HQ Player

[Solstice380]

Looking forward to the fix.

 

Also, is it possible to have multiple instances of HQPlayer installed on the system in separate directory? Say install 3.5.1 and 3.6.1.x

 

shadowlight, I have multiples in OSX, but maybe you need to uninstall/re-install to switch versions in Windows.

[Solstice380]

You rock...

 

+1 (hundred ?)

[Solstice380]

Am I right to claim that only Miska has a satisfying complete experience with 3.12 ? For the time being I simplified my setting to no NAA no Ram disk for apps while I switch between 3.11 & 3.12 depending on my choice of poly sinc or closed form filter...

 

My Mac Mini is OK on Yosemite, mostly, using all modulators / filters to 128. Late 2012 i7 quad, 512 GB SSD, . Very lightly optimized OS. HQP runs 44.1 aiff files in Poly variants to 128 at around 1 core and overall CPU user load is ~15%.

 

I have one issue that I think is caused by the Mini and one issue with Closed Form. The Mini caused issue is a stutter and then drop out of the USB (direct connected to DAC) for a second or two then everything resumes OK. Only happens once per listening session and it can happen in the first minute or many tracks later.

 

The issue with closed form is going to 128 where at always about 2 minutes into a track the CPU use climbs to over 300% and then chokes! Going to 64 seems to work for a long time.

[Solstice380]

Miska, I want to inform/update about the same bug, also because it didn't happened with builds previous to 3.12 (it started with second or third beta, IIRC). I do not use library option, just drag an album to play from other folder, located internally or externally. After playing the album I clean playlist with broom and drag another album. So, the bug is: after dragging new album and hitting the 'play' button it stays selected for a second, then turns to unselected mode, playback not starting. If I broom the playlist, close HQP, open again, drag the same album and hit 'play' playback starts. Or, if I broom the playlist, drag the album, broom and drag the same album again it may start to play without closing and opening HQP - sometimes yes, sometimes no, again - repeating routine may work. All this happens not in every case, maybe in every second time. Again, all major settings didn't change from previous builds, I use closed form, ASDM7, SDM.

 

This bug is not a big issue, I am just doing little more clicking, but, anyway, I would love to see great piece of software becoming even better.

 

Not sure if this is part of the problem, but the "broom" does not "release" the song from HQP on OSX. I use a RAM disk. I use the broom, then delete the files from RAM disk, and when I try to Empty Trash I get the message that "file is in use by HQP". I have to close HQP to Empty Trash. Is this OSX or HQP related?

[Solstice380]

Scott, check the "PC/Server for Roon and HQ Player" thread for what others are doing. Sorry no link, I'm on a pad and nav for that is a PITA! Search.

[Solstice380]

Miska, using my Mac Mini with the following specs; i7 2.3Ghz Quad-core - 16GB Ram - 128GB SSD - running W10.

 

Should the above, using HQP, be able to up-sample all rates from PCM 44/16 up to and including DSD256 to DSD512. Any insight in this would be appreciated.

 

Based on using my Mac Mini with that confit, but running Yosemite, I'm not hopeful. Going 44/16 to DSD128 is pretty easy on the Mini using the Poly-sinc EXT (and the other 2s variants are easier but not quite the same SQ) and all is good. I can use the Closed Form Fast but drives the fan up to about 2400 rpm and it is noisy. With the straight Closed Form the CPU starts at only ~1 core but after about 2-3 minutes it inexplicably rises to 300% and maxes out the fan. It still plays but I'm afraid of a meltdown. Note, the OS has NOT been optimized very much.

 

Win 10 may be better. Win 10 + AO or Fidelizer may be better but I can't guess it would be an order of magnitude easier on the Mini. There is 10 pounds of crap in that 5 pound bag! Despite all of the above, I have a Win 10 Pro install and will bootcamp the Mini to see if it is better. Ultimately, I may build a server machine and them my Mini may become a NAA with Win 10 or Linux.

 

What have others been able to get HQP to do well at on a Mini?

[Solstice380]

Thank you but I have NO problem up-sampling any rates to DSD256 with my Mac Mini using it with my exaSound DAC and its Driver.

 

Perplexed why you have a problem with the same spec Mac Mini.

 

Miska, any thoughts?

 

That's good news! I'm wondering if it is the DoP out of OS X that is the issue. I'll definitely bootcamp with my Win10 Pro install so I can use my DAC's ASIO driver to see if it gets better.

 

What modulator and filter settings have you been using?

[Solstice380]

Hi All, I need a little assistance.

