HQ Player

[pipis2010]

Hi, I have iFi Micro iDSD as a DAC with Micro iCAN as amp and I resample redbook(mostly) to DSD 256.

 

Is my setting OK?

 

Thanks for any recommendations and thanks to Miska for fantastic sounding player

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24593[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]24594[/ATTACH]

 

What are your computer specs?

 

 

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[Michal]

What are your computer specs?

 

 

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i7 3610QM, 16 GB RAM, VGA HD7970M

 

HQP 3.13.1 - I have no performance problems with these settings, everything works well. My question was about DSDIFF setting, vol. min./max. etc., ;-)

[pipis2010]

i7 3610QM, 16 GB RAM, VGA HD7970M

 

HQP 3.13.1 - I have no performance problems with these settings, everything works well. My question was about DSDIFF setting, vol. min./max. etc., ;-)

 

Thanks for the info!

The reason I asked is because I want to build a new (or buy an older server) to upsample to DSD256 with my iFi Nano DSD and am interested in the sort of specs people use with HQPlayer...

 

 

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[Michal]

:-) you're welcome ;-) Btw, sorry for my English

[aeo12]

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.

 

Thanks for this suggestion. It really helped on my ancient, but trusty, 2008 Mac Pro.

[bibo01]

i7 3610QM, 16 GB RAM, VGA HD7970M

 

HQP 3.13.1 - I have no performance problems with these settings, everything works well. My question was about DSDIFF setting, vol. min./max. etc., ;-)

 

I would put Vol Max to -3 dB, enable +6 dB for DIFF/DSF. Furthermore, please check your DAC, if it is 32 bit, then set DAC bits accordingly.

[ted_b]

I would put Vol Max to -3 dB, enable +6 dB for DIFF/DSF. Furthermore, please check your DAC, if it is 32 bit, then set DAC bits accordingly.

 

Agree about volume (min is set to -3db min and max) but who cares about any DIFF/DSF settings if the guy is not doing DSD-to-PCM (which there is no evidence unless I am missing something).

[bibo01]

Agree about volume (min is set to -3db min and max) but who cares about any DIFF/DSF settings if the guy is not doing DSD-to-PCM (which there is no evidence unless I am missing something).

 

The top two entries in DIFF/DSF setting have effect when one plays DSD files -> SDM.

[Forehaven]

Yes. I run this from time to time:

El Capitan Cache Cleaner - Maintenance & Antivirus Utility for Mac OS X

 

I'm not sure that emptying the cache is the same as ram optimization. Either way, something people should consider if they are having skips in HQP/Roon.

[ted_b]

The top two entries in DIFF/DSF setting have effect when one plays DSD files -> SDM.

 

He's upsampling everything to DSD256 so DirectSDM is irrelevant. However, are you saying that when DirectSDM is checked that the +6db gain setting (which I stay away from to eliminate any digital clipping risks) is still in effect??

[sig8]

While we are talking about volume settings; for me I have set min. and max. both to 0, my Limited indicator on main screen always stays at 0. I up-sample everything to DSD128. Do I still need to set the min., and max. volume to -3db? Thanks.

[ted_b]

While we are talking about volume settings; for me I have set min. and max. both to 0, my Limited indicator on main screen always stays at 0. I up-sample everything to DSD128. Do I still need to set the min., and max. volume to -3db? Thanks.

 

As long as your limit stays at zero, you are ok. -3db is just insurance.

[sig8]

As long as your limit stays at zero, you are ok. -3db is just insurance.

 

Thanks Ted.

[Rizlaw]

It's now been a few months since purchasing HQP. Having followed this thread for that time, I'm still confused about how HQP manages to improve the sound. I understand, basically, how digital audio works, but the following paragraph from the Signalyst website still confuses me:

 

All modern DACs employ oversampling and delta-sigma modulation, however the hardware implementations are more or less resource constrained. Higher quality oversampling and delta-sigma modulation can be done by utilizing vast mount of processing power available in modern PCs. Many AVRs also resample internally to 48, 96 or 192 kHz, with the HQPlayer, these can be fed at the native rate.

 

I have, at least, two questions about this paragraph:

 

1. In what way are the better Delta Sigma DACs "hardware implementations more or less resource constrained". For example, how is a W4S DAC-2-se DSD hardware resource constrained? (I am assuming this does not simply refer to the differences between 1 bit delta sigma DACs vs. true multi bit DACs like the Schiit Yggdrasil).

 

After HQP has worked it's software magic on a digital FLAC file, the output is fed to the DAC and converted to an analoge signal then fed to an amplifier and finally to speakers or headphones.

