Enabling MQA External DAC results in unexpected icon on external DAC

Answered

Gavin Wong

• October 11, 2021 02:53

Whenever I enable “MQA external DAC” to send data from my NODEs over to my external SMSL SU -8S DAC (which performs full MQA decoding), strangely enough, the icon on the SMSL reverts to a generic CD icon. However, if I disable “MQA external DAC” for my NODEs, the icon on the SMSL indicates an MQA signal inbound. I was expecting the opposite display. Maybe someone can set me straight. Thanks.

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  Gavin Wong

  • October 11, 2021 06:57

  Hi Seppi

  Thanks for the link.

  With help from a Gustard user, who experiences the same thing, it turns out that the SMSL website contradicts itself about which interfaces fully support MQA decoding and rendering. Only USB can.

  Since the SMSL’s coax can only perform rendering, MQA External DAC should in fact be disabled so that the NODE/BluOS will send only the decoded stream to my external SMSL DAC.

  The SMSL, over the coax, happily renders and lights up the MQA indicator.

  With MQA External DAC enabled (and coax), I guess my SMSL did what it could with the undecoded stream and lit up the generic CD icon.

  Hope this helps other users with their external DACs.

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