QX5/20 DAC will soon do MQA
 

with a software update if goes according to plan. It will be able to do the first unfold of MQA. I'm not 100% on this, but in order to do the second unfolding, it may need to be a hardware update and I'm have no clue if they will go that route. I know many are just doing a first unfold software update in their DAC's also. I have heard MQA a few times and it's nice, but I still don't think it betters my high rez music via a great DAC. I"ve heard it on both TOL Meridian systems as well as in my own when friend brought over some files and his DAC that did the whole shooting match.

I know many wanted MQA from Ayre and you will have it soon.

From similar posts elsewhere it was implied that it was going to do full MQA decoding. What you're calling the first unfold is also called MQA Core, and is being handled by several software players with more in the process of adding it. PS Audio is also only supporting MQA Core with an update to its Bridge II. However most DACs which are supporting MQA decoding are doing the full process and not just Core. Some DACs have been able to implement full MQA decoding with just a firmware update, while others require hardware changes to implement it.

CT, you are causing what can only be described as a Donald Trump Administration level of confusion regarding MQA. Sorry I could not resist. lmao

Funny J. Bill, the dealer Cimarra who said it was full MQA just made a mistake as he was really excited over the news. My honest deal is that I've heard full MQA in my system via to Meridian and I didn't think it sounded any better than my high res recordings. I only had a few of the same recordings that was on the short playlist I was given to play with.

I do like it and it will sound great on portable gear that can utilize it, but I'm not losing sleep over using just MQA core for now. Like anything in digital it's evolving daily. I'm still not 100% sold on it being the be all end all due to all their licensing they require everyone to go through. I know of a high end DAC designer who can't afford the licensing and won't install MQA ever. I'm sure others feel the same way. It will be fine streaming them from Tidal as they should sound better than the 16/44.1, but I thought I read somewhere that they are only giving us 17 or 18 bits and sampling up to 96. I thought I read that on another forum yesterday, although who knows. Maybe it's just all 'fake news' that Blackstone is alluding to, lol.

I'm sure it will help Ayre sell a few more of their DAC's overall (same with some of the other companies), but will they really sound that much better? I guess we all want anything new, lol....I know I do. Not going to lie. I am excited about this upgrade.

QX5/20 DAC will soon do MQA
 

I call fake news. Alternative facts. I want hearings. Of course they cut the bits. Cut the bits by 31%. We need those bits for national defense.

And it goes without saying that when your DAC is "unfolding" mqa, believe me, that DAC is spying on you, watching you fold your undies. So sad.

What undies?