MQA software decoding in Roon

I have had a PS Audio DirectStream DAC now for about 2 1/2 years, have applied all the firmware updates as they’ve become available, and for my AIFF files (most 44.1/16, some as high as 192/24) it sounds just great…until I had the opportunity to snag a Meridian Explorer2 DAC ($199 on Amazon) and stream MQA from the Tidal Windows app. I was really skeptical with all the hype surrounding MQA, but I must say, I am really pleasantly surprised. I feel that MQA offers better bass, more “analog” sounding midrange, crisper highs, better dynamics and more realistic timbre (when the original recording captured that). In high school & college I was a rock and roll drummer; with MQA cymbals have not only accurate “tonal qualities”, but you can enjoy the visceral qualities of that cymbal vibrating. In short, I feel that MQA offers the best that digital has to offer, with a more “analog” sound.

In my setup, I have the Meridian DAC setup in Tidal to do “pass thru” and for the PS Audio DAC have “pass thru” unchecked.

Playing MQA thru the Meridian DAC with that setup sounds significantly better than the PS Audio DAC, which sounds dull and lifeless, playing those tracks that way. So, I’m wondering if there is something about an FPGA-based DSD DAC where, doing the software unfolding in Tidal, though the PS Audio DAC is reporting high res PCM, without the “deblurring” we’ll not only not enjoy the full benefits of MQA, but that we’ll really be listening to reduced sound quality that route.

I took the time to compare the two DACs with regular FLAC files and the PS Audio sounds significantly smoother and more natural. But feeding MQA into that little Explorer2 DAC sounds really awesome!

PS Audio originally seemed to shun the idea of submitting their hardware to MQA. I’m hoping that the market for MQA gains enough traction that they’ll work on a way to combine MQA hardware decoding and the wonderful approach of their FPGA-based DAC (with it’s firmware updates). I guess time will tell.

In the mean time it’s MQA --> Explorer2 or PCM/DSD --> DirectStream.

Wow. PS Audio won’t be happy to hear that.

I have had a similar experience. Being a die-hard DSD junkie since day one (purchased an SCD-1 the day I heard it), I recently took a chance on an NAD M32 - for the office. I can’t believe what I am hearing from this thing. It sounds absolutely amazing to me. Maybe my hearing really is going!

As far as streaming MQA with the M32, I can’t reliably tell the difference from DSD. I am beginning to think that it really, truly is all about timing. Jitter was the first phase - in getting the timing right. Now with MQA, my understanding is that it seeks to correct subtle timing errors within the source ADC, and again within the target DAC.

The DirectStream is a phenomenal DSD-based DAC. But I am not surprised that given MQA’s similar strength with getting the bit-timing right, that the Explorer 2 is able to give it a run for its money, with MQA encoded tracks.

DirectStream DAC is supposed to make PCM sound more ‘analogue’ by converting PCM to DSD internally inside the DAC. All your existing collections whether CDs or high res PCM you have already invested over the years will enjoy this enormous benefits.

Of course users can buy a cheap Explorer 2 and playback MQA to get the so call ‘analogue’ sound, but it will never sound as good if you playback non MQA contents. So either you ‘re buy’ all your existing collections in MQA contents and settle for Explorer 2 or continue to enjoy your all your existing collections on a DirectStream DAC. The choice is yours.

Looks like MQA is coming to Universal,

Russ

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Of course it is going to be good, it gives Tidal a boost on their music catalog and users more choice!

So either you ‘re buy’ all your existing collections in MQA contents and settle for Explorer 2 or continue to enjoy your all your existing collections on a DirectStream DAC. The choice is yours.

I think that at the bottom of it, most of the folks throwing shade at MQA are really trying to say that they resist the entire notion of streaming. Hence the false dichotomy above, which is the undercurrent of most gripes about the technology. “I bought a DVD-A player and a thousand albums, and now it’s a dead tech, and I’ll never make that mistake again.”

