HQPlayer's Network Audio Adapter

[Lionelh2]

Have HQP running on MBP and NAA running on Mac Mini. The HQP sees the NAA when I connect the two computers with an Ethernet cable or when each are connected through a switch.

 

Is it possible to connect the Macs via Thunderbolt Port with a direct TB connection? It seemed the NAA wasn't discovered in this configuration.

[Lionelh2]

For those with the SOTM SMS 100 as NAA, can I get some advice as to power supply? Which is the best choice in terms of SQ: the SOTM battery supply or an linear power supply?

[Lionelh2]

Just upgraded my NAA machine running OS X from 2010 Core 2 Duo processor to a 2014 i5 machine. I wasn't expecting any improvement at all, but it made a substantial improvement. Just a FYI for those thinking about beefing up your NAA machine.

[Lionelh2]

which MAC OS was your 2010 running ? The 2014 is running Yosemite ?

Both running Yosemite 10.10.3. Using same SD card boot. Same USB cable, same Power cable. Unplugged old Mini, plugged in new Mini and off to the races. Totally unexpected.

 

Big improvement in Bass clarity and sound stage. Vocals amazing.

 

Regen will arrive today. Oh boy.

[Lionelh2]

I am running the SMS100 as a HQPlayer NAA and noticed the software level of the HQP NAA app is quite behind what is out now.

 

Is there a newer version of software available with any significant improvements? I am running SMS100 version 1.3.

[Lionelh2]

I'm in no way an expert in this area, but I use 352 with great results with my Chord Hugo. I believe this has been mentioned by Miska as what he recommends for these Chord units. As I recall, the reasoning is that it bypasses an initial up conversion stage in these products by doing the initial 8x up conversion using HQPlayer.

[Lionelh2]

I'm in no way an expert in this area, but I use 352 with great results with my Chord Hugo. I believe this has been mentioned by Miska as what he recommends for these Chord units. As I recall, the reasoning is that it bypasses an initial up conversion stage in these products by doing the initial 8x up conversion using HQPlayer.

 

Actually, Miska mentioned using the highest PCM rate available. For Hugo 352/384 and 705/768 for Mojo.

[Lionelh2]

I have been struggling with using my MicroRendu as a NAA with HQPlayer for months. I am using a Chord Mojo and I cannot get playback at any DSD rate without dropouts through the MR. I get perfect playback using the Chord ASIO driver with the MR connected directly to my PC using USB at all rates up to DSD256. I get perfect play out at 705/768 PCM rates through the MR.

 

There seems to be some issue with DoP as I was able to get DSD512 working well when I was using iDSD Micro as DAC sending without DoP.

 

This issue has followed two computers, the latest being an i7 6700HQ system.

 

Any advice on where to go from here?

 

 

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I posted this on MicroRendu discussion and today I substituted the MR with a Win10 PC running NAA 3.4. And it worked perfectly. My question is now what is different? Does the MR NAA 3.4 have an issue with DoP DSD rates or does the MR lack the processing power to deal with it?

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

Larry

 

No. I'm trying DSD128 and DSD 256. The point I was trying to make is that my system was successfully able to do DSD512 non DoP when using the iDSD micro, using the same network configuration into the MR.

 

As a last ditch attempt to isolate the issue, I substituted a Win10 machine running NAA in place of the MR and perfect playback, no dropouts into the Chord using DoP.

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

Yes, I have heard that PCM is the Chord forte. In my system, DSD sounds much better with much more detail.

 

I reverted to USB using Chord ASIO and it plays without dropouts and sounds really good at DSD256. Just got a new USB cable that breaks the 5v line from PC to Regen. Quite an improvement. I'll revisit the MicroRendu again at some point.

 

Thanks.

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

Thanks, I appreciate hearing I'm not the only one having issues with MR. I'm listening now to DSD256 polysinc mp ADMS5 using ASIO. Playing without issues and sounds really good.

 

Thanks again.

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

I had lost of dropouts even at lower rates. Found out my Apple Extreme (tall) router was not fast enough. A big ugly Netgear R8000 router fixed it.

 

I would try another router, as I am using the Apple router as well, but it worked fine for DSD 512 when I was using another DAC that did not require DoP.

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

The thing that points to the MicroRendu is that when I simply substitute it ( literarily moving the Ethernet cable) with a Win10 PC running NAA 3.4, I get perfect playback at all DSD rates that Chord supports.

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

Ok, I wasn't aware of that. On the other hand, this issue only manifests itself with DSD sent via DoP and it happens even at DSD 128. Does not seem to be a correlation between data rate and the dropout issue. It seems to me there is a buffering issue on the MicroRendu side that only comes into play when it is sent a DoP signal. Just an somewhat educated guess on my part.

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

Yes, 705/768 PCM works fine.

 

 

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[Lionelh2]

I would recommend sending highest possible rate PCM to Chord DACs instead of DSD, because the DSD is anyway converted to PCM there using not-so-great algorithm.

 

You were right, when I first tried this approach, I upconverted to 704 rate and the results didn't wow me. I tried today upconverting to 768 and it sounds great. Many thanks.

 

 

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