HQPlayer kick start guide & feature requests

[wappinghigh]

I am using the CuBox i4Pro. Not a huge price difference in the models so why not get the fastest.

 

How is this going?

 

Could I get HQplayer embedded to work with this?

[Miska]

Could I get HQplayer embedded to work with this?

 

Running HQPlayer Embedded on CuBox-i is too much of a niche, so currently Embedded version is provided only for PC hardware.

 

I've done it and have that kind of setup for testing, but running Linux on any of the ARM-based platforms is not anywhere near the simplicity of running Linux or PC hardware.

 

Upsampling on CuBox-i4Pro is also limited to DSD64 which is just on the edge of being possible with that computing power.

[wappinghigh]

^thanks for the reply

[hifi25nl]

It seems that now native DSD (non DoP, up to DSD512) is possible on linux, see https://github.com/lintweaker/xmