Author Topic: Tidal has filled a big hole  (Read 29411 times)

Offline richidoo

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #45 on: January 10, 2017, 09:23:00 AM »
Thanks Tom! Very interesting, I'll read your links.

Offline ejk

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #46 on: January 10, 2017, 10:00:39 AM »
This just in. Meridian Explorer to dac on sale at audio advisor for 199. MQA DAC
« Last Edit: January 10, 2017, 10:02:27 AM by ejk »
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Offline ejk

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #47 on: January 10, 2017, 01:38:58 PM »
Tom,

I was under the impression that with Tidal software decode of MQA stream you do not need to MQA dac.  Is my impression wrong?



From Bluesound forum

From TonyW/BLS: "If you bypass our Burr Brown (Gen2) DAC and select Optical or COAX out, we decode the file and provide the content but the 3rd party DAC unfolds it to the best of it's ability. If that DAC is not MQA certified, it will be limited to how much it can open the file and will play at it's best. That's the beauty of MQA, if you do not have MQA certified equipment, you can still at least play the file - just not to the best of it's ability."
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Offline ejk

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #48 on: January 10, 2017, 01:43:39 PM »
I also have the original EE DAC and wondered the same thing. I found that this DAC has as it's USB transceiver the popular but limited BB PCM2707. That means standard Redbook resolution for streaming files only, not even 24/96.

Gene the DAC itself will handle 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 and 192kHz bitstreams, it is just the USB receiver that is limited to 16/44. The SPDIF will handle all of the bit rates and I have successfully used 24/96 over the Toslink connection. I have had trouble sending 24/192 from my Bluesound Node (which only has an optical output). The 192 files loose sync, but I have no way of knowing if the problem is the optical receiver in the DAC or the transmitter in the Node.


Tom you need a optical to coax convertor. I had the same problem playing 24/192 from the optical on the Node when I first tried. only about 20 bucks around the web, try amazon. no loss of sound quality. Or what I have hooked up now is the Ifi SPDIF  ipurifier for jitter reduction. Plugs right into the back of my DAC and you can transmit coax or optical signal
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Offline tmazz

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #49 on: January 11, 2017, 01:45:04 PM »
I also have the original EE DAC and wondered the same thing. I found that this DAC has as it's USB transceiver the popular but limited BB PCM2707. That means standard Redbook resolution for streaming files only, not even 24/96.

Gene the DAC itself will handle 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 and 192kHz bitstreams, it is just the USB receiver that is limited to 16/44. The SPDIF will handle all of the bit rates and I have successfully used 24/96 over the Toslink connection. I have had trouble sending 24/192 from my Bluesound Node (which only has an optical output). The 192 files loose sync, but I have no way of knowing if the problem is the optical receiver in the DAC or the transmitter in the Node.


Tom you need a optical to coax convertor. I had the same problem playing 24/192 from the optical on the Node when I first tried. only about 20 bucks around the web, try amazon. no loss of sound quality. Or what I have hooked up now is the Ifi SPDIF  ipurifier for jitter reduction. Plugs right into the back of my DAC and you can transmit coax or optical signal

I have thought about that, but I finally have an optical cable that I really like (Analysis Plus ) and it only come with a Toslink connector where the optical input to the iFi unit is a mini plug. This means I would have to either change cables or find some kind of adaptor. Since the only 192 files I own is something somebody gave me just to test out the Node and am very happy with the few 96/24 files I have, this is just a project for another day. And of corse MQA make this all a moot point anyway.
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Offline tmazz

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #50 on: January 11, 2017, 01:55:16 PM »
Tom,

I was under the impression that with Tidal software decode of MQA stream you do not need to MQA dac.  Is my impression wrong?

I believe this is true of you are using Tidal PC App and taking an audio out from the PC itself. If you are outputting a digital signal it is up to the external DAC you are feeding to "unpack" the MQA  (or is can just play the file using standard Redbook D/A conversion).

In the case of my Bluesound Node, they recently issued a software update that enables the onboard DAC in the Node to do full MQA decoding. From my listening experience so far the analog outs of the Node (doing the full MQA) and the output of my EE DAC are very close, but upon critical listening the EE is still a slight bit better, even without the full MQA. Which does not surprise me as teh Node cost half of what the EE does and it has all of the streaming stuff in it in addition to the DAC. (BTW it is not close when playing standard Redbook files through both, the EE is way better, so the MQA is doing something right.)
Remember, it's all about the music........

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Offline tmazz

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #51 on: January 11, 2017, 01:59:15 PM »
This just in. Meridian Explorer to dac on sale at audio advisor for 199. MQA DAC

But that would require some kind of optical to USB converter as I believe the Meridian is USB only and the Node only outputs a digital signal via the Toslink, right? (Although the Node has a usb port I think it is only for inputs to the node like a flash drive of external hard drive)
Remember, it's all about the music........

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• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
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• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

Offline ejk

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #52 on: January 11, 2017, 03:04:04 PM »
This just in. Meridian Explorer to dac on sale at audio advisor for 199. MQA DAC

But that would require some kind of optical to USB converter as I believe the Meridian is USB only and the Node only outputs a digital signal via the Toslink, right? (Although the Node has a usb port I think it is only for inputs to the node like a flash drive of external hard drive)

Yes . I was just posting for those who want to use it for their computer and the Tidal app. It's 100 bucks less than what it was , I may try it out and compare
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Offline ejk

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole / MQA DECODING EXPLAINED
« Reply #53 on: January 11, 2017, 03:09:48 PM »
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Offline richidoo

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #54 on: January 11, 2017, 06:24:21 PM »
Thanks Evan. Better with pictures...  :thumb:

Offline ejk

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #55 on: January 12, 2017, 01:18:47 AM »
Thanks Evan. Better with pictures...  :thumb:

Here you go


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Offline etcarroll

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Offline tmazz

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #57 on: January 20, 2017, 03:39:29 PM »
This just in. Meridian Explorer to dac on sale at audio advisor for 199. MQA DAC

But that would require some kind of optical to USB converter as I believe the Meridian is USB only and the Node only outputs a digital signal via the Toslink, right? (Although the Node has a usb port I think it is only for inputs to the node like a flash drive of external hard drive)

Just thought of another issue that would come up in trying to use one of those Meridian DACs with the Node. The Meridian is USB powered, so not only would I need to find a device that could convert a Toslink signal to USB, but it would also have to provide clean power as well.
Remember, it's all about the music........

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Offline richidoo

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #58 on: January 20, 2017, 07:11:23 PM »

Offline Emil

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Re: Tidal has filled a big hole
« Reply #59 on: January 23, 2017, 11:46:47 AM »
What should we make of this?

Safe to move forward and buy a streamer?

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/23/technology/sprint-tidal-acquisition/index.html
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