HQ Player

[StreamFidelity]

12 hours ago, Miska said:

Here's now third attempt to build fast version for Windows:

https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/HQPlayer4Desktop-setup-4140-3.exe

 

Thank you very much for your efforts. I tested HQPlayer4Desktop 4.14.0-3.

 

My settings:

What is the function of the box below Quick pause?

 

 

1st test: old version 4.13.1
No dropouts

 

 

2nd test: new version 4.14.0-3
Dropouts although the core load is not higher. Unusual.

 

 

3nd test: new version 4.14.0-3 other filter
Dropouts

 

4th test: new version 4.14.0-3 ASDM5EC
Dropouts

 

 

5th test: new version 4.14.0-3 DSD128x48 (96kHz)
great sound, no problems

 

 

6th test: new version 4.14.0-3 DSD128 (44.1kHz)
great sound, no problems

 

 

Conclusion

 

DSD128 and ASDM7ECv2 work with no issues and sounds great. Now I can't say whether it sounds better than the old 4.13.1 version with DSD256 and ASDM7EC. But the new 4.14.0-3 has a really nice sound with a lower core load and I'll leave it that way for now. 👍

[bogi]

46 minutes ago, StreamFidelity said:

Dropouts although the core load is not higher. Unusual.

Did you try Multicore DSP fully ticked? With so low overalI CPU load I would expect all the above cases would play without dropouts. Give it a try ...

[StreamFidelity]

5 minutes ago, bogi said:

Did you try Multicore DSP fully ticked?

 

Yes, I tried it. That doesn't work at all. Lots of dropouts.

 

It's better if Jussi's AI pins the cores. 😄

[Miska]

4 hours ago, kelvinwsy said:

Is 4.14 incompatible with Windows Server 2019 Core Mode?

 

Likely yes. Probably Windows desktop compositor or something doesn't have all needed rendering components available.

 

[Miska]

2 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

What is the function of the box below Quick pause?

 

There are tool tips available for most items, if you hover mouse over the setting. It is PCM gain compensation so that PCM and DSD play at equal volumes. For Holo Audio, set it to -6 dB, for AKM chips set it to -3.5 dB and for ESS set it to 0 dB. For TI/BB chips, setting depends on selected analog conversion filter, value can be found from the chip's data sheet.

 

It is mostly useful for Holo Audio if you want to use both modes. And for other DACs for comparison purposes.

 

[Miska]

1 hour ago, bogi said:

Did you try Multicore DSP fully ticked? With so low overalI CPU load I would expect all the above cases would play without dropouts. Give it a try ...

 

It forces modulators to be split to two cores instead of one. For most cases on x64 this almost doubles the total modulator load (due to the cross-core communication overhead) and makes things not work. So usually it doesn't happen with auto config. But other parallelizations happen with auto depending on detected number of available CPU cores and whether GPU offload is active or not.

 

[jvvita]

14 hours ago, Miska said:

 

For such cases I have a simple cheap gigabit USB-Ethernet dongle with old enough chip. I can then plug it in to have internet access in such cases.

 

Success. Found an old wifi dongle that did the job.

 

Now for the good news: not only asdm7ecv2 is possible, but also two filters that would not run in windows (poly ext3 and gauss xla) now work without hiccups (all to dsd256), even with 7ecv2. 

 

But I had to manually enable Intel turbo boost in Ubuntu. 

 

Does hqplayerOS enable turbo boost by default? Running Intel i9-10900k

[Luca72c]

58 minutes ago, jvvita said:

Success. Found an old wifi dongle that did the job.

 

Now for the good news: not only asdm7ecv2 is possible, but also two filters that would not run in windows (poly ext3 and gauss xla) now work without hiccups (all to dsd256), even with 7ecv2. 

 

But I had to manually enable Intel turbo boost in Ubuntu. 

