Hello!

I’ve been trying desperately to help my dad set up his stereo system to stream music videos from tidal to our TV while retaining the HiFi sound to the stereo. I’m hoping someone here might be able to help. Our setup is as follows:

Macbook w/ TIDAL app bluetooth > Bluesound NODE i2> Chord Qutest DAC > Stereo

We have attempted to mirror the Macbook screen to our Samsung S90C TV, Chomecast, and Apple TV. But, none have allowed us to mirror to the TV while also bluetoothing to the Node. Additionally, we can’t even seem to cast to the TV from the TIDAL app because the screen blacks out when we start the video, oddly. Possibly a resolution issue.

I feel like we’ve tried everything. Considering potentially downloading the Samsung Tidal app on the TV and connecting the TV to the NODE via bluetooth, but then I don’t believe the Samsung app has video or retains master quality audio.

My dad spent a lot of money on this Node and DAC because he’s a true audiophile. But, we love to watch music videos while playing billiards. I’d love to be able to help him get this working, but I’m reaching the extent of my knowledge. The folks at the audio store and TIDAL keep sending my father on wild goose chases and have been giving him bad information from the start.

Does anyone else have a similar setup and also running video while retaining audio quality?

  • Anchor_Drop@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Okay some basics:

    When you stream music the app is just a controller. You are not sending sound from your MacBook to the BlueSound Node. You’re just using the MacBook as a glorified remote control (so feel free to use your phone) b/c the BlueNode is going to talk to Tidal servers to get the music.

    While on the same WiFi, on the Tidal app/web browser you can then select the BlueSound Node and Steam music to it.

    No need to cast. Don’t use Bluetooth.

    Now to the bad news:

    The Chord DAC does not support Tidal MQA so while that DAC is used, that feature will be disabled. If you however remove it, MQA will be restored as the BlueSound Node has its own DAC that support the MQA format.

    • Tomato-Tomato-Tomato@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Thanks, this is very helpful. I’ll try to do the selecting from the tidal app tomorrow via wifi. So, if we connect them via wifi, that should leave us the option of mirroring the macbook screen to the TV so that we can watch the music video as well? Am I understanding that correctly?

      Wow, the audio store recommended us to buy the DAC and the Node same day. You’re telling me they recommended two incompatible and redundant devices? A return may be in order…

      • Anchor_Drop@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        That Chord was about $1500? Probably costs less than $400 to manufacture and the difference between it and the BlueNode DAC will be less than a fraction of a fraction of a percent and need to be measured with precise lab equipment.

        The Chord is redundant and if you can I’d recommend returning.

        The BlueSound is an amazing DAC and truthfully about the limit of what DAC technology can do (it’s a pretty simple circuit that’s been well established for decades).

        __

        Music Videos

        Okay this is slightly more complicated simply b/c now we have a video component. So the BlueSound Node has an HDMI eARC port on the back.

        Your TV should also have an ARC/eARC label next to one of the HDMI ports.

        ARC stands for audio return channel (or eARC enhanced auto return channel for object based sound like DTS:X and Dolby Atoms). ARC/eARC does not care about what format the audio is in and simply transports. It will not affect the audio in any way.

        Plug an HDMI cable between the TV and BlueNode. Then on the TV go to settings and select the ARC/eARC as the audio output. Now any media on TV (no matter where it comes from) will output to the BlueNode.

        Note: HDMI cable also must support eARC/ARC but chances are unless your cable is really old you’re probably good as this feature was rolled out some time ago

        • Tomato-Tomato-Tomato@alien.topOPBEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to type all this out. It’s infuriating to think that these salespeople recommended these together. I had no clue the blue sound node was also a DAC. You’ve possibly saved us a ton of money and headache. It was around $1500. I’ll show him this discussion tomorrow and go back to the store to get their explanation. Seems to be some predatory sales tactics happening.

          The eARC HMDI makes a ton of sense. If we were to play to the TV via eARC to the node, there shouldn’t be any depreciation of the audio file as it’s relayed through the TV? Maintaining MQA seems to be my dad’s primary concern, so I’d like to be able to reassure him, if possible.

          I’m learning a ton! This has been a pleasure to bond with my dad over, so I can’t thank you enough for aiding with that.

          • antlestxp@alien.topBEnglish
            1·
            10 months ago

            I don’t think you will get mqa through hdmi. Tvs resample everything to 48khz. You either play with no video and get unaltered audio with mqa when available or get video with everything playing at 48khz. I don’t think there is a way to get both. I’m not even sure if the videos have mqa encoded audio to start with. There would be zero reason for them to do that since there aren’t any mqa supported tvs.

          • Anchor_Drop@alien.topBEnglish
            1·
            10 months ago

            Glad to save you some cash!

            Happy to help!

            Yea on the back of your BlueNode you’ll see two RCA outputs. Those are analog outputs (meaning the digital has already been converted). Plug those RCA outputs into your amp and you’re good to go!

            Okay so you’re question of MQA…

            • If you stream the BlueSound 100% you get MQA.

            • If you go through eARC… I’m not 100% sure on this one. The limiting factor I believe is the TV (not eARC). Meaning the TV might not play nice with MQA and instead only allow Tidal lossless. Again not 100% sure on this.

            I had Tidal for ~6 months before stopping. IMO MQA improved only some songs compared to Tidal losses. There didn’t seem to be any regularity (ie it wasn’t a genre/album/artist that was better) - some songs just song sound improved with the codec, others I couldn’t tell even after months of comparing.

            I even have some good audio friends who think some songs sound worse with MQA! And that makes sense! It’s a different way of encoding the data - so shouldn’t expect everything to be a uniform improvement. Any change is going to effects both for good and bad.

            So even if eARC doesn’t allow MQA honestly I wouldn’t be worried at all!

            Drop reply tomorrow with the install results! And I want to know what this local audio company has to say! $20 says they give some BS about how the Chord will “open up the sonic soundstage and improve fidelity” haha!