loss of bass and fullness with mqa decoding

Answered

Elie Dhaenens

• October 24, 2022 15:55

I have an Anthem STR Integrated amplifier which doesn't support MQA from Tidal. When I disable MQA passthrough to amplifier and let Node 2i do the decoding, my amplifier recieves PCM 88.2 but I lose bass and fullness in music, however, the highs are more extended. When I send the MQA file to amplifier, it recieves PCM 44.1 but bass and fullness in music is much better and highs are less extended. What could be the problem, I would think that PCM 88.2 should be the better signal path but it actually isn't?

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• Official comment

  

  Seppi Evans

  Hi-Res

  • October 24, 2022 17:02
  • Edited

  Suggest you try the analogue outputs on the NODE as these provide full MQA decoding, it’s horses for courses as they say as the DAC is dealing with a different signal and higher bitrate does not always equate a better sound.

  Perhaps try the MQA Paradise Radio streams using digital to the Anthem and compare to the analogue.

  Also you could try out the test MQA files from the Nordic 2L website and the CD versions, just download them and pop them on a USB memory stick for quick access.

  Edit… to appreciate MQA using the Anthem’s DAC it really needs to support MQA.
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  Elie Dhaenens

  • October 25, 2022 12:21

  Thank you Seppi!

  Your comment was very helpfull and solved the problem.

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