HQ Player

[Superdad]

...not anymore. There's a beta now with support for CoreAudio. I'm expecting to have first non-beta in August.

 

Oh, that is very exciting! I will finally get to listen to HQPlayer with my Mac systems.

 

Still, I hope that someday Miska will test and provide (either instructions or a working distro) a means to configure a Mac as an NAA (he tried with me valiantly for about a week some months ago). I think the split architecture (app>Ethernet>NAA) is probably the way to go for best SQ, plus it would allow me to keep my dual-mini headless set-up.

[Superdad]

OK, so I have played around with DSD some after auditioning the lil iDSD Nano and rebuilding my DAC in so that I can run two different i2s signals and change with a digital switch. I am now smitten to the point where I did some analog/DSD observations yesterday on the same content. Although different, the DSD is decidedly more analog-esq. There is a bit less attack, but the whole is more cohesive and simply flows more smoothly than PCM. It was plainly easier to relax and "fall into" the music. Much of what I didn't like about DSD disappeared when adjusting settings in HQPlayer (and abandoning JRiver).

 

My TP Buffalo II/Amanero combo will do up to DSD256 btw.

 

That's VERY exciting Forrest! Can you tell us a little more about your particular Amanero set-up and the 2 different I2S configurations you refer to?

Also, what is your i5 computer? (I almost recall you running Win8 on a Mac mini?)

 

Did your TP Buffalo II/Amanero combo trounce the iDSD Nano by a lot?

 

Cheers,

ALEX

[Superdad]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]13288[/ATTACH]Alex: TY, but I am not sure one could call this beast exciting. Aesthetically it is a step back for sure. It just a copper/walnut breadboard platform, built almost entirely with stuff I had around. Even the copper was free-some valley flashing I scavenged off a work site.

 

I've a few i2s devices on hand-- Evo, WaveIO, Amanero and a pair of DIYINHK ones. ...

 

Thanks for the pic and info Forrest. Looks good. How old is your WaveIO? Does it have the newer firmware? You can tell by its support of 352.8/384. Per John Swenson's examinations, all of the currently available XMOS-based USB>I2S DIY boards have a variety of serious design compromises (including that new DIYINHK and the Joro board). The WaveIO and the Swiss ABCpcb Edel are better than most, and of course the Xilinx-based Amanero goes its own way (very cool in its support for direct DSD512--but not for us Mac users--perfect for HQPlayer).

If John and I were not so busy on other big project things, I'd get him to do a really nice, well isolated USB>I2S board. But neither of us are in a position to handle all the DIY support issues that invariably come up--certainly not for what we would want to be an inexpensive product.

 

Lucian at Luckit in Romania has been promising a new version of WaveIO (to be called Note at last check), but it is a difficult process/time for him.

 

The old iMac G5 used by one of our sons just broke down last night (leaky electrolytics throughout!), so I may pass along to him my 2010 Core 2 Duo mini and upgrade my music sever to a 2011 or'12 i5 or i7--in preparation for being able to properly run the new OS X HQPlayer. Can really afford this now, but what the heck. I just hope that my 2010 still works after how much I have brutalized it in pieces on my desk this week--measuring and fitting mockups of our Mac mini DC-conversion/Linear Fan Controller Kit. Thankfully, computers don't seem to be nearly as static sensitive as they were decades ago. I can be pretty zappy!

[Superdad]

I think MBP has a P8600 CPU, in which case it has a benchmark score of about 1,500

PassMark - Intel Core2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz - Price performance comparison

 

My Item T1 has an i5 with a benchmark score of about 6,000 and can handle the polysinc-2S filter with great results

 

Geoff's quad core Mac Pro has a benchmark score of about 9,000 can can do the polysinc filter which my T1 can not handle

 

I have an i7 hexcore on order to slip into the T1, but it will need to be underclocked to keep the heat output under control

 

That is very helpful and timely information. I am forced to order a new mini today (my son's old G5 iMac gave up the ghost so I'm passing along my Core 2 Duo 2010 mini from my music system--as soon as I reinstall the SMPS), and I am trying to decide between perhaps a 2011 i7, a 2012 i5, or a 2012 i7 (the last would be stretching my already thin budget).

So thanks for the comparisons.

