HQ Player

[dtb300]

Usual place: Signalyst - Installing HQPlayer beta

Remember if some are not seeing the new Beta, Refresh your page.

[Zen101]

Miska,

I just got the 3.13.0beta2 and also upgraded to 99 build of Roon. When I try to play DSD64 from Roon and set HQplayer to do PCM, there is no sound and the time moves almost at double the rate. DSD->PCM works fine when used with HQplayer directly.

 

My setup: Roon (DSD64)->Hqplayer(Poly-Sinc, NS5, PCM 384K, Cuda and pipeline SDM unchecked, DirectSDM unchecked)->NAA (Mac

Book Air)->Hugo TT

 

Same results for HQplayer 3.13.0beta2 on both Mac (Yosemite) and Windows 10. DSD64 or DSD64->DSD128 works fine with Roon.

 

Is there a setting in Roon or Hqplayer I am missing?

 

Thanks

 

Exactly the same issue here with Roon 1.1(99) and HQPlayer 3.13.0b2 , Silence and double rate progress bar

[aps]

I'm a bit confused about the Matrix function and haven't been able to find an answer in either this thread or the manual that I've got (V3.1.0). How would one set-up an arrangement to the sum of channels 1 & 2 into channel 3? Any information or references would be great.

[firedog]

Exactly the same issue here with Roon 1.1(99) and HQPlayer 3.13.0b2 , Silence and double rate progress bar

 

It's still a beta. May not be implemeted yet. In any case, I'm sure Miska will take care of it - either now or later.

[Miska]

I tested the DSD -> PCM with the previous Roon build and it was working for me. IOW, this beta doesn't have other known issues than the convolution engine problem with certain filters discussed earlier.

 

So please report any misbehavior! Thanks!

[Miska]

I'm a bit confused about the Matrix function and haven't been able to find an answer in either this thread or the manual that I've got (V3.1.0). How would one set-up an arrangement to the sum of channels 1 & 2 into channel 3? Any information or references would be great.

 

There is manual included in every installation package. So version 3.12 comes with manual version 3.12. On Windows there's a shortcut created in the Start-menu for the manual. You can search for "HQPlayer" in the start menu. On Mac the manual is part of the DMG since 3.13, previously it was in the surrounding ZIP file. On Linux there is also start-menu entry created for the manual.

 

For your case matrix should look like this:

[table=width: 500]

[tr]

[td]Src[/td]

[td]Gain[/td]

[td]Mix[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]1[/td]

[td]0[/td]

[td]1[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]2[/td]

[td]0[/td]

[td]2[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]1[/td]

[td]-6[/td]

[td]3[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]2[/td]

[td]-6[/td]

[td]3[/td]

[/tr]

[/table]

[KMan]

I tested the DSD -> PCM with the previous Roon build and it was working for me. IOW, this beta doesn't have other known issues than the convolution engine problem with certain filters discussed earlier.

 

So please report any misbehavior! Thanks!

 

Miska, with the new beta, I am not able to do DSD->PCM either through Roon or even when I play DSD64 files directly from HQplayer. Previously I was able to do DSD->PCM when playing files directly from HQPlayer. I have tried all combinations both on PC and Mac.

 

My setup: Hqplayer(DSD64, Any filter combination, PCM 384K, Cuda and pipeline SDM unchecked or checked, DirectSDM unchecked)->NAA (Asio or Coreaudio or Audio Linux)->Hugo TT

[zorntel]

Jussi,

 

I'm testing Roon build 99 with HQplayer 3.13.0 beta 2. I have two systems:

 

System 1: Mac Mini 2012 (Intel Graphics) > Cubox-i NAA (your most recent build) > Auralic vega (older firmware still capped at DSD128)

 

System 2: Mac Pro 2009 (with Geforce GTX780-CUDA) > Sonore Sonicorbiter SE > IFI micro iDSD

 

I use Pipeline SDM on both systems, CUDA offload on System 2.

 

With system 1 I typically up(down)sample to DSD128. With system 2 I typically upsample (pass through) to DSD256. Interestingly I have to check DoP in system 1 or SDM won't show up in the interface, while system 2 doesn't require this. I don't know whether this is a difference between the two NAA's or DACs.

 

Regardless I'm having playback problems with DSD64 content on System 1. Several tracks will go through ok and then playback will stop mid track. I have to disconnect in roon to get things running again. I don't seem to have this problem in system 2. I believe Kman may be having the same problem. DSD64 content in System 1 plays fine if the files are dropped directly into hqplayer (no roon). I've reported this problem over at the Roon community as well, but Brian is suggesting that the problem is probably at the HQplayer end of things.

