HQ Player

[k6davis]

37 minutes ago, Jerry said:

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.

I've tried them both. Again, in my system and to my ears, DSD7 256+fs definitely sounded better than AMSDM7 512+fs. I wish there was a DSD7 512+fs.

 

Beyond that, the AMSDM7 512+fs modulator doesn't use more system resources than the DSD7 256+fs, or even the AMSDM7 modulator. It's just optimzed to sound better with (and will only function at) 512 or higher. The DSD7 256+fs is optimzed to sound better with 256 or higher, which obviously includes 512. It's the filters that have a huge variance in the amount of processing they require. If I'm wrong about any of that, someone please correct me.

 

Going further still, there's a line of thinking that having a heavy load on your server can negatively impact the sound. I'm not sure if that's true, or if it is, where the line is. Like I said, I upgraded my server to try out the more "intense" options, but the settings I referred to above gave me the best sound - and by a considerable margin. Maybe it's because my relatively powerful machine is loafing and separated from the DAC with an NAA. I don't have the technical understanding to know why, but I like what I hear.

 

My approach is to experiment (especially when it's free, like these options are, or cheap) with no expectations about what ought to be best. 

[Bob Stern]

10 hours ago, DancingSea said:

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

 

4 hours ago, Miska said:

... Maybe some loopback software works too.

 

I can confirm that Rogue Amoeba "Loopback" works.  I use it with Idagio's app, so it must work the same way with apps from Tidal & Qobuz.

[Yviena]

10 hours ago, Miska said:

 

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.

 

Well then idk what could be the problem then at -3db, maybe there's something specific to my unit that triggers it, but I doubt that...

[Miska]

2 hours ago, Yviena said:

Well then idk what could be the problem then at -3db, maybe there's something specific to my unit that triggers it, but I doubt that...

 

That's why it would be good for manufacturer to check what is going on...

 

[Yviena]

50 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

That's why it would be good for manufacturer to check what is going on...

 

Yeah I'm gonna try to contact them tomorrow.

[DancingSea]

22 hours ago, Miska said:

 

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)

 

 

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.

 

 

Please forgive me, but I find this a bit confusing.  You mention HQPlayer Client.  I have no idea what that is.  So I go to your website and read everything I can find, but don’t see anything mentioning HQPlayer Client.

 

1) What is HQPlayer Client and where can I get it?

 

2) I have HQPlayer 3 Desktop.  How would I run TIdal’s app through HQPlayer 3 desktop on my Mac?

 

Thanks.

[rando]

Client refers to HQP4 which you have drawn a line between yourself and.  You can certainly use the search function here to learn all that is necessary about it and how it has been implemented differently in HQP4.  

 

Hint: Very touchscreen friendly full screen atmosphere with text sprawling ever outwards over cover art in HQP3.

[Miska]

38 minutes ago, DancingSea said:

1) What is HQPlayer Client and where can I get it?

 

It comes with HQPlayer 4 Desktop, but it also works with HQPlayer 4 Embedded. (and it doesn't need a license key, so users of HQPlayer 4 Embedded can also use it without extra spending)

 

39 minutes ago, DancingSea said:

2) I have HQPlayer 3 Desktop.  How would I run TIdal’s app through HQPlayer 3 desktop on my Mac?

 

Support for realtime inputs is part of HQPlayer 4 Desktop and HQPlayer 4 Embedded as well.

 

[Le Concombre Masqué]

45 minutes ago, DancingSea said:

 

Please forgive me, but I find this a bit confusing.  You mention HQPlayer Client.  I have no idea what that is.  So I go to your website and read everything I can find, but don’t see anything mentioning HQPlayer Client.

 

1) What is HQPlayer Client and where can I get it?

 

2) I have HQPlayer 3 Desktop.  How would I run TIdal’s app through HQPlayer 3 desktop on my Mac?

 

Thanks.

free mConnect Lite will send Tidal to Embedded via your iOS device. 

Much preferred my rip of Arrau's Chopin's Nocturnes vs Qobuz' via mConnect but can't see why mconnect would be the culprit. I consider  streaming only for casual use anyway

[Le Concombre Masqué]

22 hours 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 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.

I have to use hb in its 2s version to avoid cpu throttles and above threshold temperatures so it has to be processor intensive...

 

Interesting alternative to apodising filters for modern 24/96 jazz and classical that have probably been made/approved with half band processing

[DancingSea]

40 minutes ago, Miska said:

Support for realtime inputs is part of HQPlayer 4 Desktop and HQPlayer 4 Embedded as well

 

Would you be so kind to provide kiddie level step by step instructions of how I send the Mac Tidal app music to HQP4 desktop?

[DancingSea]

1 hour ago, rando said:

Client refers to HQP4 which you have drawn a line between yourself and.  You can certainly use the search function here to learn all that is necessary about it and how it has been implemented differently in HQP4.  

 

Hint: Very touchscreen friendly full screen atmosphere with text sprawling ever outwards over cover art in HQP3.

 

Well, I have my reasonable questioning of the HQPlayer 4 pricing, but have nothing against HQPlayer 4 itself.  If Geoffrey can get Swinsian to work as the front end for HQPlayer 4 (script release coming soon), and if I can reasonably and reliably, without a computer engineering degree,  get the Mac desktop Tidal App to play through HQPlayer 4, I just might bite the bullet, and with the aforementioned protest lodged, buy a HQPlayer 4 license 👍

[Miska]

2 hours ago, DancingSea said:

Would you be so kind to provide kiddie level step by step instructions of how I send the Mac Tidal app music to HQP4 desktop?

 

Have you tried the Loopback @Bob Stern referred to?

