HQ Player

[kelvinwsy]

2nd photo is Afterdark Queen

3rd photo is U18

of course 1st photo is A26

Kid u not

[kelvinwsy]

Here is A22

[kelvinwsy]

Ha! my mistake ! ut was Tharbamar and Soundnews that reviewed the A26

[kelvinwsy]

Nkam 

I would recommend putting either the R26 or the A26 on yr shopping list if u are using say Topping D90 series

of course YMMV

[CJH]

Can  the A26 do DSD 1024?

cjh

[stefano_mbp]

18 minutes ago, CJH said:

Can  the A26 do DSD 1024?

cjh

Nope 

[T1000]

On 2/9/2023 at 5:55 PM, T1000 said:

No EC to 512, only ASDM5EC.

Idle 2% cpu, 0% gpu

load 50% cpu, 30% gpu

checked (not grayed) multicore and cuda

Problem could be windows 10? i must go to w11?

 

Problem was the new motherboard! Asus Rog strix b760-f

ethernet was not fine, with disconections and went to search problem in forums or new drivers to asus webpage and voila! new lan drivers...

and new bios version...

i update all and now pc works well!  with EC filters al 512

Regards!

[dericchan1]

@Miska Hi Miska, I would like to know say I have a ESS or a AKM based dac and I use Hqplayer for PCM playback, does it really make a difference based on what digital filter choice I select in Hqplayer since at the end the DAC will apply its own digital filter? i.e. Sinc L vs Sinc S 

[rayon]

On 1/31/2023 at 10:55 PM, Iceaero said:

13900k (stock, but 7800 ram) with a 4090.

 

I honestly haven't tried DSD with other filters, but I cannot do 1024 with ASDM7ECv2.  I believe 512 works fine.

What CPU cooler and case you have btw? I have 13900k incoming with Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420 and Fractal Design Torrent. That should make sure that I get most out of 13900k. However, my ram will be humble 6400mhz CL32. That shouldn't be the limiting factor though according to what I've been reading about intel processors and memory speed. I should be able to get like 99% there. However, not having enough cooling should make i9 to thermal throttle.

[bogi]

4 hours ago, dericchan1 said:

I have a ESS or a AKM based dac and I use Hqplayer for PCM playback, does it really make a difference based on what digital filter choice I select in Hqplayer since at the end the DAC will apply its own digital filter?

Both DAC chips perform oversampling (interpolation) in two stages. The first stage is filtered and the second simplified one is unfiltered.

As an example, let the border fs between those 2 stages is 705.6 / 768k. If you upsample in HQPlayer to 705.6k, then you are skipping complete 1st oversampling stage. It means you substituted it with HQPlayer filter of your choice.

 

But if you would send data to DAC at lower rate than the border fs between the stages, say at 352.8k, then DAC chip would perform filtered oversampling 352.8 -> 705.6 within the 1st stage and then continue with the 2nd stage. In such a case you only partially substituted the 1st stage oversampling filter with HQPlayer filter.

 

Similar situation happens if the border fs is higher than max. fs at which DAC chip accepts PCM data. For example when the border fs is 1411 / 1536k (I think that's the ESS case) but DAC accepts max. 705.6 / 768k.

But why not to send DSD data to these DAC chips instead of PCM? That's the way how you can substitute both oversampling stages with HQPlayer filters. In my experience that's the best way how to use both these chips.

[dericchan1]

12 minutes ago, bogi said:

Both DAC chips perform oversampling (interpolation) in two stages. The first stage is filtered and the second simplified one is unfiltered.

As an example, let the border fs between those 2 stages is 705.6 / 768k. If you upsample in HQPlayer to 705.6k, then you are skipping complete 1st oversampling stage. It means you substituted it with HQPlayer filter of your choice.

 

But if you would send data to DAC at lower rate than the border fs between the stages, say at 352.8k, then DAC chip would perform filtered oversampling 352.8 -> 705.6 within the 1st stage and then continue with the 2nd stage. In such a case you only partially substituted the 1st stage oversampling filter with HQPlayer filter.

 

Similar situation happens if the border fs is higher than max. fs at which DAC chip accepts PCM data. For example when the border fs is 1411 / 1536k (I think that's the ESS case) but DAC accepts max. 705.6 / 768k.

But why not to send DSD data to these DAC chips instead of PCM? That's the way how you can substitute both oversampling stages with HQPlayer filters. In my experience that's the best way how to use both these chips.

Thanks for the explanation. But let’s say if the ESS dac does not do native dsd, then it the dac still using its own filters?

[dericchan1]

As for ifi burr brown chips, it only upsamples pcm to 24/192, does it mean as long as I feed pcm over 24/192 then it should bypass the dac chip filters other than the basic zero and hold filter?

[Jud]

26 minutes ago, dericchan1 said:

Thanks for the explanation. But let’s say if the ESS dac does not do native dsd, then it the dac still using its own filters?

Rather than using a term that has been given several meanings ("native DSD"), let's just say that ESS chips will still apply their own digital signal processing even if you send them DSD.

[Jud]

27 minutes ago, dericchan1 said:

As for ifi burr brown chips, it only upsamples pcm to 24/192, does it mean as long as I feed pcm over 24/192 then it should bypass the dac chip filters other than the basic zero and hold filter?

You may be confusing the maximum input sample rate with the internal rate to which the chip upsamples PCM, which is typically "8x" (352.8/384kHz). That is followed internally in the chip by modulation to DSD or a similar format.

[dericchan1]

21 minutes ago, Jud said:

You may be confusing the maximum input sample rate with the internal rate to which the chip upsamples PCM, which is typically "8x" (352.8/384kHz). That is followed internally in the chip by modulation to DSD or a similar format.

