MQA Discussion

My response to the Harley quote would be in 2 parts.

Since it is clear that not all (and probably very few) MQA versions of albums are actually individually produced and approved by the artist and engineer, but rather follow some predetermined filtering and DSP algorithm, it follows that some designer/engineer(s) will probably improve on it, so it would be a bad idea to support MQA as an end in itself.

If Robert Harley had a better track record of believability in either his audio perceptions or his technical abilities it would be easier to give credence to what he writes now.
 
This is pretty much all they have revealed so far.

"Adds MQA decoding support. Note: the MQA decoding method integrated by all AURALiC streaming devices has been developed solely by AURALiC using AURALiC’s proprietary resampling and de-blurring method. This process is not an MQA-created or MQA-licensed process."

The demonstration they were prepared to give at CES 2016, before it was stopped, was software based which is seems is how it has evolved anyway. For example the full MQA solution in the DS DAC is implemented in the aftermarket "Bridge" network card supplied by mConnect along with the software. The same card is also used in the Ayre QX-5 but not activated. MQA in the DS does not involve the actual PS Audio built gear at all. You buy the card as an add on if you want it.
 
Jack said:
This is pretty much all they have revealed so far.

"Adds MQA decoding support. Note: the MQA decoding method integrated by all AURALiC streaming devices has been developed solely by AURALiC using AURALiC’s proprietary resampling and de-blurring method. This process is not an MQA-created or MQA-licensed process."

The demonstration they were prepared to give at CES 2016, before it was stopped, was software based which is seems is how it has evolved anyway. For example the full MQA solution in the DS DAC is implemented in the aftermarket "Bridge" network card supplied by mConnect along with the software. The same card is also used in the Ayre QX-5 but not activated. MQA in the DS does not involve the actual PS Audio built gear at all. You buy the card as an add on if you want it.
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There’s no way around creative SW minds [emoji3].

But that would be a good thing, because it is a silly idea that one very small company would steer and control all DACs in the future. That is not going to happen.

Just a slight correction there, the PS Audio DS DAC does not do full MQA, just the unfolding. Decoding still needs to be implemented on DAC level. Pls read the latest TAS issue on that.


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Auralic President & CEO, Xuanqian Wang and the gang from Auralic are brilliant engineers. Their G2 series products are the sh!t. I heard them at Munich. I like the Auralic G2 stack. I call it the poor man's dCS (but it's not inexpensive by any means). I haven't tried the latest iteration of the Auralic app, but it was just so-so a couple of years ago. I THINK Auralic is a Roon endpoint now, so that should help.

If they've found a creative way around MQA licensing, that is indeed interesting. I would love to hear more about it.
 
Kuoppis

I am not a TAS subscriber so the only DS reviews I see on their site are from 2014 and 2015. As to MQA and the DS DAC itself, it is not MQA certified and will never be as Paul won't allow it. It is the add-on extra network card the "Bridge II" that does MQA with it's proprietary software and has been certified. It is an $800 add-on.

http://www.psaudio.com/products/perfectwave-bridge/

Mike

That blurb is all that Xuanqian has really said about the subject and the software version with several updates is still officially a "Beta" product. I suspect it will stay that way until the completion of the G2 roll out. It does in fact from my listening up-sample the MQA files to the full un-fold sampling rate and sound some what different. As with the Lumin, some are better, some are worse and some are hard to tell any difference. They are in two different systems so no "side by side" comparisons have been done and probably won't be, but it is an alternative and probably just the first. I am waiting to see how the G2 components shake out pricing wise before deciding on them. Just in the 18 months I have owned Auralic streamers the Lightning DS software has matured quite a bit. And they are all Roon endpoints even the $500 Mini.
 
Jack said:
Kuoppis

I am not a TAS subscriber so the only DS reviews I see on their site are from 2014 and 2015. As to MQA and the DS DAC itself, it is not MQA certified and will never be as Paul won't allow it. It is the add-on extra network card the "Bridge II" that does MQA with it's proprietary software and has been certified. It is an $800 add-on.

http://www.psaudio.com/products/perfectwave-bridge/
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Well Jack, I know. I read the same thing and got an e-mail from PS Audio stating the same you say. But then there’s the review of the Bridge II in the current TAS issue from Vade Forrester stating it does only unfold, exactly as the Aurenders do.

