[youurayy]

Pro iDSD & MQA
Some of the best things in life are worth waiting for...

...

Here's the link to the 2.01 FW for our Pro iDSD, enjoy!
(scroll down the page, files are just under the 'STEP 3:')

https://ifi-audio.com/products/pro-idsd/

That you for your effort, iFi people. A few questions:

• Playing MQA songs needs to be adjusted to the maximum volume to recognize MQA.

^ does this mean that in the TiDAL desktop app, we select all 3 options: "Use Exclusive Mode", "Force volume" and "Passthrough MQA" ?

To make room for the full MQA decoder, the entire audio subsystem was streamlined, optimised and pared down in resource use WITHOUT affecting functionality. The MQA team also worked to maximise the efficiency of their code with hand-written assembler optimisations.

^ seems like quite a struggle, are you talking about the space in the FPGA or some other memory? Just curious. In general it would be easier for us to bear with you if we knew the scope of difficulty of the challenges your are facing here - as i.e. you now have clarified.

- are there known unresolved bugs in 2.0.1 which were introduced in 2.0 but have not been present in 1.0 ?

- will it be possible to revert back to 1.0 (or whatever the original version is named), after trying 2.0.1? Where could 1.0 be found?

Again, thanks for your effort. I imagine the full complexity of the MQA module could not have been predicted until its full implementation.

 

[bearwarrior]

With the newest firmware, if you are playing a MQA file, it will overwrite all filters even DSD Remasters. To my surprise, MQA does sound better. I have few MQA albums which I have been playing before without MQA now with full decoding, the improvements are pretty obvious. Most noticeably, better layering and separation.

Doesn't Roon have the MQA decoder? If so, what is the difference between iDSD and Roon? If I understand correctly, the authorized MQA decoder should be the same code no matter where it installed. Especially, your setup remains unchanged when you compare these two (Roon-ultraRendu-iDSD). I will appreciate your impression.

 

[patkwok]

Doesn't Roon have the MQA decoder? If so, what is the difference between iDSD and Roon? If I understand correctly, the authorized MQA decoder should be the same code no matter where it installed. Especially, your setup remains unchanged when you compare these two (Roon-ultraRendu-iDSD). I will appreciate your impression.

To my understanding, Roon MQA decode just do the 1st unfold, rendering part leave at MQA Dac.

 

[webmi]

Had to do the update 3x times. First time i got a error. The system (latest win10) wasnt recognising the ifi anymore. Heatrate was raising very fast. Had to reinstall the v3.2 ifi driver. Ifi was back. Updated again. Succeeded. No MQA. Opened the CA Control Panel. Firmware was v1.38. Started the update once more. Succeeded. Firmware is now v2.01. MQA works fine (again).



Is it me or does the ifi Pro iDSD sound better now, i mean a lot better?

 

[bearwarrior]

To my understanding, Roon MQA decode just do the 1st unfold, rendering part leave at MQA Dac.

This is what I found from Roon website.

”Roon has partnered with MQA Ltd to properly support decoding and handling MQA files and streams end to end. This new feature allows all Roon users – those with MQA-capable hardware and those without – to experience MQA content to the fullest extent possible with their audio hardware.”

”I have an MQA DAC, how does DSP work in Roon?
First, Roon will decode the MQA file or stream to an MQA Core stream. This produces a PCM audio stream at 88.2kHz or 96kHz which contains MQA signalling information that your DAC needs to render the MQA signal properly.

Then Roon preserves the signalling information (setting it aside for safe keeping), applies DSP to the audio portion, and then restores the signalling information. This re-embeds it into the stream so that your DAC can complete the rendering process.

I don’t have an MQA DAC, how does DSP work in Roon?
First, Roon will decode the MQA file or stream to an MQA Core stream. This produces a PCM stream at 88.2kHz or 96kHz. Then, any selected DSP is applied to that stream, and the output is sent to your DAC.”

To me, it seems that Roon can fully decode MQA if you don't have an MQA DAC or unrecognized MQA DAC. If you have one, Roon can preserve the signaling information.

 

[FarPoint]

If you are using OSX 10.14 Mojave, connect the dac directly to the computer by USB and after running the iFi binary go to Security and Privacy / General tab and force open the firmware updater. You can also run the Windows version of the updater on a virtual machine. Other solution is to create a new admin user, login with that user and try the update on OSX, sometimes Mac OSX gives problems overtime with user file system become corrupted and the user library could be the one to blame on OSXwith config files being damaged, If it Works creating a new Admin user and updating the firmware then you are good. Greating a new user is like having a new install. If the problem occours again, it could be another app, but this complicates things.

I hope I helped, Best regards,

Hello, not sure what fixed the problem. I tried it on my win10 cpu but couldn't open the .bin file. Windows didn't like it. So I took it back to the iMac and after a reboot finally got the MacOS to see the iDSD and play music. Then did the update and it was successful. Another reboot and powered the iFi stack off/on and music flows again. I guess that is what is called magic. Applesnowleo thanks for your solutions. Take care.

