NDX and Tidal Master Quality Files

I can do this with my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ as well (MQA or DSD). On my main system (using a 2nd gen Linn Klimax DS) I simply rely on Roon to carry out the first unfold or to convert DSD files to PCM.

Yes you can, my Ifi Nano does. Uses its own GTO filter for non MQA material and the MQA reconstruction filters for MQA.

Simon, decoding the first unfold and decoding entirely an MQA file through an MQA dac can’t give the same results on sound quality.
The same for decoding dsd files with a Naim Dac. The dsd sound with Naim ( Nds for me) is dull and lacking life ( to my ears). A true dsd dac gives better results.

Hello Jimdog, is it stable now? No drop outs?

Only the 1st unfold is required for files upto MQA 96, so the Roon Core can do that.
I can take a 24/96 file and a locally stored MQA 96 file of the same album, played them side-by-side through Roon and the UPnP Bridge and there is no difference.

Only for MQA 176, MQA 192 and MQA 352 is subsequent processing by a MQA enabled DAC required, and therefore there will be a difference for these files. But look at the availability of the content.
Plus I have taken a 24/192 and locally stored MQA 192 file of the same album, played them side-by-side and it very difficult to tell the 24/192 vs the 1st unfolded 24/96 from the MQA 192 apart.

If you don’t like the SHARC based processing undertaken in the Naim, have you tried an off-board conversion to PCM, possible within Roon, and the different processing filters available in the Delta-Sigma process.

I don’t believe I have actually ever heard a ‘True DSD DAC’, one that is maintaining the 1-bit processing throughout the entire DAC process.

But then I do prefer the sound a proper R2R DAC over a Sigma-Delta based DAC :grinning:

Yes, super stable.
No drops out at all.
The app is pretty basic compared to the Naim app.
But it does everything I need.
But the SQ is so much better that’s not important.

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Thanks for the heads up. I have a Hauwei tablet, and I’ll check out MConnectHD.

Dave

Feeding my new RME DAC the Bluesound Node 2 ohave sounds pretty damn good to me and together better than my Atom for headphones by a country mile.

Glad it works for you, CG.
The new Node 2i I bought recently sounded pretty poor feeding my 272/555DR - distinctly worse than the 272 with native Tidal.
Whereas the MConnectHD app sounds significantly better than native Tidal.

But each person’s solution is what works for them.

Please report back on how it sounds in your system.
thanks
Jim

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I am sure that @bailyhill will not completely agree. He enjoyed really MQA when he purchased the Meridian dac.
Before he had the Nd555 . He uses Roon too.

Is Huawei an Android tablet? If yes, you can also try Bubleupnp app . However I have tested only Mconnect on IPad…so can’t say more.

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I would use BubbleUPnP over Mconnect any day of the week. Mconnect is too buggy and unreliable. BubbleUPnP on Android is rock solid.

You must like the wireless noise it’s adding via Mconnect :wink:

I have listened to a complete Meridian 8000SE setup, and yes it is able to process all MQA within the DAC and doesn’t use the Roon Core processing, and is able to process all MQA file types (MQA 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176, 192 and 352) (the ones in bold are the ones that can processed with just the 1st unfold in the Roon Core).
And all sounded very good - but that’s a complete Meridian 8000SE system.

You can get 90% of all Tidal Masters content processed in the 1st unfold via Roon and UPnP Bridge to the NDS, NDX and ND5XS, and then for the remainder 10%, well either 24/96 will do, or track down the FLAC version on the HiRes stores and purchase them.

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I tried Mconnect too, on Qobuz, with an IPad Air 2 and Nds. It was clearly better sounding than Tidal native on the Naim app.
Fuller and more natural sound. I doubt it’s a wireless noise effect…

Hello FR
Yes SiS on another related thread, and I do hear things differently, as MQA gives me that in the room/you are there sound that I was looking for. One thing we do agree on interestingly, is that we both appreciate the improved reconstruction techniques that Rob Watts and Bob Stuart use. Both attempt to reduce the timing errors that many current DAC’s exhibit. They use different techniques for sure, but both seem to accomplish similar results. MQA of course goes one step further, and backs out other time delays caused by cascaded equipment in the record channel.

While I felt like a traitor abandoning my ND 555 as it was planned to be the end game for me, it appears now that several on this forum prefer the Upscaler/DAVE, Dcs, MSB, Bartok, Rossini, etc to give them the result they are looking for.

I should also comment that S in S is comparing a $300 dac MQA versus my $24K dac. So its expected that there would be some difference and some uptik. I certainly hear that when I compare my AQ Cobalt and my Meridian Ultra Dac.

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Yes, MConnectHD on an iPad definitely gives better SQ than native Tidal on my 272.

I think CG is just pulling my leg, as the 2 wireless legs of the audio files journey to and from router to iPad will add some possible timing errors or other interference, although it’s not identifiable to me as a listener.

I expect that as long as I use this solution in my system, I will get my leg pulled dozens of times about this technical issue on hifi forums, and usually by people who have not tried MConnectHD feeding an older gen Naim streamer on a new iPad from a good broadband router.

I’d love hear from anyone who’s compared MConnectHD like that to transcoding To WAV on a NAS or using Bubble On a wired pc…

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It was meant as a joke FR. So many of you pull your nose up at using WiFi yet this is using it and you all says it’s superior to a fully wired solution.

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