The article states this:
Roon users will be happy to learn that once you have set up your Tidal app for MQA streaming Roon will also play any MQA Master files from Tidal at the same resolution as your Tidal app did.
Is that true? I didn’t see that happening yesterday.
Zw[quote=“erich6, post:935, topic:8204”]
Is that true? I didn’t see that happening yesterday.
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Not exactly. I see your point when I reread the quote.
When I first read it, I assumed the writer was referring to the fact that the Tidal Masters will play in Roon once we’ve “favorited” them in Tidal. And thinking about it, technically, Roon is playing the same 24/48 or 24/44 file as Tidal. But that’s a quibble.
I guess Stone’s quote will be true once MQA is integrated in Roon.
He may have meant to say, “If you have an MQA-capable DAC…”
The quote makes more sense if an MQA DAC is a Roon audio device.
I have been listening to the Tidal MQA masters. In have compared the MQA files to high resolution files and redbook (192/24 and 176/24 and 44/16) The Tidal MQA versions are so significantly better that no comparison is necessary. There is much more information on the MQA versions. Low level details that I never heard before, an overall since of correct timing of all instruments and voices… Finally, after all these years of listening to Digital that really could not convey the emotion of the the music, MQA does, it sound like live music !.. I do believe you need good equipment to hear all the improvements that MQA has to offer, as well as a good sounding room. ( room treatments, you want diffraction so you don’t lose any information)…MQA…WOW !
Hi @Steven_Bova,
Good to read your impression but could you clarify whether the Tidal MQA masters you were referring to were being played as:
48 kHz/24 bit through Roon;
96 KHz/24 bit through Tidal desktop app; or
greater resolution through an MQA DAC ?
It means you need to unfold the MQA information prior to using any DSP filter in order to get the benefit of MQA. If you ran the Dirac first then the MQA information would be unreadable by an MQA enabled DAC, negating any benefit.
Not sure how you would do that, at least with an 818.
I’m not sure either, depends on how the Meridian flow works.
I use Meridian DSP speakers. They use digital crossovers and DSP processing for various purposes. So a digital data stream (PCM) goes to the speaker, is processed by the DSP engine, is split apart and is then fed to the DACs, one for each band and driver (somewhat simplified). Thus, with a DSP speaker, the 818 is not used as a DAC.
When listening to headphones fed by the analog output, the 818 is used as a DAC.
So the question is, where is the MQA unfolding done in that datastream? The 818 is obviously capable of MQA processing, in the headphone flow. But we don’t know (at least I don’t know) how the processing is done for the DSP case: is MQA processing still done in the 818, so that an unpacked data stream is fed to the speaker? Or is MQA moved to the speaker? Seems challenging to do MQA processing in the 818 because that would require very high data rates (384 or even 768) over the digital cable. So if the MQA processing is done in the speaker, room correction cannot be inserted upstream. (In fact, there is no way to do that anyway – I think the SpeakerLink protocol is encrypted.)
There were rumors of room correction being moved into the DSP speakers, which might have been as a solution to this MQA dilemma, but nothing came of this.
I see very little innovation or development of the Meridian product line, unless MQA which is now spun off into a separate company (as is Sooloos/Roon, of course). I’m very happy with my Meridian gear, but as for the future…
I think it’s far more complicated. I have heard talk of decoding in processor and rendering in the DSP speakers.
With a processor and DSP SE speakers it’s a known whole system so things are done all over it for the ultimate MQA experiance.
As you can see, I’m no expert. Lol
In my system with an 818v3 and DSP6Ks the decoding is done in the 818 because I have the bypass decoding enabled on Tidal. I’ve seen up to 192 on the 818 but it knows I have 96/24 speakers so that’s what it sends.
Dirac, or any other DSP correction is a non starter for me since I would have to use the SPDIF out which is MMHR encrypted. Defeating the encription would kill MQA I think.
The decoding happens in the 818. It has to. Everything passes through the MQA digital input card.
