Yep, definitely only an issue with 48kHz source files. These files all play perfectly if I use the Tidal app or the manufacturer’s app, so it doesn’t seem to be an issue with the device compatibility. There’s something in my underlying settings that is forcing Roon to see 48kHz MQA files on Tidal as 16bit/44.1kHz files.
Even if I get Roon to do the MQA processing, it’s still seeing it as 16/44.1
I’ve tested with downloaded 48kHz sample files through Roon into these devices and it’s not resulting in the same issue - MQA is handed over without fuss to the Moon, the Bluesound and the NAD. As soon as I switch back to the Roon/Tidal/48kHz combo we’re back to CD quality. Not the end of the world, especially as I can access the files easily enough via the various apps, but I prefer to use Roon for obvious reasons.
For an album that isn’t playing MQA as expected, can you navigate to the Versions tab and confirm that there isn’t an MQA version listed in the other versions? Based on the previous screenshot you shared of the Signal Path, it looks like you are not playing the MQA version of the album
Yeah, I have checked that over and over and over again.
I can’t find any albums that are 48kHz MQA with no other versions (they all seem to have a 16/44.1 version somewhere in the background) but I’m definitely, 100%, without doubt, adding and playing the MQA version, just not receiving it when it’s output.
As I say, this happens with EVERY SINGLE 48kHz MQA file on Tidal, and yet somehow with every single 44.1kHz MQA album it works perfectly. It’s as linear as that - all 44.1kHz MQA files will play. All 48kHz ones will not. And this remains true regardless of which of the three MQA capable players I select as the output (and also if I try to switch the decoding/rendering to software instead of hardware)
Just as a matter of course - here’s a totally randomly selected album with a 44.1kHz MQA source - no settings have been changed but you can see the MQA file appearing happily in the path
I can upload countless examples of both 44.1kHz working and 48kHz not working if you need me to, but as you mentioned you’d like to narrow things down to one album, I’ll leave that one for you
Thanks for the information here. Diagnostics have been enabled and the team is currently analyzing the report. In the meantime, they were hoping you could once more use the other TIDAL account that did work and play this exact same track. Can you confirm that MQA works fine? Can you share screenshots like you did above when using that account?
Hi Dylan, thanks for your help so far. With regard to Tidal - it’s the same account, just a family one, so different login on the same account, but I’m having the exact same problem with that too. 44.1kHz MQA files play perfectly, 48kHz ones don’t.
As mentioned, when I use the Tidal app, I don’t have the same problem, so there’s something weird going on in the Roon/Tidal interface @ 48kHz that doesn’t seem to be a problem @ 44.1kHz. I’m not tech-savvy enough to even guess why, nor whether that sounds strange or entirely plausible, but that’s what I’m seeing
Thanks for confirming that it is not account specific. The diagnostics report is with the technical team now — I’ll be sure to let you know when I receive their feedback.
Hi @dylan - I’ve restarted it several times but no luck. In fact in the last couple of days, all MQA has stopped working via Roon/Tidal if the album/file is in my library (I can confirm that it continues to work fine via Tidal app)
I’ve restarted the Core (it’s headless) and the access machine several times, plus I’ve tried using remotes on iOS, Android and Amazon Kindle - none of which make any difference.
Really bizarre one. I’ve kinda accepted that it just isn’t going to work for me, because I flattened and reinstalled and it’s made no difference - I still only had 44.1kHz MQA working. As mentioned, even that now no longer works on albums in my library (if I select a random MQA 44.1kHz source file on Tidal via Roon it will work, a random 48kHz file will not)
Spoke too soon - now random 44.1kHz MQAs have also stopped working, so MQA is totally dead via Roon/Tidal for me
I wonder if it’s an issue with Tidal? Although that should mean the Tidal app wouldn’t work, I would guess. Just throwing out random ideas because I’m totally stumped
What happens if you turn off “Enable MQA Core Decoder”? Presumably that passes the entire unfolded stream from Tidal, through Roon and lets your DAC’s Decoder/Renderer do all the work?
Same problem - a few 44.1kHz source files will play, but generally it just gets passed across as a normal Tidal 16/44.1 file (ie normal CD quality).
It’s almost as if MQA is being ignored and it’s skipping to the normal CD/flac files, but I am 100% sure I’m choosing the MQA files (logos are visible, plus I’ve also added them to my library and they play fine via the Tidal app)
Thanks Paul, but as you’ll see further up the thread, I’ve tried that numerous times too (including using my partner’s account which is linked to my own “family” sub)
@grossmsj & @dylan - it’s a good idea but I’m not sure if that type of thing exists. Does Roon have any testing accounts like this?
