Hi @John and @Henry_McLeod
Thank you for your help over the holiday weekend.
I was able to research, test your suggestions but I’m still rather confused (not unusual!).
For reference, My music path & eq was as follows prior to your suggestions: iMac (Roon Core - playing Tidal HiFi or my FLAC flies on iMac) to BlueSound Node 2 (via ethernet), Bluesound Node 2 to SSP-25 (via digital coax output into a digital input on SSP-25), SSP-25 to Classe 401 amp (via XLR balanced), Then from 401 to B&W 802’s (via cables).
After your suggestion, I added another path from the BlueSound Node 2 to the SSP-25 and connected them via the RCA analog out from Node 2 to analog RCA inputs on SSP-25. I also have the original path too so I can test it both ways.
So now on channel AV1 (analog) I have RCA Analog from Node 2 to SSP-25 and on channel AV2 (digital) I have the digital coax from Node 2 to SSP-25…
So Here are the tests all using Tidal through Roon as MQA source:
Test 1
Device Setup Node 2 (Enable MQA Core Decoder = yes)
AV1 (analog) has output
AV2 (digital) has no output (this is what my setup was that prompted my support message)
Test 2
Device Setup Node 2 (Enable MQA Core Decoder = no)
AV1 (analog) has output
AV2 (digital) has output
So I guess I’m a little confused, the SSP-25 has to be decoding the MQA 192/24? given the results of Test 2. I thought the issue was as you guys pointed out that the SSP-25 probably cannot handle High Res and I have to use the analog from Node 2. But it looks like it can? Does this make sense since the SSP-25 is 19-20 years old in technology? or is something else potentially going on?
I also opened up the BlueSound OS (not Roon) and the settings for MQA External DAC do not appear to change the output when I turn this setting “on” or “off” so this is puzzling too.
Would appreciate any thoughts you have on this and thank you again for all your help. The good news is I got out put, just not sure what it is totally.
Stewart