MQA is a streaming thing. If you don’t, can’t, won’t do streaming, then don’t worry your pretty little head about MQA. Go back to your HD Tracks and your SACDs and your Laserdiscs or whatever, and enjoy! You can still be happy.

While you continue to pad your library one album at a time for $20-50 a pop, I’ll pay $20/month and be able to listen 95% of the non-classical music ever published. You’re happy, I’m happy. You won’t ever have to listen to MQA; I won’t ever have to pay $30 to download one freaking album. Everybody wins.

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Well put. It really isn’t an either/or situation.

Correction: you will be able to listen to modified, loudness war dynamically squashed versions of 95 percent of the non classical music ever released.

AJ

AJ, how many decoded MQA files have you listened to?

Not many. But how many decoded MQA files that I have listened to is not even remotely relevant.

What is relevant with streaming is that you get only what is current in the catalog. And what is current in the catalog often is a version that has been dynamically altered to fit modern dictates. The recording as originally released is unavailable.

MQA is no protection from the loudness war. The MQA encode is made from whatever master, remaster, or disaster is supplied.

AJ

Not many.

Five? Three? Zero?

MQA is no protection from the loudness war.

Nor is it protection from nuclear war, the war on Christmas, the war on cancer, or the war on drugs. It will also not make you a frappuccino, or keep that hazy residue from accumulating on your car’s headlights. For these reasons and more, you should probably continue to not listen to MQA.


Andrew, in real life I suspect we would enjoy a beverage and a listening session together. I promise I’m not trying to troll you.

Yes, over a nice beverage and some red herring.

:wink:

AJ

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Paul from PS Audio obtained some early MQA samples and reported that they sounded worse when decoded by their DirectSteam DAC; I am finding the same result.

I suspect that PS Audio and a number of other DAC manufacturers will need to evaluate the market and if MQA looks like it’ll be successful (i.e. as many MQA albums available as say DSD), they will probably need to incorporate MQA decoding into their future DACs, to have the ability to sell these new products.

I did another comparison, regular FLAC files --> DirectStream DAC, regular FLAC files --> Explorer2 and the DirectStream DAC sounded significantly better (Explorer2 had what I’d call “harshness” in the midrange).

I hope MQA succeeds in the marketplace!

That’s a massive assumption. The Explorer 2 is epic with any content - MQA or not. Since adding it to my system I’ve been rediscovering my collection with fresh ears. The blinged-up, mega bucks DACs may be very nice, but I think the Explorer is an audiophile bargain.

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So are some people suggesting that a $200 MQA capable DAC and streaming Tidal MQA betters a $5000 DAC playing standard redbook flac? If only it was that simple.

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Exactly. I find it hard to believe. If true, those $5K DACs are toast.

I had a look at PS Audio, and all the ‘personally tuned by’ stuff was a massive turn-off. Yaaaaaaawn! It’s nice to throw words like ‘cheap’ around on fora to make you feel better about spending thousands on a box.

One last post before I bow out ('cause I’m not really adding to the discussion) -

I’m sure the big, expensive DACs are lovely - but the law of diminishing returns kicks in at some point. While I wouldn’t say the Meridian Explorer 2 is better than these DACs, I will maintain that it is a fabulous performer by any standards and represents a fantastic bargain.

MQA sounds lovely - but I’m not spending an awful lot of time listening to it. A couple of albums have been really nice, but I am decidedly more taken with how my own music sounds. This must have something to do with Meridian’s apodising / upsampling tech.

Regardless of the arguments about and merits of MQA - when Roon has software decoding ready to roll everyone (Tidal subscribers at least) will be able to join in. If you’ve got a DAC that you love, and you can listen in 24/96 to MQA - then it seems to me to be an ideal solution. Those who want to can change their DAC later on.

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I agree with this; what I meant is the option for Roon to use a dongle as a renderer for a bunch of non-MQA DAC’s currently in the market is probably not an option being considered very seriously…but I could be (happily) wrong!