HQ Player

[cat6man]

hi folks,

 

i am using hqplayerd (linux embedded) but this applies to hqplayer desktop as well

 

my music is in WAV format on a minimServer that connects to my home network (wired).

The NAA is a uRendu and the combination of hqplayer + uRendu is fantastic, even with no upsampling, dither or filtering.

 

Since too much of a good thing is wonderful, I next moved to experimenting with basic upsampling to 4x the source rate,

e.g. 176k and 192k for 44k and 48k input rates respectively.

While I didn't try every possible combination, I (along with audio buddy Alan, who has helped me upgrade my system over the past few years and seems to hear things pretty close to the way I perceive sound) find I prefer the unmodified bit stream to any of the up-sampled options.

Since this is quite at odds with the opinions of a lot of folks whose opinions I trust, I wonder how much of this is DAC dependent.

Miska emphasizes that the upsampling/filtering in hqplayer is superior to that in most commercial DACs. In my case, I have an TotalDAC R2R DAC that does not do any upsamplilng (correct me if i'm wrong here), so perhaps that is a possible reason?

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Has anyone used hqplayer with a TotalDAC and improved the sound, and if so, what parameters did you find helped?

At this time, I do not have DSD capabiltiy in the TotalDAC, so I'm only looking at alternate PCM rates.

[gixxer]

Okay, thanks for the quick reply, and providing the compiled exe with the installer package.

C:\Program Files\Signalyst\HQPlayer Desktop 3>hqp-control.exehqp-control.exe <host> <--get-info|--playlist-remove <index>|--playlist-move-up <index>|--playlist-move-down <index>|--playlist-get|--playlist-clear|--select-track <index>|--play|--pause|--stop|--previous|--next|--backward|--forward|--seek <position>|--volume-down|--volume-up|--mute|--volume <value>|--state|--status|--get-status|--set-mode <index>|--get-modes|--set-filter <index>|--get-filters|--set-shaping <index>|--get-shapers|--set-rate <index>|--get-rates|--volume-range|--set-invert <value>|--set-repeat <value>|--set-random <value>|-q|uri>C:\Program Files\Signalyst\HQPlayer Desktop 3>

 

 

These command line options seem fairly complete (playing with setting the mode, filter, shaper, rate), though i'm trying to find out how to "set" the volume-range, to have max can be changed to be 0 (for particular music source) from my default of -3.0dB.

 

 

C:\Program Files\Signalyst\HQPlayer Desktop 3>hqp-control.exe 10.0.0.132 --volume-range

volume range: -60.000000 -3.000000 (1)

 

C:\Program Files\Signalyst\HQPlayer Desktop 3>

 

 

In current form, is the volume-range not settable?

 

 

Thanks much.

[Govnah]

It may have volume control, at least the DAC chip technically has such. By default ALSA drivers mute the volume for safety reasons and one needs to use alsamixer to adjust it first. This won't work on the images I provide because the necessary utilities are not there. But if you start with Raspbian Stretch and install networkaudiod package there, then you have possibility to install the necessary utilities to adjust the DAC's volume.

 

Alternative option would be to try with DietPi, I think it nowadays has also NAA software module available. I just haven't got time to try it out yet.

I was able to get Audio by going into alsamixer. The final issue, I have a iFi nano DSD attached via USB and shows up fine in HQPlayer, but when I select a file to play all I get is a blue scroll bar that goes back and forth for a while and never plays. Is there a setting specific to the iFi nano in HQPlayer?

 

Thanks

[MarcinGD]

You main plain 7700 or 7700K?

 

7700. I have 6700 and I do dsd512 on AMSDM7 with 2s filters from files below 192k. 192k and everything above like dsd64 and dsd128 have hiccups. So I wonder if someone tested 7700 and it's extra 200mhz with AMSDM7. Because on DSD7 modulator for example it works ok on the very edge but without hiccups. Maybe it's enough and worth of upgrade. I can't use k cpu in fanless case.

