Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion MQA - Related technology, products and music MQA and LMS (Logitech Media Server) issues

Question for the community:

Anyone having issues with LMS passing MQA files to a Meridian MQA-Enabled piece of hardware?

I have a set up that has a Squeeze Box Touch with the Enhanced Digital Output plugged into my Meridian Prime Headphone Amp. After reading all the raves on MQA, I updated both my prime and my Explorer2 firmware via Meridian website software so it will indicate MQA (btw on my prime the unmarked led is white, it does not change color like the Explorer, and simply illuminates on MQA feed).

I worked every conceivable permuation on my wired Ethernet connected SB Touch both at the unit and on the server but can't get the Tidal Master albums to be recognized as MQA even though I can do so through the Tidal app if I connect my laptop direct to the Prime, and/or I turn off LMS and use Roon to stream to the SB Touch on the same albums saved to my TIDAL favorites.

Early on in 2016, from what I read on forums, everyone said LMS would be MQA ready because it is not supposed to be changing the file or wrapper, but there must be some settings that cause the file NOT to be bit perfect. Any thoughts?

I enjoy roon for main listening, but it is relatively basic functionality vs. LMS for Logitech equipment (and I love my SB Radios I use as alarm clocks in my and the kids bedrooms).

Any thoughts or experiences?

Happy and Healthy 2017 to all who make this community what it is. With shout outs to Mark Koval, Rick Weldon and Bruce@CMB.

MQA Masters on Tidal is only available currently via the desktop application, so you wont get the full monty if streaming any of those titles via LMS.

As far as i can tell we need Roon decoding before this will be possible - via their Squeezebox interface, as doubt there will be any solution from the folks who work on the Squeezebox support these days, unless others have a different perspective on things?

Lee

Are you sure?

If using an Explorer 2 (ie MQA in a box), then all it needs it a bit perfect MQA stream.

If LMA was passing bit perfect, and MQA encoded and authenticaaed tracks were indeed being played, then I see no reason why the Explorer 2 would not show the blue light.

No not 100% Ian. I am presuming the Tidal app in LMS is being used here, not sure how you would bypass the MQA software decoding through this as you need to do in the desktop app to get the raw stream for the explorer2 to decode? I looked around yesterday and couldn't even access any MQA material on mine.

I may have my wires crossed on this, we are all on a learning curve i guess.

Lee

Respectfully, you have your wires crossed. If I turn off LMS and use Roon to identify the Squeezebox Touch...even though Roon does not yet show the Masters/MQA files natively in their app, I can play those files through Roon by going to the Tidal app and saving them to favorites (as documented on this site). when I play those favorites through Roon, I get MQA. when I play them through LMS, no MQA....just a standard 1x sampled file. I should add that this behavior held true with both my Prime and my Explorer2.

I happily stand corrected gents. Have since accessed the MQA files the same way through the LMS tidal app and my ac200 is showing 44.1k so clearly there is something at play, downloaded high res files playing from my server via LMS at 96k.

I can only presume its a LMS app issue if roon is accessing fine? are you running via ickstream or the newer 'official' app?

Lee

Make sure any processing in LMS is OFF
E.g. Volume levelling, cross fade, etc

You went exactly where I am going when I return home tonight. It was through the newer Tidal official plug in. I will reload ickstream and test. I did a deep Boolean search of the web trying to find more data on streaming quality of ickstream and the Tidal plugin respectively, but to no avail. the only references I found were that LMS limited streaming to 16/44.1 when streaming to the duet. but I saw no other references, especially with respect to the Squeezebox Touch.

Thanks on the processing tip. that is exactly what I spent most of the evening rooting out as my theory was, after reading the various posts here, that somehow LMS was changing a file. I note too, to add to the discussion, that playing a high res file from the local drive via LMS works as expected and lights up the appropriate sampling lights on the prime.

I've just spent an hour or so in the LMS interface running through all the settings, all the audio effects are off. I did however change the volume to output 100% as this was not checked (the volume bar looked to be max, but belt and braces). No change with MQA files, still showing 44.1 on the ac200.

as mentioned before local high res files are rendering as expected, the player display and ac200 showing 24/96.

Interestingly, and I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it - when I attempt to interrogate the track resolution info on the player (and in the web interface on the pc) all that shows with a tidal streamed track, MQA or standard is 1. file format FLAC (TIDAL) and 2. bitrate PCM VBR - with no actual data.

Not sure if changing any of the file settings in LMS advanced will have any effect.

Lee

I think that you have confirmed what I found. I disabled the tidal plugin and re-enabled ickstream to no avail. the file shows the same non MQA performance. With respect to the resolution, that is just a hard coded tag. Per M Herger who does most of the coding on Squeezebox, TIDAL asked him not to show actual bitrate, so in lieu of "0" which he used to have, he put "Bitrate: PCM VBR." so that effectively does not mean anything.

see: FLAC supported on Tidal

there is scuttle that there are potential bitrate issues with the Touch: Touch Bitrates

Some interesting links and food for thought.


If the Touch is passing on perfectly the Roon driven MQA material, would this not rule out Touch specific bitrate issues or the player side of the equation completely?

looks to point back to LMS for me or the app interface with Tidal?

It does however put a question mark over the Explorer2 / Edo solution i was favouring for the full MQA experience, as not really keen on having laptops hooked up to my main system.

Lee