[Paul - iBasso]

@Paul - iBasso , I was trying to work with the UAPP developers to get UAPP on the DX160 to behave like Mango player when playing MQA files: to pass the untouched MQA audio stream to the internal MQA decoder in the DX160. But to no avail: the DX160 doesn't recognize the MQA encoding and plays plain 44.1/48 kHz audio.

Yet, I'm almost certain that the stock Tidal app does just that:

1. Is it correct that the Tidal app passes the untouched MQA stream to the DX160's internal MQA decoder (just like Mango player does)?
2. Has iBasso specifically empowered the Tidal app to do that, or could any app (incl. UAPP) do that?

PS: Both the Tidal app and UAPP could do the 1st MQA unfold in software, but what I'm aiming for is what Mango player does: delegate all MQA rendering to the DX160's internal MQA decoder.

I don't know what Tidal is doing. But if they are decoding the MQA file, I would assume there is nothing left for the DX160 to decode via software but I will check on this.

Is UAPP certified with MQA? If they are, then the app should decode if not, it won't decode and it will send just the file but the DX160 won't have the MQA info to decode the file. So it is up to the app to have the certification to decode MQA.

 

[TheNameIsGerald]

I don't know what Tidal is doing. But if they are decoding the MQA file, I would assume there is nothing left for the DX160 to decode via software but I will check on this.

thank you for checking

Is UAPP certified with MQA? If they are, then the app should decode if not, it won't decode and it will send just the file but the DX160 won't have the MQA info to decode the file. So it is up to the app to have the certification to decode MQA.

UAPP is MQA-certified, but it can only do what can be done in software, which is the 1st unfold. The DX160 on the other hand can do full decoding, which is prefered: for that reason UAPP should stay out of the MQA loop and delegate to the DX160. But that doesn't work.

 

[YanaMJ]

@Paul - iBasso , I was trying to work with the UAPP developers to get UAPP on the DX160 to behave like Mango player when playing MQA files: to pass the untouched MQA audio stream to the internal MQA decoder in the DX160. But to no avail: the DX160 doesn't recognize the MQA encoding and plays plain 44.1/48 kHz audio.

Yet, I'm almost certain that the stock Tidal app does just that:

1. Is it correct that the Tidal app passes the untouched MQA stream to the DX160's internal MQA decoder (just like Mango player does)?
2. Has iBasso specifically empowered the Tidal app to do that, or could any app (incl. UAPP) do that?

PS: Both the Tidal app and UAPP could do the 1st MQA unfold in software, but what I'm aiming for is what Mango player does: delegate all MQA rendering to the DX160's internal MQA decoder.

Yes I'd really like to have answers about that

 

[YanaMJ]

I don't know what Tidal is doing. But if they are decoding the MQA file, I would assume there is nothing left for the DX160 to decode via software but I will check on this.

Is UAPP certified with MQA? If they are, then the app should decode if not, it won't decode and it will send just the file but the DX160 won't have the MQA info to decode the file. So it is up to the app to have the certification to decode MQA.

I asked the creator of the app and they said : "It's our impression that the MQA renderer
is inside the iBasso app and not available system-wide."

 

[superuser1]

@Paul - iBasso , I was trying to work with the UAPP developers to get UAPP on the DX160 to behave like Mango player when playing MQA files: to pass the untouched MQA audio stream to the internal MQA decoder in the DX160. But to no avail: the DX160 doesn't recognize the MQA encoding and plays plain 44.1/48 kHz audio.

Yet, I'm almost certain that the stock Tidal app does just that:

1. Is it correct that the Tidal app passes the untouched MQA stream to the DX160's internal MQA decoder (just like Mango player does)?
2. Has iBasso specifically empowered the Tidal app to do that, or could any app (incl. UAPP) do that?

PS: Both the Tidal app and UAPP could do the 1st MQA unfold in software, but what I'm aiming for is what Mango player does: delegate all MQA rendering to the DX160's internal MQA decoder.

I asked the creator of the app and they said : "It's our impression that the MQA renderer
is inside the iBasso app and not available system-wide."

I just want to point out that Neutron Music player does the direct pass-through and plays the mqa file at full resolution.

 

[superuser1]

3. USB/DAC Windows Driver to be used with Windows computer for the above and loaded to the computer first.

http://ibasso.com/uploadfiles/20181222/201812222356407309.zip

Hey @Paul - iBasso, when I install the above-mentioned USB/DAC driver, the sound output to my DC01 is broken. Once I uninstall it the DC01 works again. So in other words I cant use the DC01 and DX160 on the same PC. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[eloelo]

Turned on lurker mod Usb Audio linked to neutron player, and I can't adjust volume in anyway. Anyone knows if this is normal?

 

[Lurker0]

Turned on lurker mod Usb Audio linked to neutron player

You don't actually need it, because Neutron has native support for iBasso DAPs from long ago. But, if you wish, you have to deal with current Neutron settings yourself.

 

[YanaMJ]

But Neutron does not support Tidal streaming, no?

 

[Lurker0]

I just want to point out that Neutron Music player does the direct pass-through and plays the mqa file at full resolution.

AFAIK Neutron is not MQA-certified, and never was, and, as such, can't perform true MQA decoding. Instead, it reads metadata from tags and upsamples the stream to the target resolution. It uses the same upsampling algorithm that true MQA decoders use (it was reverse engineered a long ago), but it can't apply corrections which are kept in LSBs of the stream. Though the result is audibly almost identical (or even may sound better ), it is not MQA decoding.

 

[eloelo]

You don't actually need it, because Neutron has native support for iBasso DAPs from long ago. But, if you wish, you have to deal with current Neutron settings yourself.

Alright, so for Neutron, just turning on Direct USB Access is enough. Maybe I was imagining there was some sound difference lol. Thanks~

How about for HibyMusic (Lurker) and UAPP? Do I have to turn on USB Audio first?

 

[Lurker0]

How about for HibyMusic (Lurker) and UAPP?

As I wrote in the add-on description, for HibyMusic it has sense only for DSD. UAPP supports DX160 directly.

Do I have to turn on USB Audio first?

Yes, and better to set the player you use in its settings. Please read its description for details.

for Neutron, just turning on Direct USB Access is enough

You don't need it. Just use Neutron's support for hires playback.

 

[eloelo]

As I wrote in the add-on description, for HibyMusic it has sense only for DSD. UAPP supports DX160 directly.
Yes, and better to set the player you use in its settings. Please read its description for details.

You don't need it. Just use Neutron's support for hires playback.

oh actually I was looking at the shortest route from audio player software to the DAC and I saw your explanation of the different routes earlier in this thread and wanted to activate the USB bus with the USB Audio application. I have referred to your USB Audio github description for the different players, thanks very much. It works fine with HibyMusic and I can adjust the volume. Maybe its an issue just with neutron where I cant adjust the volume.

 

[Lurker0]

Maybe its an issue just with neutron where I cant adjust the volume.

You may try to adjust the volume when Neutron is at the background...
There are settings somewhere related to volume control with USB DAC, but I don't remember, and they were changing. In general, both software volume control and an attempt to control DAC volume via USB must be disabled, but the "host device" volume control should be used. This is unusual situation for any other USB DAC usage, and, maybe, there is a related bug in the current Neutron version... It is better to discuss with Neutron developer rather than here.

 

[sonic swoon]

I received a balanced cable today which I plugged into the 4.4 port but the Android audio settings still display as 3.5 Interface - is this normal? I don't see an option to change to 4.4. A rather noob question, I'm afraid, so apologies in advance.