[xiddox]

Dumb question: is hqplayer embedded just desktop without the gui?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[cat6man]

Dumb question: is hqplayer embedded just desktop without the gui?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

 

it only runs on linux also. I control it via bubbleupnp on an android phone.

[Hammer]

GREAT catch! It seems the Tools options changes based on what is selected in Settings Backend. Selecting NAA shows the Network Naming option under Tools.

 

That did the trick! Thank you...I also rebooted my DAC and now HQPlayer "sees" the Pi2. Although I still don't have sound at DSD256. Does NAA support DSD256 in "non-DoP" mode? Thanks everyone!

[Miska]

That did the trick! Thank you...I also rebooted my DAC and now HQPlayer "sees" the Pi2. Although I still don't have sound at DSD256. Does NAA support DSD256 in "non-DoP" mode? Thanks everyone!

 

Yes it does, depending on DAC. If you don't have DoP selected in HQPlayer settings and SDM output mode is still listed in main window, it means that the DAC's non-DoP native DSD is supported. Available rates can be seen on the rate drop-list.

[Miska]

I was able to get Audio by going into alsamixer.

 

OK, great!

 

The final issue, I have a iFi nano DSD attached via USB and shows up fine in HQPlayer, but when I select a file to play all I get is a blue scroll bar that goes back and forth for a while and never plays. Is there a setting specific to the iFi nano in HQPlayer?

 

Nothing special, leave "SDM Pack" to "none" in HQPlayer settings since it is supported for non-DoP native DSD.

 

If you are trying to do DSD256 to Nano, you could first try with one of the -2s filter variants. These initialize faster. For the non-2s it is not unusual for initialization to take 30+ seconds depending on speed of the computer.

[Govnah]

OK, great!

 

 

 

Nothing special, leave "SDM Pack" to "none" in HQPlayer settings since it is supported for non-DoP native DSD.

 

If you are trying to do DSD256 to Nano, you could first try with one of the -2s filter variants. These initialize faster. For the non-2s it is not unusual for initialization to take 30+ seconds depending on speed of the computer.

 

Still unable to get any audio from iFi nano...

 

[gixxer]

These command line options seem fairly complete (playing with setting the mode, filter, shaper, rate), though i'm trying to find out how to "set" the volume-range, to have max can be changed to be 0 (for particular music source) from my default of -3.0dB.

 

 

C:\Program Files\Signalyst\HQPlayer Desktop 3>hqp-control.exe 10.0.0.132 --volume-range

volume range: -60.000000 -3.000000 (1)

 

C:\Program Files\Signalyst\HQPlayer Desktop 3>

 

 

In current form, is the volume-range not settable?

 

 

Thanks much.

 

I've now gone through all of the command line options, and seems like the current intent of these command line options are not really meant to affect changes to the Settings dialog box values.

 

Will look through the sources to see if something jumps out, but i believe the volume range values are currently not settable ?

 

Thanks much.

[gixxer]

I've now gone through all of the command line options, and seems like the current intent of these command line options are not really meant to affect changes to the Settings dialog box values.

 

Will look through the sources to see if something jumps out, but i believe the volume range values are currently not settable ?

 

Thanks much.

 

Looks like this maybe the workaround, perhaps is well known.

 

In terms of volume range, keeping the Vol Max at -3.0dB in the Settings dialog box can be achieved the same way as keeping the max at 0.0dB in the Settings dialog box. Doing so, i see that HQPlayer at the main window volume knob (automatically) drops down to -3 dBFS. And i believe this maybe achieving the same thing as keeping the Vol Max at 3.0dB, and the main window's volume knob at -3 dbFS.

 

That is, both of these methods leads to -3.0 dB volume max,

 

a) Settings: Vol Max 0.0dB, Main Window volume knob: -3 dBFS,

b) Settings: Vol Max -3.0dB, Main Window volume knob: 0 dBFS,

 

I see that both methods lead to Roon showing that volume is set to -3 dBFS in HQPlayer.

