Why Isn't My External DAC Playing MQA?

Updated
 

BluOS Controller app 4.x.x

How to enable External DAC MQA Rendering?

Bluesound Players provide a complete MQA playback solution. They decode and render MQA playback up to 24 bit / 192 kHz. If you connect an external DAC to Bluesound NODE or VAULT, the maximum output is 24 bit / 96 kHz, and MQA processing does not happen in the DAC.

To render MQA using the certified external DAC, you should bypass Bluesound Player's inbuilt MQA rendering process and send the original unprocessed music directly to the external DAC via Optical OUT (TOSLINK), COAX OUT* (Digital) or USB (Bluesound NODE X and NODE [N130] only) for processing. 

Enable MQA External DAC via Optical OUT (TOSLINK) and COAX OUT* (Digital)

Perform the following steps to enable rendering by MQA external DAC via Optical OUT (TOSLINK) and COAX OUT* (Digital):

Android/iOS - Enable MQA External DAC

  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 MQA external DAC.

Windows/macOS - Enable MQA External DAC

  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 MQA external DAC.

Enable MQA External DAC via USB

To enable USB Audio OUT on Bluesound NODE / NODE X, refer to our Help Center article.

Notes

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

BluOS Controller app 3.x.x

BLS-KB17-501

Bluesound Players provide a complete MQA playback solution. They decode and render MQA playback up to 24 bit / 192 kHz. If you connect an external DAC to NODE or VAULT, the maximum output is 24 bit / 96 kHz and MQA processing does not happen in the DAC.

To render MQA using the certified external DAC, you should bypass Bluesound's inbuilt MQA rendering process, and send the original unprocessed music directly to the external DAC via Optical OUT (TOSLINK), COAX OUT* (Digital), or USB (NODE X and NODE (N130) only) for processing. 

Optical OUT (TOSLINK) and COAX OUT (Digital)

Perform the following steps to enable rendering by MQA external DAC via Optical OUT (TOSLINK) and COAX OUT* (Digital):

  1. In the BluOS Controller App, select the Player Drawer mceclip0.png . 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 MQA external DAC.

USB

To enable USB Audio OUT on NODE 130, refer to our Help Center article.

Notes

  • *COAX OUT not available on Generation 1 NODE and VAULT.
  • MQA external DAC option is greyed out in the BluOS Controller App when Tone Controls is enabled or Output level fixed is disabled.
  • When the Bluesound Player is connected to external DAC via digital outputs, non-MQA content is bypassed and not processed by Bluesound'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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