Need help getting MQA with iPhone and Dragonfly Cobalt

[nhf202]

The quick summary is that I can't get MQA quality streaming Tidal (or other apps) from my iPhone to a Dragonfly Cobalt or Hip Dac 2. (Thank you to anyone who can help with this!)

My setup:
- Tidal Masters (I've had the same result with Qobuz)
- iPhone SE (I've had the same result with an iPhone 8)
- Apple certified lighting to USB3 connector
- Dragonfly Cobalt dac (I've had the same result with an iFi hip dac)

What happens:
- Playing Tidal Masters, the dragonfly turns light blue, which signifies 96kHz
- Playing Tidal HiFi, the dragonfly turns green, for 44.1kHz

I have tried the Dragonfly and Hip Dac attached to my Mac laptop streaming Tidal Masters, and they both work then (turn magenta and sound great!).

At this point, the iPhone appears to be the only thing that is consistently not working, but I have no idea why. I've seen this setup work online (in fact, it's the setup that iFi shows in their YouTube tutorial:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STo0eqRKP6A
)

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've been googling for days with no luck.

Thanks!

 

[Tinman1952]

Hi. I think the problem might be your lightning to USB3 adapter. You say 'Apple certified' but I assume it is not the Apple CCK adapter? That is what I think you need to get the digital output 'unaltered' from the iPhone. See if you can borrow one or buy from Amazon to try....can always return if it doesn't work...but I think it will 👍

 

[nhf202]

Hi Tinman1952,
I think that's what I have. It's the camera one. Here's the link on Amazon. It's also the one (I believe) in the iFi video. Did you mean a different one? I'd definitely try a different cable since that is the only thing I haven't swapped out yet
Could you link to the one you're talking about if I'm wrong about it being the same as mine?

Thanks!

 

[Tinman1952]

Hi Tinman1952,
I think that's what I have. It's the camera one. Here's the link on Amazon. It's also the one (I believe) in the iFi video. Did you mean a different one? I'd definitely try a different cable since that is the only thing I haven't swapped out yet
Could you link to the one you're talking about if I'm wrong about it being the same as mine?

Thanks!

Hi. The Amazon link is the right one.... it's the same as mine which works fine with an iPad. I can get the MQA signal through to my DAC. So it seems it must be your phone 😕 Sorry...

 

[Tinman1952]

Does the track say MASTER in the Tidal app when you are playing it?

 

[nhf202]

Yes, these are Master tracks (the gold MASTER is up in the right corner). It does seem like it's my phone (I even tried another apple camera adaptor at the Apple store yesterday), but the fact that it happens on two different iPhones makes me wonder if it's a setting or something that I have wrong.

I've got all of the Tidal settings set to Master.

 

[Tinman1952]

Yes, these are Master tracks (the gold MASTER is up in the right corner). It does seem like it's my phone (I even tried another apple camera adaptor at the Apple store yesterday), but the fact that it happens on two different iPhones makes me wonder if it's a setting or something that I have wrong.

I've got all of the Tidal settings set to Master.

Well it seems your cable is ok and your settings are correct... and the fact you have tried with two different iPhones should eliminate any 'bug' in the app (hopefully). I am just wondering what is that gold bluetooth symbol next to the MASTER logo?

 

[nhf202]

Ah, sorry. I took that picture while connected to another speaker. Here is the image when connected to the Dragonfly. It has an audio source icon next to the MASTER logo that allows me to airplay to Sonos or other speakers.

 

[Tinman1952]

Ah, sorry. I took that picture while connected to another speaker. Here is the image when connected to the Dragonfly. It has an audio source icon next to the MASTER logo that allows me to airplay to Sonos or other speakers.

Ok I thought the app was confused and thinking it was using bluetooth. Airplay has a limit of 16/48 so you do not want the phone using that. Make sure it is playing only to the iPhone itself.

 

[Wil]

Airplay has a limit of 16/48

Where or who told you that? I alway got… and Googled double-checked, it remains 44.1 kHz/16bit

 

[Tinman1952]

Where or who told you that? I alway got… and Googled double-checked, it remains 44.1 kHz/16bit

It will play max 16/44.1 music files but the limit is actually 16/48 as Apple TV and Airport Express products resample everything to 48kHz. I don't have to Google it..I know from experience.

