

Here's the thing: Bluetooth audio has come a long way but it's still no match for wired listening. Got a Tidal HiFi Plus membership and made sure you've tweaked the in-app settings to permit the highest streaming quality? Plug a cheeky DAC in and you're nearly there… 3. Want something even cheaper? Check out the $59 iFi Uno, which guarantees hi-res music files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD up to 11.2MHz (DSD256). The "final fold" of the MQA rendering makes the LED light glow magenta so you know you're getting the goods too.
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The svelte unit boasts a pair of highly-regarded quad DAC ESS ES9219MQ chips, which deliver support for audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD256, and full MQA rendering, aka Tidal’s HiFi Plus. My current favorite is the Astell & Kern HC3, which offers inexpensive access to Apple Music Classical, Tidal's top-tier MQA offerings and frankly, any hi-res file you can squirrel into your computer or iPhone – because yes, it comes with a Lightning dongle.
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All files are not created equal: know your resolutionĪ cheap digital to analog converter can be found in even the lowliest of devices (your phone wouldn't be able to play music without one), but this is a key part of the hi-res audio recipe – and these days, a superior standalone portable option doesn't have to cost the earth.īuying one of the best portable DACs essentially nullifies the guessing game regarding whether or not your setup can provide the resolution.
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Step-by-step guide for how to listen to high-res music on Tidal 1. Check you're getting the goods: in the Tidal desktop application, go to 'Home' and scroll to 'Master Quality Authenticated Albums' or 'Master Quality Authenticated Playlists' and click 'View all.' To get the best quality go to 'Settings', select 'Streaming' and choose 'Master' quality.Plug your wired headphones into the DAC.Plug your portable DAC into your device.Fire up your Tidal HiFi Plus membership on the Tidal app on your smartphone, tablet, Mac or web player (note – you cannot download from the web player).Quick steps for how to listen to high-res music on Tidal And that's good, because Tidal currently demands a premium for its hi-res tier, charging $19.99 (£19.99, AU$23.99) per month – a steep hike over the likes of Apple Music, which charges $10 (£10, AU$10) for its Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless offerings. Although the music service hasn't specified an exact date for the FLAC hi-res rollout (or the exact resolution), it has said that the current MQA catalog will remain, suggesting that soon you'll be able to pick between two different flavors of hi-res audio streaming and downloads.


However, MQA Ltd recently announced it was “ entering into administration”, the British way of saying it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. MQA or Master Quality Authenticated is an audio format boasting studio-quality sound (up to 24 bit/352kHz for its MQA Masters offerings) with file sizes smaller than FLAC.
