Tidal Masters & MQA Thread!

[AudioThief]

How big is the difference between MQA through a DAC like the modi multibit vs a DAC that can decode and repack or whatever it is ? To my ears MQA are superior to normal FLAC through my current rig (Roon > Mimby > 727II > 007 mk1). Wonder if I should look to upgrade DAC if I should get one that supports MQA.

 

[Left Channel]

How big is the difference between MQA through a DAC like the modi multibit vs a DAC that can decode and repack or whatever it is ? To my ears MQA are superior to normal FLAC through my current rig (Roon > Mimby > 727II > 007 mk1). Wonder if I should look to upgrade DAC if I should get one that supports MQA.

One of the difficulties in answering your question is that you may find all or most MQA DACs have very different sound signatures from your current DAC. My Modi 2 Uber (AKM chip) and your Modi Multibit (AD chip) already sound different, and all or most MQA DACs are even farther afield.

The MQA-capable DACs I've heard, from Mytek and Pro-Ject, were designed around ESS chips, and people who like those often say you'll get a much more "crisp", "neutral", "resolving" sound from those products. I would use more negative words, as I prefer a warmer sound. I know of only one brand that has designed MQA-compatible systems around AKM chips: Aurender. I haven't heard those.

It's not just the chip, it's the design, but the brand of chip will give you a clue. I prefer 1x software decoding of MQA through my warmer Modi/Magni 2U combo over full decoding through my Pro-Ject S2 Digital. And anyway these days I am listening more to Hi-Res streaming from Qobuz than I am to Tidal streams of any kind. Qobuz offers over 2,000,000 Hi-Res albums vs. Tidal's ~100,000 "Masters", and Qobuz is launching in the US next month.

 

[MichaelXX2]

I can't tell the slightest difference between MQA and non-MQA files.

 

[arnobartels]

One I didn’t take pic of was the 18 track 44k/16bit one.

Here are the spectrograms of the various Getz Master albums on Tidal.
So much for "Master Quality" or "Authenticated".
They are just oversampled CD quality files.
There's many more albums like this...

 

[arnobartels]

Here is the Tidal master of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band "So it is" Album.
Looks like it is played back without reconstruction filter and recorded at a higher sampling rate because the high frequency content is an alias image of the 22kHz baseband.
You could play the CD on an Audio Note DAC, which has neither a digital nor an analog filter, and this is more or less what would come out. (Great sounding DAC's by the way)
Looks like you get a "Non Oversampling" experience with this file. I would rather buy the AN DAC, and have all my CD's sound great, than pay for a MQA DAC or MQA files.

 

[Left Channel]

Here are the spectrograms of the various Getz Master albums on Tidal.
So much for "Master Quality" or "Authenticated".
They are just oversampled CD quality files.
There's many more albums like this...
<images>

Which albums? I was particularly annoyed with the Getz/Gilberto Expanded Edition, which should have never been "MQA'ed" in the first place. That one is a loudness-enhanced remix for a 2014 "50th anniversary" release, but it's hard or impossible to figure that out from the information on Tidal. Way too much bass in that one.

 

[arnobartels]

They are the five master quality Gets/Gilberto albums. So both the expanded and normal versions.

 

[Armando Cruz]

I have a chord mojo and audioquest butterfly black ( the inferior one, 80 pounds device ). These days I put the chord Mojo on the side ("happily"), and listen more the Audioquest black . I must be crazy...because for me the audioquest black playing MQA files it's massively superior than chord mojo! My beyerdynamic 1990 pro it has been given me such a quality! Divine! If any of you didn't try mqa , I HIGHLY recommend it !

 

[Dragonmilenario]

Hey, guys.

I have a question. I'm testing Tidal and I find it a bit complicated to configure my DAC correctly. It has no MQA certificate and allows up to 32 bit and 384000 hz resolution. The best option is to put in Windows the maximum numbers and tick the box in Tidal that allows MQA by software?

I get lost with these things.

 

[Left Channel]

Hey, guys.

I have a question. I'm testing Tidal and I find it a bit complicated to configure my DAC correctly. It has no MQA certificate and allows up to 32 bit and 384000 hz resolution. The best option is to put in Windows the maximum numbers and tick the box in Tidal that allows MQA by software?

I get lost with these things.

Yes, that's all you need to do. Oh, and also: enjoy the music!

 

[chris6878]

ANyone tried playing MQA in a car yet? I was wondering, does MQA via tidal pass over Bluetooth? I have the LG v30 with the built in MQA decoder. Can it pass over btooth or should I connect via usb to my Head unit. My head unit can play Hi res audio files.

Thanks

 

[Left Channel]

ANyone tried playing MQA in a car yet? I was wondering, does MQA via tidal pass over Bluetooth? I have the LG v30 with the built in MQA decoder. Can it pass over btooth or should I connect via usb to my Head unit. My head unit can play Hi res audio files.

Thanks

Bluetooth generally makes any audio sound worse. Even when optimized for music, it's usually AAC or something other than Hi-Res. If as you say the DAC in your car can play Hi-Res files, I would connect via USB.

My car actually has an analog Aux input that I can connect my V30 headphone jack to; then I'm using the quad DAC in my V30. That jack alone is making me hesitate to buy a new car.

 

[chris6878]

Bluetooth generally makes any audio sound worse. Even when optimized for music, it's usually AAC or something other than Hi-Res. If as you say the DAC in your car can play Hi-Res files, I would connect via USB.

My car actually has an analog Aux input that I can connect my V30 headphone jack to; then I'm using the quad DAC in my V30. That jack alone is making me hesitate to buy a new car.

I figured bluetooth was a downgrade, i was just hoping. Most new cars have the aux input so you should be ok. Or you can always buy a new head unit.
ANother question, is there a sound difference between the analog aux and a usb input?

 

[Left Channel]

I figured bluetooth was a downgrade, i was just hoping. Most new cars have the aux input so you should be ok. Or you can always buy a new head unit.
ANother question, is there a sound difference between the analog aux and a usb input?

Re: is there a sound difference between the analog aux and a usb input?
Aux will pass the sound directly to the car's amplifier, bypassing the car's DAC. Sounds better to me!
USB results will depend entirely on the car's DAC. Few if any are as good as the DAC in your LG V30.

 

[chris6878]

Re: is there a sound difference between the analog aux and a usb input?
Aux will pass the sound directly to the car's amplifier, bypassing the car's DAC. Sounds better to me!
USB results will depend entirely on the car's DAC. Few if any are as good as the DAC in your LG V30.

THanks. Well my Dac in my kenwood should be as good as my phone. http://www.kenwood.com/usa/car/excelon/dmx905s/