 

I'm getting a new Win 10 machine up and running after using HQP very happily on my Mac Mini. I had everything running as a test a while ago on my laptop but I can only get PCM output to run on my new machine. The DAC ASIO is loaded fine, is found in the Backend in Settings, properly setup (it seems). set for no SDM Pack (doesn't work with DoP either, tried that). When I use Auto it goes to PCM384K out and plays fine, but when I force SDM the initializing bar just flases and then.. nothing!

 

 

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

[Solstice380]

Solstice380, your Win 10 ASIO driver is called Macintosh HD?

 

Close, but no cigar! It's McIntosh for my McIntosh D150 DAC - the cool blue meters McIntosh Labs stuff.

[Solstice380]

Thanks Ted and Bibo.... I'm getting there. I thought that the MC boys had told me the ASIO would do native (and I have the latest firmware - by chip.... what a pain!).

 

Before I saw your posts I made progress. Through the usual run around of uninstall, restart, re-install, restart, power sequencing and the other usual poke-and-hope I'm getting music! Just not non-DoP. But, at least I get slow garbled sound now when upsampling to DSD in non-DoP. It plays fine when DoP Pack is on in HQP, and plays 2X DSD files (Witmer Trio - En Azul as example) also. But as mentioned, I just get slow garbled sound - HQP initializes and runs the track. I've increased, in all combinations, the HQP buffer and the MC ASIO buffer settings to no avail. The machine is an i7-6700K with 8GB and a 250GB SSD. I haven't tried the CUDA offload to my GeForce GPU to see if that would have any effect, but the i7-6700 is running at <10% upsampling 44.1 to DSD128 in DoP.

 

I may have to put a trial of JRMC on here to see what it does. MC strongly recommends JRMC for whatever reason... maybe the only thing they endeavored to try. LOL

[Solstice380]

If it is not needed for your ASIO driver, you will just get HQPlayer crash.

 

Got the crash!

 

Would .dsf files have the same issue? They play fine in SDM Direct. Have to stop playing around now so will come back to it at a later time. Thanks to all for the help!

[Solstice380]

Then it is not needed and the problem is somewhere else... If DSF files play fine with Direct SDM, then problem is somewhere else... I recommend getting started with -2s filters to keep CPU load low and then see how things go from there.[/quote

 

Unfortunately I ddin't make much progress but something that I don't understand is happening with HQP. When I select 2.8MHz as the output HQP shows 88.2kHz and when I select 5.6 it shows 176.4kHz. The ASIO panel shows those values but indicates either DSD64 or DSD128. (and the player shows that too)

 

Any ideas on that one?

[Solstice380]

Jussi, Ted and Bilbo, I figured this one out finally through some testing. It's the D150. (Jussi was probably already pointing his finger in its direction!)

 

Bottom line on the D150 with firmware v1.02:

Windows with ASIO will do raw DSD64 - NOT DSD128 (wouldn't do it in JRMC either) DoP only for DSD128. Ted, you should make a note in the DSD database about it. I'll be checking with MC in the meantime to see what they say / know.

 

Not sure who from McIntosh wrote "do not check play bitstream in DoP" but I find it to be incorrect!

 

As I was testing JRMC I was reminded immediately how much better HQPlayer sounds. :-)

 

I'm still curious why in Windows the output indicator doesn't show the actual output as I stated above. It shows that for upsampled as well as raw DSD. It never shows 2.8 or 5.6. It does on my OS X version and I expected the same behavior in Win. Minor detail, though.

 

Thanks again for the input!

[Solstice380]

Thanks for the reply. This is my first exposure to both HQPlayer in Win and a raw DSD input to the DAC.

 

It is nice to see any filter doing 44.1 to DSD128 running along at an easy 10% CPU load on this little beast.

 

Thanks again to all.

[Solstice380]

Thanks scintilla,

I had in mind Jussi mentioned to use the highest rate possible but your explanation sounds just right.

That brought up another question:

I already use 192khz filters and I am upsampling everything to dsd128 which works a treat.

When playing native dsd128 recordings, I get constant dropouts. This does only happen with enabled matrix processing.

I checked for CPU issues but the load is at roughly 50%. This led me to the thought, the 192khz might be the bottleneck but your explanation is kind of a contradiction to this. Any thoughts on this specific topic?

 

Thanks!

Christoph

 

Are you using a Mac or a Win computer?

