Full decoder MQA

1

If I have a full mqa dac decoder what could I choose for the best performances? No Mqa, only decoder, only renderer or decoder and renderer? Thanks

2

Those are the two applicable options; choose the one that sounds best to you.

Roon Core can be decoder (“first unfold”), but not renderer. It’s the DAC which has to render (apply special filtering).

3

if I use no Mqa supporting in Roon, Roon shows me lossless (bitperfect) but my dac display doesn’t shows MQA but only PCM. If I use only decoder in Roon, Roon shows me improved quality (not bitperfect), but my dac display shows MQA. So, I’m sure that Matrix mini-I Pro 3 is full MQA decoder. Why I see that? Which way better?

4

I don’t know for sure. But I suspect that when you turn off MQA support in Roon, Tidal may select a non-MQA version of the album you are streaming…

Could you post the signal path shown in Roon for either configuration?

5

IMG_20201129_204554
IMG_20201129_2045541368Ă—1824 1.36 MB
IMG_20201129_204511
IMG_20201129_2045111368Ă—1824 1.33 MB

6

IMG_20201129_205044
IMG_20201129_2050444608Ă—3456 2.13 MB
IMG_20201129_205113
IMG_20201129_2051134608Ă—3456 1.65 MB

7

This looks as if the Matrix wouldn’t recognize the decoded stream from Roon as MQA for rendering… Don’t know why this is so, but in this case I would let the Matrix do both decoding and rendering.

8

Not every device is able to work as renderer only.

9

Renderer only? No, the first image is when I set no Mqa supporting and the second one I set decoder and renderer

10

When you tell Roon that the connect DAC doesn’t support MQA (“No MQA”) then Roon does the first unfold and doesn’t care to preserve the MQA information. See also:

11

Sure, but my questions are… if I set decoder and renderer why the first step is improved quality? If I set no decoder MQA why Matrix shows me only PCM format?

12

Because signal processing (MQA rendering) is involved.

So a pure PCM signal without the additional MQA signaling is received by your DAC.

13

Thanks, so the Matrix is full decoder. Have I set definitely Decoder and Renderer?

14

If you can hear a difference, choose the setting that sounds better. If not, it doesn’t matter. :smiley:

1 Like
15

If you ENABLE Roon MQA Decoder, Roon will always use it own Decoder to process the 1st level unfold, then continue the 2nd unfold by your dac, nor matter you set your dac as Decoder & Renderer or Renderer only.

If you want your dac do all the unfold works, DISABLE Roon MQA Decoder.

Test it yourself which setting is more flavor to you.