2. digital
  3. 155523-100034

Question on how DAC’s work...

Hello all!

In my system, my digital sources are a Denon DVD-2900 disc player (CD/DVD-Audio/SACD) & a Bluesound Vault 2. Most of my listening these days is done with the Vault 2 streaming Tidal, especially the growing catalog of MQA offerings. 

My first question is, if I were to start using an external DAC, and that DAC does not have MQA compatibility, would I still be getting the potential of “better sound” from the external DAC even though the Vault is doing all the unfolding?

My second question is if my disc player exports SACD at a different bit-rate than what the DAC is capable of, will the DAC upscale or alter the bit-rate to get better performance?

Sorry if these are rudimentary questions, but the only DAC I’ve purchased to this point is a Meridian Explorer 2 that I’m using in a PC audio setup & was pretty much plug & play. 

Thanks for any help...Hope you’re all doing well!

Arvin
128x128arvincastro

Showing 3 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
15,626 posts
 
The streamer (not the DAC) may partially unfold MQA, which is to 96/24, and send this decompressed signal down stream to a DAC.

Roon, for instance, does this. This is a great feature for me, since that allows me to do some subtle room correction in the digital domain.

You can often also turn streamer based unfolding off, and send the original, MQA encoded signal to the DAC where it will be unfolded if it can be.

In my experience, the sound quality difference between DAC's matters much more to me more than MQA support.

I have one of the early MQA devices and honestly, I didn't care for it. I'm with PS Audio and Benchmark on this whole thing, but to me, this also feels like a solution for a problem we had 20 years ago. Low bandwidth internet, and DACs which played MUCH better at high bit rates.

Now we have much faster internet, and much better DACs that can play Redbook as good as high rez music. So, meh.  I'd rather turn MQA off and pick the digital filter that sounds best.

Best,

E
erik_squires
15,626 posts
 
What I mean is, don't buy on MQA.

Buy the dac in your price range which gives you the best sound presentation. Dynamics, bass, extension, smoothness, imaging.  Whatever qualities you want, buy on that.

Don't buy a DAC you feel so-so about because it has MQA.
erik_squires
15,626 posts
 
I'm on the "i don't think MQA is better" camp.

AFAIK, you'll get a 96k/24 bit stream from MQA sources, which is still higher than before.

I'm also in another weird camp: "Modern DACs don't benefit so much from high resolution data."

So, honestly, I'll be surprised if you find a big difference going either way.  My advice to you is to get the DAC which sounds best, regardless of MQA.
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