Master Quality Audio (MQA) & Tidal

Feb 22, 2021 | 11:34 PM

Trimmer2

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Master Quality Audio (MQA) & Tidal

I have the Burmester 3D Surround system. The Tidal app in the MBUX isn't standard in the US as it is in Europe. I have an iPhone 12 with the Tidal app but am I really getting full MQA via USBC/Carplay connection? If not, what are the best solutions to get the highest MQA sound streaming or otherwise? Of course my Tidal app is set to stream only MQA via wifi or cell.

Last edited by Trimmer2; Feb 23, 2021 at 12:25 AM.

Feb 23, 2021 | 06:28 PM

ksalno

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2011 Audi A4, 2014 E63S Wagon, 2020 GLS 580

I doubt it. If you’re using the USB out of the iPhone, I’m pretty sure you’re feeding a digital signal into the Burmester. There is no mention in Burmester literature that they are MQA enabled. So, at best, you are getting the Tidal app on your phone to do the first unfold for MQA but the Burmester would have to do the second unfold and from their literature, I doubt that is enabled in their DAC.

Feb 23, 2021 | 06:38 PM

mikapen

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'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan

I had a hard time telling MQA from regular TIDAL HD on our Burmester 3D. Yes, I can hear the difference on my home system, but only on select tracks. There's debate if actually an improvement. I think I hear artifacts that are introduced, but I don't have MQA and non-MQA sources to compare.

In any case, your Apple phone probably doesn't have a clean enough DAC to transmit any real sound quality, wired or wireless.
AFAIK LG V-series had the only DAC worthy of the label "HD" quality sound. I took my SD card (with FLAC and WAV) and played it through my wife's LG. While a noticeable improvement over my Panasonic, it didn't match the home experience.

I didn't have Acoustic Glass in the GLE (the one with 3D), so I didn't get full enjoyment from the 3D system while driving. Road noise.

Feb 23, 2021 | 06:51 PM

ksalno

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2011 Audi A4, 2014 E63S Wagon, 2020 GLS 580

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikapen

In any case, your Apple phone probably doesn't have a clean enough DAC to transmit any real sound quality, wired or wireless.
.

Unless something has changed with the newest iPhones, coming out of the USB port on the phone bypasses its internal DAC. Before DAPs came along, I used to use a portable DAC that was connected to an iPhone using the old camera connection kit to bypass the iPhone DAC and use my outboard DAC. USB C eliminates the need for the CCK and just lets you feed straight PCM digital into the vehicle’s DAC or in the case of the Burmester, their DSP that produces all the surround sound channels.

Feb 24, 2021 | 10:51 AM

c4004matic

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Trimmer2

You can stream Tidal on your phone and play it through anyting. It is, of course, not going to be decoded through you car stereo and it doesn't need to, your phone will simply decode it in high resolution and pass it to your car audio. Though I never use android auto Im fairly sure you can use it through it. It sounds wonderful. In effect your car audio is simply an amp/pre and your phone is the streamer/decoder. Its the same type of arrangement I use at home. I have a streamer connected to my preamp and do the decoding there despite despite having a decoder on my pre. Personally I skipped the 3D system its simply too pricey for an upgrade on what is already the best car audio system on the market. This version 3.0 of MB/Burmeister is awesome even in its "base" form.

Feb 24, 2021 | 04:21 PM

Trimmer2

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No question I can hear the difference between Tidal bluetooth streaming vs direct connect (Apple CarPlay) but I also haven't seen anything about the last unfolding anywhere with Burmester or otherwise. Maybe get a DAC? It appears it will only output through speaker AUX. Not sure if this car has Aux input though. I'm sure the Burmester 3D will light up if can output true MQA.

Hopefully an update is in the works...

Feb 24, 2021 | 07:44 PM

mikapen

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Trimmer2

Of course you can hear the difference with Bluetooth streaming. The latest codec, LC3plus, doesn't support lossless streaming. It has its own compression algorithm, which I don't think was developed with MQA in mind.
I've already mentioned the weak link of the phone DAC, which is designed more to save batteries than provide good sound. Or to power the little desktop boomboxes or earbuds, not a high-end sound system.

But my (and a whole slew of other reviewers) question remains - is MQA any real improvement? Or a decrease in SQ overall? What are those artifacts - simple incompatibility across DACs etc. or just a bad idea?
And then the subjective question "which sound do you prefer - lossy or lossless?"

Here's a (year old) site that gives a chance to see how well you do at identifying lossy sound. https://thenextweb.com/plugged/2021/...ss-audio-test/

Here's the actual listening tests (quite time-consuming) to see how well your ears do. http://abx.digitalfeed.net/spotify-hq.html It's a Spotify test, not TIDAL, and not MQA but useful.

Here's Hans, the biggest proponent of MQA compression I know of. Between his accolades, he's talking about the problems / shortfalls of MQA. IMO not here yet, or not needed.