HDTracks, the long-running high-resolution audio download store, has revealed plans to launch a new streaming service utilizing the cutting-edge AIRIA codec from MQA Labs. The service will offer audiophiles the choice of streaming in either lossless FLAC or the new AIRIA format.
AIRIA, formerly known as SCL6, promises high-quality wireless audio streaming that can adapt to different connection speeds while still delivering superior sound compared to popular codecs like LDAC or aptX HD.
The codec is billed as being able to provide the best possible sonic performance whether streaming at high bitrates over fast home networks or lower rates on mobile connections.
“Fans will get to choose their format – either PCM/FLAC or MQA [AIRIA] – in a service that will ensure high resolution audio streaming whether you are in your home or on-the-go,” said David Chesky, co-founder of HDTracks.
In addition to HDTracks’ own apps, the AIRIA-powered streaming service is expected to integrate into audio apps and ecosystems from major brands. MQA Labs’ Chief Strategy Officer John Banks stated the service “will find its way into many of the world’s leading high-end audio ecosystems, apps, and brands.”
As MQA Labs is owned by Lenbrook, the parent company of audio brands like Bluesound and NAD, new AIRIA-compatible hardware rollouts are anticipated as well. MQA aims to have multiple partnerships in place by 2025 leveraging the new codec’s capabilities.
Pricing and an exact launch date for the new HDTracks streaming service remain undisclosed. However, the service could shake up the hi-res audio streaming market by providing a high-quality yet efficient streaming solution for audiophiles across different devices and connections.