La Dolce Vita
New member
Mike...please keep us posted on this front. Can't wait!
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So, does the introduction of MQA change/alter your plans going forward?
- Thread starter joeinid
- Start date
Mike...please keep us posted on this front. Can't wait!
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Please clarify, as you can stream MQA/Tidal through Aurender now. You don't need an upgraded DAC to stream Tidal/MQA through any of the Aurenders right now.
La Dolce Vita
New member
Bob, my understanding is that at this moment to play MQA files via TIDAL through a dac like the Brooklyn that decodes them one must use the TIDAL desktop app. Obviously this will change and hopefully very quickly to support decoding MQA decoding playback with Aurender.
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Oh, ok. Not sure I totally follow as I am passing the MQA files using my Aurender to my MSB DAC. The MSB does not have the MQA module yet (on it's way), but it still plays the Tidal MQA decoded (SW Decoding) through the MSB. I would think that if you had a Brooklyn and fed it the MQA file through the Aurdender now it would work fine.
The Aurender does not have any designation that it is an MQA file but if you save the files to Favorites on the desktop Tidal app and then update the Aurender the files are in your Aurender Tidal app and when you play them they ARE MQA decoded. So I would think that if you played them through the Aurender now to the Brooklyn or any DAC that had the MQA HW decoder they would play.
Congrats! Sounds like you are all set.....enjoy!
La Dolce Vita
New member
Honestly I need to try this! Thank you very much for this information
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La Dolce Vita
New member
It will be interesting to see if they play through the Brooklyn Dac, I have only played them through MSB and Goldmund non MQA dacs so they are using the SW decoding in Tidal. Very interesting to know the difference of the HW vs SW decoding and it seems at the moment you have everything to find out, please do tell
La Dolce Vita
New member
It will be interesting to see if they play through the Brooklyn Dac, I have only played them through MSB and Goldmund non MQA dacs so they are using the SW decoding in Tidal. Very interesting to know the difference of the HW vs SW decoding and it seems at the moment you have everything to find out, please do tell
Absolutely. As I'd mentioned in order to get the MQA decoding to work with the Brooklyn I had to enable "exclusive mode" on the TIDAL desktop app. I guess my question is this "is Aurender software exclusive mode compatible/compliant?" Need to try it and see.
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La Dolce Vita
New member
CPP
Active member
with an MQA-compatible DAC MQA files can be decoded at their maximum rate, which depending on the file could be as high as 384/32! So, without an MQA-compatible DAC the best you can get is 96/24 and that is what people are getting with a non-MQA dac. So without a MQA DAC your not hearing all the analog like (its what I think I hear
) goodness that is there on some albums."" The selection box where you can turn on "Use Exclusive Mode." The final box to check or not check is the "Passthrough MQA." When it is clicked and turns blue you are sending an unconverted MQA stream to your MQA-compatible DAC. When it is unchecked then the Tidal App will do the MQA conversion and send either an 88.1/24 or 96/24 stream to your non-MQA DAC. ""
with an MQA-compatible DAC MQA files can be decoded at their maximum rate, which depending on the file could be as high as 384/32! So, without an MQA-compatible DAC the best you can get is 96/24 and that is what people are getting with a non-MQA dac. So without a MQA DAC your not hearing all the analog like (its what I think I hear
"" The selection box where you can turn on "Use Exclusive Mode." The final box to check or not check is the "Passthrough MQA." When it is clicked and turns blue you are sending an unconverted MQA stream to your MQA-compatible DAC. When it is unchecked then the Tidal App will do the MQA conversion and send either an 88.1/24 or 96/24 stream to your non-MQA DAC. ""
Chris, you DOGET a vinyl type sound (to me) from just the 24/48 mqa Tidal decoded files. I'm sure it's much better with the hardware which I will find out shortly but even with the tidal software mqa you definitely get an analog type sound.
Randy Myers
Well-known member
What I have been asking right along.... I have to belief that comparing the CD quality Tidal streams versus the MQA Tidal streams, the improvements should be there and worthy for those who enjoy streaming through Tidal.
However the question I have been asking is MQA versus high res downloads for those of us that are not into streaming. The reason I ask this is I have read and heard for a while now that in essence MQA is a transport system to allow high res PCM files to be streamed without the bandwidth over head that those high res files would normally incur.