 

[asdf1000]

On 5/19/2019 at 1:39 PM, Bob Stern said:

 

I'm not Miska, but I and a couple of others have posted here about using Rogue Amoeba Loopback to pipe the output of a music player app (Idagio, Qobuz, etc) or a web browser to HQP4.  The only limitation is that HQP4 requires manually setting its input sample rate to match the source..

 

Hi Bob

 

So Loopback supports up to PCM192kHz? 

 

I don't have an issue with changing HQP4 manually to match source sample rate.

 

[Bob Stern]

9 hours ago, Em2016 said:

So Loopback supports up to PCM192kHz?

 

I don’t know.  Idagio only provides 44.1.  Try it and find out.  Be sure to set Audio MIDI Setup to 192 for the Loopback device.

 

Rogue Amoeba Loopback admittedly is quite expensive at $99, but it has a very generous, flexible trial mode:  It is not limited by number of days.  It replaces the sound with white noise after 30 minutes of actual audio transmission.  Time the program sits idly without capturing audio is not counted toward the 30 minutes.  Each time you relaunch it, you get another 30 minutes.

[craighartley]

Miska,

When will we get the new EC modulators in HQP Desktop 4?

[Miska]

19 hours ago, craighartley said:

When will we get the new EC modulators in HQP Desktop 4?

 

In next release, for both Desktop and Pro. All v4 are mostly in sync, but not released exactly at the same time. This time Embedded was the most ready one and I also wanted to get one fix for UPnP DSD streaming out.

 

[k6davis]

19 hours ago, craighartley said:

Miska,

When will we get the new EC modulators in HQP Desktop 4?

 

EC modulators (???) 

[Miska]

1 minute ago, k6davis said:

EC modulators (???) 

 

Three new modulator variants released as part of Embedded 4.11.0. DSD5EC, ASDM5EC and ASDM7EC.

 

[gdpr]

Hi Miska

 

Can you please ellaborate on what EC stands for, and what are the main differentiators of these new modulators compared with the 'older' ones?

Thanks in advance

 

Dirk

 

[Miska]

1 hour ago, ddetaey said:

Can you please ellaborate on what EC stands for, and what are the main differentiators of these new modulators compared with the 'older' ones?

 

"Extended Compensation", but it's pretty meaningless, just had to come up with some short naming. These new ones offer significantly better accuracy. Although the earlier ones are already very accurate, I managed to improve the accuracy significantly further. Especially good when combined with filters like poly-sinc-ext2 and poly-sinc-xtr.

 

Down side is that the new ones stretch out all remaining cycles of the most recent CPUs... I'm still testing out what output formats my computers are capable of doing with these... The rough CPU load increase compared to earlier ones is 3x.

 

[mtcs]

19 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

"Extended Compensation", but it's pretty meaningless, just had to come up with some short naming. These new ones offer significantly better accuracy. Although the earlier ones are already very accurate, I managed to improve the accuracy significantly further. Especially good when combined with filters like poly-sinc-ext2 and poly-sinc-xtr.

 

Down side is that the new ones stretch out all remaining cycles of the most recent CPUs... I'm still testing out what output formats my computers are capable of doing with these... The rough CPU load increase compared to earlier ones is 3x.

 

Hi Miska,

 

I really appreciate all work you do to improve SQ. IMHO, this is time better spent than on UI changes.

Getting them for free is an incredible value. Thanks.

 

Mark

[k6davis]

2 hours ago, Miska said:

 

"Extended Compensation", but it's pretty meaningless, just had to come up with some short naming. These new ones offer significantly better accuracy. Although the earlier ones are already very accurate, I managed to improve the accuracy significantly further. Especially good when combined with filters like poly-sinc-ext2 and poly-sinc-xtr.

 

Down side is that the new ones stretch out all remaining cycles of the most recent CPUs... I'm still testing out what output formats my computers are capable of doing with these... The rough CPU load increase compared to earlier ones is 3x.

 

 

Well that's exciting! It'll be interesting to see if my server can handle them. 

 

Is there any way to monitor the CPU load while using HQP OS?

[Le Concombre Masqué]

tried EC in embedded ; kudos kudos amazing  @Miska

 

 

I can do the 5s flavor (with a preference for DSD5 with my DAC; ASDM7 seems amazing but I only get glimpses) with PCM

xtr 2s & 16/44, hb2s & 24/96, mqa mp & 24/192 checked OK.

 

Can't do DSD any longer than a few second even with convolution set to add

 

(TWIMC : see my sig for machine and mind the full range convolution and DSD128 output)

 

Btw add and EC suit each other for the deepest soundstage but on some tracks I still prefer the beefier Save

 

tried all that in insomnia ; this being stated, I formulated to myself the wish that Miska invades the pro market so that they can check what they do for it's getting very very revealing. A few times I knocked down the Volume 1.5 or 2 dB. But it was then that I got soundstage I never had on the concerned tracks. That's logical but I want to stress that criteria and tradeoffs considerations might have to be changed to adapt and fully appreciate the benefits.

 

Audirvana seems  to work perfectly well as front end to Embedded (D&D from Finder is much faster than loading Library etc but for those who like it's there, coupled to gorgeous HQP sound) , but for MCH (sent to a Stereo DAC ; maybe anyway am I the only one concerned despite the thread I created to invite everyone to enjoy rock Pop MCH DVD-A in stereo with Miska's settings...)

 

Great work, thank you !!

 

for those who can afford, I strongly recommend running Roon or Audirvana in a WIFI laptop feeding a powerful machine processing Embedded that sends to a third, NAA, machine.

 

It has got really easy to set up, is very handy-dandy and sounds gorgeous

 

 

[Miska]

8 hours ago, k6davis said:

Is there any way to monitor the CPU load while using HQP OS?

 

I cannot check right now, but I think "top" is there, so if you login as "root" and then run "top" you should see something.