# MQA passthrough on Plex & Tidal
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677
**Category:** Online Media Sources
**Tags:** tidal
**Created:** [September 2, 2020, 11:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677 "2020-09-02T11:29:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@coalfield](https://forums.plex.tv/u/coalfield)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2020, 11:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/1 "2020-09-02T11:29:05Z")
I know MQA is a polorising standard (please have this debate somewhere else), but whats the reason Plex does not passthrough MQA like any other players, which is accentuated with the fact there is now Tidal integration but no support for MASTER audio titles?
If there is a way, I am keen to know!
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### Author:  [@anon18523487](https://forums.plex.tv/u/anon18523487)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/2 "2020-09-02T19:22:52Z")
Tidal doesn’t give access to the MQA versions to 3rd party clients. You have to use their apps to access these. It’s a Tidal limitation.
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### Author:  [@coalfield](https://forums.plex.tv/u/coalfield)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/3 "2020-09-02T19:41:12Z")
How about MQA files outside of tidal? Most music players can just passthrough an unfolded MQA but doesnt seem to work with Plex. As far as I was aware if the audio level is max and its not ‘played with’ an external MQA decoder should be able to take it but no luck with Plex ☹
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### Author:  [@anon18523487](https://forums.plex.tv/u/anon18523487)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/4 "2020-09-02T21:53:46Z")
I’m guessing that would depend on the Plex client. If you can get me a sample and tell me what client you are using, I can check if it should work or not.
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### Author:  [@coalfield](https://forums.plex.tv/u/coalfield)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2020, 7:57am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/5 "2020-09-03T07:57:35Z")
I appreciate you looking into this. I have been using Plexamp (Windows 10) and the Chrome Client.
Figured our that that the issue is to do with the ‘Sampling Rate’ Windows is set at, and that it needs to match that of the file being played. i.e. my issue has been with 24bit / 48Hz MQA, but by setting the sound output to match MQA is detected.
it cuts out all the time, which is usually becuase the peak levels have been messed with, but I have volume set to 100% so not sure how to fix that.
I guess the only fix is to have Plex support ASIO drivers to be able to switch the sample rate per track, but at least identified its not Plex messing with the output its likely the windows driver.
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### Author:  [@Noah0504](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Noah0504)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/6 "2020-09-03T14:06:40Z")
> [@anon18523487](#):
>
> Tidal doesn’t give access to the MQA versions to 3rd party clients. You have to use their apps to access these. It’s a Tidal limitation.
Roon does support MQA, so I don’t think that can be a blanket statement. In fact: [https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000263989-Partner-Apps-that-support-TIDAL-s-MQA-Streaming](https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000263989-Partner-Apps-that-support-TIDAL-s-MQA-Streaming)
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### Author:  [@coalfield](https://forums.plex.tv/u/coalfield)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/7 "2020-09-03T15:05:58Z")
Good point and to be honest so does Audirana
[https://audirvana.com/](https://audirvana.com/)
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### Author:  [@Rick164](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Rick164)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/8 "2020-09-09T19:49:18Z")
Would be great to have MQA in PlexAmp for sure.
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### Author:  [@coalfield](https://forums.plex.tv/u/coalfield)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/9 "2020-09-09T20:35:19Z")
or even just ASIO driver support
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### Author:  [@paolosnz](https://forums.plex.tv/u/paolosnz)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2020, 9:35am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/10 "2020-11-12T09:35:37Z")
The android usb audio player pro also supports the mqa codec through a plugin that costs 3 €
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### Author:  [@Pull\_Out\_Champs](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Pull_Out_Champs)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/11 "2020-11-23T01:18:02Z")
Facts. Let’s play MQA files through UAPP, if possible.
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### Author:  [@paolosnz](https://forums.plex.tv/u/paolosnz)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2020, 7:48am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/12 "2020-11-23T07:48:23Z")
UAPP is good for local, tidal and qobuz bookstores. the plus value of plexamp is to stream my remote files from home NAS, they just have to make the effort to optimize the player … If they can a crowd of music lovers they will adopt plexamp
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### Author:  [@irmlermichael\_gmail\_com](https://forums.plex.tv/u/irmlermichael_gmail_com)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/13 "2020-12-28T23:10:50Z")
Also UAPP does support tidal passthrough on android (which the regular Tidal app doesn’t)
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### Author:  [@alejoac](https://forums.plex.tv/u/alejoac)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2021, 6:24am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/14 "2021-02-26T06:24:04Z")
“Tidal doesn’t give access to the MQA versions to 3rd party clients.” This is just plain incorrect. There’s more than one. Audirvana, Roon, I could keep going… They are all listed on Tidal’s site. [Third Party Software for TIDAL – TIDAL](https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/sections/201130212-Third-Party-Software-for-TIDAL)
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### Author:  [@lantrix](https://forums.plex.tv/u/lantrix)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2021, 11:09am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/16 "2021-04-11T11:09:14Z")
Yep concur here with the others. Third party clients can stream MQA.
I have a new Astell&Kern DAC/Player and the built in app to play TIDAL (written by Astell&Kern) plays MQA and the device does the final unfold. What it DOESN’T do is allow downloads for offline use as TIDAL prohibit that on non native apps.
Astell&Kern is also listed on the page @alejoac linked to.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2021, 11:09am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/mqa-passthrough-on-plex-tidal/629677/17 "2021-07-10T11:09:22Z")
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