 

I do have a 2012 i7 on my desk for work. I could press that in for the music system--but nobody around here is going to give me a gift of a new black Mac Pro to replace it on my desk!

[Superdad]

Just a general thought - My current MBP was purchased on the Apple Store Refurbished section (from the looks of the dates of what you're considering, you may already have checked there).

 

Thanks Jud. Yes, I have bought "refurbished" minis (and iPods for the kids) from the Apple Store many times. The prices are usually close, equal, or better than what one can find the same machines at on eBay--and they come with a full warranty. I did once get one that had a broken RAM socket clip, but otherwise my Apple refurb experiences have been perfect.

 

The mini is sure due for a refresh! Expectation is that they will get the Haswell chip. I doubt they will change the form factor or much else. Anybody have any current rumors on that?

 

Sorry to be so off topic. I am really looking forward to comparing HQPlayer to Audirvana Plus 1.5.10--head to head on the same machine, OS, PS, etc.

[Superdad]

However, I have two DSP engines, one for PCM and one for DSD and I want to keep both equally capable.

 

Thank you for that!

 

 

Another issue is that I want all three OS platforms to be as much as possible equally capable...

 

And for that even bigger THANKS!

[Superdad]

I believe a small minority of HQP users are playing via the NAA, due to the necessity of installing a Linux driver for the DAC. The majority of users are MAC OS playing via Core Audio direct to the DAC. The next group is windows users who have installed drivers such as ASIO and are playing directly to their DAC.

 

The NAA's working out there are the SOTM SMS-100 and various ARM boxes. I believe there have also been some Linux installs on Mac minis. So I would guess there are no NAA installations with audiophile PCIe USB cards out there

 

Sorry EuroDriver, but I think Miska will tell you that you have it backwards. HQP desktop has been available under Windows (and Linux) for longer than OS X. Moreover it was only very recently that the OS X version could even be run without an NAA as Miska was avoiding the chore of working with Core Audio. So most of installed base of HQP is Window with direct connection to DAC via USB.

 

As for the NAA, I think most DACs do not require a special Linux driver as I believe the popular XMOS USB processor is automatically recognized. Rule of thumb: if your DAC needs a special driver for direct operation (with any player) under Mac or Windows, then you are likely to need a Linux driver to have it work with the NAA. Those should be the minority, not the majority.

 

I may be wrong about any of the above, but those have been my impressions from the periphery. (I'm not yet an HQP user, but I'm getting there!)

 

Best,

--Alex

[Superdad]

Hi Miska: Are you still awake today? Must be getting late there. I posted a couple of usage questions at the other thread--http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/hqplayer-kick-start-guide-and-feature-requests-20870/index8.html#post342816

These are aside from the PM I sent you yesterday regarding NAA.

 

Also, I can report that on OS X Mavericks, copying HQP app onto a RAM disk and launching it from there makes a subtle but worthwhile difference. As does playing the tracks from RAM disks. This is consistent (and similar sounding) to my experience with Audirvana and is not a surprise.

 

I sure hope my next stop is NAA…

 

Best,

Alex C.

[Superdad]

Hi Miska:

 

One question I forgot to you ask you (in yesterday's PM consolidating my remaining questions) is with regards to HQP's ignoring of the Complilations folder when importing all the Artists>Albums from an iTunes Media>Music folder.

There is nothing special whatsoever about the organization or metadata of the Albums or Tracks contained in the Compilations folder--except for the flag in each track marking them as "part of a compilation." In other words: in iTunes Music folder, Compilations is the Artist folder, and the directories inside it are Albums just as for other "artists" and inside those Albums folders are the individual tracks (see screenshot below).

Is there an easy fix for this?

Thanks,

--Alex

 

P.S. Kernel used by Debian Jessie does include Broadcom "tg3" Ethernet drivers for modern Macs even though it is earlier than 3.5 kernel previously reported as required. But do be sure to tell anyone here trying to use a Mac as NAA to forget about Debian Wheezy--that's a non-starter!

 

P.P.S. My CuBox i4Pro just arrived! So cute!

[Superdad]

It shouldn't be ignored, but tracks will end up under each respective artist name and thus end up scattered around. Solution is to import the compilations folder separately using "Structure only" feature.

