HQ Player

[jamesg11]

Hi. I am using Splashtop to manage HQ Player on my Mac Mini. But I also have the SSD on the Mini Bootcamped with Windows 8. I have no problem using Splashtop to manage Windows 8 side.

So it should not matter whether you are using MAC or Windows.

 

Good luck.

 

PS I use an Airport Extreme (5th generation) as an access point between the MAC and my iPad using Splashtop.

How is this implemented? I've a macmini/ipad/modem & Splashtop has been having issues with maintaining connection via closed network mode - currently really annoying! Used to function well ...

[jamesg11]

So I tried out HQP at last, & am pretty unfamiliar with it, getting some non-sound results!

 

Anyone using Mytek dac with usb who can share their settings with dsd & pcm?

Don't have any problems with A+, but this is very different!

[jamesg11]

Ok, still struggling big time to get this trial version of HQP working properly with my Mytek & macmini mid-2011 (16gb ram) via usb.

Read the manual + the quick start guide from the other thread - but this seems clunky as ... maybe it's the trial version.

Can get 1xdsd, but 2xdsd upsample has the Mytek readout as the usual Hdsd, but no sound hitting the preamp. Ditto say Cassandra Wilson "Strange Fruit" 24/192 - dac read good, but no sonics. Go figure.

 

Questions re Settings - is "2-wire" relevant for Mytek? - what is "Pipeline SDM"? - left vol on default -3/-60db, but what does the manual's 0/0db vol bypass mean? -the separate DSDIFF/DSF settings are for what? & what is the "Integrator"?

 

Enough already ...

[jamesg11]

Thanks for that reply, clears some things up for sure.

I have been getting 1xdsd with 2-wire unchecked ... Anyway I'll go thru this tomorrow, & no doubt get back with more queries!

[jamesg11]

I think that 2-wire is pretty essential for DSD on the Mytek. I think that somewhere further back in this thread Miska published his settings for Mytek.

PipelineSDM is to distribute CPU work on various cores, however, it's useful for quad cores only.

Vol bypass disengage vol DSP. Personally I always leave -3dB for max in order to avoid digital clipping on some recordings.

DSDIFF/DSF settings are for DSD>PCM to tell HQPlayer how to handle DSD signal before converting to PCM. However, checking DirectSDM prevents any DSP to DSD signal - it passes untouched; +6dB, if checked, makes DSD signal level equal to PCM, but then -3dB on Vol becomes mandatory.

For further info you can consult HQPlayer manual in PDF format which you find in the application directory.

Started it up ... only thing I changed was vol min to 0.00db, & got 2xdsd upsample from 1xdsd - no 2-wire check. PCM also now good at 24/192 & will upsample to 2xdsd. My hdtracks Cassandra Wilson folder wouldn't open into lower window - had to click each track. Jud's fave Bromberg "Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers" comes up a treat in 2xdsd from redbook file.

(poly-sinc/asdm5/5644800/sdm)

[jamesg11]

A bunch of folders of dff files won't play in HQP - just not 'seen'. Using macmini. No problems with others that look like identical files to me. Actually specifically made permissions for HQP, but made no difference. Weird, & now run out of my fixes.

Any suggestions ...?

[jamesg11]

Another trick is if you want to bypass the library you can in HQP click and drag the bottom window upward then you can drag and drop songs or artists into the playlist. Note this is temporary and once you exit or enter preferences the playlist disappears. What I like to do is create a RAMDisk and click drag the RAMdisk into the playlist in HQP the SQ from the RAMdisk is noticeable.

... or are you just dragging a folder etc from ramdisk on desktop into HQP window to play, like I do - or are you getting better SQ with the RD actually in the HQP playlist?

[jamesg11]

diversion ... back in the ~early 90s, I read Dave Marsh's "1001 Hits of Rock & Soul"; great stuff - so I started collecting all the tracks, not having heard maybe 25%+ of them. Took me many years. Picked up a lot of 45s - had to cos then so many weren't yet on cd & some still aren't (try finding Little Willie John's '62 "She Thinks I Still Care", albeit the George Jones original is all over). Digitised the vinyl to redbook files. So all 1001 are a big mix of sources.

Haven't gone to that folder - 40 gigs worth - for many years, since I started listening to hires. A fair bit of the reluctance was my lack of discrimination back then re compressed cd sonics. So, here with HQP upsampling to 2xdsd, I've got around to revisiting & with terrific results for most of it.

The vinyl rips are especially good; the poor sonics of the DR compressed tracks, often re-mastered, are still a listening negative; the early cds are excellent. Need to go back to the original project & replace the bad stuff with vinyl, hires, decent redbook ...

[jamesg11]

I already find out (discussion several pages ago with Miska participation about PCM settings in HQP played DSD) than some crazy ideas do have effect, also within the case of "there should not be..." Settings that shouldn't have effect seem to have effect.

