[Brain Damage]

I use and like Audirvana; it streams Tidal and others, and plays local files too, with slightly better sound than not using it. It allows you to pick various Audio Units to EQ the sound. Note: it decodes MQA and when those files are played, the AU's are disabled.

I like Audirvana too. I use this as my desktop player for Tidal and Qobuz. I use UAPP on my LG V30 to stream Tidal and Qobuz.

I am gutted about LG pulling out of the phone market though - their Vxx models have an amazing dac. You're now forced into the era of the dongle dac if you want the highest audio fidelity on the move.

I have the Zorloo Ztella and Audioquest Dragonfly Black but cannot honestly say they provide a sonic upgrade from the LG V30. I'm eyeing up the Centrance Dacport HD; however, it is a powerful Class A amp so will drain battery of a smartphone quickly.

 

[Brain Damage]

Bubble works fine sending MQA to my Streamer

UAPP still decodes MQA for me.

 

[Brain Damage]

I was one of those poe


All works fine for me.

Works well for me too.

 

[Brain Damage]

I didn’t think MQA was anything special, but didn’t hate it… until I started listening on my new HiBy RS6 DAP and I must say it sounds really really good on that source device. I won’t be jumping on the MQA hater bandwagon.

That said, Qobuz is my preferred streaming service and now that Apple Music is lossless I listen to it much more than I used to and enjoy it as well

I didn’t think MQA was anything special, but didn’t hate it… until I started listening on my new HiBy RS6 DAP and I must say it sounds really really good on that source device. I won’t be jumping on the MQA hater band

I've heard how good some MQA recordings can be when fully decoded. Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' MQA Tidal Masters for example sounds way better than the Qobuz Hi-Res FLAC version.

However, it seems to swing in roundabouts as Pink Floyd's library (remastered in Qobuz (Hi-Res) and Tidal (Tidal Masters)) sounds better in Qobuz IMHO. And I have switched between them on countless occasions.

All to with the quality of the original song/album recording.

 

[sonitus mirus]

I've heard how good some MQA recordings can be when fully decoded. Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' MQA Tidal Masters for example sounds way better than the Qobuz Hi-Res FLAC version.

However, it seems to swing in roundabouts as Pink Floyd's library (remastered in Qobuz (Hi-Res) and Tidal (Tidal Masters)) sounds better in Qobuz IMHO. And I have switched between them on countless occasions.

All to with the quality of the original song/album recording.

I think the situation is that some music has been remastered specifically for MQA, and with that comes the potential that the end result is superior to anything previously released. If that is the case, it is a tragedy if this is the only format available, as anything promoted as MQA could easily be reproduced in sonic perfection in a plethora of different formats, including some lossy formats.

 

[Brain Damage]

I think the situation is that some music has been remastered specifically for MQA, and with that comes the potential that the end result is superior to anything previously released. If that is the case, it is a tragedy if this is the only format available, as anything promoted as MQA could easily be reproduced in sonic perfection in a plethora of different formats, including some lossy formats.

Yeah there is a noticeable difference between alot of the decoded MQA tracks with a green LED (remastered) v MQA Studio tracks (blue LED) which have been recorded with MQA in mind.

 

[Brain Damage]

Can anyone confirm whether Tidal's (native android app), since it's bit perfect roll out in June, utilises the LG's quad DAC to give bit perfect out of the headphone jack? I know it now does with certain dongle dacs (my Ztella for example) I use UAPP for both Tidal and Qobuz, but intrigued.

 

[crypticc]

I started using Bubble UPnP on my LG V20 as a front-end control for Tidal streaming to my DAC via my Windows PC.

It seems that Bubble is unable to access the Master quality MQA streams. I also noticed that UAPP, another popular option on Android with Tidal support, no longer plays MQA streams from Tidal. Several months ago UAPP did in fact have access to such master quality streams.

