(November 19, 2024) One year after Lenbrook Media Group acquired MQA’s intellectual property and key personnel, the newly formed MQA Labs is unveiling two significant advancements within its QRONO product line. These technologies, QRONO dsd and QRONO d2a, will debut this month in Bluesound’s latest streamer, the Node Icon, and represent Lenbrook’s vision of refining the entire audio playback chain.
The QRONO platform was first introduced as part of Lenbrook’s strategy to harness MQA’s expertise in time-domain audio processing. As Greg Stidsen, Lenbrook’s Chief Technology Officer, highlighted during the acquisition, the platform addresses imperfections like time smearing—an issue that reduces the resolution of audio signals by misaligning their timing. With QRONO dsd and QRONO d2a, MQA Labs is doubling down on this mission, offering solutions designed to preserve time-domain accuracy and improve digital-to-analog conversion.
“The problems introduced by traditional digital audio filters are well understood, and QRONO is the platform that offers solutions for our hardware partners and licensees,” says Al Wood, Director of Engineering at MQA Labs. The QRONO dsd converter sets a new standard in DSD-to-PCM conversion, designed to retain the nuanced timing details of recordings while handling conversion with minimal signal manipulation. Meanwhile, QRONO d2a optimizes the performance of any DAC chip by applying advanced filters and noise shapers, ultimately enhancing impulse response and audio transparency.
This technical precision isn’t just about engineering—it translates into an audible improvement that MQA Labs claims rivals the performance of the best analog systems. “Human hearing is much more precise than previously understood, particularly when listening for fine detail,” adds Andy Dowell, MQA Labs’ Director of Business Development. He emphasizes that QRONO technologies elevate digital playback, delivering what he calls "next-level" performance in the Node Icon streamer.
Bluesound’s Node Icon, the first product to integrate QRONO, reflects the collaborative potential of Lenbrook Media Group’s brands. The streamer leverages QRONO dsd and d2a to deliver high-fidelity sound while maintaining the Node family’s hallmark user-friendly design and robust streaming capabilities. For music enthusiasts, the Node Icon represents the next step in accessible HiFi, offering cutting-edge performance without veering into hyper-specialized territory.
QRONO technologies also mark a broader ambition for Lenbrook Media Group. Following the acquisition of MQA, Lenbrook CEO Gordon Simmonds emphasized that the company’s vision extended beyond a single codec. This announcement reinforces that claim, showcasing Lenbrook’s commitment to advancing audio processing at every stage—recording, distribution, and playback. With the Node Icon’s release, QRONO’s capabilities are no longer just a concept but a tangible improvement for listeners.
MQA Labs will demonstrate QRONO at CES, NAMM, and ISE, offering attendees a chance to experience the technology firsthand. As part of Lenbrook’s growing portfolio, QRONO signals a clear intention to not only keep pace with but lead in HiFi innovation.
For additional background on Lenbrook’s acquisition of MQA and the origins of QRONO, you can explore our previous coverage below.
Related Reading:
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- Lenbrook Creates Lenbrook Media Group to Commercialize BluOS, MQA, and SCL6 Across the Hi-Res Landscape
- For Better or For Worse, MQA Survives Through Lenbrook Acquisition
Really? Just stick a fork in it... 