 

Program launch from SSD vs. RAM Disk would influence some other/third factors or processes within soft or hardware that influence the outcome, maybe. I have no lead to rational understanding of this, but this might as well be the reason of the beauty of things

What size SD card is minimum to run HQPlayer from?

[jamesg11]

Can someone remind me of the steps to eliminate/drastically reduce my momentary drop-outs? Get this on A+ too. Is there in bursts, sometimes ok for a bunch of tracks ...(Macmini, 16gb ram etc, as per sig.)

[jamesg11]

"I have 2500 ISOs so don't complain to me."

 

ted_b has finally found a replacement slogan for his "We're all bozos ..." !!

Love it.

[jamesg11]

If your DAC has balanced outputs, you can implement the sum and difference matrix function of the Acourate Cleaner hardware using 8 resistors. No need for an active buffer stage and power supply.

 

Of course, this raises the issue of whether passive "preamps" are inherently bad. No need to re-hash that here.

Interesting - what's a good ref for a summary of the to & fro arguments?

[jamesg11]

Want to lengthen the buffer, to see if occasional stutter is eliminated - but this is greyed out ... how do you manage this?

[jamesg11]

Wanting to do something about audio dropouts, so to find hqplayer.log on my macmini (mid 2011, 10.10.5), I need to turn on hidden files? If so, how do I do this & likely location of file? Thanks.

[jamesg11]

I was having audio drop outs too. I used Dr. Cleaner (which I normally avoid programs like this) to optimize RAM. It went from like 40 to 22 and HQP/Roon and A4T are both running perfectly. Worth a try.

 

Is there a cache(s) etc on osx yosemite that can be emptied, before installing a 3rd party cleaner?

[jamesg11]

Just gone to El Capitan on macmini - can't get HQPlayer to work with usb on Mytek 192. Is this o/s incompatible with drivers or ...?

[jamesg11]

Ok ... thanks ... should have been paying attention then ...

[jamesg11]

This RME dac needs an ext psu - is it 24v? Elevates $s if you want to avoid smps ...

But, looks good.

Maybe some Miska measurements a la the ifi idsd are on the way ...?!

[jamesg11]

On 10/18/2018 at 4:40 AM, Miska said:

 

Which iFi DAC do you mean, the Pro iDSD?

 

Any thoughts on the new “iFi GTOTM DigitalFilter“, available for the idsd micro bl as well? Guess you have to implement the mqa dl ... hmm.

Maybe missed earlier discussion ...

[jamesg11]

16 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

Hi Jussi

 

Would you put the Burr Brown DSD1793 (which iFi uses in their iDSD models) in the same class as AKM , i.e the DSD1793 allows direct DSD conversion ?

 

 

 

Where is the best place - or a sufficient one - to see a discussion which teases out what is involved in “direct DSD conversion”?

[jamesg11]

Also, on a straight-ahead practical ‘sonics for listening’ using hqp at 256-512, is the rme adi-2 an upgrade on the idsd micro bl?

[jamesg11]

14 hours ago, Miska said:

Limitation is practically due to maximum PCM sampling rate of 352.8/384k. For example iFi iDAC2 works at it's maximum DSD rate on Mac through DoP when flashed with the special firmware version that adds 705.6/768k PCM rate, although it will go silent if you try to play PCM at those rates. ADI-2 works at both 705.6/768k PCM and DSD256 (with DoP) on Mac.

 

DoP sampling rate is the PCM sampling rate x16, because 16 bits are packed into a PCM sample (and 8 marker bits).

 

Just picked up the RME ADI-2 - menus are currently a puzzle to be solved!

Macmini, uRendu, NAA, HQP via Roon (worked ok with ifi micro dsd dac).

 

Thought I had set it to DSD Direct, but both HQP (3.25.3) & ADI-2 show conversion to pcm (2.8224M to 705.6k) ... suggestions for a quick fix, or ...?

Need to output  pcm to dsd256 as well - change there is just in settings?

[jamesg11]

17 hours ago, Miska said:

 

You have DoP enabled and you are asking SDM output in the main window?

 

That was it! HQP now outputs sdm 11.2896M.

Apparently not required with the iFi idsd?

 

But, adi-2 still displays 705.6pcm? Another setting, or ... ?

[jamesg11]

Again thanks, vol control not adjustable, so confirms dsd direct is good. Had selected 150kHz, to go with ASDM5.

[jamesg11]

Miska, further on the RME ADI-2 ... given its architecture re xlr balanced & rca unbalanced outputs, is it worth connecting up xlr leads with pin 3 disconnected?

My pre has some xlr unbalanced connections.

 

See from the manual -

“!The XLR outputs do not operate servo-balanced! When connecting unbalanced equipment, make sure pin 3 of the XLR output is not connected.”