 

You can find the misplaced compilation directories by sorting the library manager view by folder name, you can then multi-select and remove those from the library and add again using the "Structure only". Those should then appear under artist name "Compilations".

 

Thank you Jussi. I had previously looked for some of the albums tagged as compilations under some of the artists but did not see them. Sorting by path in the library manager window as you suggested revealed that HQP seems to arbitrarily pick one artist from each "compilation" album and puts all that album's tracks under that artist. I can not find any pattern to its choices (it's not the first artist of the album, it's not whichever artist has other of its own albums in the library.)

 

So I did as you suggested and deleted the compilations, then re-added that folder using the Structure Only option. Of course now I have to look in that folder to find those albums/artists--but at least there is some logic.

 

To be honest, as a former iTunes and Audirvana user, I find your whole Library Manager and Transport window paradigm to be excruciating. Even accepting the idea that only one album can be added to the Transport window (by double-clicking), and that clicking another takes the first away, why can't we, after activating Playlist Transport, at least be able to add more than just one track at a time? When in Playlist Transport mode, one can not double-click an album, so building a playlist of a few new albums for the evening would require that individual tracks (dozens) be double-clicked on. Even if we can't have drag-and-drop, can we at least get command-click or shift-click ability to add albums/tracks to playlist from upper library window?

 

And I am sorry, but the Album and Artist "filter" search fields at top are almost useless since one has to type the name exactly and completely. Typing just Andrew will not bring up Andrew Bird, and in Album filter typing Satchmo will not bring up "Satchmo Plays King Oliver (SACD)".

 

Since importing playlists from iTunes is almost possible (I believe you are making the fix for Mac versions since Apple recently corrupted their Playlist Export files), I could happily live just with HQP's Transport window by opening exported iTunes playlists--though support of drag-and-drop from iTunes into transport window would be a HUGE improvement (A+ has supported that from the beginning--I think it is pretty basic Apple stuff).

 

However, PLEASE add Album Name and Track Number columns to the Transport window (the info is right there in the metadata), AND the ability to sort the view of the Transport window by clicking on the column header. I have a lot of iTunes playlists built, but when I open them in HQP they are in whatever random order the tracks were in when I built them in iTunes (that never mattered since both iTunes and A+ allow sorting by Album, Artist, etc.). EDIT: I just found that iTunes playlist export yields the ;its in whatever was the last sort order it was viewed in. So I just have to be viewing it in the desired sort order (typically for me by Artist) before exporting it. (Right now, until fix gets made, I open those exported playlists with A+ and then save again so HQP will open them; A+ reads the list in the last iTunes sort order, so I assume HQP will do the same once it is directly importing iTunes playlist export files.)

 

Sorry to be so critical. I LOVE the SQ of HQP with NAA (poly-sinc-* are the GREATEST!) and want to plan to use it full-time. And I know I can not be alone in wishing for just a bit more usability/functionality. I am not asking for some JRiver or iTunes marvel, just a few more basics to make building and navigating some listening session playlists easier.

 

 

 

Jessie has kernel 3.14 which is latest "LTS" (long term stable/support) kernel maintained for two years (Aug 2016). Note that the version numbers are not decimal, but each number separated by dot is considered as a separate number. HQPlayer also uses same versioning system: [major].[minor].[patchlevel]

 

Currently latest version is 3.16, see:

https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/

 

Oh, silly me! So for example 3.4 is smaller than 3.16--because that is "four" versus "sixteen." Got it!

 

Thanks and regards,

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

Dear Miska:

 

Thank you for your patient replies to all my questions/concerns. My further comments below some of yours:

 

 

You can do it in the fullscreen/touch mode... There you have two completely different views for managing either album mode or playlist mode.

 

For the desktop mode I need to figure out how to do it without breaking standard control UI paradigms on any of the three platforms. The fullscreen/touch mode doesn't have such limitations because it has it's own UI paradigms anyway.

 

I will try to explore the fullscreen/touchscreen mode a bit further, thanks.

