HQ Player

[kelvinwsy]

ooh yeh my mistake ! photos coming up

[kelvinwsy]

ooh yeh my mistake ! photos coming up

I meant Same output stsge in R26 as A26 so i bought the A26

[kelvinwsy]

2nd photo is Afterdark Queen

3rd photo is U18

of course 1st photo is A26

Kid u not

[kelvinwsy]

Here is A22

[kelvinwsy]

Ha! my mistake ! ut was Tharbamar and Soundnews that reviewed the A26

[kelvinwsy]

Nkam 

I would recommend putting either the R26 or the A26 on yr shopping list if u are using say Topping D90 series

of course YMMV

[kelvinwsy]

I sold my Sms200 ultra neo and my etherregen last year

So i just collected the necessary gear to do Streaming to the NAA ! Setting these up today! 

Will report back! A26 tests and comparision btwn USB/i2S and LAN 

It will take a while as I wish to move the Queen Clock fr the U18 for USB/I2S bk to direct connection to the A26 for LAN 

Under i2s the dac takes the clock signal fr the DDC 

while the clock has to be on the DAC as the DDC is bypassed in LAN operation

 

I will be testing this LAN filter to see if I can do w/o an expensive OXCO network switch

will be compate with snd w/o fiber optic isolation too

[kelvinwsy]

Yes Sir @Miska it has arrived and opening it for photos!

And the good news , the Gustard A26 with factory firmware plays Hqplayer NAA DSD512 , EC7v2 smooth as butter!

SQ hard to say ad I hv not hooked ip my fibre optic converters and the isolation netgear switch(😱actually the 12v unit burnt, and I seem to be unable to locate the other 5v unit!

So both Hqplayer server and A26 straight into the modem that is already downstresm of the IP provider's modem

A quick sound check.. fr memory .. it is comparable to direct USB

BUT against DDC..Master clock .. usb/i2s I think HMMMH🤔🤔🤔

 

 

[kelvinwsy]

Here are the closeup shots of the internals !

The inside of the top plate has many weights .. to anchor the unit down when audiophiles connect super heavy gauge ethernet cables???

 

[kelvinwsy]

I think it's gonna be fun upgrading the network chain ( in my case to prepare for hires streaming)

The NAA connection sounds very promising

[kelvinwsy]

Dont think the crystals are Crystek at all 🤬

Just oscillator chips??

[kelvinwsy]

Hmmh shuld I lodge a complaint and return the unit??

I think i will do a sq chk .. it may help the SQ after all ! 

I will report back

[kelvinwsy]

Useless unit blocks  the ethernet connection! Submitted a claim for return and refund to vendor/ thru aliexpress

DONT BUY THIS THING!!

[kelvinwsy]

Ethernet NAA SQ really does not measure up to USB/I2S thru the Gustard U18

 

Immediate difference on USB/I2S is the pin point focus of the soundstage ! Yet still smooth and dynamic

Enough said

I am staying with USB / I2S chain

[kelvinwsy]

Hi @Miska

I hv been testing Apple Music inside latest version of itunes for Windows 11 pro

I hv been wondering if there is a way to output the itunes digital output --bypassing the Windows Audio device in Win 11 pro 

AND inputing this into Hqplayer to connect this to my USB dac? 
Will something like a minidsp flex work 

And if so how to connect this?

[kelvinwsy]

3 hours ago, Miska said:

 

I don't think you can bypass Windows audio stack there, just like on macOS Apple Music doesn't bypass CoreAudio rate conversions / mixer. You can use some virtual audio loopback driver to do that. If you want automatic rate switching with Apple Music, the only properly working way I know is to run it on iPad/iPhone through USB adapter and then input it to HQPlayer.

 

 

No, it doesn't look like something suitable for the purpose.

 

I hv the camera kit as well as the lightning to usb adapter! I hv been using this with the iphone 11 pro max  and connecting to my iFi iDSD Bkack Label DAC! So hiw to connect this to my Hqplayer ?? Thx 

[kelvinwsy]

12 hours ago, Miska said:

 

As long as you don't have the MQA firmware in iDSD BL, it has functional S/PDIF output (you can always flash the last non-MQA firmware). So you would need some suitable audio device with coaxial S/PDIF input on the HQPlayer computer.

