I don't think this has been mentioned, but there is a third way to get MQA streamed. That's to use the Tidal desktop app and stream that to your DAC, probably via USB.
Bluesound 2, Tidal, MQA, and non-MQA DAC--for Dummies?
If this inquiry has been directly addressed elsewhere without talk about making the components work, whether MQA is better or DOA or crap or a sign of the imminent death of music as an artistic expression, and tech beyond lizard brain understanding, can someone point me there? Seems there are enough users of similar setups that maybe I'm not the only one who wonders....
Recently acquired a Bluesound 2 and have had Tidal Hifi. MQA was just a potential bonus. So, listening to MQA from Tidal Hifi through a Bluesound 2 into a non-MQA DAC. Right now, the Doors. Maybe it is a function of a recent remaster, but it sounds great and some songs better than the same ripped from older CDs to the Vault 2. Curious, looked at the DAC. I believe it is hitting the DAC at 24/96.
Wading through over-my-head tech talk, debate about MQA, and talk about simply how to get MQA, seems it is something like this:
--MQA is supposed to provide some eq'ing and other magic to address some nasties inherent in the stream/conversion from the masters to the actual media and also functions as some sort of super-flac type thing to get hi-res in a smaller package but requires some various amount of "unfolding" to ultimately get to 24/192 or even potentially higher. That "unfolding" is supposed to be done in a manner that doesn't add other nasties. But, there is a software and a hardware method to making it work.
--The Bluesound is supposed to be able to do the full "unfolding" on its own (don't know whether it's hardware/software or some combination), if using the internal DAC and running its analog out.
--BUT, if using an external, non-MQA DAC, the Bluesound can somehow do just one "unfold" before the signal is output digitally...so something like MQA-lite.
--If using an MQA-DAC, the Bluesound can output the coded MQA signal digitally to the MQA-DAC, so that DAC can do the full "unfolding."
--BUT, again, going higher than "MQA-lite" otherwise requires that the original MQA file have additional "folds," which may or may not be the case.
I don't know any of that is correct or even makes sense. It's just what I think I read. But, I am really curious about what is actually happening--in terms a dummy can understand.
Is this real 24/96? Or some weird hybrid bastardization to pump up the number to fool ignorant audiophiles and sell/re-sell Tidal and music folks already have or had on vinyl, tape, cd, and/or alternate hi-res.
In the end, I guess it doesn't matter except for determining whether there is optimization to be had or yet another upgrade path to potentially follow. The ears are judging, and, so far, some indeed sound better, even with MQA-lite....
Recently acquired a Bluesound 2 and have had Tidal Hifi. MQA was just a potential bonus. So, listening to MQA from Tidal Hifi through a Bluesound 2 into a non-MQA DAC. Right now, the Doors. Maybe it is a function of a recent remaster, but it sounds great and some songs better than the same ripped from older CDs to the Vault 2. Curious, looked at the DAC. I believe it is hitting the DAC at 24/96.
Wading through over-my-head tech talk, debate about MQA, and talk about simply how to get MQA, seems it is something like this:
--MQA is supposed to provide some eq'ing and other magic to address some nasties inherent in the stream/conversion from the masters to the actual media and also functions as some sort of super-flac type thing to get hi-res in a smaller package but requires some various amount of "unfolding" to ultimately get to 24/192 or even potentially higher. That "unfolding" is supposed to be done in a manner that doesn't add other nasties. But, there is a software and a hardware method to making it work.
--The Bluesound is supposed to be able to do the full "unfolding" on its own (don't know whether it's hardware/software or some combination), if using the internal DAC and running its analog out.
--BUT, if using an external, non-MQA DAC, the Bluesound can somehow do just one "unfold" before the signal is output digitally...so something like MQA-lite.
--If using an MQA-DAC, the Bluesound can output the coded MQA signal digitally to the MQA-DAC, so that DAC can do the full "unfolding."
--BUT, again, going higher than "MQA-lite" otherwise requires that the original MQA file have additional "folds," which may or may not be the case.
I don't know any of that is correct or even makes sense. It's just what I think I read. But, I am really curious about what is actually happening--in terms a dummy can understand.
Is this real 24/96? Or some weird hybrid bastardization to pump up the number to fool ignorant audiophiles and sell/re-sell Tidal and music folks already have or had on vinyl, tape, cd, and/or alternate hi-res.
In the end, I guess it doesn't matter except for determining whether there is optimization to be had or yet another upgrade path to potentially follow. The ears are judging, and, so far, some indeed sound better, even with MQA-lite....