To listen to MQA with Tidal, you need to have a DAC that supports MQA, or just Tidal Desktop.
can you make me clear?
can you make me clear?
doubts about MQA
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DrTone
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You can listen to MQA without Tidal Desktop via Roon or Audirvana+. You can listen to MQA unfolded with the Tidal desktop app, Audirvana+ and soon Roon. To listen to the final upsampling stage of MQA you will need certified MQA DAC.
So to answer your question, no you don't need a MQA DAC to listen to MQA.
wow! your answer is precise! so what are the dacs that support MQA for?
DrTone
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Getting the last step full MQA experience.
castleofargh
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basic MQA file has for the most part, normal PCM signal that any DAC can "read" at a resolution of let's say 15/48 (could change depending on a few things so don't take that bit depth value as a definitive resolution). the rest of the file below 15bits is just garbage noise if not decoded at all. so 24/48 container and, for my values, 15/48 actual signal resolution. this serve no purpose IMO,
then you can have software decoding, maybe some dithered noise instead of the noise from the code below 15bit(so even less likely to notice it), and part of the code from 15 to 24bit is used to reconstruct some signal at higher frequency than 24khz. that's what you can expect from Tidal for example. the final signal resolution could be something like 15/96.
and last you could send the MQA file as is to a MQA DAC that would also decode obviously, then try to do a little more using some apodizing filter(CF Meridian DACs for more on the apodizing idea). that last aspect is different in how they low pass the signal so that they don't get too much ringing, because that's a big part of their marketing. many other brands of DAC use their own ideas to balance between frequency response, aliasing, ringing. so it's nothing new, but it does go with the complete MQA idea of giving priority to timing over the rest.
so I guess if what you like in MQA is how their few remasters sound, you're fine with basic software decoding with Tidal on any DAC you want. but if you do believe in their sale speech about time smearing and ringing, then it would make sense to try and get a MQA DAC.
then you can have software decoding, maybe some dithered noise instead of the noise from the code below 15bit(so even less likely to notice it), and part of the code from 15 to 24bit is used to reconstruct some signal at higher frequency than 24khz. that's what you can expect from Tidal for example. the final signal resolution could be something like 15/96.
and last you could send the MQA file as is to a MQA DAC that would also decode obviously, then try to do a little more using some apodizing filter(CF Meridian DACs for more on the apodizing idea). that last aspect is different in how they low pass the signal so that they don't get too much ringing, because that's a big part of their marketing. many other brands of DAC use their own ideas to balance between frequency response, aliasing, ringing. so it's nothing new, but it does go with the complete MQA idea of giving priority to timing over the rest.
so I guess if what you like in MQA is how their few remasters sound, you're fine with basic software decoding with Tidal on any DAC you want. but if you do believe in their sale speech about time smearing and ringing, then it would make sense to try and get a MQA DAC.
- An MQA Core Decoder performs the first ‘unfold’ in software (for example the TIDAL app) by expanding the file to 88.2kHz or 96kHz. (44.1 → 88.2, or 48 → 96)
- An MQA Renderer is found in portable devices and can do the following two unfolds, once they are fed the data from the MQA Core Decoder. (88.2 → 176.4 → 352.6, or 96 → 192)
- An MQA Full Decoder does all three unfold steps within a single device, and MQA claims this is necessary for achieving the highest quality reproduction.
What means those/? i need full decoding MQA DAC/ AMP . core decoder is 2x, renderer is 8x and full decoder is 16x. DAC with renderer MQA not decoding full MQA file? for highest mqa quality listin i need only full mqa decoder DAC?
Roseval
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No, these numbers make no sense at all.
MQA is lossy compression of hires recordings to save bandwidth.
What ever the source is, MQA is limited to 96 kHz.
This will be down sampled to a 24 bit / 48 kHz audio file. By doing so you will lose the 24-48 kHz audio signal.
MQA preserves them by compressing this part and store it below bit 17. That is their audio origami.
Of course all the musical information in bit 17-24 will be destroyed. Basically MQA trades dynamic range for freqency range.
What happens on playback?
The first unfold is probably (MQA is very unclear about this but that has been the marketing strategy from day 1) decoding a FLAC to linear PCM. This will be a 24 bit / 48 kHz file with effectively 17 bits of dynamic range. The origami part won't cause audible distortion.
