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MQA arrives on Tidal

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Only via a desktop app though. Might give it a go, just to see what's what.
 
Does that mean you get the full MQA decoded out of the USB port, or will an MQA DAC be needed to get the full claimed benefits?
 
simon g said:
Only via a desktop app though. Might give it a go, just to see what's what.
Click to expand...

i only recently discovered (thanks to someone here) that there is a desktop app. Works far better than the web app, in my experience.
 
Ian M said:
You will need an MQA DAC.
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But they are claiming that they are delivering "an authenticated and unbroken version (typically 96 kHz/24 bit) with the highest possible resolution".

Since there is no mention of needing an MQA DAC to get that resolution, how is that a true claim? It will be a broken version unless you have an MQA DAC.
 
AndyU said:
But they are claiming that they are delivering "an authenticated and unbroken version (typically 96 kHz/24 bit) with the highest possible resolution".

Since there is no mention of needing an MQA DAC to get that resolution, how is that a true claim? It will be a broken version unless you have an MQA DAC.
Click to expand...
I agree: it says
"All you need is a TIDAL HiFi membership to access thousands of master-quality albums only through the TIDAL desktop application."

No mention of needing an MQA dac.
 
AndyU said:
But they are claiming that they are delivering "an authenticated and unbroken version (typically 96 kHz/24 bit) with the highest possible resolution".

Since there is no mention of needing an MQA DAC to get that resolution, how is that a true claim? It will be a broken version unless you have an MQA DAC.
Click to expand...

So if you feed it to a non MQA DAC you are breaking the authentication and you will only get 16/44.
 
Well on following up on a post in Roon forum. I am currently playing The Smiths/Strangeways Here We Come via Roon in 24/96 and the MQA light is on on my DAC. Strangely the stream in Roon does not say it is MQA and reports it as 24/48.
 
Ian M said:
So if you feed it to a non MQA DAC you are breaking the authentication and you will only get 16/44.
Click to expand...

No, I don't think that's correct. From the published info available, it would appear that the app will allow a 96kHz/24 bit digital feed out, which can then go on to a DAC, or whatever. I would assume that the MQA bit takes place in the app., hence this only works via the app. When I get a moment I'll connect my MacBook Pro to my DAC and see what happens (having selected an MQA album).
 
favourited MQA albums in Tidal are now showing up in Roon after a long delay. Now playing Roberta Flack, same observations as last post.
 
simon g said:
No, I don't think that's correct. From the published info available, it would appear that the app will allow a 96kHz/24 bit digital feed out, which can then go on to a DAC, or whatever. I would assume that the MQA bit takes place in the app., hence this only works via the app. When I get a moment I'll connect my MacBook Pro to my DAC and see what happens (having selected an MQA album).
Click to expand...

Great, look forward to your results.
 
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.
 
Im playing the MQA but not thru a converter .., sure sounds good .. was listening to Aqualung.. dont remember it sounding like that .. now listening to the new cool by bob james and nathan east .. know it quite well and it sounds the best it ever has..so maybe rewards even if you dont decode?
costs me nothing anyway..a whole lot of "new" music to try
the mqa stream is folded into 24/48 .. thats why you see it as such in roon etc
 
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