[Steve100]

Hello Steve100,

nice to hear that my modified TIDAL Addon has some fans.

My modified version uses the offical plugin folder "plugin.audio.wimp", so the next update of the official addon may overwrite my version.
So I decided to make a new fork and give it the new name "plugin.audio.tidal2".

This version can be found in my github folder https://github.com/arnesongit/repository...dio.tidal2
The developer branch is here: https://github.com/arnesongit/plugin.audio.tidal2

The actual version is V2.0.0-beta6. You can download it here: https://github.com/arnesongit/repository...-beta6.zip
Use "Install from ZIP" to install it. It appears as Addon TIDAL2.

This version has some new features, like colored labels. See the Changelog https://github.com/arnesongit/plugin.aud...ngelog.txt

Feel free to test it ...
arneson

Thanks Arneson

I am looking forward to trying out the new functions and glad that we now have a separated fork for your version. I have to say I have still yet to find any issues/bugs and I have been using this add-on a lot in the past month.

I'm looking forward to the new custom labelling feature and glad that you have already prepared for the new Kodi Krypton. I will install this evening and will keep you posted with any issues or suggestions.

Thanks again for all your hard work and effort.

Steve

[Wclw]

Hello,

I am new on this forum. I am a raspberry user with a hifiberry digicard.
As a music enthusiast I am trying to get the best out of my hardware.
Unfortunatly the trick to change the setting to losless, log out and log in doesn't
work for me. I am not able to log in after changing to losless. Reboot or reinstall
doesn't help. I have a tidal hifi account. High quality works flawless.
Can someone help me out?

Thx

[Steve100]

Dear WCLW

I used to experience this issue also but if you use the forked version that I am using which was created by Arneson then this an many other bugs are not present. Plus there are lots of new features. Admittedly I do not use a Raspberry platform but I think it may be worth a try.

You can download the latest version for Arneson here...

https://github.com/arnesongit/repository...-beta6.zip

I hope this helps.

Steve

[Wclw]

Steve,

Thx for your fast reply! Installed the app and it works with losless.
Problem solved.

Gr,

wclc

[dlugi603]

Hi All,
I've a simple question. I just started my adventure with Kodi and Tidal.
I wonder if it is possible to merge favorite music from Tidal addon with Kodi. I'm using kodi 17 Eustachy.
Thx

[arneson]

Hello there,

TIDAL now supports "Videos in Albums".

So I implemented it in my addon. The updated version is here: https://github.com/arnesongit/repository...-beta7.zip

To test it, you can search for the album "Kylie Christmas (Deluxe)" which has some nice videos.
(TIDAL has three Kylie Christmas albums, one of them has videos).

Arneson

[_fdc_]

Just a quick message to say thanks for the great work arneson!

[Timme]

Arneson I just found this thread this morning. I'm am also using a Raspberry Pi with a HiBerry board as a deadicated Tidal sever with Openelec optical out into my dac. A few weeks ago it quit working in FLAC mode. I'd given up. I downloaded your add on on to a USB flash drive installed it on the Pi I'm back to streaming FLAC. You saved my Pi thank you so much got my year off to a good start.
Thank you
Timme

[Steve100]

Hi Arneson

Tidal now supports 24/96 or 16/96 streaming or even greater using MQA folding. Either using pass-through for MQA certified DAC's and AV Receivers. The desktop apps for Mac and Windows are capable of streaming this 'Master' content either using pass-through or using built-in decoding to PCM which perform the first fold.

Please see the following article for more information although you may be already aware of this new content/feature:

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/0...re-we-now/

I understand that this is probably more of a Kodi PAPlayer issue but can this sort of content at least be accessed or is it present already and Kodi is losing the information below the noise floor?

I have tried using Kodi Pass-through and my AVR is not picking up the MQA portion of the stream like it does with Tidal Windows app using MQA pass-through or internal decoding. Both of which works successfully.

May be the TIDAL API doesn't provide access to this content as of yet?

Lots of questions here I guess but just wanted to know your thoughts on whether this is something we can get working on TiIDAL2. I am of course happy to assist in any way I can.

Thanks in advance and as always, great work.

[Timme]

Steve100
I've had the same questions. Masters sound quite good with Tidal MQA exclusive processing I don't have a MQA dac.
Thanks for showing interest
Timme

[arneson]

Hi Arneson

Tidal now supports 24/96 or 16/96 streaming or even greater using MQA folding. Either using pass-through for MQA certified DAC's and AV Receivers. The desktop apps for Mac and Windows are capable of streaming this 'Master' content either using pass-through or using built-in decoding to PCM which perform the first fold.

Please see the following article for more information although you may be already aware of this new content/feature:

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/0...re-we-now/

I understand that this is probably more of a Kodi PAPlayer issue but can this sort of content at least be accessed or is it present already and Kodi is losing the information below the noise floor?

I have tried using Kodi Pass-through and my AVR is not picking up the MQA portion of the stream like it does with Tidal Windows app using MQA pass-through or internal decoding. Both of which works successfully.

May be the TIDAL API doesn't provide access to this content as of yet?

Lots of questions here I guess but just wanted to know your thoughts on whether this is something we can get working on TiIDAL2. I am of course happy to assist in any way I can.

Thanks in advance and as always, great work.

Hello Steve,

nice to hear, that you are interested in MQA Playback with my TIDAL2 Addon.

