Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion MQA - Related technology, products and music MQA : How to experience MQA through my 861v8 processor.

+1.
When there are lots of albums I want (100+) I'll start complaining. Until such time I'm happy to wait. I don't want to add to the list of formats that I've bought into and that have gone nowhere.

No reason at all why this wouldn't work. I've been running 861-818 in parallel (861 into D2 in the master) for many months.

Which PP said it wouldn't work?...

Here is my question, if the DSP on the 861 is set to Direct does the 861 still have influence on the AQ? Doesn't the Direct DSP take the signal and just allow it to pass through the 861 as "Home Run" unaffected?

Direct still goes through MRC so the 861 is involved. We still don't know if MRC is going to be an issue for MQA. I, for one, am hoping it doesn't.

Anything which modifies the bits prior to decoding the MQA is an issue. Therefore, MRC is an issue if you wish to feed the MQA file to the 861v8.

However, in an 861v8 --> 818v3 --> DSP scenario, clearly the MQA should be delivered directly to the 818v3.

When I was speaking with Bob and Richard back in Nov 2014, they were clear that DSP modes (and by implication MRC) were not incompatible with MQA [in an 861 which supports MQA].

Then does that mean tone control, balance, phase and EBA are at issue?

My original demo of MQA was on a pair of 7200s (non-SE) fed from M's prototype 818 at my dealer's shop. I enjoyed the demo and could easily hear what M was describing. However, the 7200s, the room and seating were not ideal. I'm not sure I can trade off MRC for MQA and enjoy the benefits.

Would it be possible to do 818v3/808v6 ---> 861v8 ---> DSPxxxxSE?
I mean is the down converting to 96k done in the non SE speakers or is it done in the 861?

If MRC is not conflicting with the decoded MQA digital signal and it is transported over MHR would this result in room corrected MQA... or not?

Maybe some one with that combination could try it out an report if it works.

But we also have the bypass the MRC in the menu so that could also be a possibility to run Direct with out interference of MRC affecting the MQA ??

Ludwig,

Thanks for the comment. Will give it a try.

So taking that, why its not possible to hear MQA on a 861 without MRC ?
The output card of the 861 is MCh , 808/818 are stereo.I think there is no difference in the hardware .So bypass MRC, thats it.
And in the worst case just 2channel should be possible allready.
As the MQA stream fit in the DPSIF protocoll, then the 861 understand it.
So why not make appetite for MQA easy with (two channel) and no MRC,
and so every 861 owner get hungry for it and have complacency about his 861 and not be dissapointed that the "flagship" is leaky..

Sounds like we need a true bypass mode firmware update pretty urgently. Bypass everything, mrc, time alignment, internal upsampling, bass etc.

Yep, bypass everything the 861 is designed to do