Apologies if I missed anything earlier in this thread, but I'm a little confused.
Unless you're expecting the 861 to output analogue, then why would it care whether the digital file it's dealing with is MQA or not?

I did think that the the work to decode the MQA file could be done either:
- Upstream, say at a PC, when it could be turned into a 24bit file that could be processed via any compatible DAC (though clearly this wouldn't take advantage of the MQA ability to tailor the output for the output DAC unless it was a known piece of hardware)
- At the final DAC, which in the case of a pair of 8000s, would surely be in the speakers themselves?

I don't understand why the 861 needs to actually do anything with the MQA file. What am I missing?

861v4/ID40/LPS, HD621, Roon, BAT VK-600se, Impulse Ta'us. Director/Heed Canamp with HD600s.