Perhaps you should ask Tidal to remove Naim from that MQA page. It gives the appearance that Tidal accidentally leaked information ahead of Naim’s next firmware update.
It would also be good if someone could clarify once and for all how the Tidal stream works on a Naim streamer when an MQA file is selected, because I see it speculated in these discussions that we are no longer receiving an unadulterated 16 bit 44.1 FLAC stream when playing from an MQA release, Does Tidal maintain a a normal FLAC file of MQA releases that a Naim streamer is diverted to or is the streamer given something extracted from the MQA file, as conjectured in this discussion? I would certainly like to know because Qobuz isn’t an option in Canada and until Naim supports Deezer, Apple Music and Amazon Music, Tidal is my only option for lossless streaming to my Atom.
Also worth noting that Spotify Hi-Fi is incoming, in terms of lossless streaming options. Have no definitive date or further info on that right now, but as soon as I do, will share it here!
When I do an album search for Rumours using the Tidal app for Windows 10 I get this. Three different versions of the album, all with the MASTER label. In the past, I would also see additional copies of the album without the MASTER label. Those are gone. But how far gone? Are they still available from Tidal at 44.1/16 if, for example, I set HiFi as my preferred streaming quality? Or if Naim is playing the album.
As mentioned this question derives from a post I saw (elsewhere I believe) that the “CD Quality” version of Rumours (and many other albums) on Tidal is not really 44.1/16 but an MQA modified version where the three least significant bits used by MQA have been turned into dither when streamed to non-MQA streamers.
I was not claiming that MQA 44.1 was HiRes, nor is anything on Bob’s Talks, however the 1st unfold process for MQA 44.1 files when played back in 24/88.1 stream will allow for the original 16/44.1 format.
The original question was about Tidal and its replacing CD rips with MQA versions.
When you look in Roon many of these are MQA 44.1, so it depends on how you preparing to play these.
If through Roon, the Roon Core will apply the 1st software unfold.
If played on a native Tidal app there will be the 1st unfold software processing.
If not, and the MQA 44.1 files are played, as is, by a Network Streamer or through a Tidal integration without any MQA support there will be no processing.
So, like many things, the answer is not black and white.
My posting was that after extensive listening and comparison, I am replacing locally stored CD rip of some albums with MQA 44.1 versions - nothing to do with Internet Streaming. If possible I try to obtain the 24-bit MQA version whether the OSF is 44.1, 48, 88.1 or 96. For resolutions greater than 96, I will look to the PCM 24-bit version, as the 1st software unfold does go above 96k. However, if these aren’t available the MQA 176.4 or MQA 192 will survice and certainly better, even at the 1st unfold rate of 24/88.2 or 24/96, than a 16/44.1 CD rip equivalent. Same for MQA 352.8 and DXD PCM format for 24/352.8 but as with DSD128, DSD256 there is very little content at these formats.
I maintain a Qobuz Account only for purchases, as Tidal provides more scope for discovery of new music, as it has the more extensive library. Plus a dongle DAC on the iPhone, provides for mobile consumption over GSM and non-home WiFI, and yes, it is a MQA one for use with the iOS Tidal app - so ‘HiRes’ without the bandwidth.
Then look at Roon - I have a number of ChromeCast Audio devices and Google Home product that support ChromeCast Audio, for non main system use, and they work very well through Roon.
Many of them are present in a Google Cast Group, which synchronizes playback across which ever devices are on.
ChromeCast Audio (CCA) devices can support a stream upto 24/96 with either an optical digital output or onboard DAC.
From Roon, you can then stream all Tidal content, including Tidal Master with the 1st unfold undertaken in Roon Core, Qobuz services, Internet Radio including FLAC lossless and all locally stored content.
You can also transfer the stream from one endpoint to another as you move around.
So weekday morning, News coverage starts upstairs in bedroom & bathrooms, before moving downstairs to main system in open plan, Living, Dining, Kitchen area, only to return back upstairs to the Home Office/Study.
Repeat for Classical content on a weekend morning etc.
I find that statement from Tidal very misleading. Quite apart from Naim, AFAIK Auralic do not support MQA either and have no current plans to do so. Indeed their founder and head honcho has been openly critical of the whole MQA business.
Personally, I don’t see what MQA adds to the world and wish it would die a quiet death. But I suspect corporate interests will do their damnedest to avoid that happening.
I’ve taken a look (from the outside) at Roon. I dont think it will work for me.
I have about 4,500 physical discs. More than half are classical. Back around 2006 when I first started ripping discs to play on my iPod, I developed a tagging system that worked for me. I came up with an artist tag that allowed me to see composer and principal performer on the tiny iPod screen. I used the iTunes feature to join multiple movements of a piece into one track. I adapted my system further when I added Squeezeboxes to my system. I switched to JRiver and FLAC, when I determined iTunes made too many errors during rips.
I am pretty sure Roon would not know what to make of my library, and I have no intention of retagging (and in some cases re-ripping) in order to make Roon happy. So, it is simply not an option.
No need to retag or adjust any Metadata, when Roon scans your library.
The only thing you may need to do, is identify any Albums Roon needs some help with, but it is very easy.
Roon 1.8 has improved handling of Classical performances.
I still have Asset indexing my library, as the default server for my NDS Network player.
Some people love Roon, and the way it presents music and information. But it doesn’t suit everyone - I had two trials, 2 or 3 years apart, the first time I hated it, but they cleaned up some of its problems or made them optional, and I tried again because there was a suggestion that it was good with collections having bad metadata, but it turned out to be not as capable as Audirvana I already use, simply not recognising some of my collection. I didn’t dislike it like the first time, but it offered nothing I found beneficial, and certainly nothing for me to justify its significant expense. Unless Roon’s approach floats your boat, it would seem an odd and expensive way to enable a somewhat suspect encoding of music, if you can find the same in genuine unadulterated hi res in other places like Qobuz.
But it isn’t the original 16/44.1 is it?! It’s actually
an adulterated and lossy version of the 16/44.1 original. Maybe preferable to some, but undeniably a lossy version of the original.
Come off it, either it is Hi-Res or it isn’t - and quotation marks notwithstanding - it clearly isn’t.
What part of that are you querying? If you mean the “somewhat suspect”, I was thinking of the not bitperfect reconstruction, and the modifying of the original master to give a presentation alleged to be that intended by the artist, and the claim that MQA matches response to the original ADC (which might be possible where a single model of ADC was used to digitise every bit of the music, but often that is not the case).
I seem to have misunderstood - you were talking about MQA? I thought about Roon, because of “Unless Roon’s approach floats your boat …”. Of course Roon works with Qobuz
No, an encoded version of the 16/44.1, then unpacked.
Have you actually listen to a MQA 44.1 file played on Roon vs an early CD rip version? My earliest CD rips were from the 00’s, designed to populate an iPod with lossless ALAC. Playback has progressed.
Again, have you tried it and listened to a Tidal app on the phone with an external DAC and a pair of headphones?
Or just an opinion?
I was referring to a suggestion by someone else that Roon could be used as a means of doing the first unfold of MQA and playing through a Naim streamer.
It does indeed, I’ve verified it on a Linn streamer using Kazoo. However, I suspect it automatically switches to the CD version when it realizes that the Linn streamer is not MQA-enabled.
Roon gives you the option to use its metadata (by default) or to use your own metadata saved with the music files. Try a free trial if you’re not sure, but you should be able to set it up to suit you.
