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Topic: MQA, Dragonfly, & Foobar (Read 4436 times) previous topic - next topic
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MQA, Dragonfly, & Foobar

Hi,

I am trying to get my newly updated Audioquest DragonFly Red with MQA support (fw 1.06) working with Foobar. I have some MQA Flac files from 2L and David Ellis and I have enabled the WASAPI (no ASIO) driver output in Foobar. When I switch between regular or high resolution FLAC files I see the colored light on the DR change from Green for 44k to Magenta for 96k. But when I play the MQA files the DR doesn't change to the expected Purple color that indicates a MQA file is being played.

As anyone tested this and gotten this working?

Thanks.

Re: MQA, Dragonfly, & Foobar

Reply #1
Disable all DSPs (if any), disable replaygain, set volume to 100% and try again.

 

Re: MQA, Dragonfly, & Foobar

Reply #2
Disable all DSPs (if any), disable replaygain, set volume to 100% and try again.
Thanks for the suggestions but I have tried all of these and they do not have any effect.

Re: MQA, Dragonfly, & Foobar

Reply #3
MQA decoding is a two-step process.  The first is software only, in which the MQA file is unfolded from 48k to 96k.  The second step is called rendering, in which the special timing algorithm is applied.  This second step can be done only on the DAC hardware.  
According to an article in The Absolute Sound, the Dragonfly DAC can do the hardware rendering step, but must be given the unfolded MQA file from the source.  The Dragonfly can not unfold an MQA file.
MQA is licensed software.  I do not think that FOOBAR2000 can do this unfolding step for you.  So your options are 1) find software that will do the MQA unfolding or 2) use a DAC that will do both unfolding and rendering.  When a DAC does both it is called core decoding.