So I usually up-sample everything to DSD512, and have a question when listening to MQA. I am running an non-MQA DAC (Auralic Vega G2), so in Roon, I have my MQA setting to Decoder only. I noticed that when set to decoder and renderer, the MQA stream is preserved. When set to decoder only, the MQA stream is unfolded, then up-sampled to DSD. I assume that I am loosing any type of MQA goodness when this happens? Should I simply leave the setting to decode and render if I want to preserve the original MQA stream?
Yes, let MQA do it’s thing and see which way you prefer it. The MQA should be analogous to the studio input.
@Scott_Rose If your dac is non MQA then the setting in Roon should be set to ‘no MQA capability’ as you are not setting what you want you are setting what the dac is capable of, this will give you the first unfold but you will not get the rendering as you need an MQA dac for that, still >90% of the ‘goodness’ imho.
Thanks Ratbert.
Should I at least set it to decode, so I can get the first MQA unfold? If I set it to “no MQA capability”, it will decode, then just upsample to DSD512. I want to be able to play MQA when presented with the first unfold, so I am guessing I should just set it to decode with no rendering, which will preserve the MQA stream even when I have upsampling turned on, correct?
I am not certain but my gut feeling is disable the upsampling when using MQA.
My DAC is set to upsample everything to 2xDSD. That is my personal preference, to me it sounds just a little better. With Roon set to no MQA capability I get the benefit of MQA’s first unfold, then I get the result upsampled in a way I like. I don’t think MQA is required to be listened to pure to evaluate it legitimately. Just set your system up how you like it and enjoy it!
Try to set the maximum output sample to 384k in device settings then enable ‘power of 2’ PCM up-sampling in DSP, at the same time choose ‘smooth minimum phase’ filter. I think this setting should mimic like the ‘renderer’.
Setting to maximum output sample means, the internal DAC digital filter will behave like a ‘pass through’ while using Roon smooth minimum phase filter. Even when listening no MQA materials, it should sounds better than normal sharp cut-off filter inside the DAC.
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Hi,
I had a similar question here
and John provided the following suggestion
I did try the same thing using ropieee and upsampling to DSD256 and the above suggestion works perfectly
Hope this helps
Marco
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Preserving the MQA stream is beneficial only if you have a MQA DAC. In your case @Ratbert is correct that you should set the DAC to “No MQA Support”, such that Roon will perform MQA Core decoding then upsampling as necessary.
Hi dear @Scott_Rose I fought your Auralic Vega G2 is/was having MQA!
To this part of a article so does they write “With Roon—where a Roon server must be present on the network in order for Roon to be used. (Note that while the VEGA G2 serves as a RoonReady endpoint and can be configured under Roon as a zone or an output, it cannot act as a Roon Core or a Roon server.) Alternatively, the VEGA G2 also works well with AURALiC’s own control software packages: Lightning DS for iOS or Lightning DS for Web. Streaming digital audio file types supported by the VEGA G2 include both lossy formats (such as AAC, MP3, MQA, and WMA) and lossless formats (such as AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, OGG, WAV, and WV).
I have checked the Roon configuration and it’s only shows Auralic Vega, not G1 or G2!
But try to click on Auralic Vega and default on settings, so should it looking like this!
I’m sorry but it’s not working to upload any photos?
But click on the default settings, it will show DSD over Dop, Decoder and Render, Fast Volume, when go to the advanced settings, Max Sample Rate PCM 192 kHz, Max Bites PCM 32, xxxxxxxxxxxxx and Enable MQA Decoder Yes, Enable Integer Mode Yes, Force Max Volume At Playback Start and Save!!!
Close your DSP and check if it’s playing MQA!
Play a MQA Album and click on the point or star, so you can see if it play MQA!
I hope that it’s working because it shall do it 
Love & Respect
MQA is NOT analogous to the studio input, this is because it is digital PCM. Stop making false claims.
Hi Anders…
Currently the Vega G2 is still not fully supported in Roon, only the original Vega. The Vega G2 should be fully supported in Roon when Auralic releases its 5.5 code, which should be any time.
While Auralic does support MQA through its own deblurring process in LDS, the DAC does not render MQA (read it is not an MQA DAC). I can indeed listen to the first unfold of MQA in Roon with the Vega G2, but that is it. My question was more about upsampling while preserving the MQA stream…which is not possible. At this point, I simply enable MQA Core Decoder, and upsample everything to DSD256. I find this gives me the bet possible sound quality, even with MQA source files.
Thanks much for the input and advise!
Cheers
That’s the claim, a sound analogues to the input. Indeed, that the whole point. You can argue with MQA if it pleases but I’m only saying what I am reliably told. I am enjoying MQA anyway and all this debate is irrelevant to me now.
There’s obviously a very fine and easily blurred line between reliably told and the marketing literature.
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Feels like a contradictio in terminis. 
What in Roon does the VEGA G2 not support? That is my DAC as well and Roon works fine for me. Core is on a NAS and an android tablet is the controller.
Nothing really. Just the certification badge. It’s MQA features are unofficial so Roon would have to report it as not having any.
The Vega G2 (used as a pure DAC) supports everything in Roon. As a “Roon Endpoint” it seems to be fully functional as well, but just has not been “certified” by Roon yet. I was also simply clarifying the fact that the Auralic Vega G2 is not an MQA DAC, and thus cannot render the second unfold of MQA as a DAC.
Sorry, misunderstood your statement: Currently the Vega G2 is still not fully supported in Roon, only the original Vega. The Vega G2 should be fully supported in Roon when Auralic releases its 5.5 code, which should be any time.
Xuanqian has voiced his non-acceptance of MQA, so we will not ever likely see it. Roon certified, yes, eventually.
One can still get ‘in house’ MQA like decoding on their line of streamers, such as the Aries.