MQA Hardware and Software Players Become Available Via Upgrades

Following the recent announcement by Meridian Audio of a firmware update enabling MQA playback in its own range of products, Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) is now also playable directly on the Pioneer XDP-100R and Onkyo DP-X1 portable devices. MQA-encoded music content is finally available for first adopters to download and hear on their own devices.

ESS Technology introduced its new SABRE HiFi SoC - the ES9118, a 2-channel, 32-bit device. This is a brand new solution for high-quality audio on smartphones, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 show, in Barcelona. The new ES9118 SABRE HiFi SoC integrates the complete audio path from the application processor all the way to the headphone in one device.

Originally introduced during a special event in London, in early December 2014, Meridian Audio’s MQA technology created a big impact at the 2015 International CES Show in Las Vegas and promises to change the way people enjoy music all over the world. The music industry, digital music distribution companies and audio manufacturers agree MQA encoding is the missing piece of the high-resolution audio puzzle.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Japan Audio Society (JAS) agree to provide the High-Resolution Audio logo (Hi-Res Audio or HRA) to CEA members and promote it to consumers. “Having a common logo will help establish consistency and assist consumers in navigating this exciting, steadily emerging market,” says Gary Shapiro, CEA president and CEO.