26-Feb-2023, 21:56
@BoyScout
The Devialet is a "Renderer only". It can't decode MQA, it can't render MQA, it can't do anything with MQA.
An MQA audio stream is initially a CD resolution 44.1/16 digital audio stream but some of the bits are used to tell an MQA capable device what to do with the audio info in the rest of the 16 bits. Any DAC can deliver analog audio from that stream but it will be less than CD quality because a CD quality signal uses 16 bits for audio info and my understanding is that MQA uses 3 of its 16 bit signal for MQA info leaving 13 bits for audio data a DAC can convert to analog audio. In effect MQA encoding results in lossy compression of the audio data if you don't have a device which can process MQA encoding.
There are 2 stages in processing an MQA stream, a decoder does the first stage and a renderer does the second stage. Some MQA capable devices can both decode and render, some can only render, and if you have 2 MQA capable devices you can use one to decode the signal and pass the decoded signal to the second device for renderering. A decoded stream gives a better result than an undeoded stream and a stream which is both decoded and rendered gives a better result than a stream which has only been decoded. Roon can decode an MQA stream but it cannot render it. The best result you can get with just Roon and your Devialet is to have Roon decode the MQA stream which is what it does when you set "Enable MQA core decoder" to "On". To get the extra benefit provided by rendering you would have to have Roon stream a decoded stream to a device which can render MQA and have that device pass the signal to your Devialet after it was rendered.
You mentioned that you were using an Innuos server. That gives you an option I didn't mention in my earlier reply.
I understand that Innocuous servers have 2 ethernet ports, one to connect the Innuos to your network and the other to connect the Innocuous to the device it streams to. In my earlier reply I assumed that both whatever device you were running Roon on and your Devialet were each connected directly to your network. That won't be the case if you have directly connected your Innocuous to the Devialet using a connection from the 2nd ethernet port on the Innocuous.
So you have 2 ethernet connection options:
1- Innuos and Devialet independently connected to your network via ethernet, and
2- Innocuous connected to your network via ethernet and Devialet connected to your Innuos via ethernet from the second ethernet port on the Innuos..
You didn't say which connection method you're using. I have no experience with Innuos servers but I think the 2nd method is likely to be slightly better. Whichever method you're using you may want to try the other and see which you prefer.
The Devialet is a "Renderer only". It can't decode MQA, it can't render MQA, it can't do anything with MQA.
An MQA audio stream is initially a CD resolution 44.1/16 digital audio stream but some of the bits are used to tell an MQA capable device what to do with the audio info in the rest of the 16 bits. Any DAC can deliver analog audio from that stream but it will be less than CD quality because a CD quality signal uses 16 bits for audio info and my understanding is that MQA uses 3 of its 16 bit signal for MQA info leaving 13 bits for audio data a DAC can convert to analog audio. In effect MQA encoding results in lossy compression of the audio data if you don't have a device which can process MQA encoding.
There are 2 stages in processing an MQA stream, a decoder does the first stage and a renderer does the second stage. Some MQA capable devices can both decode and render, some can only render, and if you have 2 MQA capable devices you can use one to decode the signal and pass the decoded signal to the second device for renderering. A decoded stream gives a better result than an undeoded stream and a stream which is both decoded and rendered gives a better result than a stream which has only been decoded. Roon can decode an MQA stream but it cannot render it. The best result you can get with just Roon and your Devialet is to have Roon decode the MQA stream which is what it does when you set "Enable MQA core decoder" to "On". To get the extra benefit provided by rendering you would have to have Roon stream a decoded stream to a device which can render MQA and have that device pass the signal to your Devialet after it was rendered.
You mentioned that you were using an Innuos server. That gives you an option I didn't mention in my earlier reply.
I understand that Innocuous servers have 2 ethernet ports, one to connect the Innuos to your network and the other to connect the Innocuous to the device it streams to. In my earlier reply I assumed that both whatever device you were running Roon on and your Devialet were each connected directly to your network. That won't be the case if you have directly connected your Innocuous to the Devialet using a connection from the 2nd ethernet port on the Innocuous.
So you have 2 ethernet connection options:
1- Innuos and Devialet independently connected to your network via ethernet, and
2- Innocuous connected to your network via ethernet and Devialet connected to your Innuos via ethernet from the second ethernet port on the Innuos..
You didn't say which connection method you're using. I have no experience with Innuos servers but I think the 2nd method is likely to be slightly better. Whichever method you're using you may want to try the other and see which you prefer.
Roon Nucleus+, Devilalet Expert 140 Pro CI, Focal Sopra 2, PS Audio P12, Keces P8 LPS, Uptone Audio EtherREGEN with optical fibre link to my router, Shunyata Alpha NR and Sigma NR power cables, Shunyata Sigma ethernet cables, Shunyata Alpha V2 speaker cables, Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack, RealTRAPS acoustic treatment.
Brisbane, Qld, Australia
