As far as I understand it, MQA decoding in software uses a "generic" DAC profile in the absence of knowing anything about the target DAC. Assuming, therefore, that the USB-SPDIF converter appears as a listed audio output device in the Tidal streaming settings (and there's no reason why it shouldn't), then software-decoded MQA should be passed to it, using the generic DAC profile. So yeah, pretty much what you said!
One of the really interesting questions will be the degree to which MQA-certified DACs can actually do a better job of unfolding MQA than their software equivalents. How much better SQ does specialised hardware provide than generic software ... lots, or only a bit?
Actually, I'm about to conduct that experiment myself. The current office system is MBPro/Tidal MQA decoding -> Explorer 1 -> Stax SRM-007t/SR-007s ... so unfolding is being done by software on the laptop. However, an Explorer 2 is winging its way in my direction at the moment - the system will then be MBPro/Tidal -> Explorer 2/MQA decoding -> Stax SRM-007t/SR-007s. When the new hardware arrives and is plugged in, I will report back! :-)
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