Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Sooloos Software V2.494 Release

It looks like there is at least one more Sooloos update coming: Sooloos Software V2.494 Release Notes appeared on their website a couple of days ago.

Cheers,
Simon

Hooray

Release notes in part refer to Standby control & "Windowed" modes coming for TouchPC

Thanks for the heads up Scrosland.

TD4 (Del)

Lots of useful enhancements for TouchPC. Looks like it might work on my 8" tablet.

C15 fix for tidal

Indirect reference to 4.01 firmware update for 8x8?

Yay, finally I can use TouchPC on my hires screen!

Thank you Simon.

Very good news.

Waiting for the "Green Envelope" to appear.

OC Hector

Thanks for the good news

Removing the 1920×1080 max resolution restriction is very welcome.
I see there's some mention of MQA:
The C15 is not specifically mentioned, I wonder if some of these UI enhancements will filter down to it. I hope so.

Regards,
Carl

The May 06 2015 'Meridian Sooloos Update' from HQ had:This seems to have 'slipped' slightly in scope.

Matt.

With apparent policy changes (or perhaps policy clarifications) from MQA Ltd., I'm not sure that this is going to happen any more, at least not for "bridge" units (Sooloos endpoints with digital outputs) which cannot output MHR.

For example, as I understand it (and Auralic have been burned here) it will not be possible, under MQA policy, for a Sooloos Core to decode MQA to 88/24 and stream it to the MS200 (which has no MHR capability). Doing so would result in decoded MQA in PCM form at the MS200 digital output and therefore no means of enforcing the correct (and mandatory) "DAC profile" for whichever DAC finally converts the digital to analogue.

In other words, don't hold your breath. Clarification from HQ is necessary on this prior commitment, which I don't think can be fulfilled*.

* There is a possibility that this can be done for the ID4x cards *if* (and only if) the Sooloos Core can indicate to the ID4x that MHR is mandatory on digital outputs. This may require firmware updates for both 861 and pre-MQA 8x8 units. But I think that MQA-decoding and streaming to C10, C15, MC200, MC600, MS200, and MS600 digital outputs, none of which to my knowledge is MHR-capable, is dead in the water. So, frankly, what's the point in doing MQA decoding in the Sooloos Core it at all?

Hi Joel

So just to try to fully understand, if you had two zones, an 818v3 and an MS600 you are saying the 818 could do MQA but the MS600 couldn't? For me I would want an MQA decoder box of some description be that the 818 or something else to enable MQA for all my zones rather than needing to update existing units (if that is an option)? Or purchase new ones!

Seems MQA is trying its best not to succeed

Russ

(Moving to analog and enjoying it.)

I think that MQA Ltd. is very much trying to succeed...by enforcing the end-to-end nature of the MQA "product". Ironically, I don't think that this goal (which I understand, and is admirable, but which has the software-decoding audiophile community up in arms) is compatible with Sooloos endpoints as they currently exist.

The 818v3 does MQA purely by virtue of it having its own MQA decoder. I think that Meridian will need to release new versions of the MSx00 (or new digital endpoints entirely) which decode and output MHR, but even then there is 3rd party compatibility to consider: if the option is allowed to turn off MHR for 3rd party compatibility, then the Sooloos core needs to know that it can't stream decoded MHR to it...