 

Robert

[zorntel]

And I should report that I also can'd do DSD to PCM in the beta either through Roon or directly from the HQplayer interface.

[zorntel]

Jussi,

 

I'm testing Roon build 99 with HQplayer 3.13.0 beta 2. I have two systems:

 

System 1: Mac Mini 2012 (Intel Graphics) > Cubox-i NAA (your most recent build) > Auralic vega (older firmware still capped at DSD128)

 

System 2: Mac Pro 2009 (with Geforce GTX780-CUDA) > Sonore Sonicorbiter SE > IFI micro iDSD

 

I use Pipeline SDM on both systems, CUDA offload on System 2.

 

With system 1 I typically up(down)sample to DSD128. With system 2 I typically upsample (pass through) to DSD256. Interestingly I have to check DoP in system 1 or SDM won't show up in the interface, while system 2 doesn't require this. I don't know whether this is a difference between the two NAA's or DACs.

 

Regardless I'm having playback problems with DSD64 content on System 1. Several tracks will go through ok and then playback will stop mid track. I have to disconnect in roon to get things running again. I don't seem to have this problem in system 2. I believe Kman may be having the same problem. DSD64 content in System 1 plays fine if the files are dropped directly into hqplayer (no roon). I've reported this problem over at the Roon community as well, but Brian is suggesting that the problem is probably at the HQplayer end of things.

 

Robert

 

System 2 is showing the same behavior...regular freezes while upsampling DSD64 playing from roon.

[Le Concombre Masqué]

still can't use poly sinc while cuda offload is checked (great with CF filter, gorgeous sound)... any reason to upgrade then ?

[firedog]

Hi -

 

 

3.13beta and DSD>PCM

I'm also having issues with DSD>PCM conversion: No sound and the progress slider for the music in HQP just races forward at a fast pace.

 

I tried 3 different setups:

Roon>HQP>HQP NAA (SOtM SMS-100), DAC is a Mytek 192 DSD

Roon>HQP>Mytek 192 (no NAA) ASIO

HQP>Mytek 192 ASIO (no Roon, no NAA)

 

None worked. Issue as described above.

 

Hope this helps.

[digitalzed]

Jussi, DSD>PCM drops constantly using Roon build 99. And any combination under SDM drops out also during playback I have tried every possible combination. The only setting that plays without any major dropout issue is when I use PCM only.

 

2015 iMac>Pulse Infinity>roon>HQP 3.13beta2

[bogi]

I never tested MQA file format, it motivated me to install the new beta. I downloaded "Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4" from 2L High Resolution Music .:. free TEST BENCH in these formats: MQA, 24b/96k PCM and DSD64 2.8MHz. I chose it because of small size.

 

The way I tested was the same as I am usually listening: I converted all to DSD128 expect of DSD file, which I leaved intact (DirectSDM enabled).

 

At first I took the MQA file and compared poly-sinc with poly-sinc-mqa. The mqa variant added more air, more clearness. I really liked that presentation more.

I liked the MQA file playback (with poly-sinc-mqa) more than 24/96 playback with poly-sinc.

But the DSD64 file I liked the most on my DAC.

 

That are my subjective opinions and they are also related to my DAC. My conclusion is, that the MQA file format is very interesting from soundquality/filesize point of view. Size and filename:

 

129,133,530 2L50SACD_tr1_DSD_stereo.dff

53,864,736 2L50SACD_tr01_stereo_96.flac

32,008,402 2L-050_01_stereo_DXD_WAV.mqa.flac

[Miska]

still can't use poly sinc while cuda offload is checked (great with CF filter, gorgeous sound)... any reason to upgrade then ?

 

If your GPU is not the very latest, it may not help, at least with all supported algorithms. IOW, it is not necessarily faster than your CPU even on the specific tasks it is assigned on. If GPU is significantly slower than the CPU then it is possible that the offload just harms instead of helping.

[Miska]

System 1: Mac Mini 2012 (Intel Graphics) > Cubox-i NAA (your most recent build) > Auralic vega (older firmware still capped at DSD128)

 

System 2: Mac Pro 2009 (with Geforce GTX780-CUDA) > Sonore Sonicorbiter SE > IFI micro iDSD

 

I use Pipeline SDM on both systems, CUDA offload on System 2.

 

With system 1 I typically up(down)sample to DSD128. With system 2 I typically upsample (pass through) to DSD256. Interestingly I have to check DoP in system 1 or SDM won't show up in the interface, while system 2 doesn't require this. I don't know whether this is a difference between the two NAA's or DACs.

