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Roon & MQA - Software Decoding Is Coming!


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Decodes? Or passes-through?

 

 

Hardware decoding in an MQA compatible DAC purportedly gives better results than "generic" software decoding b/c the DAC chip characters has been taken into account - at least this was the argument for not allowing software decoding.

 

 

 

I would love to see a comparison between software and hardware decoding on the same DAC. Anyone?

 

This is just a superficial first listening.

I could not hear a difference between Hardware decoding ( Meridian Explorer2) and Software decoding (Tidal App into Schiit MB Dac). I have to do some listening over the weekend.

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This is just a superficial first listening.

I could not hear a difference between Hardware decoding ( Meridian Explorer2) and Software decoding (Tidal App into Schiit MB Dac). I have to do some listening over the weekend.

I think you could actually try with the same DAC: If you use the Explorer2 and set the Tidal app to decode rather than pass through, you could hear the difference right there. One way to tell, I suppose, is if the MQA light does not light up when you set Tidal to software-decode.

NUC10i7 + Roon ROCK > dCS Rossini APEX DAC + dCS Rossini Master Clock 

SME 20/3 + SME V + Dynavector XV-1s or ANUK IO Gold > vdH The Grail or Kondo KSL-SFz + ANK L3 Phono 

Audio Note Kondo Ongaku > Avantgarde Duo Mezzo

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This is just a superficial first listening.

I could not hear a difference between Hardware decoding ( Meridian Explorer2) and Software decoding (Tidal App into Schiit MB Dac). I have to do some listening over the weekend.

 

Use the Meridian in both cases to absolutely level the playing field.

Roon Rock->Auralic Aria G2->Schiit Yggdrasil A2->McIntosh C47->McIntosh MC301 Monos->Wilson Audio Sabrinas

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On a first listening there is no difference. But thats not conclusive. Was simply a short listening session.

I used the Meridian in both cases.

A lot of testing is needed.

One could capture the two analog outs and compare the spectrums.

 

I'll be perfectly honest: I think the "tailoring to the DAC" is complete BS and an excuse to not allow software decoding - happy to be proven wrong and jaded.

NUC10i7 + Roon ROCK > dCS Rossini APEX DAC + dCS Rossini Master Clock 

SME 20/3 + SME V + Dynavector XV-1s or ANUK IO Gold > vdH The Grail or Kondo KSL-SFz + ANK L3 Phono 

Audio Note Kondo Ongaku > Avantgarde Duo Mezzo

Signal cables: Kondo Silver, Crystal Cable phono

Power cables: Kondo, Shunyata, van den Hul

system pics

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I'll be perfectly honest: I think the "tailoring to the DAC" is complete BS and an excuse to not allow software decoding

 

Of course, software decoding is IMO preferable to hardware decoding.

 

Matt

"I want to know why the musicians are on stage, not where". (John Farlowe)

 

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One could capture the two analog outs and compare the spectrums.

 

I'll be perfectly honest: I think the "tailoring to the DAC" is complete BS and an excuse to not allow software decoding - happy to be proven wrong and jaded.

Better yet, capture the digital signal going into the DAC chip and compare.

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Better yet, capture the digital signal going into the DAC chip and compare.

Yes definitely, but you'd have to open an Explorer2 and tap into the appropriate lines.

NUC10i7 + Roon ROCK > dCS Rossini APEX DAC + dCS Rossini Master Clock 

SME 20/3 + SME V + Dynavector XV-1s or ANUK IO Gold > vdH The Grail or Kondo KSL-SFz + ANK L3 Phono 

Audio Note Kondo Ongaku > Avantgarde Duo Mezzo

Signal cables: Kondo Silver, Crystal Cable phono

Power cables: Kondo, Shunyata, van den Hul

system pics

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I did a comparison of a track I know. I couldn't find one that I knew exceptionally well but my reaction is "meh". Different? I think so. Better? No.

Maybe it should be renamed to M-EQ-A.

