listen LESS to music I have always loved but was not recorded so well and MORE to music that was on the fringe - music where I love the sound quality, and the style is something I might normally not be so crazy about.

I'm gonna say my MQE is about 30/40/30. at the moment anyway.

I MUST have music in my life, although sometimes I forget/neglect for awhile, then re-discover the need with great delight and a vow to NEVER FORGET AGAIN. But we get busy.... Music is an emotional/structural touchstone for me. I can not NOT feel really good when having a good music experience, either listening or composing. It is like an emotional alignment process that refreshes and energizes and redirects.

But the recording/reproduction quality is now extremely important and growing. And access is also growing in importance, and Tidal has really juiced my excitement with access to an almost infinite (seems like) number of tracks available, which (check my math) means an infinite number of GOOD tracks (a subset of infinity is still infinity, right?).

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

...and Tidal has really juiced my excitement with access to an almost infinite (seems like) number of tracks available, which (check my math) means an infinite number of GOOD tracks (a subset of infinity is still infinity, right?).

Can we define Music here?

Let's see... Music is a particular combination of melodic and rythmic sounds combined in intricate and artful ways that follow a distinct progression through time. Is that close to what you had in mind?
If that doesn't hit it, then how about: Music is represented by the (statistically significant?) number of songs - which can be finite or infinite - you can pull from the good tracks on Tidal.

 

[Jack]

I think I am going to have to try a 50/30/20 ratio but may actually have to think about this more. Without music the rest does not matter so do i rate music higher ? Then again I am into sound quality once the music is available and with a dedicated server, I can play most anything at anytime with but the press of a button...or two.
Quite a good question/conundrum. Now you went and made me think Sufferin, this will be on my mind all day.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Let's see... Music is a particular combination of melodic and rythmic sounds combined in intricate and artful ways that follow a distinct progression through time. Is that close to what you had in mind?
If that doesn't hit it, then how about: Music is represented by the (statistically significant?) number of songs - which can be finite or infinite - you can pull from the good tracks on Tidal.

lol... I asked for it didn't I. I guess my point is that it ain't music unless it's a quality audio reproduction, at least to me it ain't. A bad recording is just a bad recording... it ain't really music.

 

[Peter Loeser]

lol... I asked for it didn't I. I guess my point is that it ain't music unless it's a quality audio reproduction, at least to me it ain't. A bad recording is just a bad recording... it ain't really music.

Hmm, splitting hairs maybe but I'd have to disagree to an extent. First, I do completely agree that, for me, the experience is not complete without well composed, performed, recorded, and reproduced music. But what if all of those are present except good recording or playback? Was the studio performance not music? I would argue that the sound engineers/mixers still heard music. As I mentioned earlier there's a threshold for me where I'd rather hear silence than listen to a song I love at low resolution or on bad gear, so I think we're in the same ballpark. No right or wrong answer. Further proof that no two of us will likely have an identical MQE.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I think we are close to saying the same thing Peter... I ain't gonna listen to it on my better system if it ain't a good recording. I was being sarcastic, as usual. Obviously it's music, but it ain't music to me. Sure, I can whistle music, but I promise you won't want to hear it.

 

[JBrax]

I think the quality of the recording can be more important than the music sometimes. I have several low quality mp3's that I won't play on my home system or headphones. They sound ok in my truck and even that might be pushing it. Truthfully, my MQE would be 50/50 for M&Q or 49/49/2 if forced to assign something to E.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

49/49/2 if forced to assign something to E.

IOW... if it ain't good quality you don't care whether you can get it or not.

I definitely want the music, but I want good quality... however I also need to be able to access it. So... good quality music must be accessible. I don't know that mine might be 33/33/33 or maybe 25/50/25... nah... it has to be 10/90/10, cause if it ain't good quality, I am less inclined to care if it exist or whether I can get it.

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

I suppose I am bipolar on this question. The vast majority of my listening is casual while working or doing other things and at those times it is 60,10,30, because it has to be easy and the muscles is most important. When I listen to music and nothing else, it does not matter how accessible it is, just what the music is an I expect great soud, so I am 60,38,2.

 

[Tonto]

I suspect on any given day our MQE changes in accordance to how we feel that day!

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

Hey, you don't get to appropriate my "it depends" answer, which is always right!