[doggiemom]

I have the Onkyo player, but had not heard of the Captune app.  Thanks for the heads up - looks really cool.

 

[fordski]

Tidal has announced at CEC 2017 mqa streaming on their desktop apps. Hoping it's available soon on their android app to use with my Onkyo DP-X1.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2017/01/05/tidal-announces-support-for-hi-res-mqa-technology-with-immediate-effect/#7baead7d42dc

 

[peterinvan]

Tidal has announced at CEC 2017 mqa streaming on their desktop apps. Hoping it's available soon on their android app to use with my Onkyo

Tidal MQA works, but only through ROON...

I tried the new Masters using the Windows desktop, but could not get my Meridian Explorer2 to light up. So I tagged the new MQA albums in Tidal, switched to Roon, resynced to Tidal. Now I get the three LEDs to light up on the DAC, and play MQA.

Listening for a while before deciding on SQ improvements.

EDIT:
Van Morrison's Moondance: the LED lights show Blue/White/White. Other albums show just Blue/White

 

[fordski]

Tidal MQA works, but only through ROON...

I tried the new Masters using the Windows desktop, but could not get my Meridian Explorer2 to light up. So I tagged the new MQA albums in Tidal, switched to Roon, resynced to Tidal. Now I get the three LEDs to light up on the DAC, and play MQA.

Listening for a while before deciding on SQ improvements.

EDIT:
Van Morrison's Moondance: the LED lights show Blue/White/White. Other albums show just Blue/White

Thanks for confirming it works in Roon. Unfortunately I don't have a desktop DAC that will play MQA so I'll have to wait until they update their mobile app. I'm interested in your findings re audio quality!

 

[wood1030]

Tidal MQA works, but only through ROON...

I tried the new Masters using the Windows desktop, but could not get my Meridian Explorer2 to light up. So I tagged the new MQA albums in Tidal, switched to Roon, resynced to Tidal. Now I get the three LEDs to light up on the DAC, and play MQA.

Listening for a while before deciding on SQ improvements.

EDIT:
Van Morrison's Moondance: the LED lights show Blue/White/White. Other albums show just Blue/White

I'm getting MQA/ Masters to play also just through the Tidal app (Mac) through my HA-1 and it is definitely giving me 96/24 through the desktop app. I'm on a Mac though, not a PC.

 

[chawya22]

 
I'm getting MQA/ Masters to play also just through the Tidal app (Mac) through my HA-1 and it is definitely giving me 96/24 through the desktop app. I'm on a Mac though, not a PC.

I'm also using a Mac and an ifi micro iDSD (1st gen). I noticed that in the settings for the micro iDSD in Tidal, there is an option for Passthrough MQA (disable software decoding of MQA). For optimum sonic performance, should that be ticked or not?

 

[wood1030]

 
I'm also using a Mac and an ifi micro iDSD (1st gen). I noticed that in the settings for the micro iDSD in Tidal, there is an option for Passthrough MQA (disable software decoding of MQA). For optimum sonic performance, should that be ticked or not?

No. I believe doing that would disable the MQA setting.

 

[canali]

one thing i was reading about MQA is not to expect the 2nd coming:
that it can't put lipstick on a pig
(I'll try to find the article, too)...and if i'm wrong please correct me.
 
namely, if the original 'master' is not done so well in the first place
(and is 'meh-ish' sounding)
then it wont' matter if we're hearing an MQA edition or not.
 
i think there is alot of misunderstanding over this technology and what it'll
achieve (or not)..and I'm certainly in need of more education...luckily
we have google to research more...esp today as more articles will come out on it
giving further explanation/clarity.
 
happy listening: seems CES 2017 is off to a good start..audioquest, chord, 
etc

 

[wood1030]

  one thing i was reading about MQA is not to expect the 2nd coming:
that it can't put lipstick on a pig
(I'll try to find the article, too)...and if i'm wrong please correct me.
 
namely, if the original 'master' is not done so well in the first place
(and is 'meh-ish' sounding)
then it wont' matter if we're hearing an MQA edition or not.

That is true. If the original master is crap, you'll just hear that crap more clearly
But well mastered tracks will shine.

 

[chawya22]

 
No. I believe doing that would disable the MQA setting.

 
My thinking is, passing MQA to the DAC would allow the processing to be done by the DAC as opposed to having the processing being done internally by the Mac. 
 
 
Edit: After doing some research, the DAC has to support MQA so @wood1030 is correct. At this point, it seems that hardly any DACs are MQA ready. Too cutting edge.

 

[doggiemom]

 
That is true. If the original master is crap, you'll just hear that crap more clearly
But well mastered tracks will shine.

That has always been an issue with high res audio though.  At least now with Tidal we can listen before plunking down ~$25 for an album at HDTracks. 

 

[deadie]

Trying to play the new "Masters" tracks through my Hugo on a PC, and I'm not getting hirez.  Have confirmed that the Hugo hirez inputs / decoding works, as I'm able able to play 96/24 / DSD through JRiver.
 
Does Tidal necessarily equate "Master / Hirez" to MQA, so one must have latter DAC decoding to get the former increased bit & sample rates over redbook?  
 
EDIT: Disregard, got Tidal outputting hirez with another laptop (Win10 vs. Win7).

 

[Andrew Rieger]

So how does the Passthrough MQA work? If I don't have an MQA DAC (Schiit Mimby) which option should I select? 

 

[Steve Wilcox]

Don't pass through MQA as your DAC can't decode it. Let the Tidal software decode it to a hi res stream.

 

[canali]

at least with MQA, Tidal now has a real distinguishing factor, in addition
to offering lossless.
 
with Tidal lossless compared to apple or spotify premium many people can't tell a significant difference.
admittedly i was one of them (or the diffs were subtle)....i'd already posted 2 blind listening tests done earlier (the verge, cnbc) which were a bit dubious.
but in the end I (just recently) returned to Tidal.
my rationale: if I truly want better audio  then i'd better pony up and support these companies trying to offer it
...and let's be frank: for most of us, an additional $10/more per month (than apple/spotify)
is no biggie, it isn't going to break me...like how often can one waste $10 here or there
 on junk food, or a couple of beers/glasses of wine... or a few coffees ordered out, etc.
 
let's just hope that Tidal really kicks butt this yr (and quality streaming in general) and ramps up its membership,
along with ongoing improvement tweaks to UI, etc