Cinema 50. What would you do?

[edved]

I just purchased a Cinema 50, and besides the cost of Dirac, I now find that I need to buy a streamer as well. Correct me if I'm wrong; I hope I am. From my understanding, the Cinema 50 cannot stream Hi-Res Audio from Tidal. The HEOS app limits the ability to play MQA or FLAC at full resolution. I'm looking at a WiiM Pro as a streamer. Does anyone think that Marantz could address this with future updates, letting me forego buying the WiiM?

What is everyone else using to stream their audio files in Hi-Res? Should I buy the Wiim Pro and offload the DAC to the Cinema 50 or get the eversolo dmp-a6 streamer and it do the heavy lifting?




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[ban25]

I just purchased a Cinema 50, and besides the cost of Dirac, I now find that I need to buy a streamer as well. Correct me if I'm wrong; I hope I am. From my understanding, the Cinema 50 cannot stream Hi-Res Audio from Tidal. The HEOS app limits the ability to play MQA or FLAC at full resolution. I'm looking at a WiiM Pro as a streamer. Does anyone think that Marantz could address this with future updates, letting me forego buying the WiiM?

What is everyone else using to stream their audio files in Hi-Res? Should I buy the Wiim Pro and offload the DAC to the Cinema 50 or get the eversolo dmp-a6 streamer and it do the heavy lifting?




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This is why I ended up with the Integra DRX-8.4 as opposed to something like the Cinema 40 or AV10. D+M are unfortunately wedded to their ancient and rotting software stack, HEOS being the worst offender. If I were you, I'd look into a Bluesound Node X. BluOS is very competent, and the new 4.0 release is due out any day now. The Node X also has one of the best measuring DACs on the market.

When I had the X3700H, I ran an outboard Node to handle streaming duties. Fortunately, now with the DRX-8.4, I am able to stream directly from Roon with Chromecast built-in, but I am still waiting for Roon Ready support to be patched in.

 

[edved]

This is why I ended up with the Integra DRX-8.4 as opposed to something like the Cinema 40 or AV10. D+M are unfortunately wedded to their ancient and rotting software stack, HEOS being the worst offender. If I were you, I'd look into a Bluesound Node X. BluOS is very competent, and the new 4.0 release is due out any day now. The Node X also has one of the best measuring DACs on the market.

When I had the X3700H, I ran an outboard Node to handle streaming duties. Fortunately, now with the DRX-8.4, I am able to stream directly from Roon with Chromecast built-in, but I am still waiting for Roon Ready support to be patched in.

Node X maybe an option for me. Thanks for your input. I'm coming from the NAD 758v3 which is nearly 7 years old, but has BluOS and it works well. I was shocked to learn about the limitations of HEOS.

 

[ban25]

Node X maybe an option for me. Thanks for your input. I'm coming from the NAD 758v3 which is nearly 7 years old, but has BluOS and it works well. I was shocked to learn about the limitations of HEOS.

Yeah, after you have been using BluOS or Roon -- I have 3 BluOS endpoints throughout the house -- going to something like HEOS is like living in the stone age.

 

[Golfx]

I just purchased a Cinema 50, and besides the cost of Dirac, I now find that I need to buy a streamer as well. Correct me if I'm wrong; I hope I am. From my understanding, the Cinema 50 cannot stream Hi-Res Audio from Tidal. The HEOS app limits the ability to play MQA or FLAC at full resolution. I'm looking at a WiiM Pro as a streamer. Does anyone think that Marantz could address this with future updates, letting me forego buying the WiiM?

What is everyone else using to stream their audio files in Hi-Res? Should I buy the Wiim Pro and offload the DAC to the Cinema 50 or get the eversolo dmp-a6 streamer and it do the heavy lifting?




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First, Hello, you do not need an external streamer. HEOS communicates back and forth “from your Cinema 50” to a central server via your wi-fi—not from the app on your phone. I had no problem using HEOS on my Denon to play HI-Res Amazon Unlimited HD tracks at 24/192—at least, that is what it displayed on the Amazon Unlimited track being played. Tidal doesnt do Hi-res yet. The HEOS app on your phone just serves as a “remote” that communicates with the HEOS in the Cinema 50 via your Wi-FI.

Second, most every AVR downsamples Hi-Res to 48KHZ when using room correction software. AVRs do not have enough processing power to do both simultaneously. So you would have to shut off room correction using “Direct” playback on the AVR.

Lastly, and most importantly, your speakers/headphones are limited to max of 33KHZ (generous estimate) but your ears are limited to a max of 20KHZ so while there is an intellectual satisfaction of receiving Hi-Rez at 24/192 there is no way, no way, anyone can hear that high. There may be some advantage to recording Hi-RES music like hiding artifacts but again you cannot hear that high.

 

[Miker 1102]

Audessy or Dirac needs to be turned off in order to change the downsampling from 48hz.. I believe it does it automatically in my Denon when playing USB. Whether you can hear anything or not is very subjective. . Poster taking about a "better" dac in a streamer makes little sense unless they are playing the streamer thru an analog input on the avr so your bypassing the digital process. Anything that goes into the avr's digital input is going to be using the dac in the avr not the streamer. There is absolutely no difference between the stream from a node and HEOS unless the service offers some Atmos or MQA..which Tidal is now forsaking.

