The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[Vincent1234]

2 hours ago, michaelD said:

Forgive me if this has already been asked but for those with a DAC that can unfold and decode MQA can you still do the unfold in the Aurender and just the decode in your DAC?  Do you need to switch something off in the DAC or does it just work?  The reason I ask is really like the looks that Aurender incorporatated into Conductor app and on their OLED display.  Would like to keep that but since at this time my DAC does do MQA just curious.  I understand the plan for Bricasti is to unfold and decode like many others do.  Also if you can unfold in the Aurender and just decode in the DAC does this affect the sound quality - I don't think so but also curious.

See my earlier post on separating the first and second MQA unfold. My experience is that having the first unfold done by the Aurender and only the second by my dCS DAC improves SQ. But YMMV.

[Vincent1234]

1 hour ago, rwwjr44 said:

IIRC ALL 16/44 files played through the MQA filter will be affected.

Incorrect. Why should they be played through an MQA filter on your DAC when they are non-MQA files..? You and your DAC will decide this; not your Aurender! Again, save for the A10 which has its built-in DAC. Also that DAC will only use MQA filtering for MQA files. Not for non-MQA ones..!

[Foxman50]

Many thanks all for the replys, but would appear some differing opinions here. Then again this is a forum 

 

i appreciate the aurender wont physically change my flac files, but if they are processed through some form of MQA filter/decoder not sure, then surely this would alter the sound. 

 

Maybe if it doesnt detect an MQA file its switches any filter/decoder off.

 

I may ping Aurender a mail and get it from the horses mouth so to speak. Thanks again for your input.

[rwwjr44]

19 minutes ago, Vincent1234 said:

Incorrect. Why should they be played through an MQA filter on your DAC when they are non-MQA files..? You and your DAC will decide this; not your Aurender! Again, save for the A10 which has its built-in DAC. Also that DAC will only use MQA filtering for MQA files. Not for non-MQA ones..!

 

Interesting. I hear a difference playing virtually any non-MQA encoded 16/44 FLAC file (streamed from my N10) when the MQA switch is engaged. I will continue to try this.

[Vincent1234]

1 hour ago, rwwjr44 said:

 

Interesting. I hear a difference playing virtually any non-MQA encoded 16/44 FLAC file (streamed from my N10) when the MQA switch is engaged. I will continue to try this.

Hmm.. interesting indeed. Shouldn't be the case, but you never know.. I will also try myself over the next days.

[isquirrel]

I have some Bit Perfect Test file's which come with the MSB, so I am going to run those through the Aurender with the MQA switch flipped on and off and see what happens, I have a feeling that they will not play Bit Perfect with the mQA switch enabled. We shall see but this should clear this debate up once and for all. Cannot do it until tonight however. I shall report back here with the results.

[mjb]

Another small Conductor app update is out: v 2.9.4 with bug fixes (no new features).

[Foxman50]

2 hours ago, isquirrel said:

I have some Bit Perfect Test file's which come with the MSB, so I am going to run those through the Aurender with the MQA switch flipped on and off and see what happens, I have a feeling that they will not play Bit Perfect with the mQA switch enabled. We shall see but this should clear this debate up once and for all. Cannot do it until tonight however. I shall report back here with the results.

 

Be very interested in the results of your testing.

[isquirrel]

Okay have tested both high and low res Bit Perfect test tracks they all come up Bit Perfect Pass makes NO difference whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off.

 

So that means that no normal low or high res files are being affected in any way by the MQA unfold switch.

 

The only files which are affected and are upsampled are MQA files only.

 

There you have it.

[marslo]

3 minutes ago, isquirrel said:

Okay have tested both high and low res Bit Perfect test tracks they all come up Bit Perfect Pass makes NO difference whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off.

 

So that means that no normal low or high res files are being affected in any way by the MQA unfold switch.

 

The only files which are affected and are upsampled are MQA files only.

 

There you have it.

Thank you Isquirrel for your valuable input.

Good to know.

[jon2020]

3 hours ago, isquirrel said:

Okay have tested both high and low res Bit Perfect test tracks they all come up Bit Perfect Pass makes NO difference whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off.

 

So that means that no normal low or high res files are being affected in any way by the MQA unfold switch.

 

The only files which are affected and are upsampled are MQA files only.

 

There you have it.

Many thanks, isquirrel!

Very, very good news indeed.

