Tidal without MQA

[Barry_Sound]

Guys, Im running Tidal because I like the app on the Mac and the music recommendations I get.

None of my DACs support MQA. Would there be any benefit for me using the HiFi Plus subscription or is HiFi just fine?

Would try myself if I had an MQA DAC available. I think Tidal can emulate hardware decoding for non-MQA-DACs but not sure if this is 1:1 identical.

Thanks for your input

 

[Jimbob54]

Guys, Im running Tidal because I like the app on the Mac and the music recommendations I get.

None of my DACs support MQA. Would there be any benefit for me using the HiFi Plus subscription or is HiFi just fine?

Would try myself if I had an MQA DAC available. I think Tidal can emulate hardware decoding for non-MQA-DACs but not sure if this is 1:1 identical.

Thanks for your input

If you can trial the higher price tier for free, see for yourself as the app does the first unfold. But toggle settings between hifi and hifi plus to experiment if it sounds better.

But I would suggest stick with the hifi anyway, far better value.

 

[Barry_Sound]

If you can trial the higher price tier for free, see for yourself as the app does the first unfold. But toggle settings between hifi and hifi plus to experiment if it sounds better.

But I would suggest stick with the hifi anyway, far better value.

Thanks, what would be the point in getting an MQA-DAC then?

 

[Jimbob54]

Thanks, what would be the point in getting an MQA-DAC then?

So mqa get some of both your tidal sub price and the licensing fee from a new hardware sale?

They would tell you it's so you can get the full decode magic though (the tidal app can only do the first of 2 possible unfolds)

 

[tmtomh]

Thanks, what would be the point in getting an MQA-DAC then?

None, in practice.

But the issue in theory is that the HiFi tier includes MQA content, but it doesn't decode it - so you're getting CD/redbook quality content, but the MQA files ("Tidal Masters") have MQA encoding that reduces the effective bit-depth and therefore slightly raises the noise floor, and does so with noise that's not fully randomized and therefore could be more audible.

Whether you can hear the difference in practice is questionable, especially at normal/sane listening levels.

 

[Jimbob54]

None, in practice.

But the issue in theory is that the HiFi tier includes MQA content, but it doesn't decode it - so you're getting CD/redbook quality content, but the MQA files ("Tidal Masters") have MQA encoding that reduces the effective bit-depth and therefore slightly raises the noise floor, and does so with noise that's not fully randomized and therefore could be more audible.

Whether you can hear the difference in practice is questionable, especially at normal/sane listening levels.

Well, the tidal app does the first decode if you have the mqa tier. OP was asking why get an mqa dac if you get the first unfold in software

There is still no actual point of course.

 

[Barry_Sound]

None, in practice.

But the issue in theory is that the HiFi tier includes MQA content, but it doesn't decode it - so you're getting CD/redbook quality content, but the MQA files ("Tidal Masters") have MQA encoding that reduces the effective bit-depth and therefore slightly raises the noise floor, and does so with noise that's not fully randomized and therefore could be more audible.

Whether you can hear the difference in practice is questionable, especially at normal/sane listening levels.

Are you saying with a non-MQA-DAC HifiPlus (=MQA) in Tidal will get you worse quality than regular Hifi subscription?

 

[tmtomh]

Well, the tidal app does the first decode if you have the mqa tier. OP was asking why get an mqa dac if you get the first unfold in software

There is still no actual point of course.

I think I had a different understanding of what the OP was asking. But yes, I agree - if you're going to upgrade to Tidal HiFi Plus, you get the MQA unfold, and the "render" done by a hardware DAC is of questionable benefit after that, to say the least. So I'd say either way, staying with the HiFi tier or moving up to the HiFi Plus tier, a move to an MQA DAC is unnecessary (and arguably could make things worse given the slow/leaky filters MQA tends to use).

 

[tmtomh]

Are you saying with a non-MQA-DAC HifiPlus (=MQA) in Tidal will get you worse quality than regular Hifi subscription?

No, and I apologize if I was unclear. My point is only that you really don't need an MQA DAC either way.

 

[Chrispy]

While I only trialed Tidal years ago, and found no sonic advantage, I hated their interface. Did that improve? In any case, just go with what you prefer altho supporting Tidal/MQA is a lot of bullshit (and the bullshit is particularly MQA)

 

[ol_mcdonald]

Just one more stupid question before this thread gets shut down….where did all the new “Hi-Res” files come from all of a sudden. Were they upsampled, or honest to goodness 24/192 files? Just seems as odd as MQA that seemingly overnight they appear.
Asking for a friend…

 

[dfuller]

Tidal dropped MQA like a sack of garbage when they went bankrupt.

 

[Emlin]

Tidal dropped MQA like a sack of garbage when they went bankrupt.

Apt, as MQA is a sack of garbage.