Question Tidal MQA via Bluesound Node and DAC

[suburbansky]

As stated elsewhere, I've recently purchased the Cambridge DAC Magic 200M... I was having second thoughts, being unsure whether there would be a noticable improvement - but I'm happy to say: It was definitely worth it! It elevates my Marantz CD 6006 to entirely new levels!

What I struggle with so far, though, is the Bluesound Node: I'm subscribed to MQA plan of Tidal, which I stream through the Node, which passes the signal via digital coax cable to the DAC Magic - but according to the lights on the DAC Magic quality doesn't go beyond an 88.2 sample rate. I've checked all the settings but nothing seems to work.

 

[manicm]

Check the Node settings or specification for the coax output.

 

[Al ears]

So is the Node decoding the MQA stream before passing it to the Cambridge ?
always goingb to be a potential issue when you have more than one dac in the system.

 

[suburbansky]

Check the Node settings or specification for the coax output.

So is the Node decoding the MQA stream before passing it to the Cambridge ?
always goingb to be a potential issue when you have more than one dac in the system.

Thank you both! I did another round of digging, based on your suggestions. Turns out that there is - well hidden - how-to on this question in the Bluesound help pages.

https://support1.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/115006191908-Why-Isn-t-My-External-DAC-Playing-MQA-

 

[Al ears]

Thank you both! I did another round of digging, based on your suggestions. Turns out that there is - well hidden - how-to on this question in the Bluesound help pages.

https://support1.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/115006191908-Why-Isn-t-My-External-DAC-Playing-MQA-

Did it work?

 

[suburbansky]

Did it work?

Yes - at least according to the DAC Magic's light show (a careful listening evaluation has not yet been possible on account of my toddler 😃). The procedure Node-side is not really intuitive, though: The last toggle on the list is greyed out until all the steps before have been performed. I wonder why they don't reverse the process (last toggle does all the necessary switching)... no one could possibly come to this solution by themselves.

 

[Al ears]

Yes - at least according to the DAC Magic's light show (a careful listening evaluation has not yet been possible on account of my toddler 😃). The procedure Node-side is not really intuitive, though: The last toggle on the list is greyed out until all the steps before have been performed. I wonder why they don't reverse the process (last toggle does all the necessary switching)... no one could possibly come to this solution by themselves.

One reason I don't stream....
When I want to listen to music I know exactly where its coming from and in what resolution..

 

[Dom]

I listen too DI.FM, it is a digital radio streaming source. All year-round, anytime.

 

[suburbansky]

One reason I don't stream....
When I want to listen to music I know exactly where its coming from and in what resolution..

Well, I use streaming mostly as a sort of "pre-listening" thing... If I find myself to keep coming back to a specific record on Tidal, I tend to eventually buy the record (physical format, mostly).