 

I will look into this. Meanwhile you can drag-and-drop from iTunes or Finder if you'd like to do things different way... (note, you can drop a folder from Finder to add all content found under the folder)

 

Now I remember doing that (dragging tracks from iTunes window) last week, but I think this morning I must not have had Transport Playlist activated when I tried it. Doing that is probably the easiest way for me to build spontaneous playlists or to bring existing ones into the transport window by highlighting all tracks in an iTunes playlist and dragging them over. I am sure to use HQP mostly this way.

 

 

No, it is actually really flexible. you can type "andrew*" and it'll show all artists that begin with Andrew. Or alternatively you can use regular expressions and type "#^andrew.*" for the same result. Or you could type "#^\d.*" to find all artists who's name begins with a number.

 

Just prefix regular expression with '#' character.

 

That's great. My library is large so searching is helpful.

 

Extra columns are not there due to lack of space. The desktop GUI has been designed to fit into 800x600 resolution and that limits amount columns, because horizontally scrolled views are annoying and the horizontal scrollbar take space in the window... There are no other reasons not to include those columns.

 

Okay. But does anybody still have displays/devices that are only 800x600? Perhaps at least the option of displaying Album name would be welcome by many.

 

 

Main usage model is still album mode (like changing CD's in a CD player or vinyls in LP player) and there the album information is not relevant because it can be seen from the above view. And anyway from the status information view when a song is playing.

 

I promise to try to get comfortable with HQP's style!

 

Regards,

AJC

[Superdad]

As I asked you before, I will be waiting for you to add multi-selection to library in desktop mode so I can playback continuosly those 2 o3 CDs classical albums.

 

That really will be nice to have because, even if I adopt Miska's somewhat old fashioned analog paradigm of listening to one album at a time... I have 4,000 physical LPs, and when I pick out what to listen to, I pick a handful. I don't go back to my shelves after each record!

That ties in with my request to have Album name viewable in the Transport window (as opposed to just once I start playing the track): Often I am in the mood to survey a few albums from an artist in my library. If I load up 6 albums of say, Miles Davis, there is no way to tell when one album is going to end and the next begin--until it happens. Even just being able to see the track number would help that (numbers would go 1-to-x and then you would see 1 again and know that is the start of the next album).

 

I know Miska would like us to use the full screen/touchscreen interface more, but in some ways I am a bit old fashion myself! (and I don't often want to give up my entire display to a player; lots of empty space on my 27" monitor--a bit wasteful)

[Superdad]

...versus HQPLayer streaming the same file in DSD (obviously up converting) - and I am still using all of the default settings in HQPLayer.

 

This is very promising considering the volume of Redbook material that will probably never see high res (re-recorded from the master that is).

 

Jabs: Which filter settings are you using for HQP upsampling? And to what rate and which DAC? Are you using any dithering?

Have you tried the Polysinc filters? Those really are the best?

[Superdad]

Superdad: DAC is a Linx Hilo that only goes to DSD1 (x64). I'm still using the default settings for filters and such, currently Jussi has these at:

PCM Defaults

Filter: poly-sinc

Dither: TPDF

Sample rate: 192000 < I think I selected this

SDM Defaults

Oversampling: poly-sinc

Modulator: DSD5

Bit rate: 2822400 < I remember selecting this

DSDIFF/DSD Settings

Conversion type: poly-shirt-lin

Integration: IIR

Noise filter: standard

 

Do you have any settings you recommend trying? What sound difference did those settings bring.

 

Jabs: I'm still stuck in PCM-only world with my NOS PCM1704K DAC, so I can not offer any advise on your SDM settings. I am sure others here can. You should experiment around a bit to discover what you hear.

BTW, I did not mean to put a question mark on my statement about my belief that the Polysinc filters are the best. They really are. My favorite (for PCM anyway) is Polysinc-short.

[Superdad]

I don't mind to write here, I can't use the filters, mainly cause I don't know which one to choose and why, and should I listen to each one and choose the best, and will it work for everything I play? Isn't there some auto tuning feature that can work instead? This is even before considering upsampling? It's all too hard.

I feel very lost, so much so the trial period has expired. Maybe should try again in August, 2015.

 

For those of you who have worked it out, the best of wishes.

