Digital to Analogue Converter
 

Hi. I’m trying to work out if I’ll get the full benefit of the TIDAL Music app, when playing a “masters” track through CarPlay in the 2021 XC40. It’s a slightly academic exercise obviously, because if it sounds better than, for example Apple Music, then there is a benefit, if it doesn’t there isn’t. However I’d still like to understand what’s going on, what equipment is in the car and how it works.

1. I’ve read that the masters tracks are MQA files which, on the iPhone, can be unpacked halfway to 24bit/96KHz files. Does anyone know if this unpacking results in FLAC files?

2. Can this file (possibly FLAC) be sent fully through CarPlay to the Volvo system (DAC), or will it be reduced in some way because of the way CarPlay works?

3. Is the Volvo DAC capable of handling and outputting a file at 24bit/96KHz?

Any help would be gratefully received.