Arghhhh! What streamer/DAC for MQA (sorry)

Answered
Stu Clark
I would be REALLY grateful for some help lol. I am sorry to raise MQA again!! I like Tidal & prefer Tidal over Qobuz. I have a Qutest arriving & now learn from one of your excellent chaps (Seppi) that Chord do not play MQA at the intended rate but instead I need to bypass the DAC in the Note Gen 3 in order to play the MQA at a compressed/reduced rate!!!! I am happy to just stick with Tidal forever & simply want a decent Streamer DAC combination or stand alone DAC that will play MQA at the highest possible rate! I would simply stick with the Node but I ‘wanted’ to optimise the music quality so I was advised (sales people) to go the CHORD route. My Dragonfly Cobalt has no bother with my headphones & an Apple Camera adapter so why oh why can I not find a stand alone streamer/DAC that will simply play Tidal MQA as well as Hi-Fi at the rates supplied rather than reducing everything so they can handle it! Any ideas? Literally despairing loooool.
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • Official comment
    Seppi Evans
    Hi-Res

    Hi Stu, I don’t actually work for Bluesound and just a user like yourself.

    As for DACs, would suggest that you browse / participate in some Hi-Fi forums, Pink Fish Media have a good Bluesound user base and a friendly bunch. Audio Science Review is also another place but just don’t get hung up on the reviews that focus on measurements which mostly cannot be heard. MQA is brought up quite a bit on both and what decoding on what port is a ASR speciality.

  • Stu Clark

    Thank you for this info Seppi, I think it would be easier to master a few instruments & play the bloody music myself! Have to be a sound + IT engineer to play a song!

    Ok, so basically, regardless of the compressions & how the files are unfolded am I correct in thinking the music will sound better sending it through the CHORD DAC rather than direct from the NODE?

    I also will listen to headphones from the Accuphase so am I correct in thinking this will also be better by using the CHORD as the DAC?

    Thank you for your help……. I don’t really mind losing money on these things as it is an education but my main panic was Files being ‘reduced’ 🤷‍♂️. My ONLY focus as with everyone else is to have ‘better sound’!

    I will use the Coax & Digi out from the Node to the Qutest & adjust the Node app settings so I am using the Qutest, then……. I should have ‘better’ music than it coming from the Node’s DAC?

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  • Seppi Evans
    Hi-Res

    The DAC inside the NODE is actually quite good, some prefer using an external DAC. Personally I am at the age where I want a simple and easy life (and hearing is questionable) so would not use an external DAC knowing that anything I play on Bluesound will play via the analogue outputs as intended.

    My main / daily listening is now via a POWERNODE, so simple, small, sounds great and no worries about DACs or external amplifiers and easy to control.

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  • Stu Clark

    Thank you for this (sorry, In-Haste)……..

    I will return to this info for research! Kr. Stu

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  • Paul E Clay

    Stu-like you I use Tidal exclusively and I have the Node 2i. The node will decode the mqa, then you can pass that on to whatever dac you like via a coaxial digital connection. Now, you mention at a reduced rate. Yes, 96khz is the highest you will be able to send to your dac 24bit/96khz. So, what did you lose? You lost 192khz. To be honest the 192khz seems to roll off high frequency in most recordings. If you have a computer and install Tidal you can use the USB A from PC to USB B on the node and will be able to pass the full 192khz on to your dac, again by allowing the Tidal app and Node n130 decode the MQA. Now, which is my case. I get those annoying Pops, clicks every few seconds via USB. Ifi-makes that USB filter that I've been told by some will eliminate those pops in the digital stream, dunno personally. You could also add Roon to your computer and control not only Tidal but also any music files you have on your computer. Doing this with the Roon app you would put on your phone. In my setup my node 2i handles the mqa and I send thar to my NAD M-51 dac and I'm very happy with sampling rates at 88.2khz and 96khz.

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  • Stu Clark

    Paul!

    Great reply thank you! Between yourself & Seppi I am finally starting to grasp this!

    Fabulous, I have Tidal on My MacBook Pro so will connect via the USB to the Node.

    The Node is connected to the QUTEST via Coax / BNC & then Chord RCA to the Accuphase.

    So I am really interested to see if I notice a difference! Thanks for the iFi heads up. I have an iMac so if I notice an increased quality the I will add that to the system area!

    Thanks again!

    Stu.

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  • Paul E Clay

    If you get the pops or clicks you may have to add the Ifi purifier 3, or sale the node and get The Pro-ject stream box S-2 ULTRA. See Audio advice.com for info on that. Informative review video there

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  • Stu Clark

    Cheers Paul!

    Just working on SUB today. I will connect by spades to the power out on the amp & in the high level input on the REL I assume 🤷‍♂️.

    I’m new to all this ‘really’. Just trying to squeeze as much out of a system that I can!

    I will take a look at the purifier! I was so chuffed with a little Dragonfly Cobalt for ‘on the move’ with my B&W P9’s & then…… I plugged them into the Accuphase with the QUTEST as DAC……. Wow lol, but I had looked into the iFi equipment & only heard good things!

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