 

Does hqplayerOS enable turbo boost by default? Running Intel i9-10900k

 

After some tries, i found the best (more performance and more stable) solution with my i9-10850K is setting a fixed frequency for all cores (in my case, 5.2 ghz). By doing this, i can easily run ext3 and gauss xla in win10 without hiccups, even a bit better than in linux, but using 4.13.1.

In 4.14, instead, win10 performance has become clearly worse than linux... An unintentional sabotage that shifts the balance in win/linux rivalry 😅😉

BUT, as i have both HQP OS and win10 on my system to compare, i have to say that win SQ is better even in 4.14 imho, more contrast and more body to the instruments (using Minority Clean) - even if i have to use ASDM5ECv2 in win10 instead of ASDM7ECv2. So i have to choose: better performance or better SQ...

[kelvinwsy]

3 hours ago, Miska said:

 

Likely yes. Probably Windows desktop compositor or something doesn't have all needed rendering components available.

 

If so why does 4.13.1 and earlier versions run so stable ??

What hss chsnged btwn 4.13.1 and 4.14 versions?

[giordy60]

on windows server 2016 4.14.0 -2 and 4.14.0 -3 work perfectly.

[LoryWiv]

2 hours ago, Luca72c said:

 

After some tries, i found the best (more performance and more stable) solution with my i9-10850K is setting a fixed frequency for all cores (in my case, 5.2 ghz). By doing this, i can easily run ext3 and gauss xla in win10 without hiccups, even a bit better than in linux, but using 4.13.1.

In 4.14, instead, win10 performance has become clearly worse than linux... An unintentional sabotage that shifts the balance in win/linux rivalry 😅😉

BUT, as i have both HQP OS and win10 on my system to compare, i have to say that win SQ is better even in 4.14 imho, more contrast and more body to the instruments (using Minority Clean) - even if i have to use ASDM5ECv2 in win10 instead of ASDM7ECv2. So i have to choose: better performance or better SQ...

Yes, 4.14.3 /ASDM5ECv2 works smoothly w/o dropouts for DSD128 with moderate and low-resource filters, but stutters (or won't initialize) with other filters that 4.13 ran smoothly, Unfortunately, 4.14.3 is also a no go with any filter at DSD256. This limitation is even with no other aps / big processes open on Win10.  I am happy with ASDMECv2 outputting DSD128 for now, but if possible a next build with a bit less resource burden would be welcomed. I know there may be limits to what is possible and to @Miska's wizardry, but for those of us without the luxury of multiple rigs who run HQP in Win10 on on same PC while doing some light browser-based work etc...it would be very welcomed if possible. For now, I will enjoy @Miska's latest release.

[Miska]

1 hour ago, LoryWiv said:

Yes, 4.14.3 /ASDM5ECv2 works smoothly w/o dropouts for DSD128 with moderate and low-resource filters, but stutters (or won't initialize) with other filters that 4.13 ran smoothly, Unfortunately, 4.14.3 is also a no go with any filter at DSD256. This limitation is even with no other aps / big processes open on Win10. 

 

Which CPU is this? Have you tried -2 and -3 builds and which one is better for you?

 

 

[Luca72c]

2 hours ago, LoryWiv said:

Yes, 4.14.3 /ASDM5ECv2 works smoothly w/o dropouts for DSD128 with moderate and low-resource filters, but stutters (or won't initialize) with other filters that 4.13 ran smoothly, Unfortunately, 4.14.3 is also a no go with any filter at DSD256. This limitation is even with no other aps / big processes open on Win10.  I am happy with ASDMECv2 outputting DSD128 for now, but if possible a next build with a bit less resource burden would be welcomed. I know there may be limits to what is possible and to @Miska's wizardry, but for those of us without the luxury of multiple rigs who run HQP in Win10 on on same PC while doing some light browser-based work etc...it would be very welcomed if possible. For now, I will enjoy @Miska's latest release.

 

I forgot to specify that i was talking about DSD256, both in 4.13.1 and in 4.14. I never convert to DSD128. 

