MQA Stream into non MQA DAC

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/32094-sonore-signature-rendu-se/page/10/?tab=comments#comment-968827

The dude who wrote the following below is very knowledgeable and I look out for his commentary.

The MQA folks only allow what is called a "partial unfold" in software, and the "full unfold" can only happen if your DAC is MQA capable in its hardware.  In reality what this means is this:

 

1. The MQA process starts with a 24/96 source file.

 

2.  The so called "partial unfold" actually is a full unfold, as it results in a 24/96 file for playback.

 

3.  The so called "full unfold" (only available in a MQA capable DAC) results in a 24/192 file-but this is just an upsampling step using the MQA filter.  So depending on how you view upsampling, and the MQA filter itself, it may be of no sonic advantage, or it may even be detriment.  So, full unfold really means upsampling to 24/192 using the MQA specific filter: there is nothing about this upsampling step that makes it inherently better than the upsampling already incorporated in many DACs, and one has many choices for how and where they might apply an upsampling step.  MQA is just one, specific, type of upsampling: in practice it is just one possible choice, and not some kind of magical sonic enhancer.

 

So the partial unfold available in software gets you everything that was in the original file.

 

Personally, I have no love for MQA and believe it is a "solution" searching for a "problem".  Suffice it to say, that MQA holds no advantage for me, as I do not even like the sound of highly leaky, very slow rolloff filters as used in the MQA oversampling step.  But this is subjective, of course, some people might like it... but it is not anything special or magical, and very similar upsampling can be accomplished without all the expense and proprietary nature of incorporating MQA (in a DAC...)

I was at a show in LA that did a head to head-to-head comparison with MQA and non-MQA. This system was using a T+A HV 3100 integrated + external T+A HV power supply. It was driving Wilson Alexa 2 (I think). The MQA dac was an expensive one which I do not recall. The system was driven by ROON + Tidal. The computer was setup and controlled by the guys from ROON. There were T+A guys, ROON guys, and maybe MQA guys in that nice hotel room.

During the shootout I heard some subtle difference in the MQA sound. I am not sure if it was better but there was something there. Now I ain’t no audiophile so this subtle difference had much lower importance to me than maybe someone else. The folks in the room seemed to like the MQA a little more. I found the difference in sound between MQA and non-MQA much less than what the improvements I hear on my mid-fi system when I switch from CD to SACD. On my mid-fi system I really cannot hear any difference between MQA and non-MQA.

I should add that my ears were a little fried during the MQA shootout because I had just come from another room that was small and was blasting away.