FarPoint

iFi Pro Stack ( iDSD, iCAN and iSEL), TEAC CD Player PD-301, Perun electrostatic HP, AQ Nighthawk, Mr. Speakers' AEON C, Outlaw RR2160 with Q Acoustics 3020 speakers,

Everything was OK then the music would just stop. My iMac showed data still coming in from the internet station. Had to power off/on the iDSD to hear music again, but would drop out again. iFi support suggested I look at the version number and it said 1.38. Tried the update again now on V. 2.01 and seems OK. No dropouts. Will have to listen for awhile to see if works.
FarPoint.

 

[applesnowleo]

Hello, not sure what fixed the problem. I tried it on my win10 cpu but couldn't open the .bin file. Windows didn't like it. So I took it back to the iMac and after a reboot finally got the MacOS to see the iDSD and play music. Then did the update and it was successful. Another reboot and powered the iFi stack off/on and music flows again. I guess that is what is called magic. Applesnowleo thanks for your solutions. Take care.

FarPoint

iFi Pro Stack ( iDSD, iCAN and iSEL), TEAC CD Player PD-301, Perun electrostatic HP, AQ Nighthawk, Mr. Speakers' AEON C, Outlaw RR2160 with Q Acoustics 3020 speakers,

Sometimes when problems with sound or connected devices arise you can make a pram reset. Simply turn off the MAC, then power on and mantain the keys CMD + ALT + P + R pressed until you hear the startup sound twice. Sometimes reseting the Pram of the Mac resolves a lot of issues. I am glad you resolved your problem. MQA is working very well in my IDSD Pro in Roon.

 

[youurayy]

Had to do the update 3x times. First time i got a error. The system (latest win10) wasnt recognising the ifi anymore. Heatrate was raising very fast. Had to reinstall the v3.2 ifi driver. Ifi was back. Updated again. Succeeded. No MQA. Opened the CA Control Panel. Firmware was v1.38. Started the update once more. Succeeded. Firmware is now v2.01. MQA works fine (again).



Is it me or does the ifi Pro iDSD sound better now, i mean a lot better?

Guess I'll wait for the final [2020?], I don't feel half as adventurous as you just described.

The device has a card reader, why don't they make the upgrade procedure thru there and rule Windows completely out.

 

[webmi]

soundwise i think it is a improvement. was on v2.00 before. cant say if it is just me and a kind of placebo with the new firmware. but i think i can hear a clear improvement in the highs. what are your guys experiences?

 

[iFi audio]

soundwise i think it is a improvement. was on v2.00 before. cant say if it is just me and a kind of placebo with the new firmware. but i think i can hear a clear improvement in the highs. what are your guys experiences?

Some of us internally hear improvmetns as well.

The device has a card reader, why don't they make the upgrade procedure thru there and rule Windows completely out.

There's no point in fixing what's not broken. The current FW upgrade route works nicely for far more people (and we mean FAR more) in comparison to those who struggle with it.

 

[iFi audio]

^ does this mean that in the TiDAL desktop app, we select all 3 options: "Use Exclusive Mode", "Force volume" and "Passthrough MQA" ?

Please take a look at tutorial video we have in our signature.

are you talking about the space in the FPGA or some other memory?

Not FPGA, XMOS.

In general it would be easier for us to bear with you if we knew the scope of difficulty of the challenges your are facing here - as i.e. you now have clarified.

We do our best to explain what we can and think is usable for this community.

- are there known unresolved bugs in 2.0.1 which were introduced in 2.0 but have not been present in 1.0 ?

We fixed a lot of things along the road since Pro iDSD's release and if there ary left, please do let us know!

- will it be possible to revert back to 1.0 (or whatever the original version is named), after trying 2.0.1? Where could 1.0 be found?

FW 1.6 is what you can get back to and what we can send upon request.

 

[fodowsky]

is the nope on Roon meaning in the short term, or nope as in not in this lifetime?

If "nope" means they are not considering Roon integration soon, it's a disappointing answer. And a major red flag for an otherwise promising unit. I just cancelled my order.

 

[gordec]

If "nope" means they are not considering Roon integration soon, it's a disappointing answer. And a major red flag for an otherwise promising unit. I just cancelled my order.

Me too. I also want to return my unit because Pro iDSD cannot boot Windows or Linux. At least it should come with Microsoft Word as part of its software package. Then I realized that these features were never ever advertised or promised.

 

[patkwok]

If "nope" means they are not considering Roon integration soon, it's a disappointing answer. And a major red flag for an otherwise promising unit. I just cancelled my order.

Agreed. Originally, I also planned to get one ifi Pro iDSD. However, the answer from ifi is disappointing.

 

[patkwok]

Me too. I also want to return my unit because Pro iDSD cannot boot Windows or Linux. At least it should come with Microsoft Word as part of its software package. Then I realized that these features were never ever advertised or promised.

May I know what does it mean of Pro iDSD cannot boot Window or Linux?