I thought I would investigate the different DAC filters available today. I haven’t looked at these before so I was surprised to find the amp wasn’t using the default ‘Apodizing’ filter, Instead it is using ‘MinP Slow’.
Frustratingly it seems impossible to change away from this setting. I have tried changing to ‘Apodizing’ and as soon as the song changes, it reverts to ‘MinP Slow’. I have changed the setting using both the amp’s front panel and the Music Life app. The results are the same, as soon as the track changes, it reverts to ‘MinP Slow’.
This is the case playing music with both Tidal Connect and Roon. (I don’t use any other sources).
Is anyone else seeing the same thing using these sources?
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can solve this?
I have carried out a system reset and this has made no difference and I’m using the latest firmware (v1542).
I can confirm this is as designed. I queried the same some time back. It’s Tidal forcing the filter not Arcam. Possibly an MQA thing, o Other sources don’t do this
Yeah agree that a “Connect” service from the streamer is preferable because their apps are always going to get more investment and have a bigger user group than Arcam apps in comparison.
I really wish Qobuz had such a thing but doubt it will ever arrive.
Still it doesn’t bother me too much, I’ve got used to using the Qobuz app for curating my library, but once stuff is in my library I then use Arcam MusicLife to select and play the things.
You can of course still chromecast from the Qobuz app and that will suffice unless you are paying for and listen to a lot of hi res stuff
I stuck with Tidal for some time and in my own testing of MQA, when it was really hi res to me it sounded marginally more dynamic and vocals emphasised compared to Qobuz equiavelent, but in the end I realised although I was getting MQA it wasn’t that often hi res and I became less certain of consistency and quality, and therefore less willing to pay the extra over the Qobuz service. Add to that some artists withdrawing fromTidal for messing around with their own published material in how it sounds, and knowing even at hi res MQA is not lossless…all that got me to change and I’v not looked back tbh!
I disagree regarding Qobuz Connect. Admittedly they don’t seem to be in a rush but it’s their most requested feature and it is clearly missing in comparison to Tidal and Spotify. I think it’s a matter of when rather than if and then when AND if when it comes to Arcam rolling it out to the SA30.
My SA30 is new and at times it sounds great, at other times I have found it to be less engaging. Perhaps it still needs running in? Alternatively, after your message and the email from Arcam, I’m wondering if it is MQA. Perhaps I don’t like the sound of it or the sound of the DAC filter that is forced on us when MQA is played. I haven’t listened to any music since receiving these messages so I’m yet to make any comparisons or conclusions.
I can see myself moving to Qobuz and using their app for curation and Music Life for playback as you described.
Have you found the SA30 to use the Apodizing filter with Qobuz at all bit depths and sample rates?
Did the sound of your amp change as it ran in and if so, how long did it take to stabilise and reach its optimum performance?
To be honest I’ve played around with the filters and to my ears there isn’t night and day difference between them, Certainly not as much a difference as the recording itself makes, or even moving your speakers in the room…and that’s before you go anywhere near Dirac…
No amp run in, and no change in sound from it over time except for impact of fixed software updates. I don’t believe in breaking in electronics anyway, certainly not digital amps. speakers, ok yes there are moving parts
So my perception of the sound differences with MQA when they have been noticeable is that it’s because a) it’s a lossy format, b) MQA applies some equalisation and distortion, c) it’s from a totally different master or it’s any combination of those things.
Certainly Qobuz is not worse, technically better if it’s lossless whether or I perceive it to be or not. Does it sound different, possibly yes, but different isn’t bad.
Qobuz also gives me a slightly more warm fuzzy feeling as I’m listening to what the artist and producer first intended, and I gather although streaming is not lucrative for them they pay the artists better.
PS: unless you work for Qobuz, how do you know what their most requested features are?