 

[Wil]

Neither AirPort Express nor Apple TV is necessarily AirPlay. Look them up.

It will play max 16/44.1 music files but the limit is actually 16/48 as Apple TV and Airport Express products resample everything to 48kHz. I don't have to Google it..I know from experience.

 

[Tinman1952]

Neither AirPort Express nor Apple TV is necessarily AirPlay. Look them up.

😁 If you think Apple TV and Airport Express don't do Airplay...then you need to think again! You have obviously never used them... 🤔 Anyway this is OFF TOPIC.

 

[Wil]

You don’t understand AirPlay. I’ll leave it to someone else…

😁 If you think Apple TV and Airport Express don't do Airplay...then you need to think again! You have obviously never used them... 🤔 Anyway this is OFF TOPIC.

 

[Tinman1952]

You don’t understand AirPlay. I’ll leave it to someone else…

Really? I use it every day to send audio from my iPad AND from my Apple TV..... do you?
I am not wasting my time trying to convince you what I know to be true...
This is the second time you have been unnecessarily aggressive and condescending to me. Please cease...

 

[Wil]

@Al ears You're knowledgeable, AirPlay—what’s its limits?

Really? I use it every day to send audio from my iPad AND from my Apple TV..... do you?
I am not wasting my time trying to convince you what I know to be true...
This is the second time you have been unnecessarily aggressive and condescending to me. Please cease...

 

[Vincent Kars]

Maybe this one: https://darko.audio/2021/06/the-best-way-to-stream-hi-res-audio-from-apple-music/

 

[nhf202]

Ok I thought the app was confused and thinking it was using bluetooth. Airplay has a limit of 16/48 so you do not want the phone using that. Make sure it is playing only to the iPhone itself.

Yes. It's playing to the iPhone.

 

[nhf202]

Maybe this one: https://darko.audio/2021/06/the-best-way-to-stream-hi-res-audio-from-apple-music/

Thanks. The picture at the top of that article is exactly my setup except I'm using an iPhone instead of an iPad. The article says that the iPhone should work the same way.

 

[Al ears]

@Al ears You're knowledgeable, AirPlay—what’s its limits?

I have no idea as I don't use anything Apple and streaming is not my forte, I prefer wired connections in any set-up I use.
Perhaps it's the MQA packaging that's confusing the DAC in what it is actually receiving. If it were a DSD stream it would not be so confused.

 

[Wil]

Okay.

I have no idea as I don't use anything Apple and streaming is not my forte, I prefer wired connections in any set-up I use.
Perhaps it's the MQA packaging that's confusing the DAC in what it is actually receiving. If it were a DSD stream it would not be so confused.

And I’ll keep this reply simple. 8 years ago, I had to look into AirPlay because I bought a MS7000 (note how the PH-22 I mentioned to have given away was still with me when photo was taken):


I’m interested if anyone can prove (official) AirPlay protocol has changed beyond the limit of 44.1 kHz/16bit.

 

[nhf202]

Update: I used all of the same hardware with my girlfriend's iPhone (same model as mine) and Tidal, and it works! I get magenta MQA audio.

So the problem is either a setting on my iPhone or something else with the iPhone. So far I've tried:
- Updating the iOS.
- Turning it off and on.
- Logging into Tidal with her login.

I can't figure out what setting I could have that's affecting this.

 

[Tinman1952]

Update: I used all of the same hardware with my girlfriend's iPhone (same model as mine) and Tidal, and it works! I get magenta MQA audio.

So the problem is either a setting on my iPhone or something else with the iPhone. So far I've tried:
- Updating the iOS.
- Turning it off and on.
- Logging into Tidal with her login.

I can't figure out what setting I could have that's affecting this.

I suggest swapping phones with your girlfriend......l😂

 

[nhf202]

I suggest swapping phones with your girlfriend......l😂

Hah! Right??

 

[nhf202]

Update: I talked to Apple support and we decided to reset all of my settings. That did it!

So, I have no idea which setting specifically was doing this, but I'm now getting MQA through this setup. Hope this helps someone else in the future. I'll try to remember to update this thread if I figure out which setting it is.

Thanks, all (especially Tinman1952).