Essential today has announced that it has partnered with MQA and TIDAL to elevate everyday music listening. The update fine-tuned and calibrated to support MQA for studio master quality sound. The company has also launched its first magnetic 3.5mm headphone jack dongle.
The Tidal’s Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) brings support for lossless tracks and with the new partnership, users will also have access to the music service and will be able to listen to MQA tracks. Tidal is offering Essential Phone owners a three-month subscription of its Hi-Fi tier for free so users can try out higher-resolution audio. Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) is a new way of giving a lossless audio experience in a smaller size.
On the other hand, the magnetic 3.5mm headphone jack dongle is the first module to launch after the phone got official. While the company didn’t mention how much it will cost but said that it will be available around August. The company has also announced that it is now bundling Essential Phone with earphones bundled for $499.
The magnetic 3.5mm headphone jack dongle features ESS Sabre DAC with hardware MQA rendering and an audiophile-grade amp that can drive demanding high-impedance headphones. It connects to the phone just by clicking on it. Users have to download the TIDAL App and redeem HiFi subscription.