I won’t bother saying that:
“one of the criticisms that I think is valid about MQA is that it is so damned impenetrable”
is possibly by design. 
In Tidal there are fewer 192 MQA files to be found. The ones I’ve found are older recordings strangely enough. Most newer MQA recordings that I listen to unfold to 24/96 or 24/88. Try this one for a test, Fleetwood Mac - Kiln House (1970). It unfolds to 24/192. I have a Gustard X16 dac ($500 usd from Amazon) doing the full MQA decode attached to a Rpi 4 via USB and Volumio.
Oh - for sure
cards on the table - I love the sound of a nicely unfolded MQA track - but I love the sound of the same track recorded to a 96/24 or better yet 192/24 FLAC file.
But - high resolution music is so much better than 44/16 - and that is far better than compressed beyond the CD quality standard.
I was listening to stuff than Chesky records did in 2 channel 96/24 which could be played with a standard DVD player in 1998 - the mess of DVD audio vs SACD (I had a universal player) was so disheartening it put me off music for at least a decade - part of what has been so nice personally recently has been discovering how far digital audio has come in the last 10 years or so.
MQA for me is about discovery - I have all my DVD-Audio disks ripped and playable from server using JRiver, but discovering how engaging Tidal masters could be - coupled with the combination of suggestions, and that it was driving the re-mastering of a ton of classics … it was a revelation!
And don’t forget that Meridian were behind the codec used in DVD-Audio too - I’m sure that there is still some bitterness about that that drives some of the hate.
I cannot be bothered with any of it - MQA will not be for everyone for a bunch of reasons - but there is absolutely no doubt at all that it works (if you define ‘works’ by - can it sound great?) - and it can be acquired surprisingly reasonably.
If volumio offered a plan with an MQA decoder (recognising the additional cost to them) that might fly - or if Tidal were to allow decoding in connect mode only - where Volumio is only passing the file from a Tidal app which does have decoding capability - that might also work.
I’m not knocking Volumio - I actually think this falls to Tidal to make it clear what the restrictions of Tidal connect are.
back to the Mac -
The surround sound mix of Rumours is still one of the best arguments for multi-channel audio…
Thanks - I’ll check it out now…
dknk -
listening now - for what it’s worth, my primary listening route is through a hip-dac (another ifi product, with MQA and balanced headphone output) and Sennheiser 660s through a custom balanced cable.
and - yeah - on the Tidal app I cannot tell exactly what is going on beyond the fact that the dac recognises the MQA stream - but it sounds just lovely …
so - if nothing else - I have another Fleetwood Mac album in master quality that I didn’t know about.
That was worth the effort by itself… 
1 Like
If you look, all of the early Mac albums are MQA. Stevie Wonders early 70’s albums are MQA and sound great.
The latest version of Volumio on a RPi4 using Tidal Connect passes bit perfect MQA to my SMSL SU-9 which does the full decode/unfold.
As mentioned elsewhere I now get a better sound from the RPi4 using a high quality USB cable to my DAC than coaxial from the Allo DigiOne HAT.
Bye Bye Roon.
2 Likes
So in your opinion how better is the auralic? I also considered a Lumin or auralic but there is a huge difference between them and the pi so if the difference is not huge it is not worth the money.
Ha Ha - so - guess what popped up on my news feed this morning?
iFi are bringing out an update to the Zen Dac in May - the key difference being that the core chip is upgraded to a 16 bit (this is the control chip - not the DAC itself - the key transform happens with more bandwidth - the tech behind it as all laid out in detail) …
which allows it to function as a decoder as well as renderer for MQA
now - this DAC is about the same cost as a year’s sub to Roon, and it sounds fabulous…
so, the game is back on…
One question pls.,
If you listen same song in mqa format then in flac hi res, 96/24 or 192/24 which format is more nice to ears? Mqa or hi res?
Thanks for your response.
1 Like
This is almost perfect flame bait - but I’m sure that wasn’t the intent.
Short version - I doubt most people could tell in a blind test. For me, the few songs I have that I think are authored to the same source standard - I slightly favour the MQA version, but I’m also completely sure that this is my own bias talking, and someone who thinks MQA is proprietary nonsense is likely to swear that the FLAC file sounds better.
It’s a huge difference between CD quality and high res (on a well recorded track)
It’s a significant difference between MQA played without being decoded and being properly decoded and unfolded, and being handled properly (will definitely sound worse than the equivalent high res FLAC)
There are then reports that the MQA played over ROON sound better than without (because it handles all the digital transport timing)
Beyond that - you are quickly into diminishing returns.
Then - some of the information in the MQA file (reported as distortion, possibly with some justification) is there to inform high-end DACs (which I definitely don’t have) how to set up the filter to best handle the track - and that may or may not colour the sound in some way on equipment that is of lesser pedigree.
At this point - room acoustics and your own hearing capabilities make far more of a difference than the switch between FLAC and MQA.
but - either way - both sound amazing …
Hi, I am asking because I have non mqa Dac and qobuz… But tidal is cheaper, then I need to buy a mqa dac… Thanks
Hi, I need help with MQA, I am using the Zen V.2, that is supposed to be a MQA decoder, I am using the latest Volumio version, but i am unable to get the Raspberry Pi to stream MQA to the DAC. I tried with hardware mixer and 100 volume and with no mixer and 100 volume but no cigar, the MQA light never turns on and Volumio show 44khz 16 or 24 bit but never MQA, I am completely sure the track is MQA. I tried using Tidal on the app (via the browser), and also using Tidal connect, but could not get it to work.
I see that is a new dac from ifi and they are saying it is able to do a full MQA decode. Is the switch on the back of the dac set to fixed and you are connected via USB cable from the Rpi?
I just bought this same DAC, and have successfully used Tidal Connect to play MQA files. (the green led lit up), so it should be possible.
BTW, Volumio doesn’t show ‘MQA’ anywhere. I only know because of the green led on the ifi DAC.
1 Like
But on the manual says that green ir red book, MQA is magenta.
Thanks for the help, yes is in the fixed position and I tried both a usb 2.0 and 3.0 cable from the Raspberry to the DAC with no success. Volume at 100 all the time
Not in the manual I have.
Green=MQA
Blue= MQA Studio
Magneta=MQB (I think this mean software has already done the first unfold)
Your talking about the recently released Zen DAC v2 right?
Sorry, sorry, I am so stupid. I do not know where did I read that information. I just downloaded the manual from iFi and you are right. Thanks a lot, you have been of great help. You have saved me from hours of work and frustration.
1 Like
Thanks to Xhorder i just found out I was wrong, the DAC is working fine. thanks a lot for your help and prompt response.