And then there is of course the technical fact that you do need a DAC for full MQA decoding. The PS Audio DS DAC becomes MQA enabled only through the DAC Bridge II network card and does not do MQA without it. So, unless there is a DAC chip hiding somewhere in the network card, it does not do full MQA.



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The Oppo 205 apparently (according to both Oppo and the users at AVSForums who are using it) has a full MQA decode via software only.
 
Mike said:
Auralic President & CEO, Xuanqian Wang and the gang from Auralic are brilliant engineers. Their G2 series products are the sh!t. I heard them at Munich. I like the Auralic G2 stack. I call it the poor man's dCS (but it's not inexpensive by any means). I haven't tried the latest iteration of the Auralic app, but it was just so-so a couple of years ago. I THINK Auralic is a Roon endpoint now, so that should help.

If they've found a creative way around MQA licensing, that is indeed interesting. I would love to hear more about it.
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I actually like Auralic. IMHO they have the best sounding ESS Sabre DAC implementation (e.g. used in the Gemini 2K headphone amp), voiced after the analogue Neve console.

And even the small Aries Mini is a Roon endpoint. I will be at my summerhouse tomorrow, so I will test whether they can actually unofficially decode MQA. As far as I just browsed some forums, they might not be able to pull it off just yet. But I am convinced they eventually will.

The G2 is of course more pricey, but I am interested to hear how good it will sound.


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rbbert said:
The Oppo 205 apparently (according to both Oppo and the users at AVSForums who are using it) has a full MQA decode via software only.
Click to expand...

Nope. As a CD/ DVD/ BlueRay player it of course has a DAC chip.

If the capability is there in the DAC chip, you have the opportunity to activate it later on via a firmware upgrade, which is what they did. Most 1st gen MQA devices will come to life that way.


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In addition to the obvious Keith Jarrett albums, here are the ECM artists on the Tidal list I recommend you listen to:

Avishai Cohen
Bill Frisell
Charles Lloyd
Chris Potter
Enrico Rava
Gary Burton
Jack DeJohnette
Joe Lovano
Lee Konitz
Manu Katché
Paul Motian
Vijay Iyer
 
Kuoppis said:
Nope. As a CD/ DVD/ BlueRay player it of course has a DAC chip.

If the capability is there in the DAC chip, you have the opportunity to activate it later on via a firmware upgrade, which is what they did. Most 1st gen MQA devices will come to life that way.


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Click to expand...

It’s the ESS Sabre 9038 Pro. So any DAC with that chip (there are already several, with probably many more to come) can be MQA? If so, that would be somewhat bizarre, IMHO, because it will have the effect of making MQA free and somewhat commonplace. Nice for the consumer, not so great for Meridian?
 
rbbert said:
It’s the ESS Sabre 9038 Pro. So any DAC with that chip (there are already several, with probably many more to come) can be MQA? If so, that would be somewhat bizarre, IMHO, because it will have the effect of making MQA free and somewhat commonplace. Nice for the consumer, not so great for Meridian?
Click to expand...

AFAIK, you don't program the DAC chip to do MQA or any other function.

You program the microcontroller chip.

BTW Rob, how does the Oppo sound with the MQA update?
 
According to avsforum and Roon forum reports UDP-205 only supports MQA decoding when it is playing MQA file from USB storage or DLNA.

I have not come across any report of people succeeding to use UDP-205 to decode MQA for Tidal Masters.

To check whether it's doing MQA decoding, verify that "MQA Studio" is shown in HDMI TV.
 
rbbert said:
It’s the ESS Sabre 9038 Pro. So any DAC with that chip (there are already several, with probably many more to come) can be MQA? If so, that would be somewhat bizarre, IMHO, because it will have the effect of making MQA free and somewhat commonplace. Nice for the consumer, not so great for Meridian?
Click to expand...

The chip itself most definitely has the capability. But on the one hand the company can choose which functions of the chip to activate and on the other they would need to agree on the licensing with MQA.


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