[swsmith7648]

I have a BDP-1 and have subscribed to Tidal "HIFI", which is supposedly CD-quality.  When I stream from Tidal through the BDP-1 however, the bit rate shows as 320 KBPS -- that looks like MP3 to me.   Can someone provide an answer?

[Samoyed]

Have you checked Tidal’s settings?  I haven’t looked in a while but I believe you can, or must choose.

[Samoyed]

https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/how-to/tidal-101-adjust-quality-streaming-downloaded-music-0180413/

?

[swsmith7648]

thanks, it was pretty obvious once I got into the settings....

[Samoyed]

 

I really like Tidal masters.

[garry12]

Hi arent Tidal masters MQA format ?? Files are slightly smaller? Like a format that is hoped to take over from MP3? maybe... A portable good quality format for the masses...? My Chord Hugo cannot unwrap MQA so I think it upsamples to a green colour as colours indicate sample rate. 96khz. Or maybe MQA is the equivelent of 96khz recording?? I am new to the forum still a little confused with all the different options for music streaming. I use Itunes as it seems to sound best with my Bryston 4b and Threshold T3 preamp driving BW N803 speakers.

[garry12]

Oh I love my Nad Turntable too

[Samoyed]

That’s right, Tidal gives you 96k if you can’t decode mqa with your DAC.

[James Tanner]

Hi Folks,

Yes the POPs are caused because some players stop sending a bitstream between tracks when using HDMI. 

Whereas many players send digital zero's which prevents the loss of the digital signal.

james

[swsmith7648]

What is the difference between Tidal HIFI and "Masters"  ?

[audio.bill]

What is the difference between Tidal HIFI and "Masters"  ?

Tidal HiFi is their premium subscription tier which has always included CD quality PCM and now also includes "Masters", which are MQA encoded files that can be decoded to higher rate PCM.

[swsmith7648]

So if my DAC is not capable of MQA (keeping up with every digital improvement can be expensive) there is no benefit for "Masters"

I have found much of the Tidal classical selections to sound pretty bad through my BDP-1.

[audio.bill]

So if my DAC is not capable of MQA (keeping up with every digital improvement can be expensive) there is no benefit for "Masters"

I have found much of the Tidal classical selections to sound pretty bad through my BDP-1.

Some Tidal apps (like their desktop app, as well as some third party player software) can be setup to provide MQA Core decoding (also referred to as the first unfold, typically giving you either 24/88 or 24/96 with MQA files) which will output those higher rates. The DAC doesn't have to have any MQA support to benefit from these MQA files as long as it supports the higher rate decoded PCM. If your DAC supports full MQA decoding or MQA Rendering (which provides the second unfolding which is DAC specific) then you could benefit from fully decoded MQA. Hope this helps!

[stonedeaf]

My speakers (Meridian DSP-5000) limit me to 24/96 - I feed this from a Bluesound Node 2 into the SPDIF input of the speakers - Tidal Masters light the 24/96 lights on my Benchmark DAC-3 -and I am pleased with the sound . My only compliant with this is that it still is obscure (perhaps just to me?) how one gets to MQA Masters only within the Tidal universe ? Even with SPDIF at 16/44.1 out from a CD player this is the best standard CD sound I've ever had -makes me curious about Meridian's DAC's ?