Tidal Connect comes to dCS

dCS has announced the immediate availability of v1.2 of its Mosaic streaming platform that adds support for Tidal Connect.

Mosaic comprises two components:

Mosaic Control is the name given to the app, available for iOS and Android. It allows us to stream music stored on a hard drive connected to the rear of a dCS unit and/or music stored on a network drive, all via UPnP. And if we plug our Tidal or Qobuz login credentials into Mosiac Control, we can then search, browse and play music from those services directly inside the app.

Mosaic Processor, however, is the name given to the software that runs inside the dCS unit. This is where the code for Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Roon Readiness live. And from today, it will be joined by Tidal Connect code.

The upshot is that we no longer need the Mosaic Control app to instigate a Tidal stream. Instead, we can 1) fire up a song from inside Tidal’s own app, 2) press the devices button in the top right of the ‘now playing’ screen and 3) select the dCS device from the dropdown menu — the stream will then be handed off to the dCS box. Simples. dCS products are already primed for MQA, which means Tidal Masters subscribers can take full advantage of any MQA-encoded content.

What I like about Tidal Connect is exactly what I like about Spotify Connect: if I’ve been listening to music out in the street, I don’t have to switch apps once I get home in order to hand the stream off to the main hi-fi. Two clicks inside the Tidal (or Spotify) app and I’m done.

However, we will still need to use Mosaic Control to make changes to the upsampling/filters applied to the internal Ring DAC and, for Bartók owners, to engage Expanse, dCS’ take on headphone crossfeed. The v1.2 update also adds transport controls to the Mosaic Control app – play, pause and skip – for users of a Vivaldi Transport, a Vivaldi One, a Rossini Transport or a Rossini Player.

Further information: dCS