TIdal MQA through Minimserver

[jrobbins50]

Hi crew. I stream TIdal off of my Synology NAS using Minimserver controlled via BubbleuPnP. Are TIdal MQA Masters accessible at this time through this arrangement? Not sure how to configure to do so. Thanks. JCR

[Cebolla]

Hi JCR

 

From the information your have supplied, BubbleUPnP appears to be the only part of your configuration that is providing you with TIDAL access. Your TIDAL access has definitely nothing to do with the MinimServer UPnP media server software and may or may not have anything to do with your Synology NAS, depending on what you meant by "controlled via BubbleuPnP".

 

So, there's no way you'll be able to get "Tidal MQA through Minimserver".

 

 

You seem to have implied that you are using an Android device to run the BubbleUPnP Android controller app, if that's what you meant by "controlled via BubbleuPnP".

 

Are you using the BubbleUPnP Android controller app?

Are you also, or instead, using the BubbleUPnP Server software (either on your Synology NAS or on a networked computer)?

If you are not using the BubbleUPnP Android controller app, what controller app are you using?

What streaming device are you using (there's no mention of it in your post)?

 

John

[mm67]

Hi JCR

 

From the information your have supplied, BubbleUPnP appears to be the only part of your configuration that is providing you with TIDAL access. Your TIDAL access has definitely nothing to do with the MinimServer UPnP media server software and may or may not have anything to do with your Synology NAS, depending on what you meant by "controlled via BubbleuPnP".

 

So, there's no way you'll be able to get "Tidal MQA through Minimserver".

 

 

You seem to have implied that you are using an Android device to run the BubbleUPnP Android controller app, if that's what you meant by "controlled via BubbleuPnP".

 

Are you using the BubbleUPnP Android controller app?

Are you also, or instead, using the BubbleUPnP Server software (either on your Synology NAS or on a networked computer)?

If you are not using the BubbleUPnP Android controller app, what controller app are you using?

What streaming device are you using (there's no mention of it in your post)?

John

 

Both BubbleUPnP and BubbleUPnP server cut down Masters tracks to 16/44.1 anyway, there is no possibility to let 24/44.1 or 24/48 passthrough to a streamer unmodified so it doesn't really matter much which streamer is used. I do have an MQA dac which is at the moment useless with both BubbleUPnP solutions. I tried to ask for a passthrough option but I didn't even receive an answer

[Cebolla]

Ah, I was waiting for the OP to be clearer about the use of BubbleUPnP, though what you have just mentioned has confirmed my suspicions. Presumably, this is your post in the BubbleUPnP's thread on the xda-developers forum:

[APP][4.0+][v2.8.3.1] BubbleUPnP - UPnP/DLNA/Chromecast Control Point and Renderer by bubbleguuum - post #11976

 

How certain are you that the TIDAL API that BubbleUPnP is using is even providing the links to the MQA encoded FLAC files in the first place? For example, there is this post by its developer, Bubbleguuuum, about a week before yours:

[APP][4.0+][v2.8.3.1] BubbleUPnP - UPnP/DLNA/Chromecast Control Point and Renderer by bubbleguuum - post #11915

[mm67]

Ah, I was waiting for the OP to be clearer about the use of BubbleUPnP, though what you have just mentioned has confirmed my suspicions. Presumably, this is your post in the BubbleUPnP's thread on the xda-developers forum:

[APP][4.0+][v2.8.3.1] BubbleUPnP - UPnP/DLNA/Chromecast Control Point and Renderer by bubbleguuum - post #11976

 

How certain are you that the TIDAL API that BubbleUPnP is using is even providing the links to the MQA encoded FLAC files in the first place?

 

My post yes. Hard to tell if the problem is with the API or BubbleUPnP itself, I'd think that the Bubbleguum knows but he's been quiet. Tidal's APi might be cause of the problem since Tidal plugin of LMS server does exactly the same thing and they probably use the same API

[bubbleguuum]

My post yes. Hard to tell if the problem is with the API or BubbleUPnP itself, I'd think that the Bubbleguum knows but he's been quiet. Tidal's APi might be cause of the problem since Tidal plugin of LMS server does exactly the same thing and they probably use the same API

TIDAL developer documentation does not mention MQA as a format that can be requested.

I would not be surprised it exists, but it is not documented.

[mm67]

TIDAL developer documentation does not mention MQA as a format that can be requested.

I would not be surprised it exists, but it is not documented.

I thought so, any chance that there is new documentation available ?

[Cebolla]

TIDAL developer documentation does not mention MQA as a format that can be requested.

I would not be surprised it exists, but it is not documented.

I can only guess as to how you use the TIDAL API, but is it also possible that MQA encoded FLAC file access may be restricted to the manufacturer/developer of the app that's trying to access it?

 

For example, Lumin have stated that their devices can access TIDAL MQA, if you've first 'tricked' TIDAL by adding the MQA tracks into favorites using the TIDAL desktop app. However, they do mention that the "procedure does not generally apply to other manufacturers":

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/lumin-audiophile-network-music-player-14280/index45.html#post622690

[mm67]

I can only guess as to how you use the TIDAL API, but is it also possible that MQA encoded FLAC file access may be restricted to the manufacturer/developer of the app that's trying to access it?

 

For example, Lumin have stated that their devices can access TIDAL MQA, if you've first 'tricked' TIDAL by adding the MQA tracks into favorites using the TIDAL desktop app. However, they do mention that the "procedure does not generally apply to other manufacturers":

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/lumin-audiophile-network-music-player-14280/index45.html#post622690

 

Limiting the options for software used to play Tidal certainly won't help sales of MQA dacs

[wklie]

For example, Lumin have stated that their devices can access TIDAL MQA, if you've first 'tricked' TIDAL by adding the MQA tracks into favorites using the TIDAL desktop app.

Adding to favorite is suggested simply because it allows a sure way to identify an MQA music, because the Tidal desktop app offers a Masters category. It is not mandatory. Without doing this we need to perform trial and error instead, before a better way becomes available.

 

I found that on a system that does not support Tidal MQA, even after adding a MQA music to favorite and streaming it from favorite will result in an alternate 16/44.1 version to be streamed instead.

[Cebolla]

Hi wklie

 

Understood, thanks for the clarification.

 

Since your devices are able to access the MQA streams, is it because you have some arrangement with TIDAL? In other words, are you using the same TIDAL API as before, but TIDAL is giving you access to MQA because they can identify your specific devices connecting?

[bubbleguuum]

I could test that requesting a favorited master track in BubbleUPnP always results in the a standard 44.1/16 FLAC being returned by the API. So if any other client of the TIDAL API has a MQA FLAC returned, there is indeed something special going on.

[Cebolla]

Thanks, Bubbleguuum, that would be most helpful.

 

If TIDAL are making access to MQA FLAC streams TIDAL API client specific, let's hope they can add Bubblesoft to their list of approved clients without any fuss!

[jrobbins50]

Thanks to you all for the good discussion. You are correct that I use BubbleuPnP as my control on an Android tablet. I stream off the Synology NAS to a Bel Canto REF500 and take the FireWire output from that to a Bel Canto DAC. So not MQA compliant in that chain, but was hoping for at least the 24/96 software unfold. Sounds like we aren't there yet. All evolving quickly! JCR