Listening to Tidal Master files through Devialet Air

Roon Software Discussion
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Dear Roon Team and community,

I am new to Roon and am exited about the software. But I do have a question about Hi-Res Files through Tidal and my Devialet 200. Following Setup:

  • Tidal Hi-Res (Master) files
  • Roon on Windows 2010
  • Devialet 200 connected via Ethernet

Roon shows me on Signal Path something like “TIDAL FLAC 48 kHz 24 bit MQA 192 kHz” without any further details. Now my questions:

  1. Is it a correct interpretation, that Roon has no capability to unfold MQA using the Tidal Engine or the internal DAC?
  2. If not, is there another way WITHOUT additional hardware to listen to Tidal MQA files in full resolution?
  3. I know that you are working on MQA unfolding. Do you have a schedule by now when direct MQA unfolding in Roon will be supported?
  4. And last question: are you planning to integrate a search/display option of MQA files at some point? Currently, I have to check in Tidal, if the album is available in MQA and cannot see that in Roon’s library.

Thank you very much for a detailed answer! For me, the software only makes sense, if the Hi-Res playback is possible with my hardware so I would like to know before the end of the trial period on Jan. 15.

Felix Husmann

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Devialet will never play MQA truly unfolded due to its architecture (well it might but dont hold your breatrh)
The best you will get right now is to use tidals desktop ap to get the first unfold until roon is capable of doing so…

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As for your questions:

  1. For now, Roon does not unfold MQA files. It does send them to the DAC untouched, so hardware supporting full MQA can do the unfold.
  2. No.
  3. Two things are involved: business dealings with MQA Ltd. and the technical implementation. While Roon doing MQA first unfold (up to 96kHz) is expected for the near future, no deadlines are given, especially since there’s a third party involved.
  4. It seems reasonable to expect that when MQA support lands, MQA files will be recognised as such and available in Focus > Inspector for filtering. It would be nice if Tidal MQA albums would carry a little MQA badge by then.
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