HQ Player

[Kal Rubinson]

But what I'm getting at - is that it would be really fun for a, I don't know, $1k dac using HQPlayer on the other side compete with the big guys.

I'd go for three. :-)

[MrTHX]

Yes, it works in the trial. It's probably something in your settings. If you post screenshots of your HQP settings dialog, your DSDIFF/DSF settings, and the main window, someone will be able to tell you where you've gone astray.

 

--David

 

Thanks David [emoji106]? I'm there (just about) appreciate you taking the time to reply.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[k6davis]

I was having some issues with the currently released version of HQP involving the stability of HQP/Roon/NAA Daemon integration and a long standing annoyance with the song progress bar/slider handle being absent in Windows Server 2012. I was about to compose an message asking if Miska could look into these issues, but it occured to me to try out the latest beta version of HQP first.

 

Boom... All of the my concerns had already been addressed in Beta 5. Thank you Miska for your continued improvement of an outstanding product.

 

By the way, in terms of UI, stability and sonic performance, the HQP/Roon/NAA Daemon combination is superb!

[tboooe]

By the way, in terms of UI, stability and sonic performance, the HQP/Roon/NAA Daemon combination is superb!

 

Please remind me what you are using for an NAA?

[k6davis]

Please remind me what you are using for an NAA?

In pursuit of the best performance, I tried the microRendu, but I found that I got better sonic performance with the HQP NAA Daemon software running on Windows, of all things, even on the unoptimized laptop that I initially used to test the configuration. I understand that this should not be the case, but it was for me, and the difference was obvious. I've long been a proponent of isolating the upsampling/DSP computer from the DAC, having used jPlay for this purpose previously, but HQP and it's NAA Daemon gave me the best sound I've ever gotten out of my system.

 

The fact that I can run DSD256 into my Amanero DAC with the NAA Daemon/Windows while I'm limited to DSD128 with the Linux based solutions may account for some of the difference, but I don't think that's the whole story.

 

Since I've long had a dual Windows 2012 Server setup, I decided to run Roon and the NAA Daemon on one server and HQP (alone) on the other, both treated with Audiophile Optimizer. The resulting sound quality makes me very, very happy.

[tboooe]

 

Since I've long had a dual Windows 2012 Server setup, I decided to run Roon and the NAA Daemon on one server and HQP (alone) on the other, both treated with Audiophile Optimizer. The resulting sound quality makes me very, very happy.

 

Perfect! Thank you! I am looking to pick up a lower powered, barebones i3-5005u pc to run Server Essentials, AO and NAA. I am hopeful that it will give me similar results as you!

[ted_b]

Since I've long had a dual Windows 2012 Server setup, I decided to run Roon and the NAA Daemon on one server and HQP (alone) on the other, both treated with Audiophile Optimizer. The resulting sound quality makes me very, very happy.

 

Well then, you are in a nice position to evaluate the effect of Roon overhead. Have you tried playing some stuff via Roon (to HQP and then back to NAA), and then quitting Roon server all together playing the same via HQPlayer (drag and drop). I would think Roon server on the NAA machine would be a sonic detriment, but maybe not much at all, dunno.

[tboooe]

Well then, you are in a nice position to evaluate the effect of Roon overhead. Have you tried playing some stuff via Roon (to HQP and then back to NAA), and then quitting Roon server all together playing the same via HQPlayer (drag and drop). I would think Roon server on the NAA machine would be a sonic detriment, but maybe not much at all, dunno.

I was thinking the same thing. Isnt the NAA supposed to be on a device that has no other process running to minimize noise as much as possible?

 

Why not use Roonserver on the machine running HQP then use Roon remote on an tablet or another pc/laptop? That would help to reduce processing demand on the HQP pc.

[k6davis]

I was thinking the same thing. Isnt the NAA supposed to be on a device that has no other process running to minimize noise as much as possible?

 

Why not use Roonserver on the machine running HQP then use Roon remote on an tablet or another pc/laptop? That would help to reduce processing demand on the HQP pc.

