HQ Player

[bogi]

Why am I not able to up-sample PCM to DSD? What I am I doing wrong?

 

Basically you need DSD capable DAC and SDM(DSD) set on the most right drop box in the main window.

 

Attach here 3 pictures - File | Settings, File | DSDIFF/DSF settings and the main window. Then it will be easier to help you.

[Freann]

In another tread ted_b says Miska is contemplating an API for his filters. I just want to say I would very much like to see that happen.

[ted_b]

In another tread ted_b says Miska is contemplating an API for his filters. I just want to say I would very much like to see that happen.

 

Exit points. He says it himself on page 70. He already has a new module called HQ-control in 3.71, which is how Geoff's Tidal integration talks to HQplayer (passes playlists, etc). Playback control is on his agenda, but I didn't mean to speak for him and say it's a done deal.

[bibo01]

Is native DSD supported with the Amanero USB board under Linux, with the Signalyst kernel and alsa patches applied?

 

I built an NAA based on Ubuntu 14.04 and applied the patches, but it only seems to work using DoP. I'm wondering if I messed something up with the build.

 

Thanks.

 

No, due to its bulk transfer, for DSD Linux ALSA supports Amanero board through DoP only, therefore it is limited to DSD128 playback.

[sig8]

Basically you need DSD capable DAC and SDM(DSD) set on the most right drop box in the main window.

 

Attach here 3 pictures - File | Settings, File | DSDIFF/DSF settings and the main window. Then it will be easier to help you.

 

Please see attached pictures.

 

I am not able to up-sample PCM to DSD. I am running it on a CAPS v3 Lagoon, Dual Core Atom N2800, 4 GB RAM, Win Server 2012. DAC is PS Audio DirectStream. I would like to run it with AudiophileOptimizer, any known issues with AO? Thanks.

[ted_b]

Please see attached pictures.

 

I am not able to up-sample PCM to DSD. I am running it on a CAPS v3 Lagoon, Dual Core Atom N2800, 4 GB RAM, Win Server 2012. DAC is PS Audio DirectStream. Thanks.[ATTACH=CONFIG]18590[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]18588[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]18589[/ATTACH]

 

It looks to me like you are. You've got a 24/192 source file that is playing (4 seconds in) at 2.82Mhz. What am I missing? What is DS showing on its display?

[sig8]

It looks to me like you are. You've got a 24/192 source file that is playing (4 seconds in) at 2.82Mhz. What am I missing? What is DS showing on its display?

 

DS shown 176.4/24/PCM.

 

I am getting sound out of speakers, but it is like pulsating/slow moving train sound of the song I am playing, and the clock also moves slowly, like 1sec in 3 sec.

[jabbr]

No, due to its bulk transfer, for DSD Linux ALSA supports Amanero board through DoP only, therefore it is limited to DSD128 playback.

 

So with DSC1, where Miska demonstrates the measurement results for DSD512: Preliminary measurement results for the DSC1 DAC - Blogs - Computer Audiophile , are you saying that DSD512 is not achievable with Linux (or Linux/NAA)?

[Jud]

DS shown 176.4/24/PCM.

 

I am getting sound out of speakers, but it is like pulsating/slow moving train sound of the song I am playing, and the clock also moves slowly, like 1sec in 3 sec.

 

No problem with what DAC shows, it's probably DSD. But distortion is because Atom and 4GB memory isn't enough. Try using one of the -2s filters with 44.1 sample rate files rather than any higher resolution. This is the easiest conversion on computer resources.

[bibo01]

So with DSC1, where Miska demonstrates the measurement results for DSD512: Preliminary measurement results for the DSC1 DAC - Blogs - Computer Audiophile , are you saying that DSD512 is not achievable with Linux (or Linux/NAA)?

Using Amanero (so also DSC1) one cannot achieve DSD512 under Linux.

In order to achieve DSD512 playback to DSC1, one needs a Windows based main PC or a Windows based NAA.

[iestynrw]

Using Amanero (so also DSC1) one cannot achieve DSD512 under Linux.

