FYI: The 4 Sammy Hagar era studio VH albums are being re-released on CD in Japan in September with MQA. (the audio has previously been available w/MQA digitally)

One of the world’s legendary hard rock acts, Van Halen, will have four of their masterpieces reissued in cardboard sleeves. Each features the high-fidelity MQA-CD format. Titles are: “5150,” “OU812,” “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge,” and “Balance.”
Each mini-LP features a new cover artwork based on the vinyl artwork used for the box set “THE COLLECTION II.”
Each features the high-fidelity MQA-CD format (regular CD format x MQA technology) with a 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution 2023 remastered soundtrack.
*The disc can also be played on regular CD players in regular CD quality. However, MQA-enabled hardware/software is necessary to harness the full potential of this CD.

This paper jacket collection series, which will be released to commemorate Sammy Hagar’s Japan tour “THE BEST OF ALL WORDS 2024 TOUR” in September 2024, will feature a new paper jacket based on the analog record artwork used in the box set “THE COLLECTION II”, which was released last year and compiled the albums from the Sammy Hagar period, which sold out immediately worldwide. It will be released on MQA-CD using the 2023 remastered sound source with high resolution at 96kHz/24bit.

Fine. I’ll buy more copies of these albums.

Delivered – sweet!

Do you have the MQA hardware/software to play these ?

mrmojohalen: Do you have the MQA hardware/software to play these ?

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AFAIK they are playable by normal CD players…. but to take advantage of the MQA, you need the hardware (or software) to decode that material. I currently do not have any way to play MQA enhanced content, just the normal CD audio.

I looked at something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1Y7C9HH/
but I’d have to investigate the optical/coaxial output options on my existing hardware.

I was wondering if the audio decoder would work for HI RES downloads as well ?