In terms of getting 192 or 384 down the wire from 818 to SE loudspeakers, that’s something that Meridian is very tight-lipped on; all they have said is that they are transporting “MQA over MHR”. So looks like some form of lossless compression.
I am using a MicroRendu with the Sonore power supply , Berkeley Audio alpha USB, Berkeley Audio Reference Dac…Pass labs 30.8 amp and speakers are from Dr. Earl Geddes, Abbey,12c. My audio room is treated with many diffusion panels and some absorbing panels.
Sorry that my review was so subjective, but the quality of the music I am hearing has so impressed me I just wanted to rave about it !..According to Roon, I am receiving FLAC at 48khz/ 24 bit thru Roon. My DAC confirms the 48khz and the 24bit.
I am using the Tidal desktop. Are you suggesting that if I setup play back thru Tidal only …That I should get 96khz/24 ?
Do you believe that a better “unfolding” is awaiting me?..(wow,if so)
I am using the Berkeley Audio Reference DAC, and the rumor was that Berkeley Audio was preparing a software update to be a MQA Dac…I don’t want to start a BAD rumor, but Berkeley Audio was listed at the MQA site as a PlayBack partner, But I see now that they are no longer listed there. I am not sure what that means?
Steve
Yes.
If you download the latest Tidal desktop app and playback through it then it will unfold MQA masters by software decoding to 96kHz/24 bit. Playback through Roon of MQA masters is currently limited to 48kHz/24 bit. Roon has said that MQA software decoding is coming, but we don’t yet know to what level. The rampant speculation is that it will be similar to Tidal.
An MQA DAC will completely unfold the MQA Master to the maximum resolution folded up. I don’t know what the position is with Berkely Audio sorry.
I spoke with Berkeley Audio last August when I was seriously thinking of going analogue and the guy I talked to–I think it was designer–seemed committed to decoding MQA. He told me it would be available as a field retrofit “this fall” meaning last fall. Really sorry to hear that might not happen. Probably worth another call on your part to find out.
Great system you have.
My concern is based just on the fact that they are no longer listed at the MQA web site as a PLAYBACK partner, This fact may mean nothing… I will try and contact them and see what is happening, I certainly don’t want to start a false rumor. And it seems that some think that software decoding will be just as good outside the DAC. I guess time will tell.
Hmmmmm …
Have to be honest and say that I was a bit sceptical about the claims being made for MQA - past experience has led me to a view that differences in mastering can account for some (many?) of the perceived improvements in HiRes files. Despite this I’m always open to new evidence so I used Tidal desktop app and Bluesound speakers (which support MQA) to compare MQA and non-MQA recordings. Whilst I wouldn’t say that the differences were massive there were noticeable improvements (and my partner, who is not the least bit interested in technical stuff but has a good ear) came to similar conclusions (she didn’t now which was which so a sample of 1 blind listening test I guess).
So, given that I am thinking of using miniDSP kit to build an active speaker system I asked MiniDSP if they were going to support MQA (e.g. miniDSP 2X4HD - which can optionally run Dirac) with MQA support would be a great platform. Here is their reply!
[quote=MiniDSP]On the topic of MQA, we can say for sure that we won’t support the standard. Without providing much info of behind the scenes talk, this was one of the weirdest interaction we ever got with a company trying to license their IP… We had a perfect platform to get it up and running. The type of questions and attitude we got from the company was “interesting” to say the least. 
Anyway, I’m afraid that it won’t happen. Wishing them good luck! DevTeam.[/quote]
So wondering if this might be possible in future version of Roon?
(a) Roon decodes MQA and sends to Raspberry Pi.
(b) Raspberry Pi sends, via USB, to miniDSP 2x4HD (which can accept input up to 192/24
© miniDSP does crossover filtering and provides outputs to amps / speakers
Any better suggestions?
Interesting and detailed analysis of some MQA files.
http://archimago.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/comparison-tidal-mqa-music-high.html
Broadly. conclusion seems to be that MQA does most of what it claims to do but that some MQA files don’t start off life as very HiRes in the first place.