In order to achieve DSD512 playback to DSC1, one needs a Windows based main PC or a Windows based NAA.

 

I just finished building a DSC1, but I only have a Linux NAA, so it will be DSD128 max for now I guess.

 

So what's the smallest/cheapest/low power option for a Windows NAA? Anyone tried anything smaller than an Intel NUC?

[TJHUB]

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me. I finally decided to try HQP yesterday. I don't yet have a DSD DAC, but I might soon. For now, I'm using my Eastern Electric DAC Plus (24-192).

 

I have HQP sounding good, but I'm using ASIO to JPLAY 6. I'd like to try using WASAPI, but it won't work. I can use WASAPI in JPLAY, but HQP won't do anything if I select WASAPI under Backend. When I do select WASAPI under Backend, my device selections are Default Endpoint, and Remote Audio. Neither work at all.

 

Shouldn't the WASAPI selection show my DAC driver as a selection?

 

Thanks.

[sig8]

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me. I finally decided to try HQP yesterday. I don't yet have a DSD DAC, but I might soon. For now, I'm using my Eastern Electric DAC Plus (24-192).

 

I have HQP sounding good, but I'm using ASIO to JPLAY 6. I'd like to try using WASAPI, but it won't work. I can use WASAPI in JPLAY, but HQP won't do anything if I select WASAPI under Backend. When I do select WASAPI under Backend, my device selections are Default Endpoint, and Remote Audio. Neither work at all.

 

Shouldn't the WASAPI selection show my DAC driver as a selection?

 

Thanks.

 

Are you using AO?

[TJHUB]

Are you using AO?

 

I am, yes. But I'm in GUI mode since version 6.

[ted_b]

Terry, have you rebooted lately? In ASIO mode all of my latest drivers show up (and I'm running AO). See pic

 

[john925]

Jussi,

 

What cpu do you think is enough for MCH PCM to upsample to MCH DSD?

Thanks.

[TJHUB]

Terry, have you rebooted lately? In ASIO mode all of my latest drivers show up (and I'm running AO). See pic

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18598[/ATTACH]

 

I shut my PC down daily. I don't have an ASIO driver for my DAC. Only JPLAY shows up under ASIO.

 

Also, I can't seem to find any settings that have the clarity of JPlaySteamer. Maybe I'm still doing something wrong...

[ted_b]

Not sure why I am posting this, but thought some might get some info from it:

 

As I took on the reveiw (front page) for the new inexpensive exaSound e12 DAC I decided to revisit HQPlayer (tried it years ago and gave up). I describe all this in the review.

 

But...what I don't describe are two things: my using HQPlayer in conjunction with convolution, and what that does to a pc that I assumed had plenty of horsepower.

 

Convolution: while playing Jared Sacks' DSD music for him it became obvious that I have gotten very used to a 72hz bump at my listening position. I have a music room that has significant (25 bass traps, 400 lb floating wall behind video screen acting as helmholtz resonator, acoustic cloud above listening area, har slat side wall and ceiling diffraction, etc etc) room treatments applied.

 

 

The sound is magnificent....except for a 72 hz large bump at the lp. Jared heard it and it reminded me I had gotten so used to it that I was oblivious to its harm. Argh! Well..when Jared headed back to Holland I was on the warpath to have it ameliorated. It was then that Jussi's convolution capability hit home. Holy sh&t, I could do room correction in DSD! I contacted the wonderful Jeff Hedback, my acoustician, and he was more than ready to take one of my recent test sweeps and create some experimental IR filter files for use in HQPlayer. Nothing too complex, just generally a notch filter at 72hz with a few trial and error q sizes. I was less than optimistic; I'd been so anti-DSP that I couldn't see passed it, but then again I had been anti-upsampling too, and now that I discovered HQplayer that territory had become more friendly...so why not DSP.

 

On our second try at eq filters Jeff got it nailed! The new smoother frequency response, especially with PCM-based pop, jazz and rock music, was eye opening. It wasn't just less-boomy bass notes but it was an overall smoothness and clarity to all aspects of the soundstage. And at least in PCM I could hear no downsides, zero (easy at a/b by turning off convolver). Then I tried to upsample eq'd PCM to DSD (convolver works in PCM first, then upconverts to DSD256). Nice!

