(12-Dec-2019, 07:22)Pwalder Wrote: I’ve tried the mConnect HD IOS app (as recommended by Devialet Support) running on an iPad Pro 12.9 (second generation) linked via UPnP to Tidal Masters and the max reported resolution I see in the user interface is 24bit/48khz.......is this an IOS limit or just a bug in the way the resolution is being displayed?
Hi @Pwalder,
Actually neither. Tidal Masters are MQA-encoded and 24/48 is the resolution of the (undecoded) MQA distribution file, this is what you are seeing. While mConnect does support hi res it does not contain an MQA core decoder, and nor do the Phantoms. An MQA core decoder would perform the "first unfold" of the distribution file to double the resolution (in this case 24/96) and an MQA renderer (i.e. an MQA-compatible DAC) would then be able to perform the "second unfold" and fully restore it to its original resolution (24/192). An album such as Norah Jones's Come Away with Me consequently plays at 24/48 when streamed from Tidal (MQA) via mConnect but 24/192 when streamed from Qobuz (native hi res), see below:
This is all explained really well in Chris Connaker's great "MQA for Dummies". Note the second paragraph "From the Distribution File Forward".
