MQA music causing old DAC to generate HASH noise

Answered
Cdgeorge

I'm experimenting with the Node 2i as a transport into an old Arcam Black Box 1 DAC (1980's tech I think), which incorporates a TDA1541A chip.

When tidal plays a masters - the DAC just flips into a nasty hash sound!

What's going on here? I thought if the DAC didn't support MQA it would just play normal 16 bit music.

Obviously this does not seem to be the case here so, is there anything in setting to prevent this old DAC from flipping out when I play a masters track?

 

 

 

 

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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • Official comment
    Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Is it MQA content or is it content >24/88.2? This is a question not for Bluesound but for your DAC manufacturer...

    Given the amount of 24/192 content coming out, it may be time to abandon that DAC and just use the analogue outs on the NODE 2i. Your ears may be surprised...

  • Cdgeorge

    I have listened to your internal DAC and it's excellent - but for different reasons I enjoy the sound of the old Arcam BB1 which is why I have kept it all these years.

    Fortunately (or unfortunately depending how you look at it) - your Node 2i is an excellent transport so pairs well with the old timer. The Arcam BB1 is very fussy of upstream quality. When supplied with a solid front end the Arcam plays well - if fed something lesser it falls flat on its face - that's how temperamental the Arcam is - when it's good it's really good!

    I love the functionality of the the Node 2i - it's the best on the market (I've owned a lot) - but having the functionality and pairing with one of my favourite DACs (it's the tone and incisiveness of the Arcam I tend to like) gives me a whole lot of satisfaction.

    So apart from avoiding MQA or 24/192 - is there anything in the settings I can engage in case I fall foul by mistake again?

     

     

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Thanks for the kind words George - again, Arcam's limitations is really a question for Arcam...

    I wish I could be of more help...

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  • Cdgeorge

    You could help by confirming that there is no configurable way to force convert / downsample 24/192 to something understood by pure 16 bit DACs in your operating system at least.

     

     

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi George

    My apologies - it's on this site a few times along with our product literature but we don't up sample or down sample as a philosophy. Our focus is a direct reproduction as close as possible to what was intended... why some consider or DACs 'flat' while we suggest they are neutral.

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