Bluesound confirms MQA hi-res support will be free upgrade

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MQA audio is making waves on the first day of CES 2016 and Bluesound has confirmed its wireless hi-res multi-room system will be getting in on the act.

MQA is the new audio technology that promises to make hi-res music files easier to stream without consuming huge amounts of bandwidth or sacrificing quality, and there have already been a number of announcements at CES 2016 concerning hardware support.

Tidal showcased hi-res streaming using MQA, while HTC demoed its One A9 phone streaming MQA hi-res files.

Now Bluesound has got in on the act, announcing all of its products - 1st-gen and 2nd-gen - will soon be MQA compatible. A free firmware update will bring MQA support to all Bluesound products later this year. The only thing missing - as with Tidal - is an official release date.

The Award-winning multi-room system will also be demonstrating a proof of concept at CES, streaming hi-res MQA files on one of its products on the CES show floor.

Greg Stidsen, Bluesound director of technology and product planning, said: "MQA is at the very forefront of digital audio, and we’re proud to lead the way for wireless multi-room systems to support MQA’s lossless audio files. Fusing Bluesound’s proprietary BluOSsoftware and advanced audio architecture, with MQA’s scientific approach to digital processing, makes it possible for listeners to stream authentic Studio Master recordings in real time with enhanced audio quality."

MORE: Bluesound Generation 2 review

MORE: CES 2016 news highlights

Joe Cox
Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).