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MQA arrives on Tidal

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http://www.mqa.co.uk/customer/news/post/MQA amplifies hi-res audio activity at CES 2017

New partner announcements from Technics, AudioQuest and Audirvana

Technics are announcing the implementation of MQA into their Grand Class SU-G30 Network Player Amplifier in Spring 2017. Michiko Ogawa, Director of Technics & Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation, had the following to say in support of MQA: “The rapidly growing music streaming industry needs essential audio technologies like MQA to deliver an authentic music experience to a mass audience. We are delighted to be working with MQA to help achieve this goal.”

AudioQuest, are also announcing MQA implementation in their USB DAC products, DragonFly Red and Black. MQA will be available to AudioQuest customers later this month via a free software update. Steve Silberman, VP of Development, commented: “AudioQuest aims to deliver amazing sound quality and MQA implementation in our products demonstrates this commitment. We’re very excited to offer AudioQuest customers the best possible audio experience.” MQA demonstrations will be in the AudioQuest Venetian suites 30-105 and 30-106, and at the Hi-Res Audio Pavilion.

Audirvana, creator of Audirvana Plus, the High-Fidelity software player for macOS, announced that MQA decoding will be available in the upcoming Audirvana Plus 3, which is due for release early 2017. “The integration of MQA technology is a major step towards enabling all Mac users to hear their favourite artists as if they were right there in front of them,” commented Audirvana founder Damien Plisson.
 
Has anyone been able to feed an external enabled MQA DAC using a streamer's digital out?

Thanks!
 
Not sure how it can work in Roon as it says desktop app only

** Currently TIDAL Masters audio is supported via our desktop application only.
 
Has anyone been able to feed an external enabled MQA DAC using a streamer's digital out?

Thanks!

I just checked this with Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily: It's on Tidal twice if you search for it, there is a 1995 version which plays normal using the Tidal desktop app (i.e. "HIFI") while the version from 2007 plays as "MASTER".

Through my Auralic Aries, they both play as 16bit / 44.1kHz, indicated by my MDAC - Hm.
 
As a test I turned off MQA decoding in my DAC and Roberta Flack was decoding at 24/48. Turned it back on and MQA light up and it reports it as 24/192. It certainly sounds really good. More experimentation needed.
Van Morrison also decoding as 24/192.

Ian, what DAC are you using? I assume you have a computer directly connected to it?
 
Use the desktop ap to make the masters favourites
roon, on a restart, sees these in recently added and plays em as 24/48 to whatever ..
 
I just checked this with Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily: It's on Tidal twice if you search for it, there is a 1995 version which plays normal using the Tidal desktop app (i.e. "HIFI") while the version from 2007 plays as "MASTER".

Through my Auralic Aries, they both play as 16bit / 44.1kHz, indicated by my MDAC - Hm.

Don't know if you have a mac or not. But on mine - you would need to got 'AUDIO MIDI Setup' in utilities to change the output to 96/24. If its set at 44.1/16 the dac reads it as that due to the MAC downsampling to match your set output.
 
Has anyone been able to feed an external enabled MQA DAC using a streamer's digital out?

Thanks!

I think that's any of us who might try MQA.
My understanding is that anything that can stream from say Tidal, and output a bit perfect digital output will achieve it. So I know that I can do it with my Explorer 2 using USB from my PC. Haven't got a Tidal account, but just about to see if they have any samples.
 
I just checked this with Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily: It's on Tidal twice if you search for it, there is a 1995 version which plays normal using the Tidal desktop app (i.e. "HIFI") while the version from 2007 plays as "MASTER".

Shame that they don't have the same mastering version in both MQA and non-MQA - are they afraid to allow direct comparison?
 
Blimey, the Masters I've listened to so far all sound considerably better than the regular CD versions I have stored in my Tidal Favourites. Thought MQA was supposed to be a con like HiRes?
 
Don't know if you have a mac or not. But on mine - you would need to got 'AUDIO MIDI Setup' in utilities to change the output to 96/24. If its set at 44.1/16 the dac reads it as that due to the MAC downsampling to match your set output.

I have a Mac and I have connected it to the MDAC as well. However the MDAC just displays whatever I define in Audio Midi Setup.

Thus, when I play locally stored 16bit/44.1kHz music via iTunes, the Mac upsamples it to 24bit/96kHz if I have set it at that in Audio Midi Setup and the MDAC displays it as such.

Not sure how I can get my Mac to output whatever the source is?
 
Shame that they don't have the same mastering version in both MQA and non-MQA - are they afraid to allow direct comparison?

That thought crossed my mind too. I hear a difference, but I'm not sure if it is down to the MQA *en*coding (given that *de*coding is not possible for me) or the different mastering.
 
Weird. When trying to play Wrecking Ball (Emmylou Harris) a message pops up (in the Tidal desktop app) saying I need to change my sound settings in control panel to 16/44,1. After that my Exclusive/WASAPI/direct mode via optical is no longer in effect. Have to restart the app to get back to optimal settings again (with forced volume etc). Haven't had problems with any of the other MQA albums played so far. Using software decode as I don't own a standalone MQA DAC.
 
Streaming Led Zep deluxe edition into my Mojo(exclusive) from the Mac app, Tidal is showing the tracks as Master and the Mojo 24/96.
Still sounds shite sq wise
 
I cannot tell the actual output from my kit - I get the same scenario. However it would seem that you do get the MQA decoding from within the desktop app. If you go to Tidal settings and click on streaming. then click on your output device (MDAC I assume). You will see it offers you a chance to passthrough without MQA decoding. I think you therefore have to assume it is as Tidal state streaming masters at 96/24.
As for auto setting the output for the dac - no idea. However in Audiovirna - you can let it control your DAC. However it doesnt seem to have masters on it yet. But it is releasing a new version A+3 end of Jan which will also have bundled in MQA decoder software - therefore one would hope negating the need for a new MQA enabled DAC.
 
Trying Rumours master now, certainly sounds very good even though the Mojo isn't MQA capable.
I haven't checked the MQA passthrough option.
 
I have a Mytek Brooklyn. I'm streaming from a Mac Mini to an SOTM SMS 200 with Roon endpoint.

Thx. At this point I'm not sure if a Mytek Brooklyn could play back MQA via Tidal due to the Auralic Aries being the bottle neck?

I get this impression because other users report different bit rates & frequencies (not 16/44.1) even when they have no MQA decoding capability, while I am stuck at 16/44.1 even when playing back what should definitely be MQA material from Tidal. NB the software VC on the Aries is disabled.

I'll send off an email to Auralic to get some clarification.
 
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