Official TIDAL HIFI Streaming Issues Thread

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I generally do my streaming with a dedicated hardwired network consisting of a MacBook Pro (running most current updated iOS and Roon with Tidal integration), Netgear 7500v2 router, and dCS Vivaldii stack (through the upsampler). All the connections are generic Cat6 ethernet cabling.  This works well with Roon.

 

When I try to run the Tidal desktop app on the MacBook Pro to listen to hi rez MQA files, the Tidal app does not "see" the dCS upsampler (i.e. it does not appear as an option in the Settings/Audio/Streaming tab of the app).  I tried rebooting, reinstalling, reconnecting, etc endless times with no success.  In desperation, I tried connecting the MacBook Pro to the upsampler with a USB2 cable, and it worked; the upsampler showed that it was receiving 24/96 and the sound was excellent (comparable to playing a 24/96 hi rez file on my hard drive through Roon).  For the audio options, I selected Exclusive Mode, Forced Volume, and MQA decoding by the Tidal app.  

 

The USB cable is a PITA.  Any idea why Tidal is not seeing the network?

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5 minutes ago, Cebolla said:

The dCS Vivaldi Upsampler is a Roon EndPoint, as well as a UPnP renderer and an AirPlay audio receiver. Only Apple's own AirPlay network streaming mechanism is supported by OS X, such that the Mac should be able to present any AirPlay supporting device on the network as an audio output device to play to.

 

Therefore, if AirPlay is enabled & working properly on the Upsampler, you should be able to select it as an audio output device in the TIDAL Mac desktop app. However, Airplay network audio streaming is fixed at 16/44.1kHz, so the 24/96kHz MQA decoded signal will be downsampled through this mechanism.

 

You won't be able to select the Upsampler's Roon EndPoint nor its UPnP renderer (which unlike AirPlay would both potentially be able to network stream the 24/96kHz MQA decoded signal without resampling) as an audio output device in the TIDAL Mac desktop app, simply because OS X doesn't support their network streaming protocols as it does AirPlay.

Thank you.  I'll stop banging my head against the wall.  

 

Using an earlier version of the TIDAL desktop app, it communicated by way of the network using Airplay but only at 16/44.1 as you predicted (both Airplay and 16/44.1 input were shown on the upsampler).  For whatever reason, the USB workaround has been successful (the upsampler shows no Airplay and 24/96 input).  I'll use the workaround until Roon integrates the TIDAL MQA feature (soon, I hope).

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I wonder if this is geographic.  I live on Long Island, NY.  I am able to stream MQA (24/96) reliably without stuttering from the TIDAL desktop app running on a MacBook Pro, but I have to use a USB connection between my laptop and my upsampler/DAC  (rather than my usual hardwired ethernet network) because the TIDAL desktop app will not output to the network (even if it did, Apple Airplay would probably downsample it).  I have no trouble running Roon on the network, so I am looking forward to Roon integrating TIDAL/MQA decoding.

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I am a Mac user so I have not suffered through the problems with the Tidal desktop that the Windows users have been experiencing.  On the other hand, I must use the Tidal desktop app to have access to the "Masters" (MQA) decoding but the Tidal desktop will not output to my upsampler/DAC through the dedicated hardwired ethernet network over which I listen to Roon.  Accordingly, when I listen to the Tidal desktop I must route the signal over a USB cable from my Mac to my upsampler/DAC.  Not surprisingly, in my system, all else being equal sound quality over the network is better than over a USB cable.

 

I have compared the sound quality between the same track played on (a) Roon sending a 44.1/16 signal over the network to my upsampler/DAC, and (b) the Tidal desktop sending a 96/24 signal over a USB cable (with a Jitterbug) to my upsampler/DAC, and the Roon route quite clearly sounds better (principally, clarity and body).  I'm looking forward to Roon providing an update that allows MQA decoding to take place in Roon.