DAC Input Information doesn't update after playing MQA file

Studio
1

Hi - I’ve been wondering about this problem for some time now, as it has manifested in the previous Audirvana and now Studio

I am using a Mac M1 Mini with Audirvana Studio 2.2.2 which outputs via USB to an iFi Pro iDSD DAC which is a full MQA decoder, so everything is set for that and it is recognised as a MQA Decoder.

If I am playing a Tidal or mixed Tidal and Qobuz playlist, once the MQA track is finished and the next non-MQA track is played, the DAC Input Information (the panel under the volume control on the right hand side) does not update with the playback information for the non-MQA track - it gets “stuck” somehow.

Example:

Skin Deep - Stranglers - TIDAL - File (FLAC MQA | 16/44.1kHz Stereo)
DAC: 24/44.1kHz Stereo MQA (green dot)
Displayed on the iDSD MQA 44.1kHz Non Studio

So this is all correct so far

This track finishes and the next track plays which happens to be not an MQA file on Tidal

Cut Your Hair - Pavement - TIDAL - File (FLAC | 16/44.1kHz Stereo)
DAC: 24/44.1kHz Stereo MQA (green dot) <— This is incorrect and is for the previous track
Displayed on the iDSD (Bitperfect filter) PCM 44kHz USB <— This is correct so the DAC is receiving the track data correctly

I do wonder why this idiosyncracy has not been resolved yet - it only seems to happen with MQA files, like there is no end of track message that Audirvana needs to see to update the DAC info panel, or it never picks up that the next track is normal non-MQA PCM FLAC

I have seen so many issues with this software resolved over the years, but this one remains determined to go unresolved. I find it frustrating, but would appreciate it if it is something that is too difficult to sort, please let me know.

Thanks

Mark

2

This could be an iFi issue. Have you tried contacting them about it?

3

No problem with MQA Topping DAC here. I must admit I am on a Windows machine and not a Mac.
Maybe it has indeed to do with your iFi. Do you have the latest firmware installed?

4

Fascinating. So my DAC is supposed to report something back over the USB cable to Audirvana? As I say, the DAC is behaving correctly, it is Audirvana that doesn’t update correctly

I have tested it with an Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt dongle, which unfortunately is only an MQA Renderer not a Decoder, so there is no mention of the additional MQA / MQA Studio differences in the DAC Info which is correct.

When playing an MQA file, the LED lights purple and the correct 2nd unfold bitrate is reported - e.g

Rush - New World Man FLAC MQA 16/44.1 - DAC Info DAC:24/48kHz
Genesis - Carpet Crawlers FLAC 16/44.1 - DAC Info DAC:24/44.1kHz

It could be an issue with iFi as the Diablo (Full MQA Decoder) behaves the same which is when I started observing this issue with Audirvana Origin

Unfortunately, there is no available firmware update for the Pro iDSD and the Diablo refuses to upgrade the firmware, even though it says that it has. I only have a Mac to do this, and the number of security errors on the firmware upgrade package in macOS does not inspire confidence. Perhaps I could try and hammer it through with a Windows PC, but I can’t right now.

5

I am now thinking that this is a quirk with “Autodetect MQA Devices” somehow.

I need to do some more tests with the settings.

6

I see the same problem with Win10 =>Audirvana Studio=>USB=>SMSL SU-9 DAC.
But only when playing mixed playlists. When turning tracks manually it is not.

7

I will need to reproduce the behavior and report you back

8

I can tell you it’s related to iFi as using the v7 firmware for the iDSD Diablo I have here, I do not have this issue. After updating to v7.4c I have this behavior.

9

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