AudioAficionado.org - Aurender and MQA

AudioAficionado.org (https://www.audioaficionado.org/index.php)

- Aurender (https://www.audioaficionado.org/forumdisplay.php?f=179)

- - Aurender and MQA (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=38737)

Aurender MQA Core Decoding Engine Update

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXPWR (Post 884652)

A firmware MQA Core decoding engine for the Aurender N10 will be available soon. Aurender has completed discussions with MQA on a licensing agreement to offer a paid upgrade that would allow the user to enable or disable MQA Core decoding for use with non-MQA DAC hardware or MQA certified Renderer hardware, such as the Berkeley Audio Designs Alpha Reference Series 2. The MQA firmware upgrade is gone thru and passed all MQA certification testing. It’s ready to go and implementation will be very easy as it will be a $50 download from the Apple APP Store. Aurender is waiting for Apple to approve the upgrade software/firmware and put it up in the Apple APP Store. Everyone at Aurender expects this to happen this month (DEC 2017). I would assume this update would also be applicable to the W20. Not sure about other models that may have less powerful processors. I would contact your Aurender dealer for applicability to models other than the N10.

Because I have yet to see the promised MQA update for my N10 I contacted Aurender Customer Support again. I also asked what other Aurender models would be affected. I received a response from the Aurender Customer Support that I know to be their senior support person. His response…

”This will be available in 2018 Q1 and this will be paid upgrade through iPad Aurender Conductor App In App Purchase. For your information, basic things are done and we are finalizing the feature.
This paid upgrade will be available for all models except S10 and other model released before 2012.”

Per the previous information I had received from Aurender Support and my Aurender dealer I was hoping to have the update available in December, but it looks like we will hopefully have a Happy New Year.

Happy Holidays!
Jim

My understanding is even if Aurender does the MQA Core decoding engine you still need a MQA DAC downstream to interpret and render the MQA file above 24/96 k i.e. 24/196 k. You can however hear files in MQA up to 24/96 vs the 24/48 you get now from Tidal without the decoder.

Aurender and MQA

I’m looking forward to this Aurender update and will likely not be able to resist the $50 investment .....

From my understanding, for those using a non-MQA DAC, core decoding will yield the following resolutions:

If original MQA file is 192, you get 96 with core decoding

If original MQA file is 96, you get 88.2 with core decoding

If original MQA file is 88.2, 48, or 44.1; then you get 88.2, 48, or 44.1. Same resolution as the original file

I also believe that in addition to higher resolution files, the core decoding entails some processing of the MQA file or de-blurring or whatever it is that MQA does but of course you don’t get all the processing/information without a MQA dac.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXPWR (Post 888562)

Because I have yet to see the promised MQA update for my N10 I contacted Aurender Customer Support again. I also asked what other Aurender models would be affected. I received a response from the Aurender Customer Support that I know to be their senior support person. His response…

”This will be available in 2018 Q1 and this will be paid upgrade through iPad Aurender Conductor App In App Purchase. For your information, basic things are done and we are finalizing the feature.

This paid upgrade will be available for all models except S10 and other model released before 2012.”

Per the previous information I had received from Aurender Support and my Aurender dealer I was hoping to have the update available in December, but it looks like we will hopefully have a Happy New Year.

Happy Holidays!

Jim

Anything new on this update?

It's only halfway the first month in Q1, so I don't think there will be an update yet.

MQA for N10 is Here

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXPWR (Post 888562)

Aurender has Update VER 4.11.36 for the N10 that gives it MQA First unfolding capability. First update the N10 software/firmware and then purchase the per below instructions.

MQA Core Decoder license can be purchased from within Aurender Conductor.
After purchase, MQA Core Decoder can be enabled/disabled by user. License not necessary for A10 since it is MQA full-decode compliant.