HQPlayer's Network Audio Adapter

[manisandher]

I've sold a couple of pre-installed bootable USB memory sticks for these kind of computers.

 

Both of my NAAs have been pre-installed bootable USB memory sticks that Miska has put together for me. I've literally just inserted the USB sticks into their respective PCs (one was originally a CAPSv1, the other originally a CAPSv2) and booted up. Absolutely no issues whatsoever, and a damn sight easier than installing a regular OS.

 

I'm very, very happy with the performance of HQPlayer->NAA->Mytek. I'd recommend this system to anyone interested in DSD playback (although PCM is very good also) at a reasonable cost.

 

Mani.

[manisandher]

I recently received a PM asking my thoughts on the NAA vs. a direct PC connection to the DAC. I kind of did this when I first received my NAA bootable USB stick from Miska, but even then only in passing.

 

With my small 'vinyl digitization studio' now all up and running, I've spent a while revisiting the NAA vs. the direct PC connection.

 

 

You can see the two CAPS machines that I'm using on the bottom shelf of the equipment support. The one on the right is a regular CAPSv2 (with SOtM USB card and SATA filter) - fed by a 12V SMPS sitting outside the 'studio'. The one on the left was my original CAPSv1, but is now being used as the NAA, with all devices having been removed - fed by a Paul Hynes PS sitting outside the 'studio'. I'm using the CAPSv2 as the host computer for HQPlayer NAA and also for HQPlayer Desktop (direct connection). The NAA is connected to the Mytek via Firewire and the CAPSv2 to the Mytek via USB2. The output of the Mytek feeds a Berning Siegfried 300B amp driving a pair of AKG K-1000 headphones.

 

All the music sits on a NAS drive located about 5m from the 'studio'. Incidentally, the 'studio' is totally lined in wire mesh connected to ground, acting as a sort of a Faraday cage. I have all linear power supplies and SMPSs running off two independent 5KVA balanced transformers respectively.

 

So, what can I say about the difference in SQ between the NAA and the direct CAPSv2 connection? Well, it's hard for me to put into words the exact magnitude of the difference. 'Enormous' just doesn't seem to do it justice. A 'quantum leap' maybe more accurate. Quite simply, the CAPSv2 produces a (very nice) sound. The NAA produces music. I'm not kidding now: if you offered me a $10K DAC and the CAPSv2 or a $2K DAC and the NAA (plus a PC on which to host HQPlayer NAA), I'd take the latter any day of the year.

 

If you have a DAC compatible with the NAA (visit the Signalyst website for a list of known DACs), you should be breaking Miska's door down to get hold of an NAA bootable USB stick.

 

Mani.

[manisandher]

Hi Ted,

 

I'm still not in the Win 8 world (yet), so it could well be that your CAPSv2.1 (is that what you call it?) is substantially better directly connected than my CAPSv2. Incidentally, I just compared the CAPSv2/HQPlayer using WASAPI vs. ASIO. I have a strong preference for the latter and it closes the gap between the direct connection and the NAA substantially, but I still prefer the NAA. Although ASIO fixes much of WASAPI's dullness and lifelessness, it seems to introduce an edge to the sound. Also, the bass seems less extended and powerful than it is through the NAA.

 

In answer to your questions though:

 

1. If Linux USB drivers exist for your (Meitner?) DAC, it may well be worth trying the SOtM USB card in the NAA. I know Miska has been working on this and am waiting to hear whether he's got Mytek Linux USB drivers working. If he has, I will try this myself.

 

2. Sorry, no idea - I've never used HQPlayer Embedded, but I can imagine what you mean just from a library management point of view. I know this hasn't been one of Miska's top priorities, but maybe he should revisit it sometime.

 

Mani.

[manisandher]

Not sure I follow. Why would I want a Linux driver when I'm running both the CAPS and likely the NAA in Windows? BTW, the Linux NAA (Auraliti) worked fine with my Meitner. But anyway why Linux rather than Windows?

 

The CAPS is connected to the NAA via ethernet. You do not need to have any audio drivers installed in the CAPS unless you use a direct connection. In order to connect the NAA to the DAC, you will need to have the appropriate Linux firewire or USB driver installed in the NAA.

 

Mani.

[manisandher]

A 'Windows NAA' would kind of defeat the object of having an NAA - it's sole purpose is to isolate the DAC from the influence of the OS as much as possible, so an ultra-low footprint Linux is the only way to go.

 

Ted, when you said you ran an NAA while you had the Auraliti PK90USB in the system, how exactly did you have things set up? I mean, did you get a bootable USB stick from Miska and use this with the Auraliti to convert the Auraliti to an NAA? How did you then connect the DAC to the NAA? It must have been firewire, no?

 

Mani.

[manisandher]

Yes, it makes sense for PC-based NAA when using USB connection.

 

Miska, when you talk about a 'PC-based NAA', I'm assuming you mean a machine with a regular mobo/CPU, as opposed to something like a Raspberry Pi, right? Some people might confuse 'PC-based NAA' with 'Windows-based NAA' and I just wanted to be clear.

My other question: have you got the Mytek Linux USB drivers working yet? I'd love to try this...

 

Mani.

[manisandher]

Let me see if I am getting the topology right...

 

Hi Jud, of course you should wait to hear from the horse's mouth. But my own 2c is that you would connect the desktop to the Raspberry Pi NAA via LAN and then the NAA to the DAC via a short USB... if the necessary Linux USB drivers were available for your DAC.

 

Mani.

[manisandher]

I will say, though, having through the generosity of another forum member had the NOS1a for several weeks in my home, that the *degree* of difference in sound quality owing to changes in USB cables seemed to me much less than in other DACs I've tried this with.

 

Hey Jud, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the NOS1a. Could you perhaps share them on an appropriate thread?

 

Cheers, Mani.

[manisandher]

A piece of kit from which I learned loads about the sonic signature of various clocking schemes was my old Esoteric D70 DAC. This had 3 different clocking schemes: PLL, large RAM buffer, and wordclock from source. Interestingly, the large RAM buffer killed the sound in much the same way that large SFS settings in XXHighEnd do. I preferred the sound of PLL over large RAM buffer, but the wordclock setting was easily the best. I'm no expert in the USB protocol, but I wonder if there is a way to have the DAC clock act as the master clock for the PC's USB transmitter, in much the same way as the D70's clock would act as the master clock for the transport in wordclock mode. Maybe this is already possible? Dunno.

 

Mani.