HQ Player

[shahed99]

3 hours ago, Miska said:

 

I had the form online for almost two years, but had to take it offline due to misuse.

 

Please send me email from your original order address.

 

@Miska Thank you! I've sent you email with my old key from my order address.

[Yviena]

6 hours ago, Miska said:

 

Can you ask manufacturer to check it out? They can use HQPlayer trial to test and maybe the have an answer...

 

Hmm seems it happens exactly at the same exact time in the test track darude sandstorm that i use, -2db the bass note breakup happens only once or twice, -3 constantly breakups, -4db fine, at first i thought i was a clipping problem but -1 doesn't have the problem either.

[DancingSea]

5 hours ago, Miska said:

 

I'm curious how many would be happy with HQPlayer Client on iOS/Android and would be ready to pay for it?

 

Because it would cost me 6000 EUR/year extra. So it would need to cost some amount (also taking into account that app stores take 30 - 35% margin plus possible taxes like VAT on top).

 

 

I certainly can’t speak for your personal economic equation, but can say that all of your significant competition offer remote apps, either included in the player’s price, or for something like $10 more.  Thus economics of remotes certainly work in your market, in fact, customers expect them.  And rightfully so. 

 

And you did just significantly raise the price of HQPlayer, making it a little incredulous that a iOS/ Android remote is somehow an economic impossibility.  Especially keeping in mind that setting Roon aside, your remote wielding competitors all cost significantly less than HQPlayer. 

 

Seems to me that making HQPlayer more accessible and user friendly can only help your bottom line.  And for many, having a really good remote, and heaven help us, the addition of Tidal and Quboz, would make Roon unnecessary.   I think your current broader market approach is leaving money on the table. 

[Le Concombre Masqué]

On 6/27/2019 at 5:19 AM, JTS said:

+1 on this. I am curious. I have been bouncing between poly-sinc-ext2, close-form-16m and polysinc-xtr-mp. My playback chain in my work suite where I do most of my listening:

 

Tidal -> Roon -> HQPlayer -> [filter] -> [modulator] -> DSD256 -> USB -> Intona-> RME ADI-2 DAC fs (in DSD direct mode)-> Schiit Freya -> Neumann KH120As

 

I listen principally to studio recorded music. Looking at my testing playlist and pulling a few tracks out: Songs: Ohia, Lioness; Mattew E. White, One of These Days; The Books, Group Autogenics I; Bjork, Crystalline; Sparklehorse, Shade and Honey; Gorillaz, Revolving Doors; James Blake, Limit to Your Love; T. Rex, Spaceball Ricochet etc.

 

I have not done any scientific testing here, but I find:

 

closed-form-16M - exciting to listen to, sharp, great separation and stereo imaging. A bit tiring with janglier stuff (non-apo?)

polysinc-xrt-mp - sharp but more mellow than closed form, again great stereo imaging and depth.

polysinc-ext2 - hard one for me to describe. I would say it's very clean and beautiful sounding. I somehow go to it less than 16M or XTR, though. I perhaps just need to give it more time.

 

This all changes around with the modulator. I am going in between DSD5V2, ADSM7, ADSM7 256+fs. All of them sound different though I mostly just stick to ADSM7.

 

I think I could probably do up a matrix and some notes when I have some time.

 

I would be super curious to hear other people's preferences and thoughts on the different filters/modulators and what type of music they might be listening to with them and on what type of system.

 

Any suggestions of things to try and why?

 

Funs!

click on the arrow ; excellent read 

try mqa mp with hires, especially @ 192. 

[Le Concombre Masqué]

2 hours ago, DancingSea said:

 

I certainly can’t speak for your personal economic equation, but can say that all of your significant competition offer remote apps, either included in the player’s price, or for something like $10 more.  Thus economics of remotes certainly work in your market, in fact, customers expect them.  And rightfully so. 

