Sony Walkman custom firmware (non-Android)

[weexisttocease]

It needs to have the correct tags in metadata to be recognised. There is a tool I think on the mqa web site that will analyze flac files and add the correct tags

Do you have a link? Never heard about that before The exact same files are recognized as MQA with the iBasso 320MAX.

 

[MrWalkman]

There is MQA detection by tags, and MQA detection by scanning the whole file.

The Walkman players are only checking for the correct tags. If the tags are missing, then the file is not "seen" as MQA.

 

[MrWalkman]

Do you have a link? Never heard about that before The exact same files are recognized as MQA with the iBasso 320MAX.

https://www.mqa.co.uk/tag435sdf43te

 

[weexisttocease]

There is MQA detection by tags, and MQA detection by scanning the whole file.

The Walkman players are only checking for the correct tags. If the tags are missing, then the file is not "seen" as MQA.

That's strange because the same SD Card with MQA files was recognized by the Sony ZX-507.

How do I confirm if it has the correct tags?

 

[aceedburn]

I have a full SandDisk 256GB SD Card with MQA files and it's not doing any decoding since it appears as FLAC only.

I don’t have many MQA files as quite frankly I don’t really care much about the format but here are a few that I have that’s encoded by the player correctly as you can see in the images.

 

[weexisttocease]

https://www.mqa.co.uk/tag435sdf43te

Thanks.

 

[MrWalkman]

That's strange because the same SD Card with MQA files was recognized by the Sony ZX-507.

How do I confirm if it has the correct tags?

Maybe the ZX scans the whole files.

Just run your MQA FLAC files through the MQA Tag Restorer app, and it will put the right tags.

 

[weexisttocease]

I don’t have many MQA files as quite frankly I don’t really care much about the format but here are a few that I have that’s encoded by the player correctly as you can see in the images.

Thanks. I will check it later if the files have the correct tags.

 

[weexisttocease]

Maybe the ZX scans the whole files.

Just run your MQA FLAC files through the MQA Tag Restorer app, and it will put the right tags.

I will do it. Thanks.

 

[justsomesonyfan]

Is mqa better than flac with some albums? is there any point of getting it if I've flac?

 

[weexisttocease]

After using the MQA Tag Restorer App the files are now labelled as MQA but it only plays 44.1/48 Khz.

 

[aceedburn]

After using the MQA Tag Restorer App the files are now labelled as MQA but it only plays 44.1/48 Khz.

Ah, that means that is the original bitrate of the files as the tag restore doesn’t change the file resolution but simply tag it as MQA.

 

[weexisttocease]

Ah, that means that is the original bitrate of the files as the tag restore doesn’t change the file resolution but simply tag it as MQA.

Maybe but it also seems isn't doing any unfold since all MQA files are 44.1 or 48 Khz.

 

[MrWalkman]

Is mqa better than flac with some albums? is there any point of getting it if I've flac?

Except the theory that they could just sound better due to the MQA technology, I think that at least sometimes the MQA files could be made from better masters.

Even a MP3 file can sound really good if the source file is just well-mastered.

Maybe but it also seems isn't doing any unfold since all MQA files are 44.1 or 48 Khz.

There are even MQA files packed in 16 bit FLAC files. MQA seems to be for more than just having high frequency data packed, but also about analysing the file, and then processing it in a way so it will be used with a certain filter (out of many possible with MQA) when "unfolding".

 

[aceedburn]

Maybe but it also seems isn't doing any unfold since all MQA files are 44.1 or 48 Khz.

The Walkman doesn’t unfold the MQA file. It just recognises it and plays it as it is. As the walkman was released 7-8 years ago even before the MQA format was released.