[Vincent1234]

7 hours ago, isquirrel said:

Okay have tested both high and low res Bit Perfect test tracks they all come up Bit Perfect Pass makes NO difference whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off.

 

So that means that no normal low or high res files are being affected in any way by the MQA unfold switch.

 

The only files which are affected and are upsampled are MQA files only.

 

There you have it.

Thanks. This was to be expected as this is obviously how it should be.

[Foxman50]

9 hours ago, isquirrel said:

Okay have tested both high and low res Bit Perfect test tracks they all come up Bit Perfect Pass makes NO difference whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off.

 

So that means that no normal low or high res files are being affected in any way by the MQA unfold switch.

 

The only files which are affected and are upsampled are MQA files only.

 

There you have it.

 

Many thanks isquirrel for posting your findings. This is good news, and while it is the expected outcome, well its better to be safe than sorry. Thanks again for taking the time.

 

just out of interest how does the DAC know it’s a bit perfect rip.......

[justubes]

Before the update, Aurenders play MQA up to24 bit  44.1/88.2 sampling rates.

 

So with the purchased MQA update, it will stream  up to 24bit 48/96khz to any dac.

 

So there is a a slight increase in sampling rates and may not be easy to hear the extra 3.9/7.8 khz increase in sampling rates.

 

 

[Vincent1234]

34 minutes ago, justubes said:

Before the update, Aurenders play MQA up to24 bit  44.1/88.2 sampling rates.

 

So with the purchased MQA update, it will stream  up to 24bit 48/96khz to any dac.

 

So there is a a slight increase in sampling rates and may not be easy to hear the extra 3.9/7.8 khz increase in sampling rates.

 

 

....? I think you are mistaking here. Current resolution without the first unfold is 24/44,1 or 24/48.

After the first unfold (having purchased the license) you will get (max.) 24/88,2 or 24/96. Or more if you have a full MQA DAC.

[justubes]

Thanks for clarifying,  that was what i wanted to mean.  

 

The additional sampling rates will double for MQA playback. 

[rwwjr44]

11 hours ago, isquirrel said:

Okay have tested both high and low res Bit Perfect test tracks they all come up Bit Perfect Pass makes NO difference whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off.

 

So that means that no normal low or high res files are being affected in any way by the MQA unfold switch.

 

The only files which are affected and are upsampled are MQA files only.

 

There you have it.

So they sound the same whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off?

[Vincent1234]

3 hours ago, justubes said:

Thanks for clarifying,  that was what i wanted to mean.  

 

The additional sampling rates will double for MQA playback. 

Yes, but some (not many) full MQA files are limited to only 44,1 or 48 Khz. So for these there's no higher sampling rate being offered.

[russellbobby]

I believe every file I have seen thru the A10  24/48 is the minimum resolution

[jon2020]

6 hours ago, rwwjr44 said:

So they sound the same whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off?

 

This question is the elephant in the room......

[isquirrel]

12 hours ago, Foxman50 said:

 

Many thanks isquirrel for posting your findings. This is good news, and while it is the expected outcome, well its better to be safe than sorry. Thanks again for taking the time.

 

just out of interest how does the DAC know it’s a bit perfect rip.......

MSB have a built in system whereby you play from whatever your source is, in my case a W20 and the DAC knows from the MSB supplied Bit Perfect Test files wherever it has completed a Bit Perfect success or fail, the display once the file is played, comes up with Pass or Fail on it. 

[isquirrel]

10 hours ago, rwwjr44 said:

So they sound the same whether the MQA unfold switch is on or off?

Yes for non MQA files

[Foxman50]

45 minutes ago, isquirrel said:

MSB have a built in system whereby you play from whatever your source is, in my case a W20 and the DAC knows from the MSB supplied Bit Perfect Test files wherever it has completed a Bit Perfect success or fail, the display once the file is played, comes up with Pass or Fail on it. 

 

So your DAC has access to an online database, so it can compare the file thats being played against the online database. That is a great function, never new this was possible. Cheers

[isquirrel]

Its not on line, the files are on MSB web site under support for the Select DAC. You download them and play them from your source and watch the screen on the DAC. There are no use to anyone who doesn't have a MSB DAC. 

[Vincent1234]

10 hours ago, russellbobby said:

I believe every file I have seen thru the A10  24/48 is the minimum resolution

I have seen a few 44,1 ones too. Doesn't really matter as the difference in SQ is very small.