 

And you did just significantly raise the price of HQPlayer, making it a little incredulous that a iOS/ Android remote is somehow an economic impossibility.  Especially keeping in mind that setting Roon aside, your remote wielding competitors all cost significantly less than HQPlayer. 

 

Seems to me that making HQPlayer more accessible and user friendly can only help your bottom line.  And for many, having a really good remote, and heaven help us, the addition of Tidal and Quboz, would make Roon unnecessary.   I think your current broader market approach is leaving money on the table. 

mconnect Lite works very well as a free iOS remote capable of sending tidal and qobuz to Embedded. Embedded can also be controlled via web page, its own Library inluded, on any mobile device thus I guess.

If you don't love (I indulge) having thousands of albums in no understandable order on one web page, you could probably be happy using Audirvana and its remote (D&D or Library) to front HQPlayer, provided you can bear the  lagging introduced, at least WIFI, when Audirvana faces a large Library and once a few glitches will have been fixed (DSD files don't go through and, via WIFi at least, Audirvana is not sending data fast enough, especially with HIRES, causing interrupts).

[Jerry]

Thanks Le Concombre Masqué! I think Miska explained it very well and I was looking to find out more of the pro and cons between poly-sinc-ext2 and sinc-M, since both of them are apodizing... For Tidal MQA, I let Roon does the first unfold and use poly-sinc-mqa- mp with HQPlayer upsampling to DSD512 and loving the result.

 

On 6/27/2019 at 9:58 AM, Jerry said:

Would appreciate everyone's view on the pros and cons of below three filters:

1) poly-sinc-ext2, apparently this is Jussi's favourite and it's Apod;

2) closed-form- 16M, from the computational point of view, it has to be good right?

3) sinc-M, less computation heavy and comes with Apod.

 

I'm mainly using Tidal -> Roon -> HQPlayer -> sinc-M -> AMSDM7 512+fs -> DSD512, and the main source is 44.1kHz lossless red book of classical and indie. My hardware is iBasso DX220 feeding to Astell&Kern Beyerdynamic AK T1p. 

 

I have a relatively powerful PC running HQPlayer, so would like to fully utilises the computational power to improve the sound quality. What would be everyone's favourite filter setting?

 

1 hour ago, Le Concombre Masqué said:

excellent read 

try mqa mp with hires, especially @ 192. 

 

[Miska]

4 hours ago, DancingSea said:

And you did just significantly raise the price of HQPlayer, making it a little incredulous that a iOS/ Android remote is somehow an economic impossibility.  Especially keeping in mind that setting Roon aside, your remote wielding competitors all cost significantly less than HQPlayer. 

 

Seems to me that making HQPlayer more accessible and user friendly can only help your bottom line.  And for many, having a really good remote, and heaven help us, the addition of Tidal and Quboz, would make Roon unnecessary.   I think your current broader market approach is leaving money on the table. 

 

I'm asking if HQPlayer Client would be considered "good remote". I'm not gonna spend extra money doing something people still don't like and wouldn't use. It would be just plain stupid and put even more pricing pressure on HQPlayer itself.

 

HQPlayer Client would probably cost something like 25 EUR per year before taxes.

 

[Miska]

6 hours ago, Yviena said:

Hmm seems it happens exactly at the same exact time in the test track darude sandstorm that i use, -2db the bass note breakup happens only once or twice, -3 constantly breakups, -4db fine, at first i thought i was a clipping problem but -1 doesn't have the problem either.

 

Let me guess.. HQPlayer Limited counter doesn't stay at 0, and with -1 or -2 dB setting you get smaller limited number than with -3 dB? And -4 dB maybe doesn't limit?

 

Probably higher volumes hit the limiter so hard that multiple limits end up combined into one, while with -3 you get many smaller limits.

 

[craighartley]

50 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

I'm asking if HQPlayer Client would be considered "good remote". I'm not gonna spend extra money doing something people still don't like and wouldn't use. It would be just plain stupid and put even more pricing pressure on HQPlayer itself.

