Next Best Upgrade for Tidal MQA?

Two words: Room Correction

Maybe look at a MiniDSP or something like that

@bruxesq Again with my caveat that I haven't tried Dirac, everything I've read claims that Dirac and RoomPerfect are in another galaxy versus Audyssey. I've used regular Audyssey and it definitely doesn't compare in any way with RoomPerfect, but no experience with XT 32. But as you said, the MiniDSPs are cheap so if I was in your shoes I'd give it a shot to find out. If nothing else, it'll be a fun and informative experiment.

Back wall (technically called front wall) is exactly how I've done it. I have built-in bookshelves sunk into the wall behind my speakers and they help a ton with the acoustics AND aesthetics of the space.

@bruxesq I've not used a MiniDSP but I believe you could put one in between your receiver and Parasound amp. It will digitize the incoming analog signal from your pre-outs, perform DIRAC processing to correct the room issues, then spit out an analog signal to your Parasound. That will give you room correction for your stereo speakers. I have heard Dirac can bring great results but have never tried it myself. Personally I have experience with RoomPerfect since I own a Lyngdorf amp, and it brings very, very positive results.

As far as physical room treatments, they are a 100% no go, not only from my wife but also from me. I don't want panels all over my living space. Instead, we have two bookshelves loaded with books, which I have intentionally staggered their depths and therefore created both a diffuser and absorber, since the soft books help absorb some sound and the harder ones at various depths/angles help deflect it. Something like that might be a living room friendly option for you. Either way, I still say room correction software is the way you want to go.

@bruxesq here's a perhaps slightly out of the box possibility. Check out the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120. That will give you an integrated amp with home theater bypass, streaming, and room correction all in one device for about $2k. You could biamp your speakers by running the preout to your Parasound and sell the Node and DAC.

@bruxesq That Mytek DAC is $6k on its own so not even close to a valid comparison against an integrated amp / DAC / streamer / room correction device for $6,500, much less the $2k TDAI-1120. And the room correction, depending on your space, could make a much bigger difference than the DAC. To top it off, that guy you’re talking about ONLY used the Lyngdorf as a DAC. That’s like buying a BMW to use as a heater for your garage. Of course the Manhattan sounded better. What streamer, preamp, and amp was that guy using? I bet they cost more than the $500 price difference between the Manhattan DAC and the Lyngdorf that does it all but was (crazily) used only as a DAC.
I haven’t tried the Manhattan to compare but I’ve got the 3400 and I find it to be absolutely amazing. It’s probably the only technologically advanced device I own that just works all the time and does everything I need. It also sounds incredible and puts out 200w into 8 ohms or 400 into 4 ohms. If you went with the 3400 you could also sell your Parasound...