According to Miska, the NAA application is doing very little, by design. It seems to be fairly impervious to other activity running on the machine, within reason. I got the best sound ever (at that point) when I was just doing a functional test with the NAA Daemon running on a general purpose, untreated Windows 10 Laptop. I would speculate that the biggest improvement from using an NAA comes from the isolation of the workhorse upsampling DSP machine from the DAC as opposed to how optimized the NAA machine is. I realize this runs counter to other's experience and that the idea you and teb_b are expressing makes complete sense. I'm just conveying how it worked for me.

 

From there, I decided that, given I had two servers to work with, I'd try giving HQP full access to the more powerful of the two. The sound clearly and significantly improved when the most demanding process, the HQP DSP had a server to itself and didn't have to share resources with Roon.

 

So, I got 3 upgrades (NAA Daemon, DSD256 for my Amanero DAC, and HQP having a machine all to itself), each of which improved the sound separately but work like magic together! And none of it cost me any (new) money!

[ted_b]

K6davis, agree on all above. My point was simply that you can now tell us what Roon server does to SQ, if anything, cuz you can run the NAA machine with it or without it (drag and drop ion HQP machine). Was hoping you try it sometime and report back.

[ChuckT]

I am ready to try NAA for my HQP. Can anyone point me to a clear step by step instruction on how to set up NAA, maybe using a Rasberry Pi3.

TIA

[R1200CL]

So far the best I've seen in a NAS is Intel Atom CPU. That's good for PCM upsampling, but for DSD it is not so good.

 

The only point in buying a NAS device I can see is ease of setting it up, otherwise those are scaled down computers running Linux server. So I rather buy a real server hardware and turn it into a NAS by installing Ubuntu Server or Debian Stretch. For Roon interoperability you need HQPlayer Desktop which in turn has a GUI so the computer needs to be graphics capable*. HQPlayer Embedded is a different thing that doesn't have GUI and thus doesn't need graphics capabilities either, but it is not Roon compatible.

 

Creating something like headless HQPlayer Server version would require reimplementing the application. Doable of course, but a lot of work...

 

 

*) When you run HQPlayer Desktop on Linux, it of course doesn't mean that the physical graphics output would need to happen on the same computer, thanks to X11 it can be redirected to some other computer. Like another Linux machine or Mac (there's a free Xserver for Mac). And it is also possible to Windows, but a bit more pain to set up or alternatively needs to go with a commercial solution.

 

The newest Qnap may be powerful enough. For me only doing PCM up-sampling, the Qnap I have is good enough I guess. Still I do not know how to be able to install HQPlayer in the Container Station my Qnap. Any help / guide ?

 

If not headless HQPlayer is on your roadmap, how about a iDevice App ? Or even better for us Roon users, a better integration with the app, so you can change filters/settings direct from Roon. Is it doable ? On your/Roon roadmap ?

 

Is a Qnap (Qpkg) version more doable than a headless version ? Or does that actually mean you would have to do a headless anyway ?

 

I have now tried HQPlayer for 11 days. I have some problems that repeats itself all the time.

My Roon server is on my Qnap TS-453-Pro. HQP installed on a HTPC. Using the MicroRendu, with SW 2.2. All on same Linksys switch. All fixed IP, set by my IPCop firewall. I believe my network is good. Using Tidal. Local rips is present at a 2008R2. I only use iPad as control.

 

When using Roon and the MR, no problem. With HQP in the loop, I loose connection all the time after a while. Can be an hour. Can be more. (Roon states; Lost connection with transport or something).

 

Solution that seems to work is to choose Apps, HQPlayer in the Sonore meny, and the I have to press restart two times in order get the green text confirming HQPlayer has been restarted.

Then it seems to play in the Roon menu, since these small blue bars are moving, but it does not.

Then I RDT to HQPlayer, and press "Allow control from network" two times. Then I can press play in Roon.

 

This is oblivious a network communication issue. I have now idea if it is related to HQPlayer, Sonore, or Roon.

Or my hiFace EVO, that shows up in HQP settings.

I have enabled logfile in HQPlayer.

 

Today I've installed the latest beta. Time will tell if that helps.

 

Is there anything I could do in order to help you understand what can cause the problem ? Or is this a know issue ?

