HQPlayer's Network Audio Adapter

[tboooe]

Guys, I have a question about connecting the NAA and HQP pcs (both windows). Is it possible to connect both directly with an Ethernet cable? I would like to avoid connecting both pcs to my router because potential noise. This direct connection is how I connect my Control and Audio pcs in a Jplay setup. I assume if I just make sure both pcs are on the same subnet and have fixed ip addresses I should be ok? If so, in theory this should also work if I use a Raspberry Pi as NAA and Windows running HQP?

[tboooe]

Yes, you can bridge two Ethernet ports under Windows. Goto the "change adapter" screen, highlight both adapters, then right click and choose the bridge option. Once done you will have one IP address for both ports. You can go with dhcp or static addresses, but the latter is recommended.

 

I have never tested running HQplayer with an NAA in bridge mode, so that may be problematic.

 

Over here, I have been running this way for a couple years on both Windows and Linux.

 

Thank you for the reply. I am no networking expert but I am not sure I am asking about bridging adapters. In my previous 2 PC setup with Jplay, the Audio PC (i.e. the NAA) was only connected to the Control PC (i.e. HQP PC) allowing both PCs to talk directly to each other. The Audio PC only had 1 ethernet port while my Control PC has two. The Audio PC is not on my home network while the Control PC uses it second port to connect to my network to access music and allow remote control. Does that make sense? In this scenario, do I have to bridge the 2 network adapters on my Control PC (the one running HQP)?

[tboooe]

For people using Pi + Digi does that mean you are not converting to DSD or keeping it to DSD64 since DoP over SPDIF can only handle up to 24/192.

[tboooe]

I've logged into the raspberry pi through the mac's terminal.

 

Does anyone know the command line to install HQPLAYER NAA?

 

Check out this thread...I am about to try the same thing:

 

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/hqp-naa-raspberry-pi/6140/20

 

Or you can try just burning an image to a SD card. The images are on the HQPlayer website. I think I may go this route because I need a new image anyway. My Pi3 currently is running on Arch Linux which as I understand is not compatible with deb packages.

[tboooe]

Is this image just the NAA software or does it include the OS?

 

https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/naa/v3/images/naa-311-raspberrypi2.zip

 

That includes OS. You will need to burn that into a bootable SD card.

 

Also, I see in your sig you have Hifiberry hat? If so, which one (Digi+ or Dac+). You will probably need to activate it as well, probably by editing a config file. The location of this config file will differ depending on which OS you are using.

[tboooe]

I have received the Dac+ Pro on the mail today and used the HifiBerry installer to instal the OS:

 

https://www.hifiberry.com/guides/hifiberry-installer/

 

The good thing about the installer is that it'll configure the sound card.

 

Looks like I'll have to re-install the OS+NAA...I just wish I were a bit more computer savvy.

 

Do you know if the NAA image will receive the IP address from a DHCP server (my Mac) just as the Jessie Lite does?

I like not having to use a Switch/Router.

 

R

 

The NAA image will have another variant of Linux OS installed but the underlying networking functionality should be the same. To activate your Dac+ you will need to delete some comments in configuration files. Go here:

 

https://www.hifiberry.com/upgrading-raspbian-to-jessie/

[tboooe]

I have followed your instructions and now HQ Player "fails to open device".

 

I shutdown the Pi, started it up and now I get a ACTIVE:FAILED message when I type "systemctl status networkaudiod.service".

 

I then typed "systemctl start networkaudiod", then chechked with "systemctl status networkaudiod.service" and it says ACTIVE: ACTIVE (RUNNING) but HQ Player still says "fails to open device".

 

It's ruined...

 

Did you use sudo systemctl? If so I would try that. Also, check out this link that shows other systemctl commands you can run to check whats happening.

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-systemctl-to-manage-systemd-services-and-units

[tboooe]

Is there anyone using HQPlayer embedded + NAA?

 

If so, would this configuration work with the mRendu in NAA mode as we cannot do SSH in it?

 

I'd like to use HQPlayer this way controlling the music using BubbleUPnP or similar in Android.

 

Cheers

 

@Victor, any luck on this? I want to do exactly as you. My goal is to continue using Minimserver as my library management tool and BubbleUPnP as my control point and HQP as the renderer. I am not particularly strong in Linux though I can be dangerous! I was able to install HQP in Lubuntu and I think I got HQP embedded working but without a license I cannot test to see how reliable it is. Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[tboooe]

I used systemctl status networkaudiod.service.