[Miska]

I've now gone through all of the command line options, and seems like the current intent of these command line options are not really meant to affect changes to the Settings dialog box values.

 

Will look through the sources to see if something jumps out, but i believe the volume range values are currently not settable ?

 

No, the utility allows you the control most things that are available in the main window.

[luchoh]

Still unable to get any audio from iFi nano...

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32760[/ATTACH]

 

I suspect you have a NAA device problem. What are you using? Did you build/configure it yourself?

 

Here's mine on Odroid C2:

 

[rickca]

Miska, can you tell us a little about poly-sinc-xtr in HQPlayer 3.15, please? In what sense is it 'extreme' and when is it most appropriate to use? Is this your most resource-intensive filter yet?

[astr0b0y]

Miska, can you tell us a little about poly-sinc-xtr in HQPlayer 3.15, please? In what sense is it 'extreme' and when is it most appropriate to use? Is this your most resource-intensive filter yet?

From the manual:

 

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[TD] poly-sinc-xtr

 

 

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[TD] Linear phase polyphase sinc filter with extreme cut-off andattenuation.

 

 

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[TD] poly-sinc-xtr-mp

 

 

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[TD] Minimum phase polyphase sinc filter with extreme cut-off andattenuation.

 

 

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[rickca]

Thanks astr0b0y, but I'd still like to understand what 'extreme cut-off and attenuation' means!

[astr0b0y]

I'd like to get that new filter to just work

Pegs all cores when I try poly-sinc-xtr-mp, never plays anything though.

 

OS X 10.12.2 iMac i7

Roon -> HQP DoP, Pipeline SDM, poly-sinc-xtr-mp 5.6Mhz - NAA - Teac UD-501

Tried all modulation options from DSD5 through ASDM7 and Cuda off and on.

[rickca]

I'd like to get that new filter to just work

Pegs all cores when I try poly-sinc-xtr-mp, never plays anything though.

Yeah, that would be the extreme attenuation at work!

[ckpiv]

I'd like to get that new filter to just work

Pegs all cores when I try poly-sinc-xtr-mp, never plays anything though.

 

OS X 10.12.2 iMac i7

Roon -> HQP DoP, Pipeline SDM, poly-sinc-xtr-mp 5.6Mhz - NAA - Teac UD-501

Tried all modulation options from DSD5 through ASDM7 and Cuda off and on.

 

I could not get it to work with DSD, Pegged (787%) my Mac Pro 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5 32meg of Ram. Does work up sampling to PCM to 705.6k from 44.1 - only uses 27%

[Miska]

I could not get it to work with DSD, Pegged (787%) my Mac Pro 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5 32meg of Ram. Does work up sampling to PCM to 705.6k from 44.1 - only uses 27%

 

With -2s filter variants it should work to DSD without too much trouble. Or with CUDA offload using recent high-power GPU...

[Miska]

Thanks astr0b0y, but I'd still like to understand what 'extreme cut-off and attenuation' means!

 

It is much steeper/longer with about 5x more taps than "poly-sinc" and attenuation spec pushed to -240 dB. So this filter cuts really fast and really hard.

[MarcinGD]

I do DSD512 with new xtr filters without any issue.

 

I have also question to AO users if they already tried new 3.15 HQP if it work in core mode ?

[dean70]

Does poly-sinc-xtr and poly-sinc-xtr-mp only upsample a multiple of the source sample rate? It seems to hang on initialization if you select a non multiple rate.

[rickca]

Miska, there's a new option in Nvidia Control Panel with driver 378.49 called Optimize for Compute Performance. By default, it is off. Can you please advise us whether enabling this option is helpful for CUDA offload? It sounds like it would be good, but I have no idea what kind of compute operations it boosts and whether HQPlayer exploits those particular operations. Thanks.