[warp2600]

I want to try HQplayer in my system but I am not sure if I can:

Currently, I have got a MARANTZ network player (NA6005), which accepts files via ethernet (DLNA protocol).

I am running JRiver on a Mac Mini (Yosemite OS).

 

Now, is there a way to run HQplayer on the Mac for upconverting everything to DSD128 and make the resulting stream available for the MARANTZ through DLNA?

I know I could convert my entire library to DSD128 using JRiver and storing those DSD files on the computer or external HDD so that the JRiver DLNA server could make them accessible for my MARANTZ but I would rather not convert everything offline and use up a terribly big storage space. So I would like to do it on the fly and hear those famous HQplayer filters.

[tboooe]

I want to try HQplayer in my system but I am not sure if I can:

Currently, I have got a MARANTZ network player (NA6005), which accepts files via ethernet (DLNA protocol).

I am running JRiver on a Mac Mini (Yosemite OS).

 

Now, is there a way to run HQplayer on the Mac for upconverting everything to DSD128 and make the resulting stream available for the MARANTZ through DLNA?

I know I could convert my entire library to DSD128 using JRiver and storing those DSD files on the computer or external HDD so that the JRiver DLNA server could make them accessible for my MARANTZ but I would rather not convert everything offline and use up a terribly big storage space. So I would like to do it on the fly and hear those famous HQplayer filters.

 

The only way to use HQPlayer with a renderer like the Marantz would be to use the embedded version running on Linux. Its not the most user friendly setup but others have done it.

[warp2600]

The only way to use HQPlayer with a renderer like the Marantz would be to use the embedded version running on Linux. Its not the most user friendly setup but others have done it.

 

Thanks.

[cat6man]

i'm installing hqplayerd embedded and am making progress.

 

i've followed the instructions on Signalyst - Installing HQPlayer Embedded

my pc is a 5i5 NUC running ubuntu 16.01 LTS.

i've installed and configured hqplayerd and rygel, and when i open them in separate windows, i can see the renderer on my network, so i'm ok up through the 'starting the renderer' section.

 

next step is to install and run the headless server.

i've installed everything except the linux-image-rt-amd64 package............is this a 'stretch' requirement or do i also need it for ubuntu 16?

at this point, i've set up the 'music' login and tlm but i'm stuck with failures on the step 7

Login as user music and check that components get started properly using command "/etc/session.d/user-session"

 

any suggestions on what i should look for next? i can post the error messages from step 7 if that helps.

 

my guess would be that i need a RT kernel for ubuntu, but i'm not sure where to find it, etc.

 

thanks

[astrotoy]

I have just started using HQP (v.3.13.3) with my mch NADAC and Win10. It works great except with upconverting from DSD64 (most of my mch filess are DSD downloads at DSD64) to DSD256 in mch. Works fine with stereo, but not with mch. If I keep at DSD64, I have no problems, but not at DSD256. I tried several algorithms includng the recommended - poly-sinc with and without 2s, 100ms buffer. Any suggestions. I didn't go through the 6000 plus posts, so if the answer is already posted, please direct me to the right place.

 

BTW I was able to load two of my NativeDSD DSD256 mch files to HQP and they played without problem at DSD256. Of course, they were not being upconverted. The other four DSD256 files from NativeDSD all caused HQP to crash when I tried to load them.

 

Thanks, Larry

[dallasjustice]

I'm using the MC-8 too in a MCH setup. I only use four channels. I have a pretty powerful computer and I can't get DSD256 upsampling to work. But I also use convolution filters and some mixing in pipeline. I have to use the beta version. Hopefully the new version with CUDA support will get things over the hump.

 

Most likely it's a lack of computer power which is preventing you from getting clean dsd256

 

Btw, I sent Dom an email about the NADAC. If you look at the the server on the OLED display when you skip to the next track, it goes red. This resets the screen sleep time. The result is that the OLED never goes to sleep during most listening sessions. Dom said the player should "load" the driver even when music is not playing. I'm not sure what he's talking about. He said the emotion player doesn't disconnect from the server like other players. So I bet there's a way for HQP to handle Ravenna ASIO so that it's always loaded, even when music is paused or stopped. This way the OLED can go to sleep as intended.

