HQPlayer's Network Audio Adapter

[Miska]

How do you control the library and playback? Sorry. But I wish you would just borrow an SOTM Mini Server, set it all up and demo for all us audiofools on Youtube how it works.. Cheers

 

As usual through the normal HQPlayer, DAC just becomes connected through ethernet...

[Miska]

… and one other question; the Linux drivers are needed if HQPlayer is running under a Linux OS, right? Either embedded or desktop?

 

Yes, Desktop and Embedded versions are exactly the same when it comes to playback engine. Only difference is how these are controlled.

 

It's my understanding that when using an NAA, HQPlayer sees the DAC that's connected to the NAA, just as it would if the DAC were connected to the machine running HQPlayer directly.

 

Yes, each NAA has a name (by default it is called "default") and each NAA can have one or more DACs connected to it. So you can have multiple NAAs with multiple DACs connected to each. So the device could appear for example as "BedRoom:iDSD Nano" on the list.

 

…so if HQPlayer is running on Mac or Windows, the drivers needed for the DAC are the appropriate Mac or Windows drivers; or have I mis-understood?

 

Only for local playback. When you play to a NAA, drivers are at the NAA side. And since the OS is Linux there, Linux drivers are needed... So when playing back to a NAA, the audio device stack of the machine where HQPlayer is running is completely ignored.

[EuroDriver]

Hi Miska

 

Can the NAA running on the SOTM SMS-100 handle DSD256 assuming there is a Linux driver for the DAC's USB receiver, and that USB receiver has enough bandwidth for DSD256 ?

[Miska]

Can the NAA running on the SOTM SMS-100 handle DSD256 assuming there is a Linux driver for the DAC's USB receiver, and that USB receiver has enough bandwidth for DSD256 ?

 

As I don't have such DAC, nor SMS-100, I have not tried. But from software perspective it should work just fine...

 

(all DSD256 I've been doing so far has been through ASIO on Windows)

[EuroDriver]

As I don't have such DAC, nor SMS-100, I have not tried. But from software perspective it should work just fine...

 

(all DSD256 I've been doing so far has been through ASIO on Windows)

 

whilst we are waiting for Linux driver for the Exasound E20, can we get a Win 8 desktop installation of HQP to function as a NAA ?

 

We can then use a noisy powerful server with another desktop install of HQP to do the heavy computing and stream the results to the other PC.

[4est]

AFAIK, it can. There is a Debian Wheezy image for i386 on their web site.

whilst we are waiting for Linux driver for the Exasound E20, can we get a Win 8 desktop installation of HQP to function as a NAA ?

 

We can then use a noisy powerful server with another desktop install of HQP to do the heavy computing and stream the results to the other PC.

[EuroDriver]

AFAIK, it can. There is a Debian Wheezy image for i386 on their web site.

 

Unfortunately my Exasound E20 needs a compatible driver for Linux to receive data from a NAA runing on Linux.

 

Exasound Linux drivers are coming and have top priority with the team at Exasound, but I want to try out the HQP Desktop - NAA network architecture soonest

[4est]

Oops- I didn't understand the issue properly.

Unfortunately my Exasound E20 needs a compatible driver for Linux to receive data from a NAA runing on Linux.

 

Exasound Linux drivers are coming and have top priority with the team at Exasound, but I want to try out the HQP Desktop - NAA network architecture soonest

[wappinghigh]

As usual through the normal HQPlayer, DAC just becomes connected through ethernet...

 

Ok then, so how do you control HQplayer? Is there an app for droid or iOS?

[wappinghigh]

^ You see all this stuff is great in theory... I just luv the concept. But it's a concept right now: correct?...

 

I mean I would just luv to easily set up HQplayer on a small linux server sharing my Minimserver library so that all my 24bit music could be down converted on the fly by HQplayer to 16 bit and "appear" miraculously in my Sonos GUI to stream to my 16 bit Sonos players.. via some sort of airplay setup or something..

 

And I would LUV to also stream my DSD files natively via an NAA bridge (say the SOTM Mini Server) to the 2 DSD compatible DAC"S.. I have.. or heaven forbid..even upconvert some 24bit PCM files to DSD as well...!! that would be awesome!

 

And I would just LUV to have control of all this and my library all via one simple HQplayer app on my iphone...

 

But this aint happening just now is it?

 

Show me how to do it!!!!

[wappinghigh]

Sorry. If I sound rude, I'm not meaning to be....

 

I totally love the whole HQplayer thing, and the simple concept of the NAA. The idea is totally awesome. AWESOME>.

 

But can someone just *please* show us all how to put it into practice?

[Miska]

Ok then, so how do you control HQplayer? Is there an app for droid or iOS?

 

In listening room I have a touch screen and use HQPlayer Desktop in touch (fullscreen) mode. It can also be controlled with IR remote. You can also run the normal desktop version on a device like Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

 

I control Embedded version with BubbleUPnP Android-app.

 

But most of the time I listen with headphones while working on the same computer, or browsing the web, writing to this forum etc.

[Adyc]

Will you consider making a HQplayer engine plugin for Minimserver or LMS? These two servers have great library management function.

[Miska]

Will you consider making a HQplayer engine plugin for Minimserver or LMS? These two servers have great library management function.

 

HQPlayer Embedded works fine with MinimServer. Since it functions just as UPnP Renderer, the library is managed elsewhere (@ UPnP Media Server).

[wappinghigh]

HQPlayer Embedded works fine with MinimServer. Since it functions just as UPnP Renderer, the library is managed elsewhere (@ UPnP Media Server).