Has Tidal instituted a new API policy that blocks third-party apps such as Bubble and UAPP from being able to access the MQA streams or am I missing something with my setup?

Bubble works fine sending MQA to my Streamer

UAPP still decodes MQA for me.

Works well for me too.

Hi,

Yes, Tidal have removed the ID3 tags from their streams which break several DAC which rely upon that but not those that continuosly inspect the stream for other data.
It breaks the stream info into the OPPO205 for one example. (When sent via UPnP but not via USB)
Some DAC however work fine.

This was confirmed to me in writing by mConnect and myself and a few others have posted on AVforums and AVSforum about it. I've reproduced the email from mConnect on the website.


Unfortunately I can't test Ztella as while I have that device my telephone with USBC is pixel 6 which doesn't support external DAC at all (yet. I hope)


Edit: for clarification, the consideration is how a DAC treats both wireless UPnP and USB connectivity. Via UPnP the OPPO looks for the ID3 tag on wireless before then looking for the MQA signal embedded into the least significant bits. But that same track when playing over USB works (on the OPPO at least).
The Ztella from another comment here may also be okay.
But on other hand the DAC mentioned by russical MAY be impacted by the same issue but over USB.

@Russical did you put your USB port on windows PC into exclusive mode? If you did then see above. If not check that first.

Regards

 

[peterinvan]

I seem to prefer the NOS setting on Cayin RU6, however I wonder if Tidal Masters are oversampled anyway when they are processed by Tidal?

Sorry to bring up MQA again.

 

[caleb66]

No... only iOS and Android. Downloads are useful on mobile devices. No need to download to your PC... just live stream.

Some people might use their laptops outside of the cellular reception and have no internet. They are cut out of the Tidal music this way. Don't say no need if it's only you who doesn't need it.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I seem to prefer the NOS setting on Cayin RU6, however I wonder if Tidal Masters are oversampled anyway when they are processed by Tidal?

There is no oversampling of MQA. There is unfolding, which is not the same. Anyway, you have the option to let the Tidal app do a first unfold or for it to passthrough MQA if you have an MQA compatible DAC.

Sorry to bring up MQA again.

Why? This is the Tidal thread. MQA bashing is in poor taste anywhere, but is outlawed in this thread

 

[rlw6534]

There is no oversampling of MQA. There is unfolding, which is not the same. Anyway, you have the option to let the Tidal app do a first unfold or for it to passthrough MQA if you have an MQA compatible DAC.


Why? This is the Tidal thread. MQA bashing is in poor taste anywhere, but is outlawed in this thread

I'm pretty sure MQA includes oversampling as well as upsampling in the process of rendering. In fact, MQA rendering always upsamples to the limit of the DAC. That's where the 4x, 8x and 16x unfolding terms come into play.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I'm pretty sure MQA includes oversampling as well as upsampling in the process of rendering. In fact, MQA rendering always upsamples to the limit of the DAC. That's where the 4x, 8x and 16x unfolding terms come into play.

It's not upsampling. It's unfolding. The difference is that the content in MQA is compressed, and unfolding uncompresses it.

 

[rlw6534]

It's not upsampling. It's unfolding. The difference is that the content in MQA is compressed, and unfolding uncompresses it.

Tomayto, tomahto... MQA can be confusing (and complicated to explain)...

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Tomayto, tomahto... MQA can be confusing (and complicated to explain)...

No, there is a real difference, it's not word games.

Upsampling is adding digital samples (instances of time that were not in the original recording) to increase the sample rate, downsampling throws away samples.

MQA is lossy compression. It throws away parts of the signal per sample, not some of the samples- in order to be able to compress it. So for example a MQA-encoded song that was mastered at 96 KHz and compressed to 48 KHz has a nominal sample rate of 48 KHz before unfolding. When it's unfolded (decompressed) the 96 KHz version is recovered, albeit with some loss. There are no samples added (upsampling) or removed (downsampling). It's just lossy compression.