 

HQPlayer Client would probably cost something like 25 EUR per year before taxes.

 

I'd be willing to pay that not to have to go through the rigmarole necessary at present, BUT as I only use HQPlayer through Roon I'd much rather the level of control Client provides was available from within Roon - or at least the possibility to change filter and modulator.

 

I'd put both of these as less of a priority than wanting you to go further than the 1x and Nx distinction within filter settings; for me there are other compromises that would be excluded if I could distinguish between 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x. I'd be willing to pay 25 EUR extra for this!

[Yviena]

7 hours ago, Miska said:

 

Let me guess.. HQPlayer Limited counter doesn't stay at 0, and with -1 or -2 dB setting you get smaller limited number than with -3 dB? And -4 dB maybe doesn't limit?

 

Probably higher volumes hit the limiter so hard that multiple limits end up combined into one, while with -3 you get many smaller limits.

 

Actually limiter is at 0 at -2 dB but -3 still constantly breaks up, yeah I think it's a interaction with the sabre filters as it doesn't happen when sending DSD directSDM

[DancingSea]

12 hours ago, Miska said:

 

I'm asking if HQPlayer Client would be considered "good remote". I'm not gonna spend extra money doing something people still don't like and wouldn't use. It would be just plain stupid and put even more pricing pressure on HQPlayer itself.

 

HQPlayer Client would probably cost something like 25 EUR per year before taxes.

 

 

I’m not sure about HQPlayer Client.  But I would happily pay $10 - $20 for a well designed HQPlayer iOS remote for my iPad.  It would greatly improve HQPlayer’s usability, especially for us who shun Roon.

 

I’m curious:

 

1) Why do you refuse to create such a remote?

 

2) Why do you not add Tidal/ Quboz integration to HQPlayer?

 

Thanks for the explanation 🙏

[Miska]

1 hour ago, DancingSea said:

1) Why do you refuse to create such a remote?

 

HQPlayer Client is such a remote. It can run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android at least. That's why I asked.

 

1 hour ago, DancingSea said:

2) Why do you not add Tidal/ Quboz integration to HQPlayer?

 

Because I'm just a single person and cannot work more than 16 hours per day. And because you can already play those through HQPlayer using other applications. If you don't want to use HQPlayer standalone for playing local content, I doubt you'd be any happier with my Tidal/Qobuz integration either - it would look the same but content source would be just different.

 

But HQPlayer has things others don't have.

 

[Miska]

5 hours ago, Yviena said:

Actually limiter is at 0 at -2 dB but -3 still constantly breaks up, yeah I think it's a interaction with the sabre filters as it doesn't happen when sending DSD directSDM

 

Curious thing is that I've never heard of anybody else having such problem with Sabre...

 

[Superdad]

One thing that I can’t figure out is this:

HQ Player has never directly supported MP3 files. So how is it that Roon manages to play my MP3 tracks (you know we all have some) through HQPe?  I thought Roon only passes files through to HQP without any processing.  Mind you I am not complaining—it was a pleasant surprise once I pointed Roon at my whole music library.  I am just puzzled.

(Sorry for the large text.  Pasted from an email and I’m on my phone.)

[Yviena]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

Curious thing is that I've never heard of anybody else having such problem with Sabre...

 

Maybe it depends on implementation, chip used is ESS9038pro

[k6davis]

1 hour ago, Superdad said:

One thing that I can’t figure out is this:

HQ Player has never directly supported MP3 files. So how is it that Roon manages to play my MP3 tracks (you know we all have some) through HQPe?  I thought Roon only passes files through to HQP without any processing.  Mind you I am not complaining—it was a pleasant surprise once I pointed Roon at my whole music library.  I am just puzzled.

(Sorry for the large text.  Pasted from an email and I’m on my phone.)

 

Roon appears to send everything out at a minimum of 16/44.1, which is ideal for its integration with HQPlayer. All of your Redbook, HD PCM and DSD are sent at their native rates and any lossy files (including lossy internet radio streams!) are upsampled to/sent out as 16/44.1. Therefore, anything that Roon can play can be consumed and upsampled by HQPlayer.

