MQA on all iFi devices. AND on ANDROID!

[AMR/iFi audio]

Extra Ordinary MQA Easter Egg

Introduction

With Easter just around the corner, iFi audio has delivered an eagerly anticipated upgrade option as a very special Easter gift.

iFi first introduced MQA into its product mix with the nano iDSD Black Label in November 2017. Since then, iFi customers across the globe have been asking when this option would be available in other iFi products. The good news is that the latest improvements to the nano Black Label firmware version 5.30, ‘Cookies & Cream’, does just that.

Mqa for all

This latest firmware flavour not only adds the latest scoop to the nano iDSD Black Label sundae but it also dishes out MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio to the full range* of iFi audio products going back to 2013!

 

This ‘legacy’ update means that you can now download the MQA upgrade (PC and Mac) straight from the Support section of iFi’s website at no extra cost.

Mqa optimised

Firmware version 5.30 will optimise your device for MQA and can handle up to DSD256 and PCM384. Enjoy the MQA magic like never before.


 

And Finally…

None of the above would have been possible without the MQA software engineers who worked tirelessly alongside the iFi software team to make this unique opportunity happen. Thank you.

Go to https://ifi-audio.com/audio_blog/mqa-firmware/ to enjoy your upgrade.

This firmware provides MQA rendering as this is the ideal solution for portable products and those with power considerations. This means the workload is shared between the host (the computer) and the client (the DAC). The listener will still enjoy full MQA experience.

For more information on MQA, go to http://www.mqa.co.uk/customer/how-it-works

Legacy

*The only exception is the original iDAC.

[firedog]

Still looking for an answer: in your MQA implementation, are the MQA specific filters activated just for MQA file playback, or do they stay on (once activated) even with non-MQA playback? Can your devices switch back and forth from MQA filters to non MQA filters as necessary on a per track basis?

[AMR/iFi audio]

58 minutes ago, firedog said:

In your MQA implementation, are the MQA specific filters activated just for MQA file playback, or do they stay on (once activated) even with non-MQA playback?

 

The MQA filters are in use ONLY run when MQA files are passed through and vice versa.

 

This is WHY the LEDs correspond to the different Sample rates when one switches between different types of music files. This is the easy reference for our customers. On newer machines MQA which be Magenta.

 

Older machines - will indicate 384k decoded colour. White/Yellow (dependent upon the model).

 

58 minutes ago, firedog said:

Can your devices switch back and forth from MQA filters to non MQA filters as necessary on a per track basis?

 

Yes. As per above. So just one uses Tidal (on a PC) for MQA versus non-MQA music, the LED will alternate accordingly. We do recommend the above video for Tidal config to enable MQA to run.

[Nikon Nutter]

Good good news. How to do the download and what is the difference beteween the firmware versions?

Cheers!

[rickca]

1 hour ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

The MQA filters are in use ONLY run when MQA files are passed through and vice versa.

That's great.  However, it looks like you lose DSD512 capability on the micro iDSD with firmware 5.30.  Why couldn't you maintain support for DSD512 with this new firmware release?

[lmitche]

45 minutes ago, rickca said:

That's great.  However, it looks like you lose DSD512 capability on the micro iDSD with firmware 5.30.  Why couldn't you maintain support for DSD512 with this new firmware release?

Hi Rick,

 

I just "upgraded" my silver label microIDSD to firmware 5.3 and can confirm that DSD512 no longer plays.  Looks like it drops down to DSD256. Seems that IFI ran out of colors and stole the magenta slot from DSD512 for MQA. Restoring the 5.2 firmware release restores DSD512 playback with all other settings the same.

 

Typical IFI move. Kill the most distinguishing and competitive feature of your product for an unwanted and unnecessary capability.  Genius!

[AMR/iFi audio]

9 hours ago, lmitche said:

Hi Rick,

 

I just "upgraded" my silver label microIDSD to firmware 5.3 and can confirm that DSD512 no longer plays.  Looks like it drops down to DSD256. Seems that IFI ran out of colors and stole the magenta slot from DSD512 for MQA. Restoring the 5.2 firmware release restores DSD512 playback with all other settings the same.

 

Typical IFI move. Kill the most distinguishing and competitive feature of your product for an unwanted and unnecessary capability.  Genius!

 

Please understand that MQA was initially designed to work on nano iDSD BL and later products only. It was initially exclusive for this device and was to be used for devices still in development. Still, we took the plunge due to feedback from our customers, and we were able to add MQA support to a whole host of other iFi products, some already several years old, and we did that totally free of charge. We could have said 'no' but that's not our way, we went the extra mile even though it took a lot of time and resources. And to implement MQA on machines already out there (some since 2013) is not easy. Besides, MQA is there for those who want it. Those that don't, don't have to have it and can still roll with DSD512. There are TWO firmware options.

[rickca]

14 minutes ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

Those that don't, don't have to have it and can still roll with DSD512. There are TWO firmware options.

OK but why did implementation of MQA renderer force iFi to drop DSD512 in the 5.3 firmware?  The main reason I bought the micro iDSD was because of its DSD512 support.  Yes I know I can just stay on 5.2. 