 

[Chrispy]

I wouldn't use Tidal. I don't use my Heos, tho, I just use Spotify Connect or stream my own content from a variety of devices (pc/tablet/phone) as the higher res just isn't important to find another more useful service. I wouldn't bet on Masimo/D&M going for Tidal particulary at this point either.

 

[MLaranjeiras]

I just purchased a Cinema 50, and besides the cost of Dirac, I now find that I need to buy a streamer as well. Correct me if I'm wrong; I hope I am. From my understanding, the Cinema 50 cannot stream Hi-Res Audio from Tidal. The HEOS app limits the ability to play MQA or FLAC at full resolution. I'm looking at a WiiM Pro as a streamer. Does anyone think that Marantz could address this with future updates, letting me forego buying the WiiM?

What is everyone else using to stream their audio files in Hi-Res? Should I buy the Wiim Pro and offload the DAC to the Cinema 50 or get the eversolo dmp-a6 streamer and it do the heavy lifting?




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You can buy an US$ 6.00 MConnect App and control all from your mobile phone via UpnP

 

[Golfx]

I wouldn't use Tidal. I don't use my Heos, tho, I just use Spotify Connect or stream my own content from a variety of devices (pc/tablet/phone) as the higher res just isn't important to find another more useful service. I wouldn't bet on Masimo/D&M going for Tidal particulary at this point either.

HEOS does have tidal as one of its streaming services.

 

[Chrispy]

HEOS does have tidal as one of its streaming services.

I didn't sign up, had no need, seems like an unnecessary step but does it allow full advantage of every service if someone is staring at the numbers?

 

[edved]

Thanks for the excellent response.

First, Hello, you do not need an external streamer. HEOS communicates back and forth “from your Cinema 50” to a central server via your wi-fi—not from the app on your phone. I had no problem using HEOS on my Denon to play HI-Res Amazon Unlimited HD tracks at 24/192—at least, that is what it displayed on the Amazon Unlimited track being played. Tidal doesnt do Hi-res yet. The HEOS app on your phone just serves as a “remote” that communicates with the HEOS in the Cinema 50 via your Wi-FI.

Second, most every AVR downsamples Hi-Res to 48KHZ when using room correction software. AVRs do not have enough processing power to do both simultaneously. So you would have to shut off room correction using “Direct” playback on the AVR.

Lastly, and most importantly, your speakers/headphones are limited to max of 33KHZ (generous estimate) but your ears are limited to a max of 20KHZ so while there is an intellectual satisfaction of receiving Hi-Rez at 24/192 there is no way, no way, anyone can hear that high. There may be some advantage to recording Hi-RES music like hiding artifacts but again you cannot hear that high.

 

[Nutul]

I didn't sign up, had no need, seems like an unnecessary step but does it allow full advantage of every service if someone is staring at the numbers?

Don't know if this is relevant, but Tidal does MQA no more (as for Hi-Rez), in favor of FLAC, so I think HEOS can deal with FLACs, right?

 

[staticV3]

Don't know if this is relevant, but Tidal does MQA no more (as for Hi-Rez), in favor of FLAC, so I think HEOS can deal with FLACs, right?

Tidal FLAC is currently limited to the native Tidal Apps. All other services still get MQA files.

 

[Nutul]

Tidal FLAC is currently limited to the native Tidal Apps. All other services still get MQA files.

You mean that there was no "HiRes API" in Tidal (which had required only a change on their side, replacing MQA files with the respective FLAC ones) but instead there were the "MQA" and "LoRes" distinct ones, so that now until all 3rd-party apps update the API requests it is a mess?!? OMG.

 

[staticV3]

You mean that there was no "HiRes API" in Tidal (which had required only a change on their side, replacing MQA files with the respective FLAC ones) but instead there were the "MQA" and "LoRes" distinct ones, so that now until all 3rd-party apps update the API requests it is a mess?!? OMG.

Here are more details: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s-hires-flac-from-tidal-really-a-thing.48493/

 

[Chrispy]

Don't know if this is relevant, but Tidal does MQA no more (as for Hi-Rez), in favor of FLAC, so I think HEOS can deal with FLACs, right?

HEOS would be pretty useless if it couldn't handle a flac.

https://support.denon.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1942/~/heos---supported-audio-formats

 

[aschemkes]

First, Hello, you do not need an external streamer. HEOS communicates back and forth “from your Cinema 50” to a central server via your wi-fi—not from the app on your phone. I had no problem using HEOS on my Denon to play HI-Res Amazon Unlimited HD tracks at 24/192—at least, that is what it displayed on the Amazon Unlimited track being played. Tidal doesnt do Hi-res yet. The HEOS app on your phone just serves as a “remote” that communicates with the HEOS in the Cinema 50 via your Wi-FI.

Second, most every AVR downsamples Hi-Res to 48KHZ when using room correction software. AVRs do not have enough processing power to do both simultaneously. So you would have to shut off room correction using “Direct” playback on the AVR.

Lastly, and most importantly, your speakers/headphones are limited to max of 33KHZ (generous estimate) but your ears are limited to a max of 20KHZ so while there is an intellectual satisfaction of receiving Hi-Rez at 24/192 there is no way, no way, anyone can hear that high. There may be some advantage to recording Hi-RES music like hiding artifacts but again you cannot hear that high.

Thanx for clearification. HiRes 24/192 is pure nonsense for the end listener. It's proven time over time, 16/44.1 is more, I say more! than enough for the end listener. You CANNOT hear the difference between 24/192 and 16/44.1 it's is simply beyond our hearing capacity