 

Oh dear. Please don't give up yet Gary. Just go with the Poly-sinc-short filter and whatever is the max sample rate your DAC will handle. I promise that you will greatly enjoy that filter. I have listened to all of Miska's filters (for PCM anyway), and the only special ones are those in the "Poly-sinc" family. Personally, I think he could ditch most all the rest (the IRR, the polynomials, and the FFT? Gag me; those are awful!).

 

I have been doing a lot of comparisons and experiments lately with HQ Player (and the NAA; saving a full report for some other post), and it has fully trumped my favorite version of Audirvana+ (1.5.10) in my system--and not just because of superior filters.

 

Mac OS X users: Do be sure to get version 3.4.1. For some reason it sounds (repeatably) a little better than 3.4.0. For some time I have preferred 3.4 beta 6 over 3.4.0, but 3.4.1 has brought back the last bit of magic and surpasses all prior. For the record, these differences may not be heard by most, and they are definitely far smaller than the rather large character shifts I have grown accustomed to hearing between versions of A+.

 

One last tidbit: HQ Player on OS X seems to derive virtually no benefit from having tracks played back from RAM disk, whereas such is quite obvious with A+.

 

Now if only I had ASIO drivers for my XMOS USB board…

 

Happy listening,

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

Makes sense, since A+ depends more sensitively on computer performance, while the NAA negates that for HQPlayer.

 

Actually Jud, I am saying this is the case with HQ Player as the player on my SD-booted, headless i7 mini. Not with in the NAA configuration. (I have more to report on NAA tweaks, but that is a separate post.)

[Superdad]

Flip side of the same conclusion: Again, Miska does not depend on minimizing use of computer resources (other than enabling use with streamlined Linux distros) but on his filter and modulator designs; and on isolation from the computer if using an NAA.

 

Well the one test I have not bothered to do yet is to reboot my music mini from a dead-stock Mavericks partition (such is one of several types on the internal HD I never use) and listen to HQ Player that way to see just how immune it is.

I don't think it will be entirely, since with my CAD script slimmed Mavericks SD and no active drives I am getting SQ equal to the same i7 used as an NAA with Miska-provided minimal-Linux/NAA boot.

This deserves a longer report--I should not leak this out just yet. As long as I am teasing though, I will say that with NAA the Ethernet cable matters and I think I would get best NAA results if I could get HQP to recognize the NAA with a direct, Mac-to-Mac connection (it improved when I plugged the desktop machine into the same DSL router as the NAA instead of my Cisco switch; as previously reported, the NAA has to go into my DSL router as it is not patient enough to wait for a DHCP IP lease through the switch at boot-up).

The simplest solution would be if Miska would make it so that I can enter an IP address into HQP Desktop to tell it where to find my NAA. The screen of the NAA machine reports its IP address at boot time, and it even self-assigns one to itself if not DHCP server is found. Right now this is my dearest wish for the wonderful sounding HQ Player.

[Superdad]

Alex, I have setup a Ubuntu Linux NAA, and HQP on another Ubuntu PC. I configured a static IP on the NAA and the Ubuntu PC, as well as a DHCP server on the Ubuntu PC. Then I connected them directly with an ethernet cable - eliminating any switch. I found that HQP would discover the NAA, but not my DAC. After a lot of mucking around I abandoned the idea. Then later while doing some more experimenting, I discovered that HQP (at least in Evaluation Mode) will never discover the DAC, unless there is a connection to the Internet. I assume I would need a second NIC on the HQP PC, that would indirectly provide an Internet connection to the NAA - but as yet I have not tested this.

 

BTW I have also connected to this NAA from my 2012 Mac Mini. I have seen you state elsewhere that you find the SQ from your Mac Mini to your Linux NAA on another Mac Mini, as being superior to A+ on the 2012 Mac Mini. My experience has been the reverse, but could be explained by the hardware I am using for the NAA (a Dell i3 PC). There is not a lot of difference, but I find A+ 2.0.2 to be warmer and more pleasing, although HQP with the poly-sinc-shrt filter comes closer than the poly-sinc filter (this is only with PCM files). Given that the interface of A+ is better than HQP, I think I will stay with A+ for the moment, and await further developments of both players.

 

I have also noticed references to beta versions of HQP, but do not know where to download from. I did see Miska link to a 3.4.0 beta, but the link is no longer active. Can anyone advise where to download a current beta version from?

