[Vamp898]

What about UAPP?

To make things clear

Only the Walkman app (and no other, no matter which) is able to directly communicate with the S-Master HX. If you want 100% Sound Quality, you _have_ to use the Walkman App

 

[Popeye32]

To make things clear

Only the Walkman app (and no other, no matter which) is able to directly communicate with the S-Master HX. If you want 100% Sound Quality, you _have_ to use the Walkman App

So this means you can only use downloaded content to get maximum sound quality, or is there a way to stream tidal through the Walkman app?

 

[nycdoi]

Not had that one. I don't use any screen lock if that could be why you have issue ?

I disabled it and it is the same. I notice i can tap the screen even before it comes up..

 

[Vamp898]

So this means you can only use downloaded content to get maximum sound quality, or is there a way to stream tidal through the Walkman app?

To get 100% Sound Quality, you need to use offline files and the Walkman App.

But you can get excellent Sound Quality with every other app too, just not the 100%. The differences are very marginal and i dare to say that most people will never notice it.

So it is recommended to use Offline Files whenever possible, but there is nothing wrong with using streaming apps.

When you're listening music with the Walkman App at 30% Volume, the S-Master HX runs at 30% power and the digital audio gets transfered bit-perfect to the Amp.

When you're listening to music with an streaming app, the S-Master HX kinda runs as an emulated sound device.

That means it runs at 100% volume (lowest sound quality) all the time and you control the volume, by lowering the input signal to the amp. Also the input file needs to be prepared before sending it to the amp. That means whatever the orignal format is, it will be down or upsampled.

That means processing to the file is applied, it does not get to the Amp bit-perfect.

So its like that

Walkman App --> S-Master HX
Streaming App --> Android (Hi-Res Streaming Off) --> Conversion to 16/48 and volume change--> S-Master HX (100% Volume)
Streaming App --> Android (Hi-Res Streaming On) --> Conversion to 32/192 and volume change--> S-Master HX (100% Volume)

 

[AudioTransit9213]

does anybody have the issue of the screen not coming up right away when the power button is pressed? only the backlight comes on and the screen comes up about 10 seconds later.

Mine occasionally has a bit of delay, but nothing substantial or inconvenient

 

[AudioTransit9213]

I would say if you have the Sony set to Hi mode of 24/192 streaming media (and their offline tracks) they sound indistinguishable to music played in the Walkman app, even though not strictly bit-perfect and through a different path.

I ripped some Tidal MQA a while back and I couldn't tell difference those played in Walkman app vs played in Tidal App.

Hi-def mode not needed for just Spotify.

Probably another stupid question, but does the high-res streaming setting need to on in order to download higher quality tracks inside apps like Apple music of the apps internal setting for this is on? I'm talking about strictly downloading tracks for offline use, not streaming.

 

[psikey]

Probably another stupid question, but does the high-res streaming setting need to on in order to download higher quality tracks inside apps like Apple music of the apps internal setting for this is on? I'm talking about strictly downloading tracks for offline use, not streaming.

It doesn't with Tidal and Amazon HD. Never used Apple music.

 

[AudioTransit9213]

It doesn't with Tidal and Amazon HD. Never used Apple music.

Got it. So basically it's a setting that only needs to be enabled for actual streaming.

 

[psikey]

Got it. So basically it's a setting that only needs to be enabled for actual streaming.

No, if you download an offline track that is 24/192 and don't set Sony to Hi-mode Android will downscale it to 16/48 as far as I understand. In Hi-mode you get the 24/192.

If you had a 24/96 track that would down sampled at 16/48 normal mode or upscalled to 24/192 with Hi-mode.

 

[AudioTransit9213]

No, if you download an offline track that is 24/192 and don't set Sony to Hi-mode Android will downscale it to 16/48 as far as I understand. In Hi-mode you get the 24/192.

If you had a 24/96 track that would down sampled at 16/48 normal mode or upscalled to 24/192 with Hi-mode.

Oh ok. I wonder if this only applies to playback of the track. I imagine it wouldn't affect the actual download quality.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Oh ok. I wonder if this only applies to playback of the track. I imagine it wouldn't affect the actual download quality.

You download the file as indicated by the service you use. Android sample rate conversion changes it to 16/48 upon playback. That is something Android does period, unless a device is able to bypass the SRC

 

[psikey]

You download the file as indicated by the service you use. Android sample rate conversion changes it to 16/48 upon playback. That is something Android does period, unless a device is able to bypass the SRC

Or as a Hi-mode like our Sony where it changes the Android output to 24/192 instead of 16/48.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Or as a Hi-mode like our Sony where it changes the Android output to 24/192 instead of 16/48.

It still goes through Android SRC. It just then goes back through the Sony software. It still runs through Android SRC first. That's the "issue". Sony hi-res fixes some of the issues introduced with standard Android SRC, but the issues are still there whether hi-res mode is engaged or not.

 

[psikey]

It still goes through Android SRC. It just then goes back through the Sony software. It still runs through Android SRC first. That's the "issue". Sony hi-res fixes some of the issues introduced with standard Android SRC, but the issues are still there whether hi-res mode is engaged or not.

It's my understanding Android SRC uses one bitrate so that glitches aren't introduced if apps using different, hence the whole audio subsystem set at 16/48. Get problems if multiple apps compete at different bitrate/frequencies.

It's my understanding that what Sony have done is chosen Android SRC to operate at 24/192 which is why you need a full reboot if you change the setting. It uses more power but all Android audio, be it alarm, notifications or audio app output is then all at 24/192.

So, an App like Amazon HD with a 24/192 file and the app itself outputs at 24/192 hits Android SRC which already set to operate at 24/192, so effectively bit-perfect.
An Amazon HD 24/48 and Amazon 24/96 is still upscaled by the app to 24/192 before hitting SCR.

In the case of Tidal App with MQA, it would do 1 MQA unfold so you would get say 24/48, 24/96 and then the Sony Android SRC but upscale from Tidal app to output at 24/192.

By using Sony in 24/192 mode, you are losing no bits, but tracks are being padded up to 24/192 unless already 24/192.

Now Walkman app uses its dedicated Red path so has none of this and I think UAPP with its own driver can also now use the RED path and be bit-perfect (but no Sony sound enhancements with UAPP if you use them).

 

[rlw6534]

To make things clear

Only the Walkman app (and no other, no matter which) is able to directly communicate with the S-Master HX. If you want 100% Sound Quality, you _have_ to use the Walkman App

UAPP clearly uses the red audio path (no SRC), is that not using S-Master HX?