 

Will this work?

https://www.amazon.sg/Sedna-SE-PCIE-SC-10-Standard-Brackets-Included/dp/B0777M7CRV

[kelvinwsy]

15 minutes ago, kelvinwsy said:

Will this work?

https://www.amazon.sg/Sedna-SE-PCIE-SC-10-Standard-Brackets-Included/dp/B0777M7CRV

I never did the MQA firmware update ! so spdif output shuld be good

[kelvinwsy]

with exactly the same setup, using the same album The Doobie Brothers "SOUTHBOUND"

Changing from Apple music playbk to my own 44.1khz CD file, the difference was so evident to hear

1. Overall Apple Music sounded slightly hard 

2. Soundstage more diffuse , especially extreme hard left and hard right sounds

3. Hqplayer better image focus, more tactility - pinpoint positioning of sound images. 

4. Example Track 3. featuring Sara Evans sharing vocals with Michael with Sara Evans in center for first verse and then her voice is panned to slightly left of center while Michael Mcdonald is placed just slightly right of center!

Very clear on Hqplayer with pinpoint location!

On itunes thru the Windows Audio Device (windows mixer) there is Bloat in their voices with positioning being hazy and slightly vague

 

The iFi idsd BL portable dac cannot measure up to my highly optimized Gustard U18/A26 chain.. sounds ok but wimpy compare even against itunes/apple music playbk

My point is that if Apple music playbk thru the iphone / ipad and the iFi idsd BL spdif output routed thru Hqplayer.. the resulting SQ will be v very promising

[kelvinwsy]

Superb album

[kelvinwsy]

40 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

Likely at fixed rate, whether automatic rate switching works, I don't know since I have not tested. It says there's an ASIO driver for it, but then the question is whether it actually supports the feature.

 

I will buy and test it n report bk

thx

[kelvinwsy]

12 minutes ago, kelvinwsy said:

I will buy and test it n report bk

thx

No go!! User feedbk is terribke as far as ASIO driver support! 

I will just use Apple Music to explorenew music n not critical listening

Thx @Miska yr quick replies

[kelvinwsy]

2 hours ago, Miska said:

 

Likely at fixed rate, whether automatic rate switching works, I don't know since I have not tested. It says there's an ASIO driver for it, but then the question is whether it actually supports the feature.

 

If I am willing to accept the non auto rate switching shortcoming, will these virtual cables work to connect Apple Music digital output to Hqplayer input?? @Miska is there a way?

Thx 

[kelvinwsy]

Unfortunately Apple Music has all the lossless and hires music I like

And

Qobuz and HRA Streaming are not available where I am!

And Tidal is not to my liking.. Spotify is glorified high rate MP3

Guess i will stick with what I can get out of Apple Music on Win11 pro

 

Latest - I hv downloaded both the VB Cable and the HiFi Cable and ASIO Bridge

1. Took me a while but managed to get 44.1 in and out of the Hifi Cable ASIO Bridge but not the VB Cable which works with KS and not ASIO devices 

 

The SQ is test for itunes playbk continues( yes it works)

But unless there is some sort of hardware device to take the ASIO stream, I dont see this as any loopbk method to feed the itunes stream thru HQplayer!

Maybe we dont need to !

I will also chk for any auto rate conversion

HiFi cable supposed go for up to 352.8 khz SR! 

 

 

 

 

[kelvinwsy]

22 hours ago, kelvinwsy said:

Unfortunately Apple Music has all the lossless and hires music I like

And

Qobuz and HRA Streaming are not available where I am!

And Tidal is not to my liking.. Spotify is glorified high rate MP3

Guess i will stick with what I can get out of Apple Music on Win11 pro

 

Latest - I hv downloaded both the VB Cable and the HiFi Cable and ASIO Bridge

1. Took me a while but managed to get 44.1 in and out of the Hifi Cable ASIO Bridge but not the VB Cable which works with KS and not ASIO devices 

 

The SQ is test for itunes playbk continues( yes it works)

But unless there is some sort of hardware device to take the ASIO stream, I dont see this as any loopbk method to feed the itunes stream thru HQplayer!

Maybe we dont need to !

I will also chk for any auto rate conversion

HiFi cable supposed go for up to 352.8 khz SR! 

 

 

 

 

I hv the following SQ result on all my PC 's and laptop playing itunes with the Hificable:>>

HifiCable brings the itunes sound images into focus. Not digital sounding but highs are crystal clear. If your system leans towards a brighter sound with emphasis on the high freq, this may be a bit too much.

But definitely much closer to Hqplayer 44.1khz PCM Playbk!

Hqplayer still edges ahead with more air, sweeter highs and wider stereo spread!

The worst was using the normal dac driver, as Speaker- DAC Asio driver option