[NYanakiev]

I installed the latest Tidal apk - 2.93.0. You can now click on the max button and it shows what is being played. I played a Chicago track which displayed 192k 24b. The LED was red. I then did the same in Qobuz - the LED was green. I then hooked my Mojo 2 to the usb port. I went back to the Tidal app and played the same Chicago tune. The Mojo 2 displayed the light for 192k 24b. I did the same for Qobuz and it displayed correctly. It seems the Tidal Android app does NOT bypass the mixer for the internal dap. I tried the built in Tidal app and only got MQA for hirez tracks which the LED displayed correctly. @JasonNYC ... can you comment on this?

Thanks for sharing, very curious indeed.

 

[rlw6534]

Yes Qobuz and Apple are bit perfect. I have read that the Tidal app is in development and only bit perfect for IOS and desktop apps.

Do you have a source for this info? Tidal seems to work bit perfect on other DAPs, unless the bitrate is being misreported in the status bar.

 

[JasonNYC]

All streaming apps bypass the 24/48 Android limitation and stream bit perfect.

 

[Progisus]

All streaming apps bypass the 24/48 Android limitation and stream bit perfect.

Hi Jason.. why does the LED not signify this in the Tidal sideloaded app? Thanks

 

[MichRT]

there is no limit in A&K DAPs, using streaming apps like Qobuz, Tidal etc.
Everything is bypassed and therefore everything is reproduced at the highest quality offered by the app you are using

Unfortunately this just isn’t true. By my own testing, everything outside of the (broken) hard-coded Tidal app and the stock audio player use the stock android audio stack. Easy proof is with Apple Music - it will not play a file over 24bit 48khz, even if a version exists.

Qobuz and Tidal display the highest quality source available on the platform when streaming. However, it is not necessarily displaying what the audio hardware is actually outputting.

Perhaps it is different on a device I’m not familiar with, but I am certain on the Kann Alpha that every sideloaded app is using the stock Android audio stack. It’s expected, but unfortunate.

 

[MichRT]

All streaming apps bypass the 24/48 Android limitation and stream bit perfect

Hi! How would one test this? Even forgetting the Apple Music app that’s available to download directly proves the point incorrect, ADB does as well. What was used in testing the most recent firmware to prove this statement is accurate, and how can we test for ourselves?

Thank you for chiming in!

 

[MichRT]

To be clear: my device is the Kann Alpha, which is what I was talking about in from the snippet of mine posted above. I realize (now) that I was brought into a thread about a different device. However, here is some easy proof (again, Kann Alpha):

USB - File is 32bit 384khz - opened in the stock music player, and Foobar (officially sanctioned sideload). Note the differences because one (Foobar, sideloaded) uses the stock Android audio stack. Just like Apple Music

 

[rlw6534]

Hi! How would one test this? Even forgetting the Apple Music app that’s available to download directly proves the point incorrect, ADB does as well. What was used in testing the most recent firmware to prove this statement is accurate, and how can we test for ourselves?

Thank you for chiming in!

ADB is working? I did not realize that USB debugging was possible. Logcat should tell you exactly what is happening if that is the case.

 

[Progisus]

So the LED is only confirming 24b then and not the scaling factor. I can confirm that through the usb out it is bit perfect by using my mojo2. I’m sooo confused.

The great bit perfect conspiracy.

 

[Progisus]

Further from the SP3000 manual:

“LED light indicates information of the music currently playing and the AMP mode information.
16-bit: Red / 24-bit: Green / 32-bit: Blue / DSD: Purple”

So the LED does not indicate the sample rate. Only AK can debunk the conspiracy.

 

[Progisus]

A further sideloaded app test:

Sp3000 optical out to mojo optical in... all apps bit perfect to 192k 24b except roon ARC which was 48k downmixed. roon arc does work through it's beta usb driver to the usb port.

AK says all apps are bit perfect to the internal dac so there must be an issue with LED operation. Please confirm @JasonNYC .

Edit: The optical test allows for a quick change of the headphone from the mojo to the sp3000 internal dap. I actually prefer the internal dac sound.

 

[MichRT]

ADB is working? I did not realize that USB debugging was possible. Logcat should tell you exactly what is happening if that is the case.

Absolutely. I’m uncertain if the same method to enable it would work on the SP3000, but it can be enabled on my Kann Alpha. Hopefully we all get more transparency for our devices.

 

[phiemon]

A further sideloaded app test:

Sp3000 optical out to mojo optical in... all apps bit perfect to 192k 24b except roon ARC which was 48k downmixed. roon arc does work through it's beta usb driver to the usb port.

AK says all apps are bit perfect to the internal dac so there must be an issue with LED operation. Please confirm @JasonNYC .

Edit: The optical test allows for a quick change of the headphone from the mojo to the sp3000 internal dap. I actually prefer the internal dac sound.

Tidal (2.91.0 from today) does not work in FLAC at 24 bit, the LED stays red instead of turning green. MQA, on the other hand, works perfectly.

 

[MichRT]

A further sideloaded app test:

Sp3000 optical out to mojo optical in... all apps bit perfect to 192k 24b except roon ARC which was 48k downmixed. roon arc does work through it's beta usb driver to the usb port.

AK says all apps are bit perfect to the internal dac so there must be an issue with LED operation. Please confirm @JasonNYC .

Edit: The optical test allows for a quick change of the headphone from the mojo to the sp3000 internal dap. I actually prefer the internal dac sound.

I’m sorry, I still haven’t fully gotten the hang of Headfi quoting and linking. I mostly read here others have had a similar conversation in the Kann Alpha thread:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/astell-kern-launches-kann-alpha-digital-audio-player.941924/page-51

Supposedly (at least on the Kann Alpha), A&K has stated the bitrate LED functionality is hard-coded and only “works” 100% of the time in the native player and the (defunct) built in Tidal app. I can confirm this on my device at least. I apologize for continuing to talk about a different A&K player in this thread, but maybe it’ll provide insight into yours?

Regardless, I’m very glad your apps are working sound-wise! I wish K&A supported the same functionality on the Kann Alpha

 

[Progisus]

Supposedly (at least on the Kann Alpha), A&K has stated the bitrate LED functionality is hard-coded and only “works” 100% of the time in the native player and the (defunct) built in Tidal app

This would explain what I am seeing. I had the Kann Alpha but being a good Dad I gave it to my daughter.