A media player is allowed to do the 2nd unfolding. The sample rate is doubled to 96 and the origami part is used to reconstruct the 24-48 kHz audio range. Effectively tou now have a 17 bit / 96 kHz recording.
Only licensed hardware is allowed to do the 3th unfolding. If a DAC discover the MQA watermark, if will apply the MQA subscribed minimum phase filters and might apply oversampling. The display of you DAC probably shows 24 / 192 for what is effectively a 17 / 96 file.
A lot of DAC's do oversample and apply minimum fase filters so you might ask your self is MQA is an improvement compared with the original hires PCM file or a downgrade as it is lossy compared with the original.
Roseval
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Hurry up because I have heard Meridian uses MQA filters today. Not to be mistaken for a improvement compared to their anti apodzing filters.
im read that MQA max is 24bit/354Hz, im see at Xduoo TA-22 dac/amp and this shows MQA renderer 34bit/384khz ,so what is it? true?
The main thing is that MQA is FLAC/PCM. There isn't actually a difference in terms of format itself between an MQA file and regular FLAC file. You can play an MQA file as normal on any DAC because it's just PCM.
The thing is that on SOME tracks, MQA does have high frequency content aliased down into the 20hz-20khz audible band. And so this means that playing back an MQA file as-is can be worse than either unfolding or listening to a lossless copy.
For this reason, the 'first unfold' should be done if you have the option, as this does put back some of that higher frequency content, though not without issue and it does leave some artefacts behind. (It's not a lossless process).
So the 'first unfold' takes the 44.1khz file to what is in effect a lossy 88.2khz file.
This is actually the 'first unfold' or 'core decode'. The '2nd unfold' and '3rd unfold' are done within a DAC, BUT, aren't actually 'unfolding' anything and are just a fixed upsampling filter that is arguably worse than most DAC internal filters. This is why the 2nd/3rd unfold can be added to almost anything and even added retroactively to products. It requires no adaptive/advanced processing and just requires changing the filter coefficients.
The first unfold though does actually require a bit more processing capability and is usually done either in the player or on the XMOS chip in some products.
The vast majority of MQA files are actually just 44.1khz. And you'll get a better result by listening to a lossless version.
Only some MQA files are actually sourced from 88.2khz or higher originals, and even then, due to the lossy nature of MQA processing, you'll get a better result by listening to a native 88.2khz version from Qobuz etc.
When your DAC says 'MQA 384khz' or something similar, it does not mean the original file was 384khz. It just means the oversampling is being done to a rate of 384khz. But your DAC will be doing this regardless of whether it's MQA or not. Oversampling is present in almost all DACs.
If you want to know what the original sample rate of an MQA file is, Roon can actually tell you.
Something like this means the source was 44.1khz. It'll still unfold to higher rates, but you're not getting any extra information as it was never there in the source to begin with:
Something like this means the source/master was 96khz. The file is 48khz and will 'unfold' to 96khz (your DAC will probably show a higher rate cause they always just show the max number), but you'd still be better listening to the actual original 96khz version which won't have the added noise/artefacts left behind by MQA processing:
https://goldensound.audio/2021/11/29/tidal-hifi-is-not-lossless/
You might also find this vid interesting:
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gimmeheadroom
Headphoneus Supremus
There is a 352 KHz playlist on Tidal and my Brooklyn can show the bit depth and sample rate of the input bitstream and the decoded bitstream. And even aside from that it seems like there is a lot of music on Tidal that expands to 24/192.
gimmeheadroom
Headphoneus Supremus
But, I am pretty sure there is no 32 bit MQA. If you have some links to tracks, I'll check.
Are you sure that you don't have your windows settings on 32/384 and that the Tidal app is using your DAC in exclusive mode and using the Xduoo driver?
Are you sure that you don't have your windows settings on 32/384 and that the Tidal app is using your DAC in exclusive mode and using the Xduoo driver?
my lcd-2c cb audeze nominal requere power need 150-250mw , does 1000mW amp will works ok?
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gimmeheadroom
Headphoneus Supremus
The Audeze headphones need good current but they are generally not hard to drive. What amp are you asking about?
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