 

I have just started using HQP with my mch NADAC and Win10. It works great except with upconverting from DSD64 (most of my mch filess are DSD downloads at DSD64) to DSD256 in mch. Works fine with stereo, but not with mch. If I keep at DSD64, I have no problems, but not at DSD256. I tried several algorithms includng the recommended - poly-sinc with and without 2s, 100ms buffer. Any suggestions. I didn't go through the 6000 plus posts, so if the answer is already posted, please direct me to the right place.

 

BTW I was able to load two of my NativeDSD DSD256 mch files to HQP and they played without problem at DSD256. Of course, they were not being upconverted. The other four DSD256 files from NativeDSD all caused HQP to crash when I tried to load them.

 

Thanks, Larry

[bibo01]

I have just started using HQP (v.3.13.3) with my mch NADAC and Win10. It works great except with upconverting from DSD64 (most of my mch filess are DSD downloads at DSD64) to DSD256 in mch. Works fine with stereo, but not with mch. If I keep at DSD64, I have no problems, but not at DSD256. I tried several algorithms includng the recommended - poly-sinc with and without 2s, 100ms buffer. Any suggestions. I didn't go through the 6000 plus posts, so if the answer is already posted, please direct me to the right place.

 

BTW I was able to load two of my NativeDSD DSD256 mch files to HQP and they played without problem at DSD256. Of course, they were not being upconverted. The other four DSD256 files from NativeDSD all caused HQP to crash when I tried to load them.

 

Thanks, Larry

 

What PC do you have? For Multi-ch DSD256 upsampling you need a very powerful cpu with many cores.

Have you tried DSD128? Do you get the same result?

 

I didn't fully understand your post. Does HQP crash every time you upsample DSD64>DSD256? Does it start calculation?

[astrotoy]

I'm using the MC-8 too in a MCH setup. I only use four channels. I have a pretty powerful computer and I can't get DSD256 upsampling to work. But I also use convolution filters and some mixing in pipeline. I have to use the beta version. Hopefully the new version with CUDA support will get things over the hump.

 

Most likely it's a lack of computer power which is preventing you from getting clean dsd256

 

Btw, I sent Dom an email about the NADAC. If you look at the the server on the OLED display when you skip to the next track, it goes red. This resets the screen sleep time. The result is that the OLED never goes to sleep during most listening sessions. Dom said the player should "load" the driver even when music is not playing. I'm not sure what he's talking about. He said the emotion player doesn't disconnect from the server like other players. So I bet there's a way for HQP to handle Ravenna ASIO so that it's always loaded, even when music is paused or stopped. This way the OLED can go to sleep as intended.

 

DJ and bibo01, thanks for the help.

 

First, what I found out was if I loaded Emotion first, then HQP couldn't find the driver or whatever to start without an error. So I don't load Emotion and HQP works fine. I'll have to look at the NADAC screen. I've had no problem with just leaving HQP on and stopping and starting playing or even pausing. Your comment and bibo01's about lack of computer power is probably true. I have a $900 HP touch screen laptop from Costco.

 

Sorry, I don't know what CUDA support is.

 

As far as upsampling and crashing, what happens when I try to upconvert a mch DSD64 file to DSD256, there is a lot of noise while playing - I can hear some music, but mostly noise. The problem with crashing is different. When I tried to load the DSD256 mch albums (I bought all 6 of the NativeDSD 256 mch/stereo offerings), it doesn't get as far as loading onto the library - just says the program has to close. Two of the six albums did load (the two Bach Cello Suites V1 and V2 mch). They played fine in mch. Also when I tried to load a tree of DSD64 mch albums - about 200 albums - it balked and the program crashed. It loaded fine when I loaded a similar tree with 200 stereo DSD64 albums. I haven't tried DSD128, but will tonight. Thanks for the idea.

 

BTW, I have a 5.1 system and a parallel 2.0 system with a custom switch to go back and forth a mch preamp and a stereo preamp. So I use the 2+6 configuration for Emotion. Dom created that option for me last fall. I set up HQP the same way, mapping the 5.1 channels to outputs 3 through 8 in the NADAC and the stereo channels to outputs 1 and 2. I have to check the little box in the Tools- ASIO Channel Mappings to go from stereo to multichannel. That allows me to use my better stereo preamp and also switch the NADAC to stereo mode (to gang the DACs together).