NUC10i7 + Roon ROCK > dCS Rossini APEX DAC + dCS Rossini Master Clock 

SME 20/3 + SME V + Dynavector XV-1s or ANUK IO Gold > vdH The Grail or Kondo KSL-SFz + ANK L3 Phono 

Audio Note Kondo Ongaku > Avantgarde Duo Mezzo

Signal cables: Kondo Silver, Crystal Cable phono

Power cables: Kondo, Shunyata, van den Hul

system pics

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I did a comparison of a track I know. I couldn't find one that I knew exceptionally well but my reaction is "meh". Different? I think so. Better? No.

 

Redbook

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32100[/ATTACH]

 

Tidal Master

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32099[/ATTACH]

 

Are you using software decoding or is your DAC MQA capable? I tried playing through roon and mr and got no sound though file kept playing through in roon.

 

 

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Are you using software decoding or is your DAC MQA capable? I tried playing through roon and mr and got no sound though file kept playing through in roon.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

 

Through Roon.

W10 NUC i7 (Gen 10) > Roon (Audiolense FIR) > Motu UltraLite mk5 > (4) Hypex NCore NC502MP > JBL M2 Master Reference +4 subs

 

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Through Roon.

But then you're not decoding the MQA info, just playing effectively a 16bit/48KHz file, no?

NUC10i7 + Roon ROCK > dCS Rossini APEX DAC + dCS Rossini Master Clock 

SME 20/3 + SME V + Dynavector XV-1s or ANUK IO Gold > vdH The Grail or Kondo KSL-SFz + ANK L3 Phono 

Audio Note Kondo Ongaku > Avantgarde Duo Mezzo

Signal cables: Kondo Silver, Crystal Cable phono

Power cables: Kondo, Shunyata, van den Hul

system pics

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Are you using software decoding or is your DAC MQA capable? I tried playing through roon and mr and got no sound though file kept playing through in roon.

There's no such thing at the moment. What you effectively get is the 16bit/48KHz info in that file. MQA argues this is better because ADC artifacts have been removed. Dunno about that.

NUC10i7 + Roon ROCK > dCS Rossini APEX DAC + dCS Rossini Master Clock 

SME 20/3 + SME V + Dynavector XV-1s or ANUK IO Gold > vdH The Grail or Kondo KSL-SFz + ANK L3 Phono 

Audio Note Kondo Ongaku > Avantgarde Duo Mezzo

Signal cables: Kondo Silver, Crystal Cable phono

Power cables: Kondo, Shunyata, van den Hul

system pics

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LOL. Really am.

 

When do you try it?

I would have to try it over Tidal, but for that I need to reconnect the DAC to my mini directly. Snooze...

 

The Alanis Morissette album in MQA form plays fine through Roon->HQPlayer->NAA->mR, but obviously no MQA decoding is happening.

NUC10i7 + Roon ROCK > dCS Rossini APEX DAC + dCS Rossini Master Clock 

SME 20/3 + SME V + Dynavector XV-1s or ANUK IO Gold > vdH The Grail or Kondo KSL-SFz + ANK L3 Phono 

Audio Note Kondo Ongaku > Avantgarde Duo Mezzo

Signal cables: Kondo Silver, Crystal Cable phono

Power cables: Kondo, Shunyata, van den Hul

system pics

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I would have to try it over Tidal, but for that I need to reconnect the DAC to my mini directly. Snooze...

 

Yep, snooze.

 

I want to know when someone is going to capture the stream from Redbook and MQA and do a proper analysis to see if the whole whoopla is worth it even. I'm tired of the next thing comes out and everyone goes nuts and there's never real data to support whether it's good or not. The only thing you hear is from the people that have money to gain (which I'm OK with as long as it's real).

W10 NUC i7 (Gen 10) > Roon (Audiolense FIR) > Motu UltraLite mk5 > (4) Hypex NCore NC502MP > JBL M2 Master Reference +4 subs

 

Watch my Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMw_bZWBMtRWNJQfTJ38kA/videos

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Sigh.

 

Based on the comments and information here on CA, it seems that, NO, you aren't getting anything out of MQA if you play it through JRiver (or any other non-MQA software), and if streaming the file to a non-MQA DAC, all you're getting is a normal Redbook quality track. I bought the Mozart MQA remaster from 2L a while back without understanding how MQA actually worked, and I thought it was "meh" -- no better than CD quality as far as I could tell.