Here is a quote of a users who has done precisely this comparison from another forum:
"[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I have been playing a bit with my Chord Hugo and Meridian Explorer 2 DAC's, with a normal PCM high res file the Chord is way better, with a downloaded MQA file the performance of the two DAC's get's closer. (but still prefer the Chord)."[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Then I read Rapsody's comments about MQA sounding more analog. This aspect would be interesting to me. I also read in several forums that eventual software decoding will help and certainly will allow streaming of high res files to sound better, but to get the real advantage in download use of a MQA certified DAC would be required.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]So far these are either far too expensive and out of the reach for 99.9% of the market (Meridian high end units, etc.), or do not allow for top use with other formats (Brooklyn, Explorer 2, etc.). I firmly believe what is needed for MQA to have a true market impact, after the initial hype and market buzz that is currently going on, is for the release of an add on unit allowing for MQA to be added to our current DACs without having to replace our units. Most people, such as myself, cannot either afford to purchase an ultra expensive unit or are willing to compromise our listening to other digital files we already have purchased (over 250 albums for me personally).
An add on unit allowing for our current DACs to continue being used with our current files and the add on to be engaged when a MQA file is detected. This is how MQA will have a true chance of having long term market impact in my opinion.[/FONT]
However the question I have been asking is MQA versus high res downloads for those of us that are not into streaming. The reason I ask this is I have read and heard for a while now that in essence MQA is a transport system to allow high res PCM files to be streamed without the bandwidth over head that those high res files would normally incur.
Here is a quote of a users who has done precisely this comparison from another forum:
"[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I have been playing a bit with my Chord Hugo and Meridian Explorer 2 DAC's, with a normal PCM high res file the Chord is way better, with a downloaded MQA file the performance of the two DAC's get's closer. (but still prefer the Chord)."[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Then I read Rapsody's comments about MQA sounding more analog. This aspect would be interesting to me. I also read in several forums that eventual software decoding will help and certainly will allow streaming of high res files to sound better, but to get the real advantage in download use of a MQA certified DAC would be required.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]So far these are either far too expensive and out of the reach for 99.9% of the market (Meridian high end units, etc.), or do not allow for top use with other formats (Brooklyn, Explorer 2, etc.). I firmly believe what is needed for MQA to have a true market impact, after the initial hype and market buzz that is currently going on, is for the release of an add on unit allowing for MQA to be added to our current DACs without having to replace our units. Most people, such as myself, cannot either afford to purchase an ultra expensive unit or are willing to compromise our listening to other digital files we already have purchased (over 250 albums for me personally).
An add on unit allowing for our current DACs to continue being used with our current files and the add on to be engaged when a MQA file is detected. This is how MQA will have a true chance of having long term market impact in my opinion.[/FONT]
CPP
Active member
I tell ya the only way to know is try it and compare. I know that my DSD copies and vinyl sound better on some albums than full blown MQA that is streamed from Tidal, but at times I just don't want to bother with a TT or my PC, hence my liking Streaming. Myhopes is that MQA becomes a software solution in either Roon or Tidal and via Lumin and Aurender and other network and music players and DACs. Why reinvent the DAC, just sell the license to use. The same stuff happened with Dolby and DTS and its now residing on every video player and AVR out there. Software is the answer not a new DAC of the month.
audiophil
New member
Are you PLAYING MQA files via the Tidal desktop app, or are you simply using the app to favorite the albums so that they can be located in the Aurender app and played via the Aurender transport? Because here's the thing...
Played from Aurender + MQA DAC = MQA decoding (GOOD!)
***Requires "Exclusive Mode" to be selected
Played from Tidal desktop app + passthrough + MQA DAC = MQA decoding (GOOD!)
Played from Tidal desktop app + software decoding (no passthrough) + DAC (doesn't matter what kind) = MQA decoding (GOOD!)
Played from Aurender + non-MQA DAC = MQA file, but no decoding (BAD!)
Selecting "Exclusive Mode" or "Passthrough MQA" in the Tidal app will have no impact on the decoding if you are using Aurender for playback.
The same applies to ROON in it's current build. It will pass the 24/44.1 or 24/48 file bit perfect to the DAC, but without software decoding you aren't getting any benefit (and you may actually get worse sound quality, as reported by a friend of mine using ROON).
For those using Lumin - your experience is the same as mine when I try to send a Master album (favorited in the desktop app) to my Chromecast via BubbleUPnP - Tidal substitues the Redbook version for the MQA encoded file (16/44.1).
There still seems to be a ton of confusion as to exactly how to extract MQA, and I fear a great deal of placebo effect from users who THINK they're getting the MQA experience, but are actually not. I KNOW I'm getting MQA, and in my system in my room it sounds damn fine.
CPP
Active member
Lumin cannot do MQA at this time. With the Tidal app on a Lumin, you will not see the Masters all you get is hi-fi if your paying for it. Aurender A10 is a MQA certified component.