HQ Player

[tedwoods]

3.16 + xtr family filters = heaven!

[tedwoods]

A big thank you to all Computer Audiophile members who participated selfishly for the creation of the photograph below:

 

[tedwoods]

On 11/28/2017 at 7:59 PM, Miska said:

For NAA use, do NOT use STP cables or anything that has metal shield on the connector that could connect grounds of the NAA device and the switch. Generally, only use UTP cables unless you have a specific cable and careful design for using STP.

What about the Supra cat8?

http://www.jenving.com/products/view/cat-8-stp-patch-1001908589

[tedwoods]

24 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

That is STP cable, not suitable for NAA use unless either end clearly doesn't connect the shield metal anywhere. Some devices like IIRC Apple Airport Extreme seem to have plastic connector, but sill have small metallic contact points for the shield inside the connector.

 

Thanks, any recommendations for UTP cables? 

[tedwoods]

6 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

I use totally standard CAT6 ones, unnamed from local electronics store.

 

I also have quite a bit left of 100 m coil of bare CAT6 cable I used to pull in a new cable to one room through the cable tube. And I also have connectors and tools to make cables myself. But I'm lazy and rather buy new ones for 5€/piece.

 

Great, I recently re-wired everything with Belkin CAT6, so I guess I'm good...

[tedwoods]

21 hours ago, jimdukey said:

I've never enjoyed HQ more than with the new 3.21.

Oscar Peterson West Side Story, from HDTT, in DSD 128,  using the 48/128 setting on Myrek 192/DSD Dac.

So rich and full, lots of Ray Brown, really awesome, IMO!

It wasn't THIS good before.

You think it can't get any better, then it does!

Minor improvements?

Maybe.

Sounds better than ever here, and I'm really grateful to Miska for his knowledge and dedicated hard work!

+1

Sounds fabulous over here too!

[tedwoods]

On 6/18/2018 at 5:35 AM, louisxiawei said:

Then you might be also able to tell us when does Tidal stream the best SQ during a day? IOW, can you tell any SQ difference if any changes on the Tidal server side?

 

NAA is the key device before the DAC. Optical Ethernet route before NAA is good approach for preventing EMI/RFI. 

 

My HQ pc is located in a different place from NAA with quite a long distance, and I can detect no difference whatsoever changing any things on HQ PC side.

 

BTW, I was also a fidelizer user and now I quit using it on HQ PC.

That software could improve the performance when you just want to use your PC solely for audio since it shut down lots of background services, but other features like “core-isolation” totally messed up with HQplayer and other software, games either causing HQPlayer stutter or frame stutter during gaming... and I will not encourage one to use fidelizer on HQ pc if the performance of your PC is not at the edge.

 

My experience mirrors yours on all counts.

[tedwoods]

@Miska or others: I've just downloaded a 192/24 (wav) album from HD tracks.

Although the files look identical to the ones in other albums from the same band, I can't seem to import it into the HQ Player Library, either by using Add or Scan...

The album plays fine in JRiver (?)...

Any ideas as to what I might be doing wrong?

[tedwoods]

6 hours ago, Le Concombre Masqué said:

With 44.1, ext 2, to my ears, vs poly sinc, raises speed and details while lowering density to a more credible lightness ; through details it also raises specific sound signature ie of a piano ; leads me to think it raises timbral accuracy but it could be a fool's gold effect and, ie, Arrau's piano (Final sessions 3, Debussy) was on the verge of discomfort while I could hardly like any other filter for I got hooked to spatial and sound signature details via ext2.

 

ext 2 is nevertheless my goto filter for 44.1

You are spot on!

ext 2 really caught me off guard! 

The combination of the updated DSD5 modulator and ext 2, is the best sound I ever got!

Cheers, @Miska

[tedwoods]

19 hours ago, craighartley said:

 

What are you upsampling to, and with which DAC?

DSD 128 with the Lampizator Euforia. Mostly RB material. 

Lampizator likes 5th order filters in general but the said modulator/ filter combo was a real "wow" moment for me...

[tedwoods]

On 9/21/2018 at 2:58 PM, MikePid said:

 

Thanks to your post, I’ve tried this combination and much prefer it over my previous favourite (ADMSD7+512fs with closed form fast). Also using upstate do CIC. Outputting DSD256 to ifi micro iDSD BL. Best sound I’ve heard yet!  Very 3D and less thin.  Closest I’ve come to matching my nice vinyl setup (MC into ifi iPhono2).

 

It is great to have so many choices!  I do not adequately understand the science behind all of it, so trial & error is how I’m tweaking (plus suggestions from this forum ?).

Happy to hear you're getting a great sound!

[tedwoods]

HQP4 is certainly a step up in SQ over the previous version.

The sound is more expansive with more distinctive reverb trail-offs , provides more insight into the recordings, since it unearths layers upon layers of low-level detail  and also sounds more dynamic with more overall kick and clear differentiation in the attack of plucked and picked instruments.

I have installed server only and I control everything via HQPD Control.

Suits my needs just fine and works like  a charm...

Congrats, Jussi!

[tedwoods]

3 hours ago, Confused said:

Just as a general question.  I run Roon feeding HQPlayer on one PC, then via Ethernet to a sMS-200Ultra.  I presume in this configuration you just need to run HQ Player server?   That is, there no additional benefit or required functionality to be gained from HQ Player Client?  

Yes, Client is just a way to control the program

[tedwoods]

I can't get 4.02 to work in my setup (W10 - SoTM NAA).

Same settings as with 4.01.

Everything "seems" to be working (NAA shows in settings, filters seem to load, music seems to be playing, the switch and NAA look like they're receiving data), but I get no sound...

I've rebooted server, switch and NAA several times, as well as the DAC, but the behaviour remains the same.

I went back to 4.01 and everything works again.

I've tried the procedure twice with a fresh 4.02 download but the problem persists.

I've sent the logs to Jussi ,but I guess he must be in Munich.

Anybody has the same problem?

[tedwoods]

30 minutes ago, ted_b said:

tedwoods, check volume control on HQP 4.02 (and compared to 4.01)?

It's the same: min -60.0 db max 00.0 db ...

[tedwoods]

8 minutes ago, ted_b said:

But the actual volume knob position?

Volume looks like it's off but so is on 4.01...

[tedwoods]

Thanks Ted!!!

I've fiddled around with the volume control and ...let there be sound!

The ..other Ted😀

[tedwoods]

@StreamFidelity Great setup!

[tedwoods]

I think  HQPlayer is more than just a piece of software.

The SQ effect it has -on my system at least- is tremendous and as such quite fundamental too, as I'm building my system around it rather than the other way round.

Its updates also usually mean even better SQ.

I'm not affluent, but I find  the cost of something that provides me with so much musical pleasure, justified and I feel I must support the person responsible for it...

I also urge people to try HQPD Control (which is free).

Its function is not unlike Roon remote or such.

All my genres, artwork, etc show up fine in HQPD Control, so when I play music I concentrate on the music and not the program.

 

 

[tedwoods]

Could an NAA endpoint with a USB input for an external drive, like the SOtM sMS-200 for example (after getting the new NAA update), send data from the disc to the server and then receive the data again up-sampled?

[tedwoods]

Wow! Sinc-S is REALLY good!!!