 

DSD512 is much more important to me than MQA.  Are you saying most of your customers prioritize MQA over DSD512?

[AMR/iFi audio]

Just now, rickca said:

OK but why did implementation of MQA renderer force iFi to drop DSD512 in the 5.3 firmware?

 

Because that's what it takes.

[rickca]

1 minute ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

Because that's what it takes.

Geez, I think I'll just stop asking you guys questions.

[AMR/iFi audio]

16 minutes ago, rickca said:

DSD512 is much more important to me than MQA.  Are you saying most of your customers prioritize MQA over DSD512?

 

We're saying that you have two firmwares to choose from. You have options and the MQA one was very difficult to deliver but now it's here. Free of charge. 

[asdf1000]

17 minutes ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

now it's here. Free of charge. 

 

Kudos. I’m personally not interested in MQA but this is a great gesture for those that do want to try it.

 

[AMR/iFi audio]

22 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

 

Kudos. I’m personally not interested in MQA but this is a great gesture for those that do want to try it.

 

 

Thank you, we believe so as well. 

[AMR/iFi audio]

Easter ‘Bug Bounty’ Hunt

Hunt 'em, wherever they are...

 

 

Introduction

Our just announced firmware v5.30 is MQA capable and in one fell swoop, elevates legacy iFi products* with MQA capability for even more sonic enjoyment.

 

The MQA integration was a little difficult. It involved:

• Totally replacing the customised core code
• Re-apply tuning/core loading and
• Further fine tuning the firmware for even more precise allocated resource use in order to allow us to support MQA and384kHz.

 

To bring all this to fruition required the combined efforts of the MQA and iFi software developers or a total of +1,000 programming hours to deliver firmware v5.30 (excluding testing on all iFi legacy units).

 

Notwithstanding, there may still be one or two software bugs we have not quashed – hence we would like to involveyou, the customer – in the Easter Bug Hunt.

 

More details are to be found in this thread:

 

[listas_fede]

After a whole day of fiddling with the MQA novelty and getting in touch with other iFi users in the same situation as myself (or similar), I just can't understand how it is possible that the iFi crew need to cripple some units, rendering machines that are technically double as powerful as the nano iDSD BL (double core vs single core DACs) become as useful as the lower end sibling.

 

Before MQA introduction, the decision was clear: nano gets you DSD256/PCM384 and micro gets you DSD512/PCM768. Want more power? Get the bigger brother.  How is it possible that from now on both units are equally capable on the DAC department? Is the micro not really more powerful than the nano? Is the new 5.30 firmware just a transcription of what was already implemented for the nano, so higher sample rates can't be included now without re-writing the whole code?

 

I wonder what exactly is going to drive purchases toward the micro iDSD BL when the small brother (nano iDSD BL) is capable of exactly the same formats and qualities. It was supposed to be a more powerful machine. I know, there's other stuff that's also important other than the mere DAC capabilities. There's different amplification circuits, etc; but still, makes someone wonder if it's really good idea to invest on the more expensive unit. 

 

I'm really grateful for the MQA addition and have been experimenting (and probably will continue for the next days to come), comparing MQA vs other formats, and mainly Audirvana unfolded MQA + up sampling vs "full MQA". But I really hope the iFi guys can deliver just MQA support on top of what we already had and had come accustomed to. Or some other differentiating feature between the nano and the micro; maybe full unfolding and rendering. What's the extra horsepower for otherwise?

[Douglasmaurer]

Greetings! I already submitted a trouble ticket (and promptly received a response—on Easter Sunday!). But this bug is significant  enough so that it should be posted on the forum as some folks may want to hold off on the update until this gets sorted out. As discussed in the official thread for the MQA update you do indeed lose the DSD 512 capability for example a iDSD micro DAC. However I updated via Mac and connect to a mac via USB and use the Audirvana (and Roon) software. not only did I lose DSD 512 I also seem to have lost DSD 256. Now my dac only shows as dsd 128 max capable in both audirvana and Roon! This is a big bummer and a far cry from my dsd 512 via HQplayer I was doing. Not sure MQA is worth that compromise! Please at least get DSD 256 back for the iDSD micro when upgrading software...may borrow a friends windows laptop to try to reflash the firmware w/windows!

thanks 

Doug

[listas_fede]

1 hour ago, Douglasmaurer said:

As discussed in the official thread for the MQA update you do indeed lose the DSD 512 capability for example a iDSD micro DAC. However I updated via Mac and connect to a mac via USB and use the Audirvana (and Roon) software. not only did I lose DSD 512 I also seem to have lost DSD 256. Now my dac only shows as dsd 128 max capable in both audirvana and Roon!

 

Doug,

 

You're making the same mistake I did. I admit I have been claiming iFi unfairly on this matter for the last 24hs: Prior to the firmware update, you and I had DSD512/PCM768; but on Mac that translates to max DSD256/PCM768 due to DSD-over-PCM (aka DoP), our only method to get DSD playback con Mac, since there's still no driver to play NativeDSD. Windows and Linux can, while Mac can't. It takes PCM768 to "transmit" DSD256-over-PCM. This was the highest DSD you and I could previously play. Since PCM768 has been lowered to PCM384, all we can achieve now is DSD128-over-PCM.