 

So, now that I became very happy with the new eq'd sound I tried eq'd DSD64 and eq'd DSD128 to DSD256 (convolver working in DSD now). Ouch. Both 64 and 128 source files hiccuped, 128 barely played. The exaSound had sounded good in 128 but great in 256, so I was initially disappointed I couldn't get to 256 with the convolver baggage.

 

My pc is the Caps 3 Zuma (Asus P8H-77i, i7 3770S, 16GB RAM), running AO and WS2012. PCM-to-PCM384 eq'd upsampling was a measly 4% cpu load. Nothing! But introduce DSD into the equation and the numbers began to pile up.

 

Here are my measurements (% overall cpu with eq on):

Sample rate 5.6Mhz 11.2Mhz

16/44 18 34

24/96 21 36

24/192 25 38

DSD64 43 60 **

DSD128 58 67 **

 

** causes unlistenable hiccups

 

Furthermore, after Jussi reminded me to check the four cpu cores it was shown that both hiccup scenarios had some cores max'ing out near or at 100%. In HQPlayer's defense, room correction in DSD is no small matter.

 

Moreover, even when I backed off to upsampling eq'd DSD to DSD128 (playable) i noticed a small veil over the music that was not worth the effort (compared to Direct SDM)..

 

Enter Pipeline SDM! Now, the first hiccup scenario (eq'd DSD64 to DSD256) played without a hitch, and sounded much better, with no veil whatsoever..and of course the added smoother frequency response benefits. The second scenario (eq'd DSD128 to DSD256) played with fewer dropouts, but any dropouts is a no-go..so for DSD128 I back off to eq'd DSD128. Again, no sign of any noticeable veil. Voila!!

 

My next frontier is eq'd multichannel DSD as I go forward with my own exaSound e28 and multichannel playback. I will report back but I may simply stay at eq'd DSD64 5.1 (not the worst thing in the world ).

 

Question: does anyone know if I can upgrade my i7 3770S to something with more horsepower and yet keep everything else working (no new WS2012 license, etc etc)?

[AnotherSpin]

These plants in the corners are home grown marijuana?

[ted_b]

These plants in the corners are home grown marijuana?

 

Ssshhhh.......

[Chodi]

ted_b

 

We have the same processor. If you change to the newer version the gain would be minimal in

performance. Intel Core i7 4790 vs 3770. I am going to assume that you are already playing music from an SSD or from memory through a ram disk so that cannot be improved. You can try putting HQP on a ram disk instead of SSD or hard disk. Simple install in a few seconds.

 

You might try Windows 10. I know there are fans of windows server 2012 but windows 10 is a much newer product. At the moment it is free. You may find that it solves your problem. I'm using windows 10 and I find the sound quality far superior to previous versions.

[EuroDriver]

Not sure why I am posting this, but thought some might get some info from it:

 

As I took on the reveiw (front page) for the new inexpensive exaSound e12 DAC I decided to revisit HQPlayer (tried it years ago and gave up). I describe all this in the review.

 

But...what I don't describe are two things: my using HQPlayer in conjunction with convolution, and what that does to a pc that I assumed had plenty of horsepower.

 

Convolution: while playing Jared Sacks' DSD music for him it became obvious that I have gotten very used to a 72hz bump at my listening position. I have a music room that has significant (25 bass traps, 400 lb floating wall behind video screen acting as helmholtz resonator, acoustic cloud above listening area, har slat side wall and ceiling diffraction, etc etc) room treatments applied.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18607[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18608[/ATTACH]

 

The sound is magnificent....except for a 72 hz large bump at the lp. Jared heard it and it reminded me I had gotten so used to it that I was oblivious to its harm. Argh! Well..when Jared headed back to Holland I was on the warpath to have it ameliorated. It was then that Jussi's convolution capability hit home. Holy sh&t, I could do room correction in DSD! I contacted the wonderful Jeff Hedback, my acoustician, and he was more than ready to take one of my recent test sweeps and create some experimental IR filter files for use in HQPlayer. Nothing too complex, just generally a notch filter at 72hz with a few trial and error q sizes. I was less than optimistic; I'd been so anti-DSP that I couldn't see passed it, but then again I had been anti-upsampling too, and now that I discovered HQplayer that territory had become more friendly...so why not DSP.

