Tidal MQA files not playing properly in 3.5.35 on OS X

Audio Formats MQA
1

Hi everyone,

I’m having trouble playing Tidal MQA files in Audirvana since the latest version. It sounds like a bad 8bit 32kHz MP3. There seems to be a problem with the decoding somewhere, but I never encountered this problem before. All Tidal MQA tracks I tested have the same problem and the corresponding non-MQA tracks play fine.

The MQA tracks play normally when using the Tidal app with the DAC in exclusive mode.

Here’s my setup :
iMac with OS X Catalina with Audirvana 3.5.35 > AQ Jitterbug > USB > Schiit Bifrost.

Anyone else having this problem? Thanks in advance!

Z.

2

Hello @Zork,

Can you send me a copy of the “Debug Info”? You can get it in Audirvana Settings>General>Debug Info

Note: By clicking on the Debug Info button, Audirvana automatically copies all its content, all you have to do is paste it in response to this message

3

Audirvana Mac Version 3.5.35 (3565)
macOS 10.15.4 with 16384MB RAM

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
	Globally: OFF
	Per track: ON
Effects plugins NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
SoX not in use
SoX filter parameters
Bandwidth at 0dB = 99.5
Filter max length = 30000
Anti-aliasing = 100
Phase = 66

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 1 folders
AUTO: /Volumes/USB 3To/Musique
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/Zork/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaPlusDatabaseV2.sqlite

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES
TIDAL: Connected as HIFI

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

CoreAudio audio path, buffer I/O frame size: 512

Max. memory for audio buffers: 13312MB

Local Audio Engine:
Exclusive access: Enabled
Integer mode: Enabled

Preferred device:
Schiit USB Audio Gen 2
Model UID:Schiit USB Audio Gen 2:0D8C:0004
UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:Schiit Audio:Schiit USB Audio Gen 2:14300000:1

Currently playing in Integer Mode:
Device: 2ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits little endian Signed Integer, 6 bytes per frame 96kHz

Active Sample Rate: 96kHz
Hog Mode is on

Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: OFF

Selected device:
Local audio device
ID 0x29 Schiit USB Audio Gen 2 Manufacturer:Schiit Audio
Model UID:Schiit USB Audio Gen 2:0D8C:0004 UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:Schiit Audio:Schiit USB Audio Gen 2:14100000:1

6 available sample rates up to 192000Hz
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
Audio buffer frame size : 15 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512
Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not a MQA device, user set to not MQA
DSD capability: Unhandled
Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: No
Simple stereo device: Yes

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1

Stream ID 0x2a 2 channels starting at 1
24 virtual formats:
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz

36 physical formats
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x32 Sortie intégrée Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:15 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutput:1F,3,0,1,1:0
Device #1: ID 0x29 Schiit USB Audio Gen 2 Manufacturer: Schiit Audio Model UID: Schiit USB Audio Gen 2:0D8C:0004 UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:Schiit Audio:Schiit USB Audio Gen 2:14100000:1

UPnP devices found : 0

4

Do you experience the same issue while you are playing those same tracks in the Tidal app?

5

No, like I said, playing the same MQA tracks in the Tidal app works fine.

6

I seem to be having a similar problem. Non MQA files streamed from tidal are playing fine, but I can’t get MQA files to play. Also Mac environment.

7

Have you tried to set manually your DAC to MQA Decoder or Renderer in your audio output setting?

8

Setting the DAC to MQA Decoder brings back “normal” sound. With MQA Renderer, the problem stays.

9

Hi everyone,

Quick update here… I don’t have a lot of files over 16/44.1, but I just tried playing a 24/88.2 PCM file and had the same problem as previously with MQA. Can the problem be related to files with sample rates that are multiples of 44.1? I managed to make the file play fine by enabling the oversampling (power of 2) in the Audirvana Settings.

Here are the weird results of some tests I did :

  • 24/48 file, no oversampling : ok
  • 24/48 file, power of two oversampling : ok
  • 24/88.2 file, no oversampling : not ok
  • 24/88.2 file, power of two oversampling : ok
  • 24/96 file, no oversampling : not ok
  • 24/96 file, power of two oversampling : ok
  • 24/192 file, no oversampling : ok
  • 24/192 file, power of two oversampling : ok

For evey test, I tried with more than one file.

Any idea why it happens and how to solve this?

Thanks in advance.

Z.