 

So, in the end, iFi is not "lying" to us when they say after the upgrade we get DSD256/PCM368. Hope I made that clear. You will be able to play DSD256 as long as it is natively, through ASIO drivers in Windows or Linux. (I won't for the matter. I'll stick to Mac and Audirvana and weigh in the pros and cons and decide whether I will keep the previous or the newest firmware).

 

What still bugs my mind is how it is possible that machines with a double-core DAC (micro iDSD and micro iDSD BL) are now exactly as capable as their smaller siblings (nano iDSD and nano iDSD BL) which have just a single-core DAC. What are we getting in exchange for all that extra horsepower? As far as the DAC department goes, I perceive we get ZERO differentiating features, which is just crazy. I hope we can get some kind of differentiating feature, maybe get back DSD512/PCM768 (which would get us Mac users DSD256/PCM768 playback, remember that), or MQA full unfolding, decoding and rendering, since these units are more capable (MQA implementation on the whole iFi lineup as of today is just rendering; you still need the first unfolding to be done by the playback software).

 

Secretly hoping this 5.30 firmware is just a draft and sooner than later iFi will correct all these things, giving us back what we had before, just adding MQA support on top of all our loved features we got used to.

 

Federico from Argentina

 

 

[Douglasmaurer]

Ah! Yep you are correct! My mistake and thank-you for that eloquent explanation!  This makes sense! It is too bad that the micro line cant have both the “cookies and the cream”...an either or proposition it would seem for now!

thanks

Doug

[mansr]

Is this a full MQA decoder, render only, or both?

[rickca]

3 hours ago, mansr said:

Is this a full MQA decoder, render only, or both?

Quoting from the first post in this thread

This firmware provides MQA rendering as this is the ideal solution for portable products and those with power considerations. This means the workload is shared between the host (the computer) and the client (the DAC).

[Samuel T Cogley]

I upgraded an iDAC2 and was disappointed to discover that DoP256 was sacrificed to enable MQA.  I re-flashed 5.2A, and wrote off the whole experience as an MQA induced hallucination.

 

[listas_fede]

2 hours ago, Samuel T Cogley said:

I upgraded an iDAC2 and was disappointed to discover that DoP256 was sacrificed to enable MQA.  I re-flashed 5.2A, and wrote off the whole experience as an MQA induced hallucination.

 

I’m on your same page (micro iDSD), but still deciding between keeping 5.30 or going back. I have a few DSD256 files I’d like to keep enjoying, and am giving a thorough listening test to see if there’s any audible benefit from playing MQA rendered by hardware or if I’d be OK having Audirvana do the first unfolding on MQAs and then upsampling to DSD256 which sounds super musical to my ears (but can’t do it now). 

[crenca]

5 hours ago, rickca said:

Quoting from the first post in this thread

This firmware provides MQA rendering as this is the ideal solution for portable products and those with power considerations. This means the workload is shared between the host (the computer) and the client (the DAC).

 

Soooo, "1st unfold" or "rendering" only - no full decode correct?

 

@AMR/iFi audio, can you answer this in a definitive way?

[AMR/iFi audio]

35 minutes ago, crenca said:

 

Soooo, "1st unfold" or "rendering" only - no full decode correct?

 

@AMR/iFi audio, can you answer this in a definitive way?

 

Correct. Full decoding is implemented in our upcoming Pro iDSD.

[AMR/iFi audio]

16 hours ago, listas_fede said:

 

What still bugs my mind is how it is possible that machines with a double-core DAC (micro iDSD and micro iDSD BL) are now exactly as capable as their smaller siblings (nano iDSD and nano iDSD BL) which have just a single-core DAC. What are we getting in exchange for all that extra horsepower? As far as the DAC department goes, I perceive we get ZERO differentiating features, which is just crazy. I hope we can get some kind of differentiating feature, maybe get back DSD512/PCM768 (which would get us Mac users DSD256/PCM768 playback, remember that), or MQA full unfolding, decoding and rendering, since these units are more capable (MQA implementation on the whole iFi lineup as of today is just rendering; you still need the first unfolding to be done by the playback software).

 

 

Here's a little more insight about our approach. We do not do things by halves. We write our own software code so our customers receive two specialised XMOS firmware versions: 

• v5.30 – optimised for MQA
• v5.20 – optimised for music file formats up to DSD512/PCM768 (non-MQA)

Each firmware version squeezes that last ounce of sonic performance to suit each customer's preferences.

 

Just as car enthusiasts load different ‘remaps’ into the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for their preferred driving experience, we let our customers load their preferred ‘file format remap’ for their own music torque curve.

 

Hopefully this is all clear now.

 

Also, micro iDSD BL isn't the same as its nano version. It goes further than formats supported. The bigger one does things its smaller sibling won't, their functionality isn't the same.