MQA?

I have a Bluesound Node 2 with full MQA decoding and my experience has been like some others. When I feed the Bluesound into my Marantz Dac it sounds better to me that way than using the Bluesound with the full MQA unfolding.
Who woulda thunk? Reckon I’m kinda lukewarm on MQA. 

@headspace but what about when you listen to the song not in MQA? do you notice a difference when using either DAC? 

Yes. I find I prefer the sound of the Bluesound ran through the Marantz ND-6005 whether it’s a Tidal Master or not. Everything just sounds better to me that way. I even run my Oppo BD-103 through the digital connection into the Node 2 and then through the Marantz when playing CD’s. Everything sounds better. Must be the CS4398 chip and the implementation of the HDAM in the Marantz? It gives it a warmer sound and a deeper soundstage than the burr brown Dac in the Node 2 at least to my ears. I’m certainly no technical expert on any of this stuff but I think I hit on a pretty good combination for my budget. I also get the flexibility of using 2 music streamers in my system. 

@ justjames72 asked:

@itsjustme baffled by what? Maybe, I can help clarify my understanding even if it's not as robust as some.

Baffled by why on would think that MWA, which changes the actual coding, would nto make a difference on a top-line DAC (but, unsaid but implied) *would* on a lesser DAC. Different music, different results. We may like it, may hate it, may think is nothing. But the quality of the DAC should be largely irrelevant - or have the opposite effect -- making it possible to hear subtle differences.
Sorry to comment a million years later, but i just saw this.
G