MQA Audio upgrade option?

[yetis]

So while we debate the virtues of HDMI cards.  Is there any indication from Emotiva about an MQA upgrade?  I have an Audiophile setting on my processor and now there seems the real emergence of an audiophile standard for streaming audio?    Fortunately, it would seem that MQA (Meridian Audio + others) have been kind enough to offer a plug in upgrade board?   Is this something in the future for MQA?        

MQA Hardware upgrade card



Thank you 

[rhale64]

I want to make sure someone of importance sees this post. I want the answer to this also.
Will it be included in the upcoming high end processor? The RMC OR XMR1? It hopefully will.

[novisnick]

Jan 6, 2016 6:44:20 GMT -5 rhale64 said:

I want to make sure someone of importance sees this post. I want the answer to this also.
Will it be included in the upcoming high end processor? The RMC OR XMR1? It hopefully will.

People of importance and with your answer are at Emotiva headquarters, shortly after CES. Most likely. But you can call and ask in the morning.
Please let us know what you find out. 

[phone]

[garbulky]

I don't want to be negative and I have no facts here but I'm guessing that this isn't going to happen. It's a niche product. I think their goal of upgradablity is towards more widely accepted upgrades.

[yetis]

Jan 6, 2016 9:34:42 GMT -5 garbulky said:

I don't want to be negative and I have no facts here but I'm guessing that this isn't going to happen. It's a niche product. I think their goal of upgradability is towards more widely accepted upgrades.

I am going to disagree on this being a niche product.  I think the stage is being set for the recording industry to reclaim control of their assets.  You want anything else than MP3 quality, then your going to download it and its going to be encoded with MQA.  I would add that it's not a niche group of manufacturers that have adopted the hardware.   AURALiC, Aurender, Bluesound, Berkeley Audio, dCS, Ixion, Kripton, Meridian Audio, Mytek, Onkyo, and Pioneer.  I certainly wouldn't characterize the latter two as "niche".   To be clear, this is about improved sound quality extracted from smaller data files.  Allowing for more efficient distribution and broader distribution (mobile, home, etc).  However, it's also about control and some level of DRM. 

[garbulky]

I don't disagree with you. I want it to happen. I just don't see it happening. Audio's only real hope imo is itunes getting on the high bitrate wagon. Even Tidal hasn't swung people enough towards CD quality.
The moment you make MQA decoding a requirement for a device to make it work that's when things get iffy imo.

[KeithL]

As far as I know, Meridian is the ONLY company offering a hardware decoder for this at the moment.

However, an important thing to bear in mind is that bandwidth is only a significant issue when you're talking about streaming data between a server and a computer - over a network. So, if their MQA CODEC can give you the equivalent of 24/192k quality, while only using as much bandwidth as a normal CD-quality connection, then that is a major benefit to a streaming service, and possibly their customer. However, once the music is delivered to your computer, there isn't any significant benefit to sending it directly to a DAC, and having the DAC decode it in hardware, rather than simply including the decoder function in the player program, and then sending it to a standard PCM DAC at 24/96k or 24/192k. (And, since there are so few hardware decoders in existence, I would have to assume that any streaming service using their CODEC would be licensing the technology to include the decoder in their player software.)

Now if, somewhere down the road, it were to become so popular as to be "in common use", then I can see where it might earn a spot in the collection of common CODECs supported by most equipment - including ours.

[StoneGlad]

From what I understand, if your streamer and/or computer S/W program are able to stream/play Tidal, then it is a simple update to allow the MQA CODEC to allow the pass through.
However, your DAC or Processor with built in DAC must be able to play MQA, which I imagine is more involved, yet most likely still achievable via a firmware update so long as the hardware and DAC chip can support it.
FYI, the Mytek Brooklyn DAC can decode/ play MQA in addition to the Meridian, Mytek is actually doing the MQA demonstration at CES along with Aurender, Bluesound, Auralic, Onkyo, Berkley and Pioneer.
From what I know, Tidal will start streaming MQA within the next 3-4 weeks, starting with the entire 2L catalogue and then adding/ expanding MQA streaming titles from there.
I have a Mytek Brooklyn DAC on the way, so I will let you know how good MQA is once I have it up and running in my system (I will be streaming Tidal via an Aurender N100H - into Mytek Brooklyn DAC - into Integra Processor - into Emotiva XPR-2 / XPR -5)

[rhale64]

I think MQA is going to be the exacto standard for streaming in the next couple years.

[charlieu]

Jan 6, 2016 15:12:51 GMT -5 KeithL said:

As far as I know, Meridian is the ONLY company offering a hardware decoder for this at the moment.

However, an important thing to bear in mind is that bandwidth is only a significant issue when you're talking about streaming data between a server and a computer - over a network. So, if their MQA CODEC can give you the equivalent of 24/192k quality, while only using as much bandwidth as a normal CD-quality connection, then that is a major benefit to a streaming service, and possibly their customer. However, once the music is delivered to your computer, there isn't any significant benefit to sending it directly to a DAC, and having the DAC decode it in hardware, rather than simply including the decoder function in the player program, and then sending it to a standard PCM DAC at 24/96k or 24/192k. (And, since there are so few hardware decoders in existence, I would have to assume that any streaming service using their CODEC would be licensing the technology to include the decoder in their player software.)

Now if, somewhere down the road, it were to become so popular as to be "in common use", then I can see where it might earn a spot in the collection of common CODECs supported by most equipment - including ours.

The funny thing is that none of the current Meridian gear can decode a MQA file at this time. The devices that they sold as being MQA ready only work with one of the initial versions of MQA, not the one currently being used. Supposedly a firmware update is needed and Meridian hasn't announced when it will happen.

MQA has been split off from Meridian into it's own company. Probably to get others to get on board with the format. You don't need a MQA decoder in your hardware to play MQA files. The files will come to you as FLAC, WAV or some other lossless format and if your system doesn't decode MQA, then you get the 16/44 CD quality playback. (Though they say it will still sound better than CD) If your hardware can decode MQA, then you get the full goodness of up to 24/384 sound.

You may be right about streaming services possibly building a decoder into their player software, but I expect that companies like HDTracks will see this as a way to save space on their servers while still providing high resolution tracks to their customers. 2L is already doing it. Streaming it off your own server or a USB stick will benefit from having it built in to the hardware. (DAC or Processor)

It is early days though and a wait and see stance does make sense. Pretty much all of the demos I've read about have been in a controlled environment. The files are starting to trickle out now and I'll be interested in how it sounds in the wild.

[klinemj]

As Keith said, it looks to me like this can be a software enabled option (and from what I read, Tidal will enable it). Alternatively, one could use a hardware solution. I don't know why someone would opt for a hardware solution when a software solution will do the same. I guess time will tell how it works out.

But for now, I don't think I need Emotiva to do anything.

Mark