# MQA Functions Using Nautilus,Direct Stream Mk11 and Airlens **URL:** \ **Category:** Network Audio\ **Created:** [January 22, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433 "2024-01-22T21:52:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lugerchn1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lugerchn1](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/lugerchn1)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/1 "2024-01-22T21:52:58Z")
Dear Tech Sages: I have my system’s network with the following components connected: Roon Nautilis,Direct Stream Mk 2 and Airlens. All three of the components have setting options for MQA,with the choices being Renderer Only,Decoder Only,Renderer and Decoder,or none. Is there a most favorable way to set the correct choice for each of these components to optimize an MQA signal? I had thought that the Nautilus,being purpose built as a Roon Core,would be the logical choice for Decoder.Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks, Matt ---
**Author:** ![daveboyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@daveboyd](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/daveboyd)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/2 "2024-01-23T01:03:41Z")
I have a Roon NUC, AirLens and MK2 setup. My understanding is that you’ll get one unfold and that is from the AirLens. The MK2 does no unfolding. So the highest I could get from MQA was 96kHz no matter what I tried with Roon. I have since switched to QoBuz which does not do MQA but gives you “native” right up into the 300s. All MQA processing is turned off in AirLens. Dave ---
**Author:** ![aangen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/aangen/32/295709_2.png) [@aangen](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/aangen)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 1:12am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/3 "2024-01-23T01:12:33Z")
I do not believe you will get the full benefit of MQA with any of those pieces. First unfold only. I have two components that state they do full MQA unfolding. One says it does 4x, the other says it does 8x. Whatever. I can’t hear any difference with any MQA anything. As such, I pay no attention to it. Others think they can hear a difference. I will suffer on as is I guess. I too prefer Qobuz and have Roon set to prefer anything over MQA. It amuses me that they have such a setting. MQA is a separate entity that has nothing to do with Roon. ---
**Author:** ![lugerchn1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lugerchn1](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/lugerchn1)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 1:45am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/4 "2024-01-23T01:45:27Z")
Thanks,Dave. Out of curiousity,did you try having the Nucleus+ do the unfold,rather than the Airlens? Appreciate your time and thoughts. Matt ---
**Author:** ![daveboyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@daveboyd](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/daveboyd)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 1:18pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/5 "2024-01-23T13:18:47Z")
I don’t have a Nucleus+. Went the NUC route. I saw no unfolding options in Roon at all. ---
**Author:** ![aangen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/aangen/32/295709_2.png) [@aangen](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/aangen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 6:52am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/6 "2024-01-25T06:52:13Z")
Roon does the first unfold I believe. Am I wrong in thinking this? I think @minnesotafats told me that long ago. ---
**Author:** ![daveboyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@daveboyd](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/daveboyd)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/7 "2024-01-25T15:12:03Z")
Check out this thread that I started in Audio Components, should answer the questions: [AirLens & Direct Stream DAC MKII & MQA](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/airlens-direct-stream-dac-mkii-mqa/35559) ---
**Author:** ![lugerchn1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lugerchn1](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/lugerchn1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 10:07pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/8 "2024-01-25T22:07:18Z")
Thank you,sir. Much appreciated. Matt ---
**Author:** ![minnesotafats](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/minnesotafats/32/1696_2.png) [@minnesotafats](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/minnesotafats)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/9 "2024-01-31T20:35:12Z")
I think Roon has the capability of doing the first unfold. I forgot how to select it. I have been using Qobuz so much that I am forgetting MQA operations. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![daveboyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@daveboyd](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/daveboyd)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/mqa-functions-using-nautilus-direct-stream-mk11-and-airlens/36433/10 "2024-01-31T22:44:47Z")
Never found Roon unfold. All mine were done via the AirLens. I left Tidal for Qobuz due to MQA. Qobuz uses native hi-rez (that’s why Neil Young is with Qobuz) while MQA is noted to be a lossy format (ditto on Neil). Also, Qobuz was half the price (here in Canada anyways).