[iFi audio]

Easter ‘Bug Bounty’ Hunt.
Hunt 'em, wherever they are...



Introduction

Our just announced firmware v5.30 is MQA capable and in one fell swoop, elevates legacy iFi products* with MQA capability for even more sonic enjoyment.

The MQA integration was a little difficult. It involved:

1. Totally replacing the customised core code
2. Re-apply tuning/core loading and
3. Further fine tuning the firmware for even more precise allocated resource use in order to allow us to support MQA and 384kHz.

To bring all this to fruition required the combined efforts of the MQA and iFi software developers or a total of +1,000 programming hours to deliver firmware v5.30 (excluding testing on all iFi legacy units).

Notwithstanding, there may still be one or two software bugs we have not quashed – hence we would like to involve you, the customer – in the Easter Bug Hunt.

More details are to be found in this thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ifi-audio-easter-‘bug-bounty’-hunt.876057/

 

[premonit]

Extra Ordinary MQA Easter Egg

Introduction

With Easter just around the corner, iFi audio has delivered an eagerly anticipated upgrade option as a very special Easter gift.

iFi first introduced MQA into its product mix with the nano iDSD Black Label in November 2017. Since then, iFi customers across the globe have been asking when this option would be available in other iFi products. The good news is that the latest improvements to the nano Black Label firmware version 5.30, ‘Cookies & Cream’, does just that.

Mqa for all

This latest firmware flavour not only adds the latest scoop to the nano iDSD Black Label sundae but it also dishes out MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio to the full range* of iFi audio products going back to 2013!

This ‘legacy’ update means that you can now download the MQA upgrade (PC and Mac) straight from the Support section of iFi’s website at no extra cost.

Mqa optimised

Firmware version 5.30 will optimise your device for MQA and can handle up to DSD256 and PCM384. Enjoy the MQA magic like never before.



And Finally…

None of the above would have been possible without the MQA software engineers who worked tirelessly alongside the iFi software team to make this unique opportunity happen. Thank you.

Go to https://ifi-audio.com/audio_blog/mqa-firmware/ to enjoy your upgrade.

This firmware provides MQA rendering as this is the ideal solution for portable products and those with power considerations. This means the workload is shared between the host (the computer) and the client (the DAC). The listener will still enjoy full MQA experience.

For more information on MQA, go to http://www.mqa.co.uk/customer/how-it-works

Legacy

*The only exception is the original iDAC.

Hi there,


Successfully installed the firmware 5.30 on micro iDSD Black Label. All I have done was strictly stuck to the instruction of installation. But all my attempts (all possible modes of settings in Streaming section) in getting needful color (Magenta or Yellow/White) were in vain. All I see, while Master recordings are being played back (tidal), is the constant Green color.

Desktop version of tidal is installed on laptop of 2017 (Windows 10), tidal subscription is HIFI/Master, the item of Master is ticked. I have already reisntalled the firmware twice but the result is the same - no corresponding color of MQA.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MikePid]

I think it is fantastic that ifi has enabled MQA on almost all of its DACs!!! (I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't actually April Fools Day.) I upgraded my micro iDSD BL to Cookies and Cream, and MQA from Tidal sounds fantastic! However, I have submitted a ticket because I can't get Roon or HQPlayer to upsample to DSD even at DSD64 (all DSP is off/ disabled for both). Roon says DSD256 and DSD512 (and PCM above 368K) are not available. With 5.2, just DSD512 was not available (likely because I am on a Mac, which needs to use DoP). Midi also said max PCM is 368K with 5.3, but 784K with 5.2.

Also, Tidal can be finicky on the Mac. I think there were problems with nano iDSD on the Mac before (based on what I read on that forum), and perhaps not everything has been sorted out on 5.3. It seems I need to unplug the USB cable before starting up Tidal, then when I plug it in, Tidal says it has detected an MQA device, and do I want to use that for output; then it will play MQA (and non-MQA) fine. (@premonit , you need to check the ifi youtube videos to get Tidal to do MQA on Windows). It looks like Tidal is doing the first MQA unfold to 96K, based on what Midi shows, and then the iDSD does the rest (if 192K MQA).

My hope is to be able to play MQA material as MQA, especially 192/24 (ideally through Roon because I think it is supposed to pass it through; Tidal's user interface and library management is not very good), and continue to upsample 44/16 to DSD256 through HQPlayer. With my limited listening so far (and I'm still somewhat of a noobie with HQPlayer so maybe my settings aren't optimal yet) MQA unfolded to 192K seems better than 48/24 upsampled to DSD256. (OK, let's not get into a debate here about MQA...).

I have had a couple of chats with ifi so they are still investigating, and I will post if any progress. For now, I am back to 5.2

 

[jwbrent]

I received an email with a response to my work order about v5.3 producing no sound on my micro iDSD BL after the firmware update, and the support person indicated they haven’t had any problems with others. They suggested I download the firmware again.

Since the update only provides MQA compatibility, and since I use Audirvana+ for this same capability, I’m just going to stick with v5.2 since it works perfectly.