 

File this under possible placebo, but I also prefer the way the music sounds when Roon is feeding HQPlayer - even with Redbook and higher resolution files. I know there shouldn't be any difference, but I hear one.

[DancingSea]

2 hours ago, Miska said:

 

HQPlayer Client is such a remote. It can run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android at least. That's why I asked.

 

 

Because I'm just a single person and cannot work more than 16 hours per day. And because you can already play those through HQPlayer using other applications. If you don't want to use HQPlayer standalone for playing local content, I doubt you'd be any happier with my Tidal/Qobuz integration either - it would look the same but content source would be just different.

 

But HQPlayer has things others don't have.

 

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

1) Can you please explain how HQPlayer Client can be used as an iPad remote for HQPlayer?

 

2) Besides Roon, what Mac OS software can play Tidal or Quboz through HQPlayer?

 

I've read through your website and couldn’t find answers to either. 

 

With ios remotes for Roon, Audirvana and Amarra, it’s simply a matter of going to the App Store.  Could you please explain HQPlayer’s more esoteric approach?

 

Thanks. 

[Bob Stern]

—

[LoryWiv]

18 hours ago, Miska said:

 

I'm asking if HQPlayer Client would be considered "good remote". I'm not gonna spend extra money doing something people still don't like and wouldn't use. It would be just plain stupid and put even more pricing pressure on HQPlayer itself.

 

@Miska: One peripherally related issue: with HQPlayer client is that when I load new tracks into desktop, then select localhost from the client dropdown to load same tracks into client for playback, the 1st thing that happens is client clears the prior loaded tracks but does not load the new ones. However, even w/o loading new tracks it begins and continues to utilize cpu just as if playback had started. The only way I can end the cpu usage is to go back to desktop, open then close settings dialogue. This resets HQPlayer's cpu usage back to near zero. So to begin playing back new tracks from client, sequence of steps I need to do w/o doubling cpu usage is:

 

1. Load tracks into desktop (I drag and drop)

2. Select localhost from client (doesn't load desktop's tracks but initiates cpu usage)

3. Go back to desktop, open settings dialogue then close it, even without making any changes (clears cpu usage)

4. Go back to client and select localhost again to load the new tracks, then begin playback

 

This is quite cumbersome. While overall I''m enjoying 4.04, I'd appreciate advice or a fix in next version.

 

Appreciated.

[Le Concombre Masqué]

5 hours ago, Superdad said:

One thing that I can’t figure out is this:

HQ Player has never directly supported MP3 files. So how is it that Roon manages to play my MP3 tracks (you know we all have some) through HQPe?  I thought Roon only passes files through to HQP without any processing.  Mind you I am not complaining—it was a pleasant surprise once I pointed Roon at my whole music library.  I am just puzzled.

(Sorry for the large text.  Pasted from an email and I’m on my phone.)

I have 0 mp3 but, in the same line, I'm under the impression that Audirvana unfolded one download it identifies as MQA (Amy Winehouse) since, while 48, it played with my nx option filter

[Miska]

6 hours ago, DancingSea said:

1) Can you please explain how HQPlayer Client can be used as an iPad remote for HQPlayer?

 

It cannot be yet, but before burning additional money I'm asking if people would like to use it that way. It would look exactly the same as on macOS, so you don't need to have it on iPad to evaluate the functionality. (just like for example Roon looks the same on iOS and Android as it looks on desktop)

 

6 hours ago, DancingSea said:

2) Besides Roon, what Mac OS software can play Tidal or Quboz through HQPlayer?

 

At least Tidal's own application and A+. I'm not sure about Qobuz because I have never used it (not available in Finland). Generally anything that can output to S/PDIF or AES/EBU. Maybe some loopback software works too.

