Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion MQA - Related technology, products and music Explorer2 needs Foobar/JRiver volume at max for MQA playback

LOVE MQA!

I have an Explorer2 just firmware updated... For those of you who don't have the "blue" light on MQA files, but DO use WASAPI or ASIO, all you need to do is turn your volume up to 100%... as soon as you turn the volume down, the blue light turns off...

Works on both Foobar 2000 and JRiver MC... no problems there.

But my problem... I don't use a preamp, I connect my Explorer 2 directly to my McIntosh amp... and it's to LOUD!!!

I really don't want to buy a preamp JUST for MQA files.

So... just wondering if anyone else has a work-around, or if your listening Meridian, maybe this is something that can be addressed?

Thanks much !!!

You have no idea how helpful your post has been to me!

If you open up Meridian USB Control Panel on your PC (it should be there are as part of the Explorer2 set up procedure) and click on ‘Device 0’ just below ‘Driver Info’ on the left hand side; a ‘output volume’ appears on the right hand side of the screen.

Click on that and a volume slider appears in the middle of the screen. You can then adjust that to set the gain on Explorer2 to a sensible level. So you can then have Foobars volume set to max without blowing your ears off and still get MQA.

All a needlessly obscure and confusing way to do something simple.

Hi Drongo... Glad the post was helpful, I spent HOURS trying to get the blue light to come on before I figured it out...

Thanks for you suggestion, but I have already tried that and for some reason the slider has no effect on the volume at all...

But I think your on the right track... I'll keep "experimenting"...

Peace

Essentially, in order for your Explorer to detect MQA and display the blue light, your Player software has to be "bitperfect"

Allowing the Volume to be controlled in that manner using Foobar means that the output is no longer bitperfect, hence the blue light does not come, when the volume is less than 100%.

The simplest solution to your problem is to use more functional Player software.

Audirvana and BitPerferct are examples of this for Mac... and likely have Windows equivalents.

An even better solution IMHO would be to try Roon, at least on their 30-day trial basis.

You can then use the Volume control within Roon to achieve MQA playback.

In addition, Roon's integration and use of Tidal needs to be experienced to see how much it offers... and most are very hopeful that Tidal will soon offer many more MQA selections from the more "popular" labels etc.

Would love to hear of some Windows 10 software that would allow this... Not a big fan of Roon...

Can't believe Jriver MC doesn't have some kind of setting for this... They DO have different volume settings, like "application", "internal", "system", etc.. but nothing seems to work....

Ronnie; thanks for your input.

I do understand your comments about needing a Bitperfect input to the Explorer2 to work and the merits of Roon. As I have said elsewhere I think Roon is fantastic. I think the way you can search your library or use the metadata to find connections between albums and artists is amazing. But I'm not sure that I either need or want that. I should not have to buy Roon just get MQA files into my Explorer2 from my PC.

With hindsight; I shouldn't have set Foobars output to just below maximum - it's my fault. But that said; not one the kind (and I'm sure much smarter than me) people who were trying to help me suggested setting the volume to maximum either...

What would have really helped is if the Explorer2 user guide included the words 'ensure your music player is set to maximum output otherwise MQA decoding cannot happen' and not just assume that is what people will do.

I may well look at Roon in the future, but if I do use it, it will be for it was originally designed to do.

But that would be a generalisation as it's not true for all music players ... The volume control, for example, in Roon can be used as it controls the volume by informing the analogue section in the Explorer how much gain to apply ... thus maintaining bit perfect output to the DAC... as opposed to employing digital attenuation which by definition can never be bit perfect.

I've not used Foobar or JRiver do their user guides describe how their respected volume controls work?

I suspect there may be many people that will get a 'shock' to find their music players are not outputting bit perfect digital audio. Quite a steep learning curve awaits.

Regards,
Carl

I stand corrected.

So; perhaps the wording in the user guide should read "If the MQA blue or green light on your Explorer2 does not illuminate when playing MQA files; try adjusting the output of your music player to maximum"

I still think saying nothing about setting the output level is pretty poor and very unhelpful.

