Tidal uses MQA for hires playback. There for you need an MQA capable DAC to get to 192/24 for MQA material recorded at that rate. Not sure McIntosh support MQA decoding or rendering.
Roon core performs the first MQA unfold to 96/24 or 88.2/24 then it requires an MQA DAC to get higher in what is called the rendering stage or second unfold which is upsampling and applying mqa filters and DAC specific filters. I suggest you read up on MQA.
Indeed, you are correct: there is interference between MQA Ltd’s marketing department and you.
The problem is MQA, MQA cannot be decompressed beyond what Roon does (anything over that is interpolation, so kinda like what HQPlayer does but you don’t control it). The second unfold is smoke and mirrors. You solve the problem by not playing MQA. Sorry.
The good news is you already have a Qobuz account, so all you need to do to make sure you never have an MQA problem again is to stop giving money to Tidal every month.
I have an ELAC discovery DS- G101 G music server which I guess you have as well. There is an ELAC discovery DS-C101W-G which is only a network bridge with different functionality.
As to you problem your Elac provides only a basic version of Roon with limited functionality and this forum here is very much focused on the full Roon version. That is why you don’t see a lot of enthusiasm here to answer Elac related Roon questions.
In my case I run the Elac Discovery as a Roon endpoint in a system with a full Roon core, so I do not have the issue you are seeing.
Question 1: How do you connect your Elac Discovery to your McIntosh 9000 (great unit, love it)?
Option 1: Analog out Elac to any analog in on the MCintosh (would be a waste given the perfect preamp section in the McIntosh)
Option 2: Optical or coax out Elac to the corresponding McIntosh input which would be my preference.
If you stream Tidal Master quality (and I am not opening that can of worms) through the Elac I assume (big word here) that the Elac will do the so called first unfold and you will have a 96/24 signal on the output of the Elac and that will be it. Only as others mentioned a full MQA capable DAC can change that.
Roon Essentials and Roon are different products, and Essentials customers are entitled to direct support from Elac.
While we’re happy for both products to be discussed on Community, for support you will definitely want to contact Elac directly for any questions about Roon Essentials.
Thanks for kind comment. Elac confirmed have server problems with Tidal with US servers right now. Problem found. It’s tidal streaming MQA in 192 which McIntosh is not able to stream. Very disappointed about the way I am treated here as 2nd class user with light version of Roon only. Will now sell and buy something different.
Sorry but quite a number of users replied to you on your other thread about Tidal MQA to offer advice as to why they won’t play at 192/24. Any support issues should be with ELAC not Roon as its their product.