 

Larry

[bibo01]

Merging Technologies driver is single client, so you can have only one program that uses it at a time - either Emotion or HQPlayer in your case.

CUDA refers to nVidia game/3D graphic cards that offer offload to HQPlayer calculation. As you have a laptop, it doesn't interest you.

 

What CPU do you have in your HP laptop? You need minimum a quad core.

 

If you haven't done it already, enable Pipeline SDM in Settings.

 

You say that 2 mch albums played fine (the two Bach Cello Suites V1 and V2 mch). I wonder if they have a different channel configuration compared to the other DSD256 albums.

[Miska]

Btw, I sent Dom an email about the NADAC. If you look at the the server on the OLED display when you skip to the next track, it goes red. This resets the screen sleep time. The result is that the OLED never goes to sleep during most listening sessions. Dom said the player should "load" the driver even when music is not playing. I'm not sure what he's talking about. He said the emotion player doesn't disconnect from the server like other players. So I bet there's a way for HQP to handle Ravenna ASIO so that it's always loaded, even when music is paused or stopped. This way the OLED can go to sleep as intended.

 

HQPlayer keeps ASIO driver loaded as long as it is running or until you go to the Settings dialog...

[Miska]

I have just started using HQP (v.3.13.3) with my mch NADAC and Win10. It works great except with upconverting from DSD64 (most of my mch filess are DSD downloads at DSD64) to DSD256 in mch. Works fine with stereo, but not with mch. If I keep at DSD64, I have no problems, but not at DSD256. I tried several algorithms includng the recommended - poly-sinc with and without 2s, 100ms buffer. Any suggestions. I didn't go through the 6000 plus posts, so if the answer is already posted, please direct me to the right place.

 

Filter settings don't have effect for DSD upsampling (integrator setting is the only one that has). As rough rule of thumb, for DSD256 multichannel you need to have at least as many cores on CPU as you have output channels and at least 3.2 GHz clock speed (base rate, non-turbo). Preferably twice as many CPU cores as output channels, 3.2 GHz base rate, or alternatively powerful CUDA capable GPU. (in good case, this spec may get you mch DSD512 too)

 

AVX2 capability on the CPU helps too...

[wisnon]

HQPlayer keeps ASIO driver loaded as long as it is running or until you go to the Settings dialog...

 

Hey Jussi,

 

I have an Intel i7 4700T (2.7ghz) quad core Server with an MSI MS-7851 motherboard and 8gb Ram.

I use Win2012 in A.O GUI mode and HQP shell to do direct playback to Amanero.

 

I cant get DSD256 upsampling to work reliably without stutter. After 10-15 seconds, it starts to stutter. DSD128 is no problem at all. I tried all filter combinations and increased buffer size to no avail. Could it be a BIOS setting or some other computer setup issue? Indeed, I cant get DSD256 upsampling to work at all with JRiver! Even native 256 was a problem.

 

Native 256 playback is not a problem with HQP at all.

 

I would imagine that an i7 4700T should have no problem doing DSD256 upsampling, especially with -2 filters! I dont think I need to upgrade to Skylake 6700K unless I want to do DSD512 upsampling.

 

Any tips appreciated from you or anyone.

[astrotoy]

Filter settings don't have effect for DSD upsampling (integrator setting is the only one that has). As rough rule of thumb, for DSD256 multichannel you need to have at least as many cores on CPU as you have output channels and at least 3.2 GHz clock speed (base rate, non-turbo). Preferably twice as many CPU cores as output channels, 3.2 GHz base rate, or alternatively powerful CUDA capable GPU. (in good case, this spec may get you mch DSD512 too)

 

AVX2 capability on the CPU helps too...

 

Thanks, Jussi. I will be looking for a better computer. I recently bought the entire Channel Classics catalog (almost 200 albums!) from NativeDSD in both mch and stereo. Tom Caulfield told me that I had to have HQP to get the most out of those files. So I will have a lot of albums to upsample in mch DSD256 on my NADAC. Larry