 

In the meantime I shutdown the Pi, restarted and even though Miska's command didn't work I was able to connect to the HifiBerry after using sudo systemctl start networkaudiod

 

It looks like systemctl enable networkaudiod isn't doing it's thing at startup...

 

 

If I new how to setup WiFi and install the HifiBerry I might be able to use Miska's naa-311-raspberrypi2.zip image...

 

Instead I chose to use HifiBerry's installer because it installs the drivers and I can connect directly from a Mac using an Ethernet cable.

 

 

You'll have trouble finding anyone more ignorant in Unix...

 

R

did you try sudo systemctl enable?

[tboooe]

Could you please guide me in the editing of the CONFIG.TXT file?

 

I am assuming that this is done by inserting the SD card in the Mac's card reader and opening the file with a text editor...

 

Cheers,

Ricardo

 

Personally I ssh into the Pi then edit the file using the vi command. To save enter :wq.

[tboooe]

Hi guys...need some help getting this working. I have a Pi3 running Stretch.

 

I installed networkaudiod_3.1.1-27_armhf.deb

 

However, when I do the command systemctl status networkaudiod.service I see an error Failed to start Network Audio Adapter daemon. Any idea why?

 

Also, when I tried to upgrade to networkaudiod_3.3.1-31_armhf.deb with wget I get the error: The certificate's owner does not match the hostname signalyst.eu. Not sure what is happening because I was able to use wget to download version 3.1.1-27

 

EDIT: I was able to get this to work by typing networkaudiod at command prompt. Not sure why systemctl enable does not work? Also I would like to upgrade to 3.3.1-31. Help please.

[tboooe]

I take that back...typing networkaudiod worked only for a little bit. Playback starts for about 50 seconds but I see in SSH a bunch of errors ALSA attempting X run recovery when I try to play a song. After that, the NAA no longer shows up in HQP and then I see ALSA stop engine.

[tboooe]

Alright, got networkaudiod to start on my Pi3 and HQP sees it. However, all I get is static. I am using a Hifiberry Digi+.

[tboooe]

I'm using the Pi 3 with a hifiberry dac +.

It works as intended but I have to start networkaudiod manually every time I turn the Pi or the laptop off.

 

R

 

Can you please let me know what version of NAA you are using and what linux OS?

[tboooe]

https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/naa/v3/? stops working for me.

Is this happening to anyone else?

 

Yes, Miska said he had some hard drive failures with his server yesterday.

[tboooe]

Hi -- I am currently using the microrendu in its DLNA/MPD mode with minimserver running on a Windows 10 computer and Bubbleupnp as a remote control. Does anyone here have an opinion on whether using HQPlayer with the microrendu would be any better in terms of sound quality? I have no interest in upsampling or anything fancy --- I just play music at native sampling rates. Thanks. -- David

 

Having just switched from Mininserver/Jplay/Bubble combo to Roon/HQPlayer I can say without a doubt there is a big improvement. This is with no DSD conversion. If you are going to use HQPlayer I highly advise taking advantage of its filters.

[tboooe]

tboooe --- Does what you're suggesting include upsampling? I'm not a purist and don't mean to kick over a can of worms, but doesn't upsampling introduce something not in the original recording? -- Thanks. -- David

Without getting into too much technical details, HQPlayer's filters actually removes artifacts that are a result of PCM encoding. I upsample to 176.4. I may be wrong but I am pretty sure you can still apply the filters but not upsample at all in HQPlayer.

[tboooe]

I was thinking about buying the lowest power Celeron Intel NUC to act as the NAA . i plan to use either Windows 10 with Audiophile Optimizer or Lubuntu. Any one have experience using a NUC? Any issues?

[tboooe]

I used a low powered NUC as an NAA (and as a JPLAY audio pc in a 2 pc setup, with HQPlayer running on the control pc) for a while.

 

It was tweaked pretty well (WS2012 R2, AO, JPLAY, Intel Speedstep disabled, linear power supply, fan disabled, wifi and most of the usb ports disabled, etc.) and sounded pretty good. No issues...

 

But the microRendu as NAA sounds a lot better to me.