 

Rob

 

Hi Rob: Great to see someone doing similar experiments with NAA and getting similar results regarding HPQ finding the NAA when using a direct, machine-to-machine connection. I left a lot of detail and steps that I tried out of my short post, but I am quite sure we are encountering the same issue.

 

Using either a script to enable bootpd (OS X's built-in DHCP server) or Internet Sharing (which probably is just a configurable GUI that uses bootpd), my DAC-connected i7 music Mac mini--booted with Miska-provided minimal-Linux/NAA USB boot stick--is able to get an IP from my desktop Mac with a direct Ethernet cable (and I know it is not just a self-assigned IP). In the case of Internet Sharing, I recall also having to have the desktop machine running it's second EN connection--to my Cisco switch or to my DSL router via Thunderbolt>Ethernet Adapter--in order for the NAA to get a proper lease.

 

But either way, HQP desktop will not recognize the DAC/NAA. I put it this way as a way to comment on your assumptions and to show you that:

a) Having the desktop with a second live connection to an external DHCP server (my DSL router), does not help the NAA (and yes, I tried various static IPs to but all connections onto the same domain with only the last IP digits differing). With booted I can already tell my desktop Mac to assign any IP I choose to the direct-connected NAA, so I know that part is working.

 

b) I think you are incorrect to assume that HQP "discovers the NAA" just because you see NetworkAudioAdapter as choice on the Backend drop-down list. It is always a choice there--just like ASIO--whether or not any compatible devices exist on your connections. You are only making progress (success) when you choose NetworkAudioAdapter and then see your DAC on the Device drop-down.

 

And just to be clear, I am successfully able to use the NAA only when I have it (music mini or CuBox-i4Pro) connected directly to my ZyXEL DSL router. At that point, the desktop player MAc can be attached either to my Cisco switch or to the ZyXEL (the latter sounding a little bit better.

 

As mentioned, what I wish Miska would add is an option in the preferences window to manually tell HQP what IP address to look for for the NAA. He says he want's the NAA to just work on the average person's network, but I'm sorry, anybody using HQP and an NAA is not an "average" person.

 

---------

 

Okay, on to my SQ experience--commenting mostly in relation to what you said:

a) I find that the current release of HQP, 3.4.1 sounds better than both the first release (3.4.0) and better than the last beta I had (3.4 beta 6). As mentioned, differences were not as large as differences between A+ versions, but HQP current release 3.4.1 is really the best so just go with that.

 

b) Listening at length to HQP 3.4.1 (either DAC-connected, LPS supplied, i7 mini running player OR same machine as NAA), and comparing to my favorite version of A+ (1.5.10), I am now fully convinced that HQP is the more musically truthful player. And this leaving aside the better filters of HQP as I made a lot of comparison between A+/HQP with all SRC turned off (playing both Redbook and hi-res tracks). With the same comparison earlier last month (with 3.4 beta 6) I was feeling like A+ was doing a somewhat better job "bypassing" CoreAudio and that HQP had a little bit of a "veil" to it. Maybe it is the version change or maybe I am just starting to hear and understand more, but I don't feel that way anymore. (I still wish for a XMOS compatible ASIO driver so we can use HQP with ASIO as back-end.) I do need to listen to the release versions of A+ 2.x. My last listen to any newer-gen A+ build was to the 2.x beta called 1.9.0.3.

Once I turn on HQP's Polysinc-short filter, all need for comparison (to A+) ends for me.

 

c) Despite what Miska implies, the machine running the NAA makes a HUGE difference in my system. I have elsewhere reported that my i7 mini with linear PS trounces my new CuBox-i4Pro (even powered by the same LPS as i7 mini) as an NAA. More coherence, less congestion, vastly better piano, bass, etc.

And these comparisons are with Miska's own Linux/NAA boot images.

 

d) Having just said that, I am getting such fantastic results from HQP running directly on my tweaked 16GB i7 mini (booted from very slimmed Mavericks SD card, CAD script, no drives mounted or connected, files from direct-connected Ethernet share) that the same machine as NAA is NOT clearly better. There are SQ differences between it with local player or NAA, but for the moment I am favoring it as a local player. Maybe finding a way to not have to run the NAA into my DSL router will tip the scales back towards NAA.