 

Ok. Beaudddy.!! Awesome..So how do we buy it? What device do we purchase? If not preinstalled, then what do we install it on? And how?

[Miska]

Ok. Beaudddy.!! Awesome..So how do we buy it? What device do we purchase? If not preinstalled, then what do we install it on? And how?

 

Precisely because people would ask "how", you need to wait for some manufacturer to bundle it for you. Or then it needs to cost 10x more than the desktop version to offset all the support...

 

Since it's a headless server, installation and configuration needs quite a bit of work on Linux command line. If you want to change settings like filters, you need to edit an XML configuration file. UPnP doesn't have means for controlling such configuration options.

 

So it is only doable for those who are really familiar with Linux command line (no GUIs at all).

[randytsuch]

Hi

I have a Raspberry pi connected via I2S to my DAC. I'm running picoreplayer on it right now, and it sounds very good.

 

I'd like to try NAA and HQPlayer, wondering if someone has modified the pi code to output I2S?

 

EDIT:

I also have a beagle bone black. I haven't hooked him up yet, but I could if someone has code to output I2S on a BBB.

 

Randy

[Ipoci]

...

 

I'd like to try NAA and HQPlayer, wondering if someone has modified the pi code to output I2S?

...

 

Randy

 

Me too … :-P

 

At the moment I'm trying to have this NAA working with my HQPlayer / USB DAC with no luck ( but I still have hope to be succesful ).

 

As a next step my final goal is to have a NAA directly sending digital flow to a DAC directly on I2S in order to jump over the whole USB stack.

 

Have a nice day, Massimiliano

[james45974]

Giving HQPlayer a try, have not had a problem with the DAC connected to my computer, have no luck with the NAA setup.

 

Is the Signalyst deb package sticky? I have to reinstall the package on my debian machine every time I boot up for HQPlayer to see my audio device on my NAA, if I don't I get a "no audio device found" situation.

 

Also, HQPlayer will not play through my NAA, I can select my device and load tracks but there is nothing once I push the play button. I am trying it out just playing native redbook files.

[Miska]

Is the Signalyst deb package sticky? I have to reinstall the package on my debian machine every time I boot up for HQPlayer to see my audio device on my NAA, if I don't I get a "no audio device found" situation.

 

Yes, you can "dpkg -l networkaudiod" to see if it's installed.

 

Do you have DAC connected and powered up while booting up your Debian machine?

 

Also, HQPlayer will not play through my NAA, I can select my device and load tracks but there is nothing once I push the play button. I am trying it out just playing native redbook files.

 

Which OS do you use for HQPlayer and which DAC do you have? What are your settings in main window when trying to play?

[james45974]

Hello Miska, I can fill you in on a few of the details of my setup. Currently I have no DSD capabilities (only temporary) so I am only trying to play at 24/96 resolution. I have a Bel Canto DAC 1.5 attached to my NAA by USB cable. My NAA is an Intel Atom based netbook, 1.66ghz processor, 1 gb memory. I can play music through the DAC directly from the Debian Rythmbox application from files that I copy on to the HD of the netbook.

 

My desktop system is an i7, 2.8 ghz, 6 gb memory, running Windows 7. The desktop and NAA are hooked up through my household network. I can play music from the desktop machine with HQPlayer when I have my DAC hooked up to the PC. As I mentioned, I can see the DAC from my desktop on the NAA and can select it but nothing plays.

 

Thanks for any help, let me know if you need any more info.

 

Jim

[Miska]

Hello Miska, I can fill you in on a few of the details of my setup. Currently I have no DSD capabilities (only temporary) so I am only trying to play at 24/96 resolution. I have a Bel Canto DAC 1.5 attached to my NAA by USB cable. My NAA is an Intel Atom based netbook, 1.66ghz processor, 1 gb memory. I can play music through the DAC directly from the Debian Rythmbox application from files that I copy on to the HD of the netbook.

 

You need to make sure that nothing else takes hold of the audio device (like pulseaudio) when you are trying to use it over NAA...

 

As I mentioned, I can see the DAC from my desktop on the NAA and can select it but nothing plays.

 

Does the playback time and position indicator start running when you hit play, or is it stuck at the beginning?

 

This sounds like something else keeping the audio device reserved.

[Miska]

I posted some extra information on another thread that is more relevant to this one, so linking it here:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/hqplayer-desktop-3-4-0-windows-linux-and-mac-os-x-released-21629/index2.html#post351117

[james45974]

You need to make sure that nothing else takes hold of the audio device (like pulseaudio) when you are trying to use it over NAA...

 

 

 

Does the playback time and position indicator start running when you hit play, or is it stuck at the beginning?

 

This sounds like something else keeping the audio device reserved.

 

 

The music files I am trying to play are stored locally on my desktop machine. When I play a track locally on the desktop machine the track and time information show in the "Song Display" and playback starts immediately. When I try to start playback of a track to my DAC through the NAA nothing shows up in the track and time display, no playback starts.

 

I have verified the package is installed with the dpkg -l command.

[james45974]

I posted some extra information on another thread that is more relevant to this one, so linking it here:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/hqplayer-desktop-3-4-0-windows-linux-and-mac-os-x-released-21629/index2.html#post351117

 

Miska, going through your instructions seemed to cure the problem I was having. I had done a standard Debian install and then the networkaudiod.deb package install. Going through the instructions and installing the libasound2 and linux-image-rt-686-pae got me playing music. Thanks for your help and those instructions.

 

Jim