The good news is that I am working on it and it is allready running in my development environment

Steve, do you have a hardware DAC with MQA support ?

I have a Meridian Explorer 2 on my Mac and uses it with Kodi 16.1.
To play MQA Files or Streams with Kodi you must have a Hardware MQA Decoder because Kodi has no Software Decoder to unfold the MQA information in the 24/48 or 24/44.1 FLAC Stream to play it as 24/96 or 24/88.2

To play MQA with Kodi on a hardware DAC, you have to disable any audio post processing.
I had to set/modify these Kodi Settings:

- System -> Audio Output

• Audio Device = "Explorer² USB DA"
  
• Output Configuration = "Best Match"
  
• Limit Sampling Rate (kHz) to "192.0"
  
• Stero Upmix = Disabled
  

- Music -> Playback

• Volume Adjustment = "Off"
  
• Crossfade between songs = "Off"
  

Additionally I have to set the volume in Kodi to 100% !! because the Kodi volume control modifies the raw data which is sent to the DAC.
I'm using the Volume Control from macOS which controls the volume directly on the Meridian Explorer 2 which has a built-in headphone amp with volume control behind the DAC.

To test your MQA Decoder yo can get some MQA sample FLAC files from 2L the Nordic Sound .

The MQA Support will be integrated in my next version of the TIDAL2 Addon in a few days ...

arneson

[Steve100]

Arneson

Thanks for the heads up and I'm delighted that you are already on the job. Looking forward to the update. Feel free to send me a copy for testing.

My Settings
My default settings within Kodi are to always pass-through audio to my AVR without processing. This allows me the benefit of fixed volume control and to ensure that nothing from my HTPC interferes with sound quality. All room correction, equalisation and other enhancement processing is done at the AV Receiver.

MQA Hardware Decoding
In my initial post and testing I was mistaken to think that my AV Receiver was decoding/unfolding this part. Switching the MQA Pass-through setting on and off from within the Tidal Windows desktop application during playback was providing inaccurate results. Yet another bug from Tidal unfortunately. Turning on pass-through during playback renegotiates the sample rate received by the AVR and therefore works but switching off during playback maintains software decoding from Tidal until you stop/start playback even though there is an audible gap in playback.

Benefits of your Update for Non-MQA Hardware Users
So, it would appear that I do not possess an MQA Certified DAC within my AV Receiver but am I correct in assuming that those of us who do not have this could still benefit after your update by allowing access to streaming this content when available (per-track)?

Obviously, no software decoding/unfolding is taking place but even the unfolded masters are at least 24-Bit and sometimes increased from 44.1Khz to 48Khz. Even though my intention would be to obtain software/hardware MQA decoding at some point, correct me if I am wrong, but this increase alone can be substantial compared to standard 16/44.1.

From my understanding 24-Bit audio alone contains 256 times more audio levels/data per sample than 16-Bit and I personally can hear a substantial difference when playing back my Blu-ray Movies and other 24-Bit content and then of course 48Khz is somewhat better than the standard CD Quality 44.1Khz.

MQA Hardware/Software Decoders/Converters
I will be contacting MQA (based here in the UK) next week to see what hardware and software decoding/converting is available and what would work in my current setup/environment. At the very least I will express my feedback to my current needs to get MQA working for me. Perhaps someone will eventually add this feature to the Built-In Kodi engine if at all possible.

Do you know of any Digital-to-Digital MQA Converters? This would probably be more software based PCM In/Out?

Please feel free to correct me on any mistakes or misunderstandings above. Anyway, as always, thanks for all your effort and hard work. Steve

[espimas]

I just wanted to say THANKS guys. I'm following your discussion. Looking forward to add the Masters quality to kodi.

[arneson]

Hello,

MQA-Support ist now integrated in my TIDAL2 Addon V2.0.0-beta8 !!
You can download it here: https://github.com/arnesongit/repository...-beta8.zip

To enable it, you have to change the new Addon-Setting "Music Streaming Option" to "FLAC/MQA 24-Bit (Master Audio)"
and Logout and Login again, because it requires a new Session-ID.

The MQA Albums can be found in "What's new" as a new sub folder "Master Albums (MQA)".

My Meridian Explorer 2 DAC detects these Albums as "MQA Studio" (Blue LED).
Some Albums are decoded as 192kHz/24bit, but most of theme are 96kHz/24bit !!!

If you don't have a MQA Hardware DAC, the MQA files are decoded as 48kHz/24bit or 44.1kHz/24bit.
Then, the MQA data in the 8 lowest bits will work as a kind of "audio dithering" to reduce quantization errors of the DAC of your sound card.
For more informations, read this

My Addon detects albums which contains MQA Tracks and adds "(MQA)" to the Album Labels.
This makes it easy to find MQA Albums in Album lists.

TIDAL has more MQA Albums as there are in the "Masters Albums" folder !!!
For instance, I found 2 MQA Albums from Jeff Beck, here https://listen.tidal.com/album/68657190 and https://listen.tidal.com/album/68677090

If you find 2 identical Albums on an Artist Page, one of them can be a MQA Version !!
Because the Album data doesn't contain informations about the audio quality, you have to try it by playing a track of an album.

Today, TIDAL updated the iOS App to Version 1.17.0, which has a new function to "Edit" Tracks and add this cuts to User Playlists.
I also added the playback support for this "Cuts" into my addon !

arneson

[albertstroh77]

Thanks for implementing this arneson. I can't wait to try it tonight.