[AlternativeNose1]

Was there any good news about Tidal?

I thought from here:

https://www.porta-fi.com/sony-nw-zx507-walkman-review/2/

Quote from the review below. This is good news concerning Android SRC.

"The Sony team has just shared with me that a new firmware is currently in beta, this firmware release will address the 48kHz/16-bit bottleneck and allow both music streaming and music playback apps to output at a resolution of 192kHz/24-bit on the NW-ZX507."

The fact they are unlocking the bottleneck will mean the MQA from Tidal won't be downsampled to 48kHz/16bit anymore.

Happy to stand corrected if I'm wrong, but that was my impression.

 

[Pro-Jules]

Oh right yeah. But there is more to tidal like all the various levels of unfolds etc. Too confusing for me. Good luck to anyone that understands it.

 

[Whitigir]

Oh right yeah. But there is more to tidal like all the various levels of unfolds etc. Too confusing for me. Good luck to anyone that understands it.

disclaimer: I am still learning, feel free to correct me as I love to learn more

You must be talking about MQA ? Well, simply put, PCM is stored in binary code, and in order to generate it from an ADC(analog to digital conversion), it needs an algorithms just like the one that is in your player to do DAC (digital to analog conversion).
MQA just compress it using this (MQA algorithms at 2X or 4x or 8x). Then they registered this algorithms as a pattens and distribute it around the world as a standard. Except that it is not standard.
To unfold this (uncompressed), they revert the Algorithms at the level which it was folded (compressed). By using the very same algorithms for compression and uncompressed it, it guarantee that the original files is as exactly as what it is. The lost information is filled in, Theoretically speaking

Because it generates so much venues and profit , and a lot of marketing, you will see it everywhere

But there is a big problem with it. Because it is a live conversion that deal with timing sensitive and electrical signals values at micro V and Nano second. There are too much things , factors , to effect the algorithms in order to reconstruct it correctly. Because there are too many different hardware implementation.

The best quality is always offline stored information...so you will never be effected by additional processing. That means CD quality or real stored 24/192 instead of MQA unfolding.

in reality and technicality, at 16/44.1 the reconstructed analog waves is already beyond human hearing. Even so, not all DAC playback at the same performances. What makes anyone think additional processing is a good idea ? Probably the one to confuse the market and trying to online live streaming ?

the reason why on some players, especially high end one, WAV as a format is better than FLAC. That is because FLAC has additional compression and uncompression additionally on top of WAV

Every digital music is compressed music. It is just more or less ? The only real and uncompressed digital file is DSD, because it is already decoded and can no longer be tampered with unless converted into PCM. But even so, DSD is still compressed when compared to Analog, why ?

Simple, because algorithms for digital is manmade, and where is analog is purely nature (magnetic mechanism in and out)

yeah, nothing is perfect. But we simple looking at what is compressed and what is uncompressed music mean. There is a reason that Digital file is called “a file” where as analog is called “record

 

[AlternativeNose1]

Hello all. First time posting on here. Good news about Tidal and MQA.

However I have a question about MQA files on the Walkman I was hoping someone could answear, as well as a suggestion to anyone who can contact Sony about this.


-- Background --

I bought some MQA files as I like the concept of having a guaranteed file of the quality expected. This is because I have bought 'upscaled CDs' FLAC files in the past and it took a lot of arguing/proof to get a refund.

I bought a Pink Floyd collection album in MQA and it displays in the walkman as shown:

As visible; this indicates an MQA file at 44.1kHz.

However; other MQA files show as HD with an 'unfloded' sample rate as exampled below:

-- Issue --

So I have no idea if the Pink Floyd album is being 'unfolded' correctly or if I've been sold a tampered MQA/ripped from a CD.

It sounds far better through my two MQA capable walkmans (A45 & NW-ZX507) than anythning else so I belive that the MQA process (impulse response, digital distorshion reduction etc etc...) is being done correctly, just that the Master was only done at 44.1Hz.

Whilst it is perfectly possible to have an MQA at 44.1kHz, one of the features a lot of MQA DACs come with is a green light that shows you the file is verified with no tampering done between the studio and your device.

-- Advice --

Do you think that the Pink Floyd album MQA is just that - an MQA at 44.1kHz? I bought it off HighResAudio.com who have a solid reputation, and all FLACs I've bought from them have been as advertised.

How can I tell on my Walkman if it has been tampered with/is there anyway of telling if this MQA file has been tampered with using the Walkman?

-- Request to Sony --
(There seem to be a number of people in this forum discussion who are 'in contact with Sony'.)

Would it be possible to have a form of indication with MQA files playing on the Walkmans that does the equivilent of a 'Green Light' like the standalone DACs?
I've done a (very poor) concept of what it could look like below, by just adding a Green indicatior, similar to the standalone DACs:

Hope this isn't too long a post. But with MQA coming to the Walkman via Tidal and MQA being on peoples minds, it seemed a good time to ask these questions.
Thanks.

Okay - whats even more confusing is that Audirvana is coming up saying the exact same file is 24bit 96kHz:

Is this a bug with Walkmans that I should report or a setting I've not clocked?