Thanks. So let’s say for your neo as an example, if you upsample pcm to 24/768, are all digital filters bypassed or does the dac chip still do some internal dsp ?

[Jud]

6 minutes ago, dericchan1 said:

Thanks. So let’s say for your neo as an example, if you upsample pcm to 24/768, are all digital filters bypassed or does the dac chip still do some internal dsp ?

 

The chip's sigma delta modulator still would convert the bitstream to DSD or similar.

[CJH]

11 hours ago, kelvinwsy said:

Nkam 

I would recommend putting either the R26 or the A26 on yr shopping list if u are using say Topping D90 series

of course YMMV

Have you been able to play 512DSD via HQPlayer on A26 with the LAN connection?

cjh

[kelvinwsy]

I sold my Sms200 ultra neo and my etherregen last year

So i just collected the necessary gear to do Streaming to the NAA ! Setting these up today! 

Will report back! A26 tests and comparision btwn USB/i2S and LAN 

It will take a while as I wish to move the Queen Clock fr the U18 for USB/I2S bk to direct connection to the A26 for LAN 

Under i2s the dac takes the clock signal fr the DDC 

while the clock has to be on the DAC as the DDC is bypassed in LAN operation

 

I will be testing this LAN filter to see if I can do w/o an expensive OXCO network switch

will be compate with snd w/o fiber optic isolation too

[Nkam]

I doubt this Marantz SACD 30n would take HQPlayer correct? 
 

looks like it is doing sort of the same thing HQplayer does ?

 

It’s so beautiful inside.  
lol

 

[Pregent]

I have an exaSound s88 Mark II DAC.  This is an eight channel DAC that is using the ES9038Pro DAC chip.  When listening to 2 channel music, I upsample everything to DSD 512.  When listening to 5.1 music, I upsample everything to DSD 256.  These are the maximum sampling rates that this DAC supports.    I am also using the ASDM7ECv2 modulator.

 

There a section in the setup of the s88 called Audio Optimizations.  See screen shot below.

 

The values for PCM Reconstruction Filter are:

Slow Roll Off Linear Phase
Slow Roll Off Minimum Phase
Fasr Roll Off Linear Phase
Fasr Roll Off Minimum Phase (default)
Apodizing Fast Roll Off Linear Phase
Hybrid, Fast Roll Off, Minimum Phase
Brick Wall

 

The values for the Low-Pass Filters are:

47.44 kHz
50 kHz
60 kHz
70 kHz

 

I am not sure how to set these values.  Do I need to worry about the PCM Reconstruction Filter as I am upsampling everything to DSD via HQPlayer?

 

Any recommendation is greatly appreciated.

 

[bogi]

5 hours ago, dericchan1 said:

But let’s say if the ESS dac does not do native dsd, then it the dac still using its own filters?

Everything in my previous post except the last paragraph (two last sentences) is about PCM input.

 

Only the last paragraph is about DSD input (without conversion to PCM).

[bogi]

5 hours ago, Jud said:

let's just say that ESS chips will still apply their own digital signal processing even if you send them DSD.

They always apply delta sigma modulation and optionally volume processing but not oversampling filters - both oversampling stages are completely skipped - that's not possible with PCM input - as I wrote in the last paragraph:

6 hours ago, bogi said:

But why not to send DSD data to these DAC chips instead of PCM? That's the way how you can substitute both oversampling stages with HQPlayer filters. In my experience that's the best way how to use both these chips.

That's valid for ESS chips too. So selection of ESS digital interpolation filters has no influence with DSD input - they are not used and instead of them HQPlayer upsampling filters are used.

 

I compared many DACs with direct DSD path as well as DACs with ESS chip. It was in the price range < $1000 you applied in the other thread too. Based on this, and that's my opinion, the benefit of using DSD input with ESS chips is similar like with DAC chips where you can skip also delta sigma modulator. Using one or the other audio device is about real benefit it brings for the price ... at least for me. There are DAC models with direct DSD path which I would never like to use (for example the oldest Nano - 10 years ago - I heard some veil, USB noise filtering was poor without using other devices) as well as DACs with ESS chip including some Topping models I would never like to use (like D10b).

[Miska]

15 hours ago, dericchan1 said:

@Miska Hi Miska, I would like to know say I have a ESS or a AKM based dac and I use Hqplayer for PCM playback, does it really make a difference based on what digital filter choice I select in Hqplayer since at the end the DAC will apply its own digital filter? i.e. Sinc L vs Sinc S 

 

Slightly depending on DAC chip and DAC implementation, you should be able to reach internal filter bypass with high enough input rates. Then just very rudimentary oversampling and modulator remains active in the DAC chip. But just in case select a sharp roll-off linear-phase filter.

 

If you have an AKM based DAC with support for DSD Direct mode, that is much better alternative bypassing the on-chip DSP.

 

[Miska]

7 hours ago, Pregent said:

The values for the Low-Pass Filters are:

47.44 kHz
50 kHz
60 kHz
70 kHz

 

I am not sure how to set these values.  Do I need to worry about the PCM Reconstruction Filter as I am upsampling everything to DSD via HQPlayer?

 

50 kHz value is the DSD standard and what I'd recommend using with ESS. You don't need to worry about the PCM filter setting, but according to the ESS data sheet, 47 kHz value should be used for PCM sources.

 

[Miska]

10 hours ago, kelvinwsy said:

I will be testing this LAN filter to see if I can do w/o an expensive OXCO network switch

will be compate with snd w/o fiber optic isolation too

 

Funny thing that in the picture there's no CCHD957, but instead just a cheap crystal. I have couple of tubes of CCHD957's here, so I know exactly how it looks like. :)

 

So maybe worth checking what it actually has when it arrives.