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If you’re comparing it with a cheap no-name dongle at this money, this is the better buy: at £42, it lands well below the £59 25th percentile for recent comparable used listings, so this is a strong deal rather than a middling price. Against the wider market, it’s comfortably under the £126 median and miles off the £251 75th percentile, which gives you plenty of room to feel good about the asking price.
The appeal here is straightforward: it’s a compact USB DAC/dongle that’s valued for adding a proper external headphone output with MQA and DSD support, handy for laptops or phones where you want a cleaner, more capable plug-in upgrade. At this price, the main upside is simply getting a well-liked portable DAC format without paying mid-market money, so if the unit is clean and includes the right cable/adapters, it looks like an easy punt.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
MQA emerged in December 2014 from the innovative labs of UK-based Meridian Audio, founded by digital audio pioneer Bob Stuart. As a proprietary codec—Master Quality Authenticated—MQA was designed to deliver studio-master sound quality through efficient encoding, folding high-resolution audio up to 192kHz into standard 44.1kHz files while addressing perceived timing inaccuracies in digital playback. Meridian, renowned for its high-res contributions like the MLP format for DVD-Audio, spun off MQA as an independent company, MQA Limited, to champion this streaming-era solution.
Unlike traditional hi-fi hardware makers, MQA focuses exclusively on audio technology licensing rather than physical products like amplifiers, speakers, or turntables. Its core offerings include encoders for labels, decoders integrated into DACs, streamers, and apps, plus extensions like the Arya Bluetooth codec (formerly SCL6/MQAir) for wireless high-res transmission. Bluesound, NAD, and PSB products have prominently featured MQA decoding, embedding the tech into high-performance streaming DACs and amplifiers.
Positioned as a high-end niche player, MQA garnered initial acclaim for promising authenticated artist-intended sound but faced fierce debate over its claims of superior fidelity and lossless efficiency, dividing engineers and reviewers. After administration in April 2025, Lenbrook Industries—owners of NAD, PSB, and Bluesound—acquired its assets, signaling potential revival and renewed integration into premium hi-fi ecosystems for discerning streaming enthusiasts.
See all MQA listings on RADAR.