 

On my Mac Mini with OS X I would get a random dropout regardless of filter or upsampled rate. Some times it would be in the first song, sometimes an hour into playing and sometimes never. I talked to a couple other guys who experienced it also. I didn't have anything else plugged in, but I think it turned out to be a USB buffer issue. I bootcampedmthe Mini with Win 10 and was able to increase the buffer to 50 msec and all stuttering issues went away. No buffer adjustment for OS X, though.

[Solstice380]

I'm pretty sure it's a USB issue. My 2012 i7 Mac mini hums along beautifully at low CPU % for an hour and then oops the sound goes out for a second and then back. The CPU Load never changed and there was nothing in the event logs happening at that time. Kind of a mystery.

[Solstice380]

That exact thing happens to me too! (Same machine as yours.)

 

You'll just have to kick OS X to the curb! [emoji15] Not having ASIO is a major shortcoming. I Bootcamped my Mini with Win10. I got some stuttering initially but bumping up the buffer to just 50 msec alleviated that and I have never heard a dropout since. Longest session was 5 hours the other day, so I think it's good. Oh, and I got a solid bump in SQ with Win 10 and only the obvious processes and stuff shut down... No AO, ProcessLasso or Fidelizer or anything, yet.

 

Now I'm going to turn it into a NAA. I'll be trying both the router route (hehehe it was funny typing that, for those of us in the US who know the company Roto-Rooter!) and you're direct Ethernet connection. I've heard good things about the EMO Systems 70 network isolator so may get one to test. They cost more than a REGEN! Can John whip one of those up in his spare time? LOL

[Solstice380]

I am new to the forum. HqPlayer use with Windows 7 and are very satisfied. I would ask politely if Miska can 'tell me if the quality' audio and 'better with Windows 10 and if you recommend upgrading. Thank you in advance.

 

I can relate my experiences, but it depends on how you use Windows to handle audio. If you are using WASAPI my experience and most reports are that Win 10 is better. If you are using your DAC manufacturer's ASIO driver I think the same holds true. I don't think there will be any difference because of HQPlayer, but Jussi can better answer that aspect.

[Solstice380]

I'm not sure on your specific setup, but that message comes up when the networkaudiod isn't running on my NAA or my router has flaked out.

[Solstice380]

When I launch it I automatically get the "failed to open" warning. I can't do anything to it. I've put in a message to [email protected] but have yet to hear back. It's basically inoperable at this point and would like to get a refund but I'm guessing I'm sol.

 

It sounding like it's not an HQP problem but more likely your computer. Have a little patience and folks here will try to help you out.

 

The Signalyst server crashed so Miska may be a little busy rebuilding it. I don't think he has ever failed to help people fix their issues - great support. Even when the issue isn't with HQP. Hang in there for a little bit.

[Solstice380]

To add, we got direct/raw DSD512 working (i.e HQP sees it and allows it) on the Microcenter pc/microRendu NAA, but skipped a lot. Unusable currently. I asked Chris to try removing the NAA and going direct from the Microcenter pc to see if he can get DSD512 ASIO skip-free. Then add the NAA back in. It could be something in his network, etc. I added a 100ms buffer to no real avail.

 

You can increase the buffer setting in HQP. Someone above has theirs at 200. Does your ASIO driver have a control panel with settable buffer? It may be preferable to increase it there.

[Solstice380]

Nevermind lmitche, I'm returning it. Just going to build one. Thanks for all the help. And now back to HQP

 

Hey Chris, I sure hope my tip on the PC from MicroCenter doesn't turn out to be a bust! I would take the machine (and your iFi - it's small) into them and say WTF?. "Make it work right and tell me why it wouldn't work for me!" My MC guys have been really good about resolving issues in the past. Have them make sure the BIOS is up to date AND the win10 stuff. Jay

[Solstice380]

Metadata Issue

 

I have a new album download from ProStudioMasters, Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails, that doesn't display info correctly in HQP. It just shows the filepath in the Song column. (using drag and drop) It displays correctly in other players. Checked also with PerfectTunes (dbPoweramp associated program) and it all checks out. Any ideas, anyone? Thanks!

[Solstice380]

Miska, Would it be possible to add a Settings option to play "silence" when starting playback and between rate changes? Settable time would be a bonus! Many DACs are reported with popping and mine actually doesn't unmute quickly enough, cutting off part of the first note on many downloads. Thanks for considering it. Jay

[Solstice380]

Any body who can help? Or is their a way to open support ticket with HQPlayer help desk?

 

I think that is not possible to start playing music within the program HQPlayer when the computer starts up. You may be able to lad a playlist using the Kodi or other programs that people have worked on using command line instructions. Sorry this is not too helpful.