Not really ... but this would be ok:

"... Please refer to your music player's user guide to ensure that the player is configured to output bit perfect digital audio; DSP, audio mixers and digital volume attention should be disabled"?

Sorry Drongo,
But I can't agree with you......the fault here lies with the various Players, rather than the Explorer itself

If you look at your posts [which are very similar to many other posts on the same subject on HH and elsewhere] your EXPECTATION is that your Player IS outputting in a Bit-Perfect manner

And it's only when you discover that a certain light doesn't work that you understand that the Player is indeed NOT outputting in a Bit-Perfect manner

Surely, it's easy then to understand why it's the Player(s) that are at fault in this scenario.......and not the Explorer or indeed its documentation

Roon, Audirvana and BitPerfect are among the Players that do what Users expect of them.......the fact that many other Players do NOT do what Users expect is hardly Meridian's problem??

[And everybody here knows that Meridian's documentation could do with vast improvements across the board......but this is one of those situations that the fault lies elsewhere IMHO]

Well that's more comprehensive and no doubt more accurate than the wording I suggested. And certainly much better than saying nothing.

If ever there's a vaccancy with M for someone to proof read their manuals I'll nominate you for the position...

Ronnie; I have no doubt that the fault lies with the players and not elsewhere. I’m not sure that I have ever said that the fault lies with the Explorer here on HH or elsewhere.

If you read my posts, wherever they may be, I’m always pointing out my own lack of knowledge. My own ignorance is the most likely cause of my own problems; I am well aware of that. I’m not sure how any of my posts here or at the other forum you frequent; could be taken as criticism of the Explorer itself – I think it is a great piece of equipment; so let’s scotch that misunderstanding here and now. If though the Explorer wasn't any good I would say so clearly. I have not and I won't because I think it is superb.

As I’ve said I do not blame the Explorer. But the documentation certainly does not help. Something in the documentation (see Carl's suggested wording) would have helped me to get the Explorer working with Foobar much sooner than I did.; And Foobar must be bit pefect as the MQA indicators now light as they should do.

So I have struggled (even with the advice from several luminaries of this forum) to get the Explorer to work with something that it should work with.

If you look at my other thread here regarding the Explorer2 and the SBT; you will see that I said earlier:I am just asking a question here and elsewhere – not apportioning blame to anyone or anything – Explorer included.

The Explorer2 has one input and two outputs. It couldn’t be simpler could it? It is the entry level product for Meridian at what I believe to be lowest price point of any Meridian product. It incorporates cutting edge MQA technology. If there was ever a Meridian product that’s going to open the doors to first time Meridian buyers; this is it.

I’m going to guess that not all of those new Meridian customers are going to be computer literate; some of them may even be as ignorant as me! I’m guessing that not all of those new Meridian customers are going to frequent this Forum for advice. I’ll go further and say that a lot of those new Meridian customers are going to be trying to use the Explorer2 with Squeezeboxes and with PC’s running non bit perfect players and that a lot of those people will be frustrated at the process of trying to play MQA files.

Yes; maybe Roon, Audirvana and BitPerfect are the answer. But if those new customers are not told about such things before they try and set up their Explorer2’s it won’t endear them to either the product or the brand. Remember that the user guide just tells you how to install the Explorer onto a MAC, Windows XP or Windows 7 & 8 PC; just like any other mass market device. There is nothing at all about using a bitperfect audio player or that the installed music player in your PC may not be bit perfect

I’ve been a fan of Bob’s products since the days of Lecson, an admirer of Meridian since I first heard the M1 speaker and an owner of Meridian products since the 200 series. They’re a brand I hugely respect; though I frequently find them frustrating as well!

And because I admire Meridian and think that the Explorer2 is a fantastic little product; I really don’t want anyone walking away from the brand because they find setting up and playing MQA music on the Explorer2 frustrating to do.

That’s why I think making the user guide as clear and as comprehensive as possible is really important.