 

[Vitaly2017]

Hello all. First time posting on here. Good news about Tidal and MQA.

However I have a question about MQA files on the Walkman I was hoping someone could answear, as well as a suggestion to anyone who can contact Sony about this.


-- Background --

I bought some MQA files as I like the concept of having a guaranteed file of the quality expected. This is because I have bought 'upscaled CDs' FLAC files in the past and it took a lot of arguing/proof to get a refund.

I bought a Pink Floyd collection album in MQA and it displays in the walkman as shown:

As visible; this indicates an MQA file at 44.1kHz.

However; other MQA files show as HD with an 'unfloded' sample rate as exampled below:

-- Issue --

So I have no idea if the Pink Floyd album is being 'unfolded' correctly or if I've been sold a tampered MQA/ripped from a CD.

It sounds far better through my two MQA capable walkmans (A45 & NW-ZX507) than anythning else so I belive that the MQA process (impulse response, digital distorshion reduction etc etc...) is being done correctly, just that the Master was only done at 44.1Hz.

Whilst it is perfectly possible to have an MQA at 44.1kHz, one of the features a lot of MQA DACs come with is a green light that shows you the file is verified with no tampering done between the studio and your device.

-- Advice --

Do you think that the Pink Floyd album MQA is just that - an MQA at 44.1kHz? I bought it off HighResAudio.com who have a solid reputation, and all FLACs I've bought from them have been as advertised.

How can I tell on my Walkman if it has been tampered with/is there anyway of telling if this MQA file has been tampered with using the Walkman?

-- Request to Sony --
(There seem to be a number of people in this forum discussion who are 'in contact with Sony'.)

Would it be possible to have a form of indication with MQA files playing on the Walkmans that does the equivilent of a 'Green Light' like the standalone DACs?
I've done a (very poor) concept of what it could look like below, by just adding a Green indicatior, similar to the standalone DACs:

Hope this isn't too long a post. But with MQA coming to the Walkman via Tidal and MQA being on peoples minds, it seemed a good time to ask these questions.
Thanks.

To me it looks like your pink floyd mqa is 16/44.1 as you shown other mqa did unfold.

Seems like an issue with that pink floyd files. Does it say the mqa resolution file from where you bought it?
Maybe you selected the lower resolution by mistake when you purchased it?

From what I see zx507 is unfolding mqa properly hmmmm



Try re updating the database, restart device

 

[AlternativeNose1]

To me it looks like your pink floyd mqa is 16/44.1 as you shown other mqa did unfold.

Seems like an issue with that pink floyd files. Does it say the mqa resolution file from where you bought it?
Maybe you selected the lower resolution by mistake when you purchased it?

From what I see zx507 is unfolding mqa properly hmmmm



Try re updating the database, restart device

I opened the exact same file in Audirvana and it recognises and unflolds it as 24bit 96kHz. So its odd...I'm going to run the output through a spectrum analysier tomorrow just to see if the walkman is unpacking it and its just a display bug.

 

[Pro-Jules]

What are good settings to switch the screen off while playing back? (To save battery)

 

[Vitaly2017]

I opened the exact same file in Audirvana and it recognises and unflolds it as 24bit 96kHz. So its odd...I'm going to run the output through a spectrum analysier tomorrow just to see if the walkman is unpacking it and its just a display bug.

Hmmm are you using latest updates?

There gota be something, if its really not unfolding, it related to file compatibility with zx507?

How big is 1 track. Maybe you can send 1 to test I got zx507 right here.
And if it does the same then this a bug...

 

[Whitigir]

I opened the exact same file in Audirvana and it recognises and unflolds it as 24bit 96kHz. So its odd...I'm going to run the output through a spectrum analysier tomorrow just to see if the walkman is unpacking it and its just a display bug.

This file is MQA. It simply not being unfolded by Walkman VS audirvana . Did you check setting in Tidal app

 

[Vitaly2017]

This file is MQA. It simply not being unfolded by Walkman VS audirvana . Did you check setting in Tidal app

I think its not tidal app. Its the physical local files he purchased.
As to me its very strange

 

[Whitigir]

I think its not tidal app. Its the physical local files he purchased.
As to me its very strange

If that is the case then it is the Walkman App that doesn’t Unfold MQA. It is the same as WM1A/Z.

 

[Vitaly2017]

If that is the case then it is the Walkman App that doesn’t Unfold MQA. It is the same as WM1A/Z.

But it did unfold he's other mqa files...

Maybe the file name path isnt mqa at end?

Like .flac / .wav / .mp3 ?

There has to be a mismatch of something the dap is being picky?

 

[pond44]

What are good settings to switch the screen off while playing back? (To save battery)

Once the song is playing I just hit the off button and the screen turns off.

 

[briant4pres]

Anyone here order from accessory jack? Just placed an order for a zx507 on Saturday and it still says pending today...

 

[Vitaly2017]

No

Anyone having issues with the Bluetooth feature? Everything takes forever to scan and find devices and if a device is found the signal doesn't stay consistent, the signal flickers off and on...very frustrating....

No Bluetooth issues here. Everything works flawlessly.
Check your other device. What is that headphones or dap?