 

[Miska]

8 hours ago, Superdad said:

One thing that I can’t figure out is this:

HQ Player has never directly supported MP3 files. So how is it that Roon manages to play my MP3 tracks (you know we all have some) through HQPe?  I thought Roon only passes files through to HQP without any processing.  Mind you I am not complaining—it was a pleasant surprise once I pointed Roon at my whole music library.  I am just puzzled.

(Sorry for the large text.  Pasted from an email and I’m on my phone.)

 

That has always worked through HQPlayer Desktop as well. It works because it always sends HQPlayer raw decoded data, not the original file. So anything Roon can play works through HQPlayer as well, HQPlayer is just another output device for Roon.

 

[Miska]

7 hours ago, Yviena said:

Maybe it depends on implementation, chip used is ESS9038pro

 

I doubt, because I have personally tested with 9028pro and 9038q2m. And I'm pretty certain that many people have used it with 9038pro as well, at least some have been using with Oppo and AFAIK exaSound e38mk2 should work too.

 

[k6davis]

On 6/26/2019 at 9:58 PM, Jerry said:

I'm mainly using Tidal -> Roon -> HQPlayer -> sinc-M -> AMSDM7 512+fs -> DSD512, and the main source is 44.1kHz lossless red book of classical and indie. My hardware is iBasso DX220 feeding to Astell&Kern Beyerdynamic AK T1p. 

 

I have a relatively powerful PC running HQPlayer, so would like to fully utilises the computational power to improve the sound quality. What would be everyone's favourite filter setting?

 

I'm using NAS -> Roon -> HQP OS -> poly-sync-hb -> DSD7 256+fs -> DSD512 -> HQP OS (NAA) -> ISO Regen -> Mapleshade USB -> Lampizator L4 DSD Only Preamp/DAC -> PurePower SE Amp -> Magnepan 3.7i. 

 

About a year ago, I upgraded my HQP server to an AMD Ryzen 7 2700x (8 real + 8 virtual cores) so I could experiment with the more demanding filters, but poly-sinc-hb remains my favorite. It doesn't require a powerful processor to run and I don't think Jussi thinks that highly of it but it sounds amazing in my system.

 

The other (more popular) combinations make the music sound like a superb recording but with "hb" and "DSD7", it sounds like the performers are in the room. There's a sense that transients come out of... nothing. They're clear, as they should be, but you can better hear the space between them. Also, the texture of each instrument and its ambience is more distinct. 

 

I don't know how you can have a "best" HQP setting. All of our systems (and rooms) are completely different and that doesn't even take into account personal taste. But I wanted to contribute my .02 - especially since it's a unique opinion.

[Jerry]

7 minutes ago, k6davis said:

 

I'm using NAS -> Roon -> HQP OS -> poly-sync-hb -> DSD7 256+fs -> DSD512 -> HQP OS (NAA) -> ISO Regen -> Mapleshade USB -> Lampizator L4 DSD Only Preamp/DAC -> PurePower SE Amp -> Magnepan 3.7i. 

 

About a year ago, I upgraded my HQP server to an AMD Ryzen 7 2700x (8 real + 8 virtual cores) so I could experiment with the more demanding filters, but poly-sinc-hb remains my favorite. It doesn't require a powerful processor to run and I don't think Jussi thinks that highly of it but it sounds amazing in my system.

 

The other (more popular) combinations make the music sound like a superb recording but with "hb" and "DSD7", it sounds more like the performers are in the room. There's a sense that transients come out of... nothing. They're clear, as they should be, but you can better hear the space between them. Also, the texture of each instrument and its ambience is more distinct. 

 

I don't know how you can have a "best" HQP setting. All of our systems (and rooms) are completely different and that doesn't even take into account personal taste. But I wanted to contribute my .02 - especially since it's a unique opinion.

Thank you for your feedback, just a bit curious your choice of DSD7 256+fs instead of AMSDM7 512+fs. I agree there's no "best" filters, but given the idling processing power, I'm looking to fully utilises it even it only yield marginal improvement.