 

Is the system (1) running OS X? If that is the case, it will always require DoP because OS X doesn't have support for raw DSD (except exaSound DACs with ASIO, but that is not supported by networkaudiod).

 

If in system (2) the NAA is running fresh enough Linux/networkaudiod (I assume it is), then it works just fine without DoP to iDSD.

 

I think in your case system (1) is limited to DoP by both OS and the DAC.

[bogi]

Miska, I found one curious bug in the beta ... I am usually not switching PCM and SDM mode in the main window, but I tried it as I was curious how MQA sounds on my DAC in PCM mode.

 

I observer that the playlist content is expanded by repeating the existing content when I switch PCM <-> SDM.

[Miska]

129,133,530 2L50SACD_tr1_DSD_stereo.dff

53,864,736 2L50SACD_tr01_stereo_96.flac

32,008,402 2L-050_01_stereo_DXD_WAV.mqa.flac

 

I also recommend just taking the original DXD file (not the MQA variant) and playing that as upsampled to highest rate DSD your DAC can support for comparison.

 

You could also try out the 96k file and ordinary RedBook played through the poly-sinc-mqa filter and see how it sounds, although the poly-sinc-mqa is not intended to be used that way. But for comparison.

[Miska]

Miska, I found one curious bug in the beta ... I am usually not switching PCM and SDM mode in the main window, but I tried it as I was curious how MQA sounds on my DAC in PCM mode.

 

I observer that the playlist content is expanded by repeating the existing content when I switch PCM <-> SDM.

 

I've seen that happen sometimes also with earlier versions, but I have not found a systematic way to reproduce it. So I have not been able to find the bug...

 

Edit: for reason or other, I only remember seeing the behavior on Windows, which is strange because all the relevant code is the same across different platforms...

[bogi]

I've seen that happen sometimes also with earlier versions, but I have not found a systematic way to reproduce it. So I have not been able to find the bug...

 

Edit: for reason or other, I only remember seeing the behavior on Windows, which is strange because all the relevant code is the same across different platforms...

 

It seems it is systematic when you restart HQPlayer Desktop with non empty playlist. With empty playlist I was not able to reproduce it, but with non-empty after restart yes.

[Chodi]

I also recommend just taking the original DXD file (not the MQA variant) and playing that as upsampled to highest rate DSD your DAC can support for comparison.

 

You could also try out the 96k file and ordinary RedBook played through the poly-sinc-mqa filter and see how it sounds, although the poly-sinc-mqa is not intended to be used that way. But for comparison.

 

It seems that Meridian is the only company so far to come out with a dac that claims it is "MQA ready". I find it interesting that they are very careful not to give any information about the components in this dac (although it is only listed as 24/192). At least nothing I could find. I thought that to actually hear this you need some new dac chip but I don't know who makes one? Is this something from TI, AKM, Burr Brown, etc? Or is this all done with software?

 

I also like Bogi found the sound very clean and interesting on first listen but without the proper dac I don't known how much is to be gained from this. Is this designed to be used only with pcm or is it compatible with DSD as well?

 

I am interested in learning more about this technology but so far it seems Meridian is the only company claiming its use without any hard information about their implementation.

[bibo01]

It seems that Meridian is the only company so far to come out with a dac that claims it is "MQA ready". I find it interesting that they are very careful not to give any information about the components in this dac (although it is only listed as 24/192). At least nothing I could find. I thought that to actually hear this you need some new dac chip but I don't know who makes one? Is this something from TI, AKM, Burr Brown, etc? Or is this all done with software?

 

I also like Bogi found the sound very clean and interesting on first listen but without the proper dac I don't known how much is to be gained from this. Is this designed to be used only with pcm or is it compatible with DSD as well?

 

I am interested in learning more about this technology but so far it seems Meridian is the only company claiming its use without any hard information about their implementation.

 

In The General Forum section there is a long thread about MQA with many interesting measurements by Miska (which he published in his blog) and others.

[Chodi]

In The General Forum section there is a long thread about MQA with many interesting measurements by Miska (which he published in his blog) and others.

 

Thanks. Seems they are trying to get everyone to buy a new dac with their license technology. I should learn to read more of the forum.

[Miska]

It seems it is systematic when you restart HQPlayer Desktop with non empty playlist. With empty playlist I was not able to reproduce it, but with non-empty after restart yes.

 

OK, thanks, now I seem to get a pattern. I'll trace and fix this...

[Miska]

2015 iMac>Pulse Infinity>roon>HQP 3.13beta2

 

Please excuse me my ignorance, but what is Pulse Infinity?