 

2. Is this HQP "improved" digital stream passed through the DAC without any further digital manipulation, or is it passed through the "resource contrained" DAC (subject to the fixed digital manipulations within the DAC's software/firmware) so that the "improvements" made by HQP are either modified or nullified?

[Jud]

It's now been a few months since purchasing HQP. Having followed this thread for that time, I'm still confused about how HQP manages to improve the sound. I understand, basically, how digital audio works, but the following paragraph from the Signalyst website still confuses me:

 

 

 

I have, at least, two questions about this paragraph:

 

1. In what way are the better Delta Sigma DACs "hardware implementations more or less resource constrained". For example, how is a W4S DAC-2-se DSD hardware resource constrained? (I am assuming this does not simply refer to the differences between 1 bit delta sigma DACs vs. true multi bit DACs like the Schiit Yggdrasil).

 

After HQP has worked it's software magic on a digital FLAC file, the output is fed to the DAC and converted to an analoge signal then fed to an amplifier and finally to speakers or headphones.

 

2. Is this HQP "improved" digital stream passed through the DAC without any further digital manipulation, or is it passed through the "resource contrained" DAC (subject to the fixed digital manipulations within the DAC's software/firmware) so that the "improvements" made by HQP are either modified or nullified?

 

There's a chip inside your DAC that does sample rate interpolation and filtering in PCM, then sigma-delta modulation. The sigma-delta modulated bitstream is then converted to analog (music) with a relatively simple filter.

 

It's the chip's implementation of the initial interpolation and filtering and sigma-delta modulation that is resource constrained, in terms of the sophistication of the filtering and modulator algorithms it's able to run. The CPU in your computer, on which HQPlayer runs, is not so resource constrained.

 

When the bitstream that HQPlayer has processed is input to your DAC, the DAC chip does not do the usual interpolation, filtering and modulation to it because that has already been done by HQPlayer. All that is left, and all your DAC does, is the final conversion to analog with a relatively simple filter that is just fine for this task.

[Rizlaw]

Jud,

 

Thanks for the explanation.

[itguy61]

Is anybody else experiencing having their sound stop when the track changes. I am having intermittent problems where when it advances to the next song the sound stops. It keep playing but no sound. I gets slight pop between songs or when I hit stop also. When the sound stops I can usually in the back button or stop and start and the sound starts playing again.

 

I am running an iMac with a quad core i5 and 8 gb of ram. I am up sampling to dvd 256 with an iFi Idsd mini. I use the poly sync 2s filter. I love the sound but I would like to solve this issue. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[bibo01]

He's upsampling everything to DSD256 so DirectSDM is irrelevant. However, are you saying that when DirectSDM is checked that the +6db gain setting (which I stay away from to eliminate any digital clipping risks) is still in effect??

 

No, I am not saying that. When DirectSDM is enabled (it's not the case of our friend), +6dB gain has no effect because all DSP on DSD is disabled.

 

Going back to Vol Max, it is safer to keep it on -3dB because there are many PCM pop and rock recordings with digital clipping.

The same can be said for SACD, as measured by a friend of mine.

[semente]

Thanks to goldsdad I am now able to use iTunes for browsing and then drag songs or albums into HQPlayer:

 

 

It's the next best thing to playing from iTunes!

Just like choosing a CD from the shelf and feeding it to the player.

 

R

[pipis2010]

Thanks to goldsdad I am now able to use iTunes for browsing and then drag songs or albums into HQPlayer:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24608[/ATTACH]

 

It's the next best thing to playing from iTunes!

Just like choosing a CD from the shelf and feeding it to the player.

 

R

 

Please explain a bit more! Is there a how-to guide anywhere for this?

 

 

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[Vitor]

Please explain a bit more! Is there a how-to guide anywhere for this?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app

 

 

I believe that it's only a drag'n'drop procedure from the iTunes library to the HQPlayer window.

At least with JRiver i've done that before.

[semente]

I believe that it's only a drag'n'drop procedure from the iTunes library to the HQPlayer window.

At least with JRiver i've done that before.

 

That is correct.

You can drag whole albums in Album view or single tracks in Song view.

 

I just wish that HQPlayer would memorize it's position and size after quitting.

Perhaps Miska can solve this.

 

R

[PeteS]

Output mode: PCM, filter: none, dither: none, volume: 0 dBFS

 

Toimii , it works, blue light.

[Miska]

I just wish that HQPlayer would memorize it's position and size after quitting.

Perhaps Miska can solve this.

 

It does already? If you have some fairly recent version...

[semente]

It does already? If you have some fairly recent version...

 

I've just updated and the new version does retain it's position.

 

Cheers,

Ricardo