MQA DAC for our current setup

[ShawnC]

Any signal, digital or analog you run into the Marantz receiver from a DAC, Streamer or Turntable, will still go through Marantz's internal DAC.  So if you hook up a MQA DAC and send the signal via analog (say to the CD or Phone input) it will then get converted back to digital, go through whatever up sampling, eq effects or surround processing you have set, then go back to analog.

 

Does this matter? It's up to you.  You can turn off all the eq and surround modes.  You could use Pure Direct mode and see what happens.  But your still using the internal DAC which will destroy that pure MQA signal your wanting to hear.  Nothing wrong with trying.

[ShawnC]

14 minutes ago, ecwl said:

I don’t think that’s true. If you disable Audyssey or just go into Pure Direct mode, I think Marantz bypasses the internal ADC & DAC and just feed the signal to the analog preamplifier directly. I have friends with higher-end Marantz processors and in Pure Direct analog mode, the preamplifier section is quite transparent so I highly doubt the internal DAC is in use.

But you make a very good point. If @Jeypi plans on or needs to use Audyssey for music playback, then you’re using Marantz’s internal ADC & DAC so playing MQA through an external DAC would not give you as much (or little or no) gain. 

It's been awhile since I had my 7005.  For reference sake, I used my PS Audio DSD senior DAC which is MQA certified and played it through my 7005 and and it sounded fine.  But played direct to my amps sounded a ton better.  You could use the 7.1 inputs and not use the CD or Phone inputs and get a more direct sound.  This would be the only way to avoid bass management or turn off your subs if you have them.  All your subs have to go through processing, unless your using REL's with the high pass feature.

 

Here's an excerpt from AVS forum. circa 2008 about the Marantz 7005 

 

As far as I know, all D&M receivers and pre/pros do this and it is considered normal. Direct/Pure Direct mode does indeed insure that there is nothing in the signal path. There is no processing or bass management of any kind. All that the LFE + Main setting does is send a "copy" of the signal to the subwoofer. The subwoofer is sent a signal which is crossed over at the frequency you had previously set in your speaker setup menu. If you change this setting to LFE then the signal is NOT copied to the subwoofer. In either case, there is no change in the signal that your main speakers are receiving. They will continue to receive a full range, unprocessed signal.


If you're trying to use Direct mode to get a fully unprocessed signal for high quality stereo listening, please remember that all inputs on modern receivers and pre/pros are re-digitized, including hdmi and all of the analog (RCA + XLR) inputs. If you have an expensive DAC or analog rig you should keep this in mind. The only exception are the 7.1 multi-channel RCA inputs. These are left in the analog domain and are only effected by the volume control. I would use these for an external DAC or vinyl playback
 

[ShawnC]

Here's that thread

 

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/marantz-pure-direct-mode-is-not-pure-direct.2700945/

[ShawnC]

1 hour ago, Jeypi said:

Thank you for your help! I wouldn't mind the sub to be turned off during music playback, as we only use it for movies. Most DACs only have a left and right output, right? Wouldn't that mean, that if I connect them to the 7.1 multi-channel RCA input, that only my left and right front speaker would provide playback?

Concerning the L/R connection that's probably true.  Now, you may find as many have that MQA is just meh, some is good and some is bad, so going through your Marantz may or may not matter to you.  You can start real cheap with an Audioquest Dragonfly.  Find one used.  Then use Tidal and Qobuz free trials to compare the sound quality.  If you like one or the other go with it.  If you find MQA is just fine but nothing spectacular, then I'd suggest looking into KEF LS50 wireless speakers that can stream audio to your speakers from your phone/tablet or ethernet connection (highly recommend ethernet).  Once again, you can find these speakers used since a new model came out.  These may still be above your price point though.  I have my 2 channel setup in the same area as my home theatre.  Each are completely separate from one another other.