MQA and SCL6 get a dedicated content promotion arm with the formation of Lenbrook Media Group which aims to commercialize BluOS, MQA, and SCL6 across the HiRes music supply chain. Lenbrook, the owner of globally recognized hi-fi brands like NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, and Bluesound and the BluOS HiRes multiroom platform announced the formation of this new business unit at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The company which recently bought MQA out of administration sees its new entity as more effectively enabling the commercialization and development of Lenbrook’s content management solutions, as well as pursuing new opportunities that fit Lenbrook’s vision to offer increased choice to music fans and enthusiasts for quality audio. With the BluOS content management platform at its core, it aims to oversee the growth of content encoding solutions using MQA and SCL6.
Gordon Simmonds, President and CEO of The Lenbrook Group of Companies said “The acquisition of MQA’s assets complemented our existing BluOS platform and supports creators in the recording studio with capturing and delivering directly and in the highest quality, their art into the homes of music lovers. Creating the Lenbrook Media Group allows us to fully capitalize on this unique position by giving it focus, and putting the right strategies, structure, and resources in place.”
Lenbrook Media Group will be led by newly-appointed Vice-President and General Manager, Mike Jbara, the former MQA CEO and Warner Music executive.
Recently the highest profile user of MQA technology, TIDAL, migrated its HiRes catalogue to FLAC and has made this its default streaming format. Lenbrook has a big task to persuade record companies to provide sufficient MQA content that will encourage other hi-fi brands and streamers to continue supporting the format. Lack of content has killed off previous formats such as a whole range of quadraphonic surround sound formats and novel hardware systems such as MiniDisc and slotMusic.