I can use filters like gauss-xla in 4.14_2 with ASDM5ECv2 and DSD256 in win10, but not with ASDM7EC. 

So PCs based on i9-10900K (mine on i9-10850K) should have same results as i have, at same core frequency: just try overclocking al cores to 5.2 ghz and they should be able to play DSD256 with ASDM5ECv2 in windows using 4.14_2 (and probably 4.14_3 too, i did not test it yet)... 

[scintilla]

Hi Jussi, do you have the RIAA plugin structured to select biquads based on the input rate or are they fixed and the input rate scaled and can I use DSD from the ADI-2 pro?  I would also like to be able to use a 300Hz turnover frequency filter for playing 78's. Thank you for adding this feature it will vastly simplify my setup.  Also, how do I use alternate filters in pipeline (riaa or 300hz turnover for 78's)?  It appears that they are all active when the enabled box is checked.

[LoryWiv]

58 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

Which CPU is this? Have you tried -2 and -3 builds and which one is better for you?

i7-7700 @ 4.2 GHz. Flags 2 / 3 overall similar capabilities / resource consumption, with multi-core "gray" setting.

[kelvinwsy]

3 hours ago, giordy60 said:

on windows server 2016 4.14.0 -2 and 4.14.0 -3 work perfectly.

Yes on my Gui mode os it is perfect! Not for Core Mode Win Server 2019! Black screen NADA!?? AO3 folder deleted totally So no AO3 at all.. @Miska if u can compare 4.13.1 and 4.14 versions and figure out is different and add the .dll or what is missing then I am sure it will run under Core Mode ! Thx

[StreamFidelity]

At the moment I am enjoying the advantages of a lower processor load with DSD128. It's still double an SACD or 128 times a CD.

Now I can finally get filters to work that didn't work before. For example poly-sinc-ext3 or poly-sinc-gauss-xla.

 

[MemoryPlayer]

Both track and total remain time don't work with 4.14.0-2!

 

BTW, sound is more precise and linear, the way I like...

[Miska]

2 hours ago, kelvinwsy said:

@Miska if u can compare 4.13.1 and 4.14 versions and figure out is different and add the .dll or what is missing then I am sure it will run under Core Mode ! Thx

 

It is likely all the GUI toolkit stuff. And the solution is to use stock Windows 10 or Windows 11.

 

Windows Server editions have never been supported. If HQPlayer works there, it is out of pure luck.

 

No DLL can fix missing Windows components.

[Miska]

1 hour ago, MemoryPlayer said:

Both track and total remain time don't work with 4.14.0-2!

 

What kind of source is this? On HQPlayer server window? HQPlayer Client?

[MemoryPlayer]

26 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

What kind of source is this? On HQPlayer server window? HQPlayer Client?

HQPlayer desktop window with Windows 10 Pro 21H2 version!

Both track and total remain time show current time of the track...

Later I will test with Mac OS Monterey and let you know.

[MemoryPlayer]

@Miska Look that the times are always the same when I paused a 2:32 track!

 

[LoryWiv]

8 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

At the moment I am enjoying the advantages of a lower processor load with DSD128. It's still double an SACD or 128 times a CD.

Now I can finally get filters to work that didn't work before. For example poly-sinc-ext3 or poly-sinc-gauss-xla.

 

What PC processor / hardware do you have that allows you to run the above settings? CUDA offload? I may need to upgrade my PC in the coming months.

[MagnusH]

I did notice a small bug with the new version. I currently use 7ECv2 + ext3 + DSD128 with adaptive fully checked, and it works on all sample rates (even 192 khz source) but before a tune starts with a higher sample rate I get many clicks, like 5 or so before the tunes start, and it seem to take longer before it starts.

 

I used Norah Jones Come Away with me album on Qobuz, 192khz version, to test this.

[StreamFidelity]

5 hours ago, LoryWiv said:

What PC processor / hardware do you have that allows you to run the above settings?

 

It's an i9-9900K, look