 

I can say that the NAA setup took a noticeable leap forward when I realized I had the desktop player Mac (also a 2012 i7 with 16GB, but running Mountain Lion) connected to the switch via the Thunderbolt>Ethernet Adapter (because when playing without the NAA, that's how I get my work computer on the Internet--the build in EN has the BlueJeans/Belden going direct to the music Mac). Connecting the work/player machine via its built-in Ethernet port--either to the switch or to the DSL router where the NAA must connect to--made a really nice SQ difference.

 

 

A couple of other last observations I'll share:

1) Despite the NAA responding to the Ethernet connection (of the desktop player on the end) as explained above, nothing was gained in SQ when I booted my work/desktop machine with the same super-optimized SD card that I normally use for my music computer (it was of course available since the music machine was being booting with the Linux/NAA USB stick).

 

2) Whether run as local (HQP>DAC) or as NAA, playing tracks from RAM disk seems to do nothing for SQ. That is quite different from A+ which responds greatly to location of tracks at playback time. (Both HQP and A+ permit very fast, semi-blind A/B/A/B switching to listen for this since whatever the location of the tracks when you drag them into a playlist/transport window is where they will be retrieved from at playback time.)

 

Since HQP seems immune to RAM disk, the final (?) test I plan to try is to boot my music mini from one of it's normal, "factory-Mavericks" partitions and compare HQP (local mode) versus booted from the SD I have been using and are so deeply familiar with.

 

 

Now you all know how I wasted my weekend!

 

Cheers,

--Alex C.

 

P.S. I was about to try Miska's latest CuBox-i Linux/NAA build (newer kernel and all newer versions of services), not so much for SQ difference (though I would listen for that), but to see if it changed its ability to wait for an IP address from my slow DSL modem/router through my switch. But I forgot to switch the voltage from my LPS from 12V to 5V and I completely fried my brand new CuBox-i4Pro. It's trash now (though I did take it apart to see how they squeeze everything into that tiny cube.

[Superdad]

Well I just switched over to HQP 3.4.1. HQP *still* cannot play any .m3u or .m3u8 playlists created by other programs like iTunes or JRMC, including the very current versions--I've just spent two hours creating new playlists with those programs, placed them in various folders, even just sitting on the desktop. I've sent Jussi several playlist files in the last months, but he hasn't found a reason for the problem. He said that old iTunes versions screwed up the metadata, but new versions have behaved the same. He also said that 3.4.0 would be able to read any .m3u playlist but it doesn't work in my machine. I do like the fullscreen album view for jumping all over my collection, but I prefer playlists most of the time. I've created several playlists using HQP but it is needlessly cumbersome, and anything long takes forever.

 

Does anyone have an idea?

 

Hi Sam:

 

Back in the 3.4 betas I had the same problem (though if I first opened/resaved the playlists with Audirvana then HQP would read them fine). But Jussi did fix this with the released versions and I have been exporting iTunes playlists and immediately opening them with HQP just fine (we are taking OS X here). I am running Mavericks 10.9.4 and iTunes 11.3.1.

BTW, I have not noticed any difference between .m3u or .m3u8 playlists.

 

Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

Hi Miska:

 

First, I have neglected to express a big thank you for adding the Album column to the Transport window, and also the album artwork.

 

But now I have two questions:

 

1) The first column of the transport window (well, after the fixed 1,2,3,4 of the list) is headed by "#", which I take to be meant for the track/position number embedded in the file's metadata. Despite my checking to and confirming that my tracks' metadata does have track/position number embedded/reported, your "#" column always shows just blank. Am I doing something wrong or misinterpreting the purpose of that new column?

 

2) While I know it might involve a lot of new programming, is there any way soon to have the ability to click on the column headers of Performer/Artist and Album and have the list resort by those? That would go a long way toward making the transport window function a bit more like a typical media player.

 

I know that in the past you have explained your paradigm for your Library versus Transport windows and also encouraged people to use Full Screen Mode (which does not work well at all if you use it with a playlist loaded in the transport window as full screen then shows just a single list and not albums in that case).