 

On our second try at eq filters Jeff got it nailed! The new smoother frequency response, especially with PCM-based pop, jazz and rock music, was eye opening. It wasn't just less-boomy bass notes but it was an overall smoothness and clarity to all aspects of the soundstage. And at least in PCM I could hear no downsides, zero (easy at a/b by turning off convolver). Then I tried to upsample eq'd PCM to DSD (convolver works in PCM first, then upconverts to DSD256). Nice!

 

So, now that I became very happy with the new eq'd sound I tried eq'd DSD64 and eq'd DSD128 to DSD256 (convolver working in DSD now). Ouch. Both 64 and 128 source files hiccuped, 128 barely played. The exaSound had sounded good in 128 but great in 256, so I was initially disappointed I couldn't get to 256 with the convolver baggage.

 

My pc is the Caps 3 Zuma (Asus P8H-77i, i7 3770S, 16GB RAM), running AO and WS2012. PCM-to-PCM384 eq'd upsampling was a measly 4% cpu load. Nothing! But introduce DSD into the equation and the numbers began to pile up.

 

Here are my measurements (% overall cpu with eq on):

Sample rate 5.6Mhz 11.2Mhz

16/44 18 34

24/96 21 36

24/192 25 38

DSD64 43 60 **

DSD128 58 67 **

 

** causes unlistenable hiccups

 

Furthermore, after Jussi reminded me to check the four cpu cores it was shown that both hiccup scenarios had some cores max'ing out near or at 100%. In HQPlayer's defense, room correction in DSD is no small matter.

 

Moreover, even when I backed off to upsampling eq'd DSD to DSD128 (playable) i noticed a small veil over the music that was not worth the effort (compared to Direct SDM)..

 

Enter Pipeline SDM! Now, the first hiccup scenario (eq'd DSD64 to DSD256) played without a hitch, and sounded much better, with no veil whatsoever..and of course the added smoother frequency response benefits. The second scenario (eq'd DSD128 to DSD256) played with fewer dropouts, but any dropouts is a no-go..so for DSD128 I back off to eq'd DSD128. Again, no sign of any noticeable veil. Voila!!

 

My next frontier is eq'd multichannel DSD as I go forward with my own exaSound e28 and multichannel playback. I will report back but I may simply stay at eq'd DSD64 5.1 (not the worst thing in the world ).

 

Question: does anyone know if I can upgrade my i7 3770S to something with more horsepower and yet keep everything else working (no new WS2012 license, etc etc)?

 

Wow great post on convolution with HQ Player. I wish you had posted this two weeks earlier ! We could have used this at Munich High End this week ! Kick my self for not considering this. We have been using HQP doing PCM to DSD all week and we have calibrated measuring mics and REW with us still in the box !

 

for doing DSD convolution I would suggest going to a Hexcore CPU, but it probably means an new mobo

 

I left my Hexcore at home because their was no room left in the mini-van !

 

I ditto Chodi on Win 10 which we have been using all week with stellar results which I will be posting tomorrow

[james45974]

for doing DSD convolution I would suggest going to a Hexcore CPU, but it probably means an new mobo

 

Maybe it's time for a Cray!

[bibo01]

I just finished building a DSC1, but I only have a Linux NAA, so it will be DSD128 max for now I guess.

 

So what's the smallest/cheapest/low power option for a Windows NAA? Anyone tried anything smaller than an Intel NUC?

There are a few cheap thin clients around usable as Win NAA, by HP for example.

However, I can recommend Fitlet-B for smallest/low power Win NAA. I have been an early adopter of this device and it is very good. You may read my report about it in this thread (just Google translate it). You can run Win 10 on it too.

[jabbr]

These plants in the corners are home grown marijuana?

 

Not even close..,