DCS announces MQA compatible roll out

XCop5089

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2015
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Roll on December! :D
 

JimmyS

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Sep 1, 2013
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Just in time for the fast approaching Chicago winter and my return to the basement for music enjoyment. Guess I need to plug my system back in and see if the Rossini update is there.
 

XCop5089

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2015
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260
Winchester, UK
From the dCS website:-
2017
October


dCS LAUNCHES MQA SUPPORT ACROSS PRODUCT RANGES
19th October 2017
dCS announces the release of a software update that provides MQA compatibility to all
current product ranges – bringing the MQA experience into what many regard as the best
digital music source in the world.

MQA, Master Quality Authenticated, provides a means to efficiently encode and transmit high
resolution audio. MQA is based on the axiom that, in audio, high resolution can be more
accurately defined in the analogue domain in terms of temporal fine structure and lack of
modulation noise, than by any description in the digital domain, particularly one that relies on
sample rate or bit depth numbers.

MQA works by converting the analogue music to digital and back to analogue again. The
conceptual framework models analogue as an infinite sample rate representation, which can be
approximated by a hierarchical chain of downward and upward splines. The MQA encoder takes
account of and corrects aspects of the original analogue-to-digital and studio preparation chain.
Although a listener can enjoy the encoded stream at CD quality without a decoder, the best
result comes with an MQA Decoder, or a combination of MQA Core Decoder and Renderer,
which reconstructs exactly what was heard in the studio.
The MQA Renderer performs sampling reconstruction under song-by-song instruction from the
encoder, while at the same time matching and optimising the attached DAC to deliver an
authenticated analogue output.

MQA Decoders include a Renderer which is customised for each built-in digital-to-analogue
converter. Generally, the converter includes an integrated DAC which is not wholly configurable
and may have some performance limitations. For this reason, most MQA decoders include
precompensation
for the built-in converter.

dCS does not use IC converters in its DACs; instead the process of reconstructing analogue
from the digital stream is entirely custom, using specific software and discrete hardware to make
a DAC. However, unlike other non-integrated DACs, the dCS is still modelled on reconstruction
using oversampling, filtering and high-speed conversion.

David Steven, Managing Director, dCS states:

“The dCS and MQA teams have been in discussion, development and testing for almost a year.
This is a unique and exciting implementation made possible by the flexibility and capability of
our platform, as well as the fact that both companies have aligned philosophies, strong mutual
respect and trust.”

Bob Stuart, Founder & CTO, MQA adds:

“In the case of the dCS Rossini, the MQA and dCS teams were able to work together to develop
code which accurately matched the MQA hierarchical ideal reconstruction to analogue. This
MQA implementation is unique, as it is the first opportunity to enable a DAC which, by providing
exact rendering to beyond 16x (768 kHz), matches the desired temporal response with very low
modulation noise.”

dCS owners can update their firmware to support MQA via the ‘internet download and update’
functionality.

Availability:
dCS Rossini – October 2017
dCS Vivaldi One – November 2017
dCS Network Bridge – November 2017
dCS Vivaldi DAC & Upsampler – December 2017
 

jfrech

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Gotta love dCS continuing to deliver innovations for their existing (and new) customers
 

Kingsrule

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Gotta love it??

How about getting their Roon act together?
How about getting 2.02 actually working with the upsampler?
How about getting the app working correctly?
How about updating their website and actually have a FQA and support page that's current, informative and relevant?

MQA is a waste of time compared to above........
 

Enatai252

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2013
163
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Pacific NW
Gotta love it??

How about getting their Roon act together?
How about getting 2.02 actually working with the upsampler?
How about getting the app working correctly?
How about updating their website and actually have a FQA and support page that's current, informative and relevant?

MQA is a waste of time compared to above........

Wow. I hope they get that corrected for you soon. I am on 2.02 DAC and 2.01 upsampler and use the clock - don't have issues. I also switch between using Roon or the dCS app and Naim server....works well

Has your dealer helped...good luck
 

Kingsrule

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Roon in Radio mode switches resolutions perfectly all the time? You never lose the beginning of tracks? Roon says a track is playing but there is no sound?

Unit settings and Playback Controls always take setting changes using the app?

I do hear the addition of a clock changes things,,I just use Dac and Upsampler
 

BMCG

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Oct 1, 2016
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Roon in Radio mode switches resolutions perfectly all the time? You never lose the beginning of tracks? Roon says a track is playing but there is no sound?

Unit settings and Playback Controls always take setting changes using the app?

I do hear the addition of a clock changes things,,I just use Dac and Upsampler

Short answer for Roon to DAC via USB with Clock (flow is in my signature): Yes....at an uptime greater than 99%....i've not had to intervene more than once in the past 100 days....and the Roon server is always on.

More considered is that it took fettling: e.g: Vivaldi ASIO as an output choice in ROON, is on my system far more accomodative of bit/sample rate changes than Vivaldi WASAPI....the latter driver has a glitch on inter track sample rate switches (16/44.1 to 24/96 requires shifting from WASAPI to the ASIO driver then reverting to WASAPI..this seems to reset flag with the WASAPI driver to accept new sample rate )....fortunately i don't hear a material difference between the output engines.
 

Enatai252

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2013
163
23
150
Pacific NW
Roon in Radio mode switches resolutions perfectly all the time? You never lose the beginning of tracks? Roon says a track is playing but there is no sound?

Unit settings and Playback Controls always take setting changes using the app?

I do hear the addition of a clock changes things,,I just use Dac and Upsampler

I have not used Roon radio mode but do use playlists with varying sample rates including DSD and PCM tracks. Prior to the recent SW changes I did experience latency when switching between formats but that was reduced significantly with new software. My Roon settings disable any roon SRC. No issues with the app either. I do find value in the clock....have one for my Rossini as well but likely system and user dependent

Again I hope your situation gets sorted soon
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Gotta love it??

How about getting their Roon act together?
How about getting 2.02 actually working with the upsampler?
How about getting the app working correctly?
How about updating their website and actually have a FQA and support page that's current, informative and relevant?

MQA is a waste of time compared to above........

Perhaps MQA is meaningless for DCS Vivaldi users, but I am happy DCS is spending their time on it. Manufacturers should follow market trends and currently most users feel concerned about it, to the point many people state clearly they could not consider a DAC that does not support MQA.

DCS have been in the professional market since long - probably they are more knowledgeable about these matters than most of us!:)

BTW, I surely would like if they had an even better website, but currently theirs is one of best in the audiophile DAC industry!
 

microstrip

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Al M.

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still-one

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Perhaps MQA is meaningless for DCS Vivaldi users, but I am happy DCS is spending their time on it. Manufacturers should follow market trends and currently most users feel concerned about it, to the point many people state clearly they could not consider a DAC that does not support MQA.

DCS have been in the professional market since long - probably they are more knowledgeable about these matters than most of us!:)

BTW, I surely would like if they had an even better website, but currently theirs is one of best in the audiophile DAC industry!

Well it sure isn't meaningless to this Rossini owner. I wouldn't have purchased the unit if the addition of MQA capability wasn't imminent.
 

rbbert

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Dec 12, 2010
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Are you posting this link to weaken the anti-MQA side? :) The noscientific listening tests argument is the weakest argument against MQA that can be presented in an high-end forum. Any one will answer asking how many scientific listening tests were carried to validate DSD, Hi-Rez and the high-end in general ...
Just a comment from a manufacturer. Obviously opinions are all over the map these days when it comes to MQA, I just happen to enjoy reading what equipment manufacturers have to say (and do) WRT MQA.
 

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