 

Okay. So I went and downloaded Roon for the first time with the idea that I would get something different if the player is MQA-enabled. Roon is needlessly convoluted compared to JRiver, but I'm pretty sure it's setup right; this is what I get when playing back the MQA file and I click the little light button thing next to the track title it says "Lossless", with the output being ASIO (which is correct, I selected the Amanero ASIO driver in setup). The source information says: "FLAC 44.1kHz 24bit 2ch MQA 352.8kHz". My Amanero USB-I2S bridge and the DAC both see it as a 44.1kHz stream -- which I suppose is normal for a non-MQA DAC?

 

One very annoying thing about Roon, it just won't show the DXD version of the file I downloaded from 2L's comparison web page in order to test the original master version with the MQA-encoded version back-to-back so I had to resort to listening to the MQA version in Roon, shutting it down to release the ASIO driver, and then playing the DXD version in JRiver. Honestly...not much a difference as far as I could tell. The DXD version is perhaps a bit more resolved and dynamic? I used a Focal Utopia for the test. I also tried it with my Chane A1.4 speakers, but I don't trust them and my room yet for critical listening.

 

I want to get to the bottom of this. I went ahead and ordered a Meridian Explorer 2 from Amazon so there shouldn't be any excuse. I'll hook it up to my dedicated source chain and listen to it through the Utopia and if its too much for it I'll try the TH900. If I have to I'll hook it up to the Mjolnir 2 via a RCA adapter. If MQA is really what it being claimed I will get serious about integrating MQA into my system which would probably mean a Brooklyn is in my future, lol.

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Currently the only software decoder is thru Tidal desktop app but both Audivana and Roon will be offering a decoder as well. Last year there was discussion that MQA would only be decoded thru a MQA enabled DAC but I guess they changed their mind.

 

So with Tidal, you have a few options. If you don't like MQA at all, you can still play the regular CD quality version. If you choose the MQA version, you can either have Tidal decode it or pass the signal thru for a MQA dac to decode.

 

If you bought MQA tracks, then you'll have to wait for Audivana or Roon's upcoming upgraded to decode without a MQA dac.

 

I've read both sides of the argument but just listening to the Hifi vs the Master files on Tidal, I"m finding the Master ones do sound better. Some are slightly quieter than the Hifi version and they seem to have more space and smoother vocals.

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Currently the only software decoder is thru Tidal desktop app but both Audivana and Roon will be offering a decoder as well. Last year there was discussion that MQA would only be decoded thru a MQA enabled DAC but I guess they changed their mind.

 

So with Tidal, you have a few options. If you don't like MQA at all, you can still play the regular CD quality version. If you choose the MQA version, you can either have Tidal decode it or pass the signal thru for a MQA dac to decode.

 

If you bought MQA tracks, then you'll have to wait for Audivana or Roon's upcoming upgraded to decode without a MQA dac.

 

I've read both sides of the argument but just listening to the Hifi vs the Master files on Tidal, I"m finding the Master ones do sound better. Some are slightly quieter than the Hifi version and they seem to have more space and smoother vocals.

 

......

 

Wow. Okay, thank you for the info. Off to try Tidal...

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Currently the only software decoder is thru Tidal desktop app but both Audivana and Roon will be offering a decoder as well. Last year there was discussion that MQA would only be decoded thru a MQA enabled DAC but I guess they changed their mind.

 

So with Tidal, you have a few options. If you don't like MQA at all, you can still play the regular CD quality version. If you choose the MQA version, you can either have Tidal decode it or pass the signal thru for a MQA dac to decode.

 

If you bought MQA tracks, then you'll have to wait for Audivana or Roon's upcoming upgraded to decode without a MQA dac.

 

I've read both sides of the argument but just listening to the Hifi vs the Master files on Tidal, I"m finding the Master ones do sound better. Some are slightly quieter than the Hifi version and they seem to have more space and smoother vocals.

 

Are you hiding files in Roon settings? This would only show you a single version of the track or album. Select Show Hidden Albums to view all versions.

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