Lumin MQA Settings

You are asking about a digital encoding format in an analog output signal. Not relevant. Once converted to analog, MQA is no longer MQA – because it is analog audio. The same holds for PCM, DSD, DTS, etc.

AJ

If your DSPeaker performs another A/D and D/A conversion, then it is re-introducing “temporal blurring” in MQA terminology.

Any DSP must happen after the first decode, the so called ‘optional DSP’ block thereafter rendering/upsampling to a DAC. In order this to happen the whole process has to done in a system integration as a whole. Until we see MQA DAC has built-in optional Room correction.

Since analogue outputs already have been optimised for its impulse response performance any A/D then D/A will introduce its own so called ‘ringing’

This is all gibberish to me.

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Normally, analog outputs from MQA decoder such as Lumin conforms to MQA specifications. If you introduce another digital conversion after that, the musical content is still there, but it no longer complies with MQA performance criteria on time domain.

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mqa-time-domain-accuracy-digital-audio-quality

Firmware 9.05 improves MQA sound quality for Lumin A1 / T1 / D1 analog outputs.

RAAT is also updated to the latest 1.1.22.

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Hi Peter

Thanks for the new firmware update to my Lumin T1 :blush:
I have my Lumin connected to a pair of dynaudio xd 200 through the analog connections.
My question is, do i get the full MQA decoding and sound quality when i hook the lumin up anologt to my dynaudio speakers who are fully digital?

It seems that analog signals go through another A/D and D/A conversion inside the XD200. This way the MQA time domain performance is not maintained, but you still get the hi-res musical content through the MQA decoding done by Lumin.

Thanks Peter, which way will be the best way then? Lumin digital to loudspeakers or Lumin anolog to loudspeakers? I know that digital only goes 24/96 or 24/88.2 to the dac inside my xd 200, but is it better than going analog and an extra A/D to D/A conversion?
Forgive me, but im not that much into all the tecnical stuff :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I guess that Lumin analog output may still sound better, but you’ll need to listen to both to know what sounds best to you. Please let me know what you find if you perform this test. :slight_smile:

After a lot of listening i came to the same conclusion, going through the analog connections sounds better…but could be that im using the dac in the lumin that way and it sounds more vinyl like and analog.
Lumin is such a great product :blush:

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Yes! That’s exactly what I hoped would happen, despite the theoretical implications of another A/D and D/A conversion. :smiley:

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Status update on MQA certification for M1 (Roon Ready integrated amplifier): it is progressing well.

By the way, a competitor (not Roon Ready) released a $49.99 MQA firmware upgrade for what Lumin gave for free…

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Hi Peter,
New lumin D2 user!
I would be grateful if you could help me understand why MQA full decoder is blue instead of purple. As far as I can tell all DSP are off.


Thank you in advance.

MQA is technically DSP and many (though not by any means all) would consider it an enhancement. Hence the blue light.

That is correct, and it is Roon Labs’ decision. Last time I asked, Roon Labs consider the MQA rendering (second stage of the MQA decoding) to be Enhanced.

Clear! Thank you both for your responses.
All the best

I have a Lumin U1 mini and Berkeley Audio Reference DAC. The Lumin does the MQA decoding and the Berkeley does MQA rendering. My question is in Roon Nucleus MQA setting for the Lumin should it be set to decode only or decode and render? Thank you in advance!

Berkeley MQA DAC is MQA Renderer only. In Lumin app, you should leave Lumin MQA mode to be “Digital Output”.

In Roon, you can try Renderer Only. Both Renderer Only and Decoder and Renderer setting should work. With Renderer Only, Nucleus does the MQA Core decoding. With Decoder and Renderer, Lumin does the MQA Core decoding when you use neither Roon DSP engine nor volume leveling.

Decoder only would be wrong.

Thank you sir!