MQA for DSJ and DS w/Bridge II is imminent!

Well if it’s going to be locked in to psa equipment supported only. Unless they are going to release device support on other suppliers gear with something like RAAT…and I’m guessing that’s not going to fly well.

But that’s not closed. Sorry. Unless I’m missing something, you’ve not addressed what I put forth originally. Maybe it’s time summarized my original point…

The challenges PSA will have on an open network are the same Roon has already addressed.

When it’s all PSA gear, what’s the diff?

When it’s all psa they can use whatever protocols they devise to interoperate on their gear…if they indeed are not supporting roon on the bridge iii as I was indicated. Maybe I missed something in the whole thread here, but I’m over the psa gear. Roon support for me was big purchase factor…but after living with it on the dsj for a few months I moved on.

I’m sure psa will have a better in-house solution…but for me psa and roon was not where it needed to be. Nice gear…nice guys…

Happy to remove my comments if they are not correct.

OH! I just had a BFO! A “blinding flash of the obvious”…

If the PSA server to PSA DAC communications were NOT an open network - I2S as the most obvious method - then THAT might be a game changer… a chink in Roon’s armor, and a serious threat.

But that observation falls back to my lack of understanding of clock synchronization. If that closed system provides an advantage there, it could be big.

I’ll step away and let the more informed than I post the implications…

PS - I see that you ninja posted on me Wiz. So this will be after your post that I’ve not yet seen. :wink:

Yes sometimes the odd ninja post will happen like that. I also missed the “on” after moved…but will edit it in.

Yes the BFO or implied non open was where I was going with my thoughts.

One problem for PSA is they are chasing a fast moving target.

There like have been so many improvements to Roon’s sound from the time they thought Roon’s sound didn’t do it for them and started working on their own solution, right up to now.

And there will likely be more improvements in Roon’s sound performance up to the time they release Octave.

And that’s only talking about sound, that Paul mentions. The UI is going to get another big update. So they have that moving target to chase too.

Kudos to Paul for trying and I thank him for his strong commitment to support the Bridge II going forward - but they are attempting to climb an Everest that will keeping getting taller.

Thought I would try to move some of the “PSA supporting Roon in the future” discussion to new thread with a bit of interesting news… Take a look in this thread.

Paul McGowan at PSA just announced that “work begins in two weeks” and he guessed that PSA would be testing it within a month.

Good news IMO! I’m happy to wait until sometime in October. I like knowing that much better than having no idea at all.

I guesstimate we’ll have the update in November.

I hope I’m wrong and I hope that doesn’t come across as negative, but there are 3 (possibly 4 if MQA Pty are involved) parties involved in this approval process. These things can take more time than we first think, unfortunately.

I said in July in this thread that we were a while away and here we still are waiting, so I’d already prepared for this back then lol. I am the three eyed raven !

But I also hope for October! It’s just that I’ve tricked my brain into November, to avoid disappointment lol.

If I was setting the betting line I would put the over/under at Thanksgiving. I would take the over.

1 Like

Ha similar line of thinking.

Wow. It’s got to be tough you guys… my glass is always half full. :wink:

Wrong glass. Or wrong beverage. :stuck_out_tongue:

Well let’s see who ends up being right. Then we can talk beverages.

1 Like

There seems to be a lack of clarity over at the PS Audio forum about where the updates needed to make MQA work over Roon, sent to a PS Audio Bridge II come from. It’s seems to be very clear that PS Audio is waiting for Bridge II firmware updates from their vendor Converse Digital. However, the possibility is being floated that this might also be waiting on an update from Roon too. And PS Audio is in agreement that such might be a possibility.

@brian can you please provide a little clarity around that? The last I knew, the updates PSA needed from Roon Labs were provided months ago.

Thanks.

Yes, we provided the updates to all Roon Ready partners in July.

Some products already have received firmware updates and working MQA support with Roon–so the required bits for identifying MQA content must be there.

I’m not sure who is floating these possibilities, but no-one from PS Audio or Convers has been in touch with me about missing stuff, and I am the contact point for any technical deliverables, so …

Thanks Brian. That’s what I thought.

Were I a guessing man, and one inclined to conjecture from reading between the lines in the posts, I’d say it looks like not being clear on the fact that Roon would just be doing pass-thru of MQA material, and that nothing is required from Room, specifically in the form of licensing.

I’ll pass your feedback along, hopefully providing a bit of clarity. Thanks.

It’s so ridiculously easy for me to engage with Brian - I don’t understand what is so difficult for ConversDigital and/or PSA to do the same?

I guess PSA are extremely busy with Octave at the moment to push the communications along. At the very least, it should be clear what the actual hold-up is, even if there is a delay.

Today in the PS Audio Forums Paul McGowan said:

Just got a note from the CEO of Converse Digital who make the core module contained within the Bridge II about Roon and MQA.
“We are working on the feature, MQA flag from Roon, and it seems it will take some time.
There is complexity among MQA decoder, Roon client and mconnect firmware, which are developed by different parties.“
That’s not what any of us wanted to read but there it is. In the works but not yet ready for prime time and looks like it’ll take a while.

Earlier in this post I said: If I was setting the betting line I would put the over/under at Thanksgiving. I would take the over.

The over is looking pretty good right now.

Well, my “October” prediction is looking pretty off base. It’s looking like it would take a miracle to see this before the Month’s out.

1 Like