It might be interesting for you to do a poll of how people are actually using HQ Player. Perhaps you will be surprised and find out that most are just dragging files in or opening playlists from iTunes and that your tree-oriented Library window and the full screen windows are not being used much. I of course don't know--I can only speak for myself as one fairly new HQP adherent.

 

Keep up the the great work!

 

Thanks,

--Alex C.

[Superdad]

Yes, it's a track number. It has been working fine for me, but practically all my content is either FLAC or DSF. Some more information about the content type and source of the content (ripping tool, etc) could help locating possible bugs...

 

Just CDs ripped to AIFF with XLD and proper metadata or FLAC files converted to AIFF with MAX--again with proper metadata embedded. Track numbers are seen in the metadata of all my files with all standard media tools.

 

 

 

I would encourage to blank your mind about anything you have previously learned about player GUI logic and take a fresh look how HQPlayer works.

 

It's just like for Windows or Linux user switching to OS X and finding it's GUI logic really awkward. I personally still cannot understand the idiotic logic of detaching active window menu bar to top of the screen instead of keeping it attached to the window where it belongs to... I didn't understand it when it came out in first Macs in 80's and still cannot. For me, good thing is that OS X on command line is pretty much familiar to any long time *nix user.

 

Believe me Jussi, I try, I do try…

I still think you might find it worthwhile to find out in what ways people are actually using HQP.

 

 

As for OS X being awkward versus Windows? Please, let's not start that silly war in our sweet HQP thread.

But since you mention logic: Where is the logic in an application quiting the moment you close the last window? One may still be browsing or doing something in Photoshop and just because you close the document window does not mean the whole program should unload. Just saying… It cuts both ways.

 

Can I make you a deal? Keep the interface exactly like it is but give us the ability to specify our own IP address for what the desktop app should look for the NAA on the network. That would make me (and some others) very happy!

[Superdad]

This is something I'm certainly looking at. But it's a bit tricky thing to do, otherwise I would have already done it.

 

At the moment when you select a NAA output you select two things at once, the NAA device (not IP because it can change, just a name) and the output device behind it. If this is split out, the entire thing needs to become two-step process where you first enter the IP and then later you would select the output device. I have not yet figured out a way to do it without complicating the GUI...

 

I'm trying very hard to balance the number of settings and flexibility. Lot of settings means lot of possibilities for something to go wrong.

 

Thanks for continuing to consider it Miska. I think you will find that us NAA users are already a hearty bunch and would not mind a two-step process. I mean, look what we already go through to use the NAA and HQP.

[Superdad]

Why aren't we using static IP? I'm already using it for my CAPS server running JRMC and my NAS/Vortexbox. Would it help if the NAA were assigned a static IP? I ask because I am about to go down this rabbit hole.

 

What I have experienced from all my NAA experiments is that it is the desktop player which is fussy about where it looks for an NAA (though the Linux/NAA images Miska gave me are a bit impatient about getting an IP leased assigned). The player wants to see both the NAA and its connected DACs at once, and maybe it wants to find the NAA by name through the DHCP server.

 

I don't know. All I do know is that it is not enough for the NAA to just get an IP lease on the network (whether staticly assigned, self-assigned, or DHCP assigned--I've done all three). The player seems to insist that the NAA's IP come from my DSL router. That's the only way it works for me, though I am anxious for isolation and SQ reasons to make it work with a direct, computer-to-computer EN cable (and I have already proved I can assign the NAA an IP with direct connection using the "bootpd" DHCP server built into OS X. Hence my request to Miska.

[Superdad]

You need a DNS server available on the network... Internet connection as such is not necessary.

 

Hmm… Well I know how to make my desktop Mac into a DHCP server (using "bootpd" or Internet Sharing), but I would need someone to show me how to also make it a DNS server.

(Using OS X's Internet Sharing--to share my Thunderbolt>Ethernet adapter EN1 port connection to DSL router or Switch with the direct-connected music mini/NAA--HQP did not find the DNS server, because it was not on the line with the NAA! Even tried putting both networks onto the same domains--192.168.6.x. But this does give me some more ideas to try. I'll try pointing the EN0 connection to the EN1's or DSL router's IP as the DNS to use…)

[Superdad]

Upgraded and HQ Player is even more detailed with richer sound, IMHO.

 

Uh oh, there goes my weekend…