Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Thread Like Summary - MQA 44.1 - what exactly are we getting on non-SE speakers?

As the title suggests I’d like to understand what my DSP5200 (SpeakerLink) are playing.

In my main listening room I have a Fully MQA set-up... so I’m okay with that.

In the living room I have the mentioned 5200’s using MC200 as an endpoint. Yesterday I was playing with Roon settings.

On my 818 I prefer to do both Decode and render... I find there is a very slight sibilance with Roon decode.

I undertook the same exercise on MC200 and found it was better set to render only and let Roon do the decode... as per Roon recommendations... this stoked my inquisitive nature.

It’s only then I happen to notice something I didn’t understand.

If I played a 24/192 MQA file, 5200DSP display shown PCM 96K... As I would expect due the speaker limitation this is downsampled.

If I played a 24/96 MQA file 5200 display shown PCM 96k... as expected passes through the 96k file... sounds impressive I have to say.

If I played a 24/44.1 MQA file 5200 display shown PCM 88k... with YELLOW light for 88.2/96kHz input.
(Likewise with a 16/44.1 MQA file)... just to clarify.

I was not expecting this as I don’t have them set for up sampling... e.g. if I play a 16/44.1 file (non-MQA) the 5200 display shown PCM 44k... No YELLOW light, they are not being upsampled to 88k and MHR doesn’t seem to be triggered.

My simple assumption (as speakers are not up sampling) is that 16 and 24bit /44.1 MQA files have information above what the file is implying i,e. 88kHz PCM.

What other explanation could it be?

If this is the case... (I’m probably missing something simple to explain otherwise)... this would be quite the surprise.

I know in the Bob Ludwig MQA interview he mentions playing a 44.1 file but seeing higher frequencies on his spectrum analyser, is there more to this than initially meets the eye... or ears😀

Hi Spinal,

The signal path is showing that Roon is authenticating the MQA stream and then is passing that MQA stream (bit perfectly) on to Meridian 210.
The 210 is then performing the MQA decode (unfolding to x2 rate).

Roon does not know what is after the 210, so that's where it stops reporting.

Trust this answer your question.

Regards,
Carl

Thank you Carl for this explanation on Roon reporting, this now makes sense to me.

Hector

MQA Render/Decoder Hearing Aids, with integral DAC.