[jt25741]

Yeah but are those extra bit for a MQA decoder to read or are they really for a superior quality of the song, while not being MQA...

Note that what makes MQA really cool, and UAPP playback great for it, is that these 24/48Khz files are streaming FLAC and they are Hi-Res over and above CD/Red Book. As according to the MQA spec, these FLAC encodings are lossless and MQA data is noise at or below the noise floor. When the MQA subsonic noise (data) is decoded (unfolded), the resulting data is overlayed ontop of the original Lossless stream (This 2nd portion is lossy BTW). Consequently, playing the MQA streams is much better than CD just like 24/48Khz non MQA is better than CD (although the same people can argue that point that any of this matters). So I hunt for the MQA files and playback on the V20 without MQA decode and enjoy the experience accordingly. If I had a v30 or MQA capable decoder, it would sound even better of course.

 

[MadAudio]

If I had a v30 or MQA capable decoder, it would sound even better of course.

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/highresaudio-to-stop-offering-mqa/
https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/163302855-is-mqa-doa
http://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread.php?tid=35624
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/my-new-article-series-on-mqa.723574/page-55

 

[MikeyFresh]

Off topic, but does anyone know if USB high resolution audio with an app like UAPP is supported by the inexpensive Samsung Galaxy Tablet A, or do I have to get a more sophisticated Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 for instance?

With UAPP, yes, my 2017 32 GB Tab A is fully supported.

 

[REXNFX]

Which DAC do you use? I havent had much luck with usb dacs...

 

[MikeyFresh]

Off topic, but does anyone know if USB high resolution audio with an app like UAPP is supported by the inexpensive Samsung Galaxy Tablet A, or do I have to get a more sophisticated Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 for instance?

Which DAC do you use? I havent had much luck with usb dacs...

OPPO HA-2 or Resonesence Labs HERUS both work fine.

 

[471724]

With UAPP, yes, my 2017 32 GB Tab A is fully supported.

I have a 2016 16GB 1.6 GHz Tab A. Aside from storage room for FLAC music files, do you think this will work just as well with UAPP?

 

[Davy Wentzler]

I have a 2016 16GB 1.6 GHz Tab A. Aside from storage room for FLAC music files, do you think this will work just as well with UAPP?

It should work fine, but you can always install our free trial version first:
http://www.extreamsd.com/index.php/uapp-trial

 

[471724]

With UAPP, yes, my 2017 32 GB Tab A is fully supported.

Thanks. Looking at your wording, however I guess my question was really whether the Galaxy Tab A will fully support the UAPP app, or are there high resolution audio PCM sample rates and bit lengths that aren't supported by the Tab A but are supported by more expensive tablets like the Galaxy Tab S3, which has the next version android OS and a 2.2GHz processor rather than the Tab A's 1.6GHz? I do note that the Tab S3 supports exactly the same audio formats including FLAC and WAV as the Tab A.

 

[Davy Wentzler]

Thanks. Looking at your wording, however I guess my question was really whether the Galaxy Tab A will fully support the UAPP app, or are there high resolution audio PCM sample rates and bit lengths that aren't supported by the Tab A but are supported by more expensive tablets like the Galaxy Tab S3, which has the next version android OS and a 2.2GHz processor rather than the Tab A's 1.6GHz? I do note that the Tab S3 supports exactly the same audio formats including FLAC and WAV as the Tab A.

I have done 18-channel 24-bit recordings on that Tab A, it should do just fine.

 

[CoffeeDog]

Which DAC do you use? I havent had much luck with usb dacs...

I've used both iFi iDSD micro original version (silver) and the newer black label without any issues on Samsung Note 2, 4, and 8 phones (do I have to wait for 16 before I get another one?) as well as Amazon's Fire HD8 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8" and S3 9.7" tablets. All ran well, but the Note 2's power regulation chip blew when it tried to charge the iDSD silver's battery, which was due to a problem with the Note 2, not the DAC/Amp. I hope this helps.

 

[MadAudio]

I have a 2016 16GB 1.6 GHz Tab A. Aside from storage room for FLAC music files, do you think this will work just as well with UAPP?

If you stick a 128 Gb smart card into the Tab A, that should give you plenty of room to store a fair number of FLAC files, even with a fair proportion of 96k/24 bit recordings.

The Tab A should support such a card: my older Samsung Galaxy Note Pro does.

The UAPP app takes care of the high resolution flac files, that is not dependent on the android device, as far as I understand.

I use an Oppo HA-2 DAC with Oppo PM3 Headphones - great sound!!

At home I don't even use the internal storage: UAPP works fine over wifi picking up the files stored on a 3TB hard drive plugged into my router.

On the move, the line out of my DAC feeds into my car stereo, with a sound that is much better than playing mp3 files from a USB memory stick.

Just go for it, man!!

 

[REXNFX]

Slightly controversial but I think I may prefer 320kbps to Flac on Tidal, anyone feel the same?

 

[Davy Wentzler]

Slightly controversial but I think I may prefer 320kbps to Flac on Tidal, anyone feel the same?

FLAC is around 1000kbps, so yes, that's controversial.

 

[edwardsean]

Slightly controversial but I think I may prefer 320kbps to Flac on Tidal, anyone feel the same?

Psychoacoustics is a funny thing. As Davy pointed out you're preferring a degraded sound. However the encoding algorithm of lossy files are optimized to make it as pleasing a degradation as possible. Transients get smeared and imaging comes into "soft focus." It may be that you like a smoother more "dreamy" kind of sound over sharp, pinpoint fidelity; kinda like "tubes" over "transistors."

If you consider the fact that so much controlled degradation has gone into the production of the music it's not totally unreasonable to find it appealing in the reproduction. Musicians and engineers purposefully use lo-fi, analog, vintage, even trashy gear for artistic reasons. You could draw an analogy to visual media in the way the pristine image is intentionally filtered and grained for stylistic effect. The problem with lossy audio is that this "effect" is being broadly and bluntly applied whether it suits the material or not.

But again psychoacoustics is funny thing and everyone should enjoy the sound they enjoy.

 

[REXNFX]

Yes the aac codec seems to filter out digital noise that I object to. I now realise the 'improved' SQ ive been getting recently is due to switching from flac to 320.