Using Digital Passthrough with Bluesound Players

Updated

Bluesound Players offer a comprehensive solution for MQA playback, decoding and rendering audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz. When connecting an external DAC to the Bluesound NODE or VAULT, the maximum output is limited to 24-bit/96 kHz, and MQA processing does not happen in the internal DAC of the Bluesound Player.

To render MQA through an MQA-certified external DAC, you should bypass the built-in MQA rendering of the Bluesound Player. This can be done enabling Digital Passthrough thereby sending the original unprocessed audio directly to the external DAC via Optical OUT (TOSLINK), COAX OUT* (Digital), or USB (for select Bluesound NODE models**).

Note: The Bluesound NODE ICON introduces QRONO D2A, an advanced DAC optimization technology engineered to significantly improve the timing and audio performance of the internal DAC. Because of this feature, all 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz audio content is upsampled to 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz when output via the Optical and Coaxial outputs. For a bit-perfect signal when connecting to an external DAC, make sure to enable Digital Passthrough. Enabling Digital Passthrough will affect the performance of the Analog outputs including the Headphone output.

Enable Digital Passthrough [via Optical OUT (TOSLINK) and COAX OUT* (Digital)]

Perform the following steps to enable Digital Passthrough via Optical OUT (TOSLINK) and COAX OUT* (Digital):

Android/iOS - Enable Digital Passthrough

  1. In the BluOS Controller App, select the Players tab 001_Playerstab_button.png. The list of Players connected to the BluOS Controller App is displayed.
  2. Tap the context menu (3 dots) of the required Player and select Audio Settings. The Audio settings screen is displayed.
  3. Toggle to disable Tone Controls.
  4. Set the Replay-gain to Disabled.
  5. Toggle to enable Output level fixed.
  6. Toggle to enable Digital Passthrough.

Windows/macOS - Enable Digital Passthrough

  1. In the BluOS Controller App, select the Player Drawer. The list of Players connected to the BluOS Controller App is displayed.
  2. Select the context menu (3 dots) of the required Player and select Audio Settings. The Audio settings screen is displayed.
  3. Toggle to disable Tone Controls.
  4. Set the Replay-gain to Disabled.
  5. Toggle to enable Output level fixed.
  6. Toggle to enable Digital Passthrough.

Enable Digital Passthrough [via USB]

To enable USB Audio OUT on certain Bluesound NODE models**, refer to our Help Center article.

Notes

  • *COAX OUT is NOT available on Generation 1 Bluesound NODE (2012) and VAULT(2012).

  • **The following NODE Players are compatible with USB Audio OUT:

  • Digital Passthrough option is greyed out in the BluOS Controller App when Tone Controls is enabled, or the Output level fixed is disabled.
  • When the Bluesound Player is connected to an external DAC via digital outputs, non-MQA content is bypassed and not processed by the Bluesound Player's internal DAC by default - this setting cannot be modified.
  • External DACs that are not MQA certified cannot process MQA content and would result in distorted audio output or no audio at all.

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