Quote:
Originally Posted by wklie
MQA Core decoder can exist in software or hardware form. Software: Roon, Tidal desktop app, Audirvana. Hardware: Lumin product line with digital output, Esoteric N-03T, Aurender with the optional MQA Core paid upgrade, and some other MQA transport products as well.
With the MQA Core decoder (in hardware or software) it allows non-MQA DAC to get better SQ (96/88.2kHz) from MQA music than no MQA decoding. MQA Core decoder is also required for the use of MQA renderer (Berkeley, iFi, Dragonfly).
Any transports that send bit perfect audio can do MQA passthrough to allow a MQA Full Decoder DAC (i.e. Core decoder + Renderer) to do its job. The Lumin MQA passthrough has one additional feature: Lumin will authenticate the MQA (show on the front panel and app) if configured to do MQA passthrough instead of (full or core) decoding by itself.
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If hardware decoder can perform a the full MQA unfold tnrough a passthrough mode , in your experience, is there any benefits if a software decoded 88khz or 96khz MQA track compared to the same hardware decoded track presuming the max encodedn MQA sample rate of the track isnalso 88 or 96khz?
We see how many MQA implementation have been now enabled through software, usb or ethernet input cards where MQA initially when launched was marketed to be done by hardware decoding and dac or streamers with MQA capability had to be sent for certification by MQA how the dac's implementation and develpoment was to somehow be controlled or dictated my the MQA equipment certification process.