MQA - Does it work?

Help and Support
12

Volumio is OK for MQA playback, but the DAC need to do complete unfolding…

M500 can do unfolding of MQA data stream supplied from volumio. There are on display text MQA, green or blue circle and sampling rate… If certified MQA track is playing there is a blue dot, else green…
For example : Louis Armstrong : What a wonderful World : volumio shows : 48 kHz 24 bit, M500 shows MQA blue dot, 192 kHz.

If the data speed is not enough, M500 shows 48 kHz and normal audio data source…

Tapatalkkal küldve az én CLT-L29 eszközömről

13

I have an SMSL M500 dac with RPi4b/Volumio which I run with mConnect on my Android phone. Up until this morning Tidal MQA files were played OK through my system, and I get either the green or blue led/light shown on my dac, but never the purple light.

However, things change for the worse (?) this morning. No more MQA indication showing on the dac display despite playing Tidal MQA files. I played about with the settings in Volumio but still no joy.

Playing Tidal MQA with my MacBook Pro with USB out to the SMSL M500 dac, I get the MQA indications on the DAC. So some things have changed in Volumio that I/We are not aware of!

14

Ah…need to check data speed in my setup. This could be why I’m having no MQA.

15

My Tidal/Rpi4b/Volumio/SMSL M500 is doing great again after I reinstall Volumio. When playing MQA tracks from Tidal, the dac indicates MQA being played, either green or blue lights showing on the display of the dac. :slight_smile:

16

Hi musaziz,

nice to hear that :slight_smile:

What can You san about M500 ? Do You like it ?

17

I send Tidal MQA tracks from Volumio (Hifiberry digi + pro) to NAD D3045 amplifier (has internal DAC) via optical spdif connection. The amplifier shows mqa led. I confirm its possible to play mqa tracks on Volumio.

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18

Hello,

I have a Project Pre Box S2 DAC with full MQA support.
I`m running the latest Volumio installed today on an Allo Usbridge Sig and on an Android Tablet.
I have configured a My Volumio account and bought the Volumio app on the tablet.
I have a Tidal Hifi subscription, with Master files.

I could not configure Tidal as Beta version, I just get an error. I have configured Tidal normally and it`s working but I have 2 issues:

  1. After a while (20 minutes), MQA files stops showing on my DAC, it doesnt show the MQA logo anymore on the DAC display. I have tried every setting and nothing. After a factory reset from Volumio app, I can see again MQA for about 20-30 minutes, then its not showing MQA anymore on the DAC display.
  2. The MQA files are limited to 44Khz when playing from Volumio? If I play a track from Tidal from My PC, I can see 192Khz on the DAC display, but if I play the same track trough Volumio, it shows 44Khz.

Please advise. Thank you.

1 Like
19

Hi, you have to install Room Bridge Plugin in Audio services menu on Volumio. Its working prefeclty for me. I had the same problem until I have activated this plugin. I have a smsl SU-9 DAC connected by USB to a Pi 3 as bridge for Roon

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20

Why doesn’t volumio go an other approach? Do software unfolding of MQA so all DACS can be used.
The Pi 4 has enough power to handle that.

21

I believe it’s a lic€nsing matter…

22

568×544 48.9 KB

it seems around 50 us$ per unit

23

Hello Havel!

Nice to see someone with the same setup as mine, that got it working :grinning:

I have RPi3, Digi+ Pro, TosLink cable to NAD D3045.
But I don’t get any MQA in the NAD’s display.

I’m using MyVolumio Virtuoso and have a Tidal HiFi Subscription, and I’m playing Masters tracks with the M-logo.
What else do I need to do?

Are you able to see the MQA confirmed in the Volumio app, in the “now playing” section of the app? (I’m not, but I’m not sure I’m supposed to see it there :sweat_smile:)

Thanks in Advance, Havel!

1 Like
24

Hello @musaziz,
Can I ask: What did you do to achieve this?

I have RPi3b, MyVolumio Virtuoso, Tidal Hifi, and I send the digital signal to my NAD D3045’s DAC (which is MQA compatible).

But I can’t get it to recognize it as an MQA signal.
No MQA using USB to the DAC and no MQA when sending the signal from I2S Digi+ Pro using TosLink to the DAC.

Are you able in any way to see it in Volumio, when an MQA signal is being sent?
(the NAD D3045 will show it in the display, when receiving an MQA signal, but I don’t see it in the display)

25

Hi, thank you for the info. I have installed it, it`s better now but I still get 1 second interruptions on MQA tracks randomly. Now I have the same SMSL SU-9 DAC as you with ALLO USBRIDGE SIG streamer.
When I connect the dac to PC and use Tidal app, everything is perfect but when I play from My Volumio, I get the interruptions, only on MQA tracks. On the DAC display, when the interruption occurs, the MQA logo changes to USB logo, then back to MQA in a second. Do you have such an issue? Thank you for your help.

26

Hello,

For those using ALLO USbridge Signature that are having 1 second interruptions randomly on MQA tracks, the below might solve the issue. This will change the network interface driver. It worked for me:

  1. Enable SSH on ALLO by following this guide:
    sparky_linux_images/volumio_ssh_enable.pdf at master · sparkysbc/sparky_linux_images · GitHub
  2. Use Putty to connect to the IP of the ALLO - you can check the IP in Volumio network settings
  3. Enter user: volumio, password: volumio
  4. Enter: sudo wget http://3.230.113.73:9011/Allocom/asix2v0/install.sh
  5. Enter sudo sh install.sh
  6. Reboot the device
1 Like
27

Good morning,
is the any DAC below 350 € on the market which gives me FULL MQA decoding for Tidal with RPi4 and Volumio? Out of the box? Whithout any command line actions?
Thank you for opinions from users who own such devices!
Greetings from Düsseldorf/Germany.
Achim

28

I think ifi Zen v2 will do the full decoding of MQA.

2 Likes
29

I can confirm it does.(Zen V2, that is)

1 Like
30

Thank you…I’ve just ordered it!

31

Hay,

For your Zen Dac v2, how to you have the DSD play back option set? DSD Direct or DSD over PCM? I have noticed that the V2 will sometimes stutter during MQA playback while it appears to switch between masters and hifi from Tidal via either Tidal Connect or directly through Volumio.

This behavior is not apparent while setup for DSD over PCM (DOP).

1 Like