I’m still unsure whether the new update does anymore than 24/96 on MQA files (like Tidal and Audirvana+ software), or if it unfolds to the maximum resolution of the file.

I went ahead and re-downloaded v5.3, and this time everything works as it should, including the yellow led when playing MQA files. Fantastic!

Must have had a corrupted file with my first download.

Question for @iFi audio, since I use Audirvana+, does this app still handle the first unfold of an MQA file? Or does my micro iDSD BL handle the first and subsequent unfolds?

 

[jwbrent]

I went ahead and re-downloaded v5.3, and this time everything works as it should, including the yellow led when playing MQA files. Fantastic!

Must have had a corrupted file with my first download.

Question for @iFi audio, since I use Audirvana+, does this app still handle the first unfold of an MQA file? Or does my micro iDSD BL handle the first and subsequent unfolds?

Never mind. I looked up the difference between an MQA renderer and decoder. Since v5.3 provides renderer capability, the first fold is handled in software meaning one needs to have an app that can do this, i.e., Tidal, Roon, Audirvana+.

 

[technobear]

You must uncheck 'MQA Pass Through' so that the software player does the unfolding or the iDSD will treat it as Red Book, hence the green LED.

 

[Roscoeiii]

I'm using a 24/96 max USB to coax converter (Peachtree T1) at work due to strict IT policy about installing drivers, etc. And I'm not getting the MQA magenta in my Micro BL. Does the MQA only work over USB? Or are the specs for a USB to coax converter that I need to meet in order to get MQA over coax inputs?

 

[iFi audio]

You must uncheck 'MQA Pass Through' so that the software player does the unfolding or the iDSD will treat it as Red Book, hence the green LED.

That is correct.

 

[iFi audio]

I'm using a 24/96 max USB to coax converter (Peachtree T1) at work due to strict IT policy about installing drivers, etc. And I'm not getting the MQA magenta in my Micro BL. Does the MQA only work over USB? Or are the specs for a USB to coax converter that I need to meet in order to get MQA over coax inputs?

It seems that for some reason micro iDSD BL doesn't lock onto a stream. You can try to unplug and replug it, re-do settings and double-check everything, play PCM and then MQA and you should get the right colour. If this doesn't help, feel free to reach us via our support platform, to be found here:

http://support.ifi-audio.com

 

[technobear]

It seems that for some reason micro iDSD BL doesn't lock onto a stream. You can try to unplug and replug it, re-do settings and double-check everything, play PCM and then MQA and you should get the right colour. If this doesn't help, feel free to reach us via our support platform, to be found here:

http://support.ifi-audio.com

The first question to be asked here is what software player is being used? Is it even capable of unfolding MQA?

If it is, then what gets sent out over USB? The T1 is unlikely to be recognised as an MQA capable device.

 

[MikePid]

ifi says 5.3 disables DSD256 over DoP to provide MQA instead. So I have to decide if stepping down to DSD128 for non-MQA is an acceptable trade-off for me in exchange for the added MQA capability.

 

[jwbrent]

I'm using a 24/96 max USB to coax converter (Peachtree T1) at work due to strict IT policy about installing drivers, etc. And I'm not getting the MQA magenta in my Micro BL. Does the MQA only work over USB? Or are the specs for a USB to coax converter that I need to meet in order to get MQA over coax inputs?

I have a micro iDSD BL, and when playing an MQA file with v5.3, the light is yellow, just as the graph iFi posted here earlier read.

 

[jwbrent]

ifi says 5.3 disables DSD256 over DoP to provide MQA instead. So I have to decide if stepping down to DSD128 for non-MQA is an acceptable trade-off for me in exchange for the added MQA capability.

Using Audirvana+ on my MacBook, I was able to listen to a DSD256 album with the new software on my micro iDSD BL. I guess Audirvana+ may be scaling down the original file, I don’t know.

 

[premonit]

Hi there,


Successfully installed the firmware 5.30 on micro iDSD Black Label. All I have done was strictly stuck to the instruction of installation. But all my attempts (all possible modes of settings in Streaming section) in getting needful color (Magenta or Yellow/White) were in vain. All I see, while Master recordings are being played back (tidal), is the constant Green color.

Desktop version of tidal is installed on laptop of 2017 (Windows 10), tidal subscription is HIFI/Master, the item of Master is ticked. I have already reisntalled the firmware twice but the result is the same - no corresponding color of MQA.

Thanks in advance.

Resolved the issue (tidal MQA recordings playback as it should be) with my own resources... my settings differ from the video given alongside with the introduction of firmware 5.30. Maybe it will help the others who are facing with the similar issue...

iFi micro iDSD Black Label

Here you are tidal Streaming settings of desktop version (Windows 10):

iFi (by AMR) HD + USB AUDIO SPEAKERS - ticked

USE EXCLUSIVE MODE - ticked

The above has been giving me stable operation of tidal Master playback from the moment of initiation. Yellow color is present.

 

[premonit]

And yes...,it sounds great, especially it touches upon the old recordings.