 

I am running Windows 10 on my "control pc," the computer that runs RoonServer and HQPlayer. To my ears, AO on the control pc makes a really nice difference.

 

I need to really look at the microrendu. I guess i am still hoping I can put together a cheap NAA that sounds just as good. Maybe I am just fooling myself, but I guess that's normal for us audiophiles?

[tboooe]

I am another happy owner of the MicroRendu since about a week. I have Roon Server and HQplayer running on a Win 10 PC and utilize the MR as a NAA. Everything works fine when upsampling up to 96/24 but anything higher begins to stutter /drop.

 

I have the MR connected via Ethernet Cat 6 through a Net Gear Pro Safe 16 Port switch in the living room. This is connected to my Cisco SG200 in the office where my Win 10 PC and NAS resides.

 

Any suggestions for me as to the best way to address the problem?

 

Thx.

 

Do you have this stutter issue when playing without the NAA?

[tboooe]

So, I uninstalled 3.13.3 and installed the beta version but unfortunately nothing changed. The playback is still stuttering when upsampling PCM to 192/24. I am running out of ideas ...

 

Curious, have you tried playing HQP without the mR to see if it stutters? By that I mean directly attached to our DAC? Have you tried adjusting the buffer in your DAC driver?

[tboooe]

Prior to owning the mR, I had my music PC connected directly via USB to my Mutec 3+ USB. There was no stutter regardless of sample rate. Not sure how to adjust the buffer in the Mutec driver ...

 

I also have a Mutec 3+. Go into the Mutec folder. You will see to executables. Click on MutecUSBAudiocplapp.

[tboooe]

I finally pulled the trigger on HQPlayer and an NAA

 

I just finished my NAA computer and will install it and HQPlayer this weekend.

I am wondering if the HQPlayer Guru's could look at my setup and make some suggestions for improvement?

 

Nice rig! You've got a lot of horsepower on the main pc. Do you intend to upsample to DSD? If so, which one (64,128, 256,512)? With what you have you should have no issue with at least DSD256 which is what I am doing with an I3 3770s CPU and no CUDA offloading.

 

The NAA can easily be run on something like a Pi so what you have is more than adequate. I am thinking of getting an UP Board and running Win10, Fidelizer, Audiophile Optimizer with USB out to my DAC. The UP Board costs something like $100. The Windows license will cost more than the PC!

[tboooe]

I was initially going to get a Sonic Transporter to run HQ Player but it is costly.

 

I was recommended these made in China fanless PC's which seem to have the same specs as the Sonic Transporter but at a fraction of the cost

 

https://world.taobao.com/item/530626...0633.18.GMcq2w

 

https://world.taobao.com/item/530440....DQbbgk#detail

 

 

Will these work and run HQ Player and/or Roon effectively?

 

The only other thing is that they have built in wi fi.

 

If I purchase one and disable the wi fi by turning the wireless networking off, does this take care of the noise?

 

Thanks

So it looks like the i7 processor is an 4550U. I also use a fanless case but I have an i7-3770s quad core. Before that I had a dual core i3. The dual i3 could handle DSD64 no problem and sometimes 128 but it couldnt handle 256. So if you intend on doing DSD128 and above I am not sure if the 4550U can handle it.

 

By the way, here is comparison between the 4550U and my 3770S

 

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/236/Intel_Core_i7_Mobile_i7-4550U_vs_Intel_Core_i7_i7-3770S.html/url]

[tboooe]

Thanks for dissecting the specs. I would have been thoroughly lost otherwise.

 

It looks like the 3770s is the winner there except for heat efficiency. So I guess I will have to look for one with a 3770s instead.

 

Is there a big price difference between the processors?

 

Well you should look for a quad core processor that is current generation. The 3770s is from two generations ago. Try to fine a quad core processor from 5th or 6th generation with a TDP that is less than whatever capabilities your fanless case of choice can handle. For example, my case can dissipate up to 95W of heat. The i7-6700 is a good choice.

 

Here is a link that compares all the current 6th gen i7 processors:

6th Generation Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7 Processors

 

You can see the list price for each. Not a huge difference lets say between the 6700 and 6700K.

 

BTW, thanks for the link to that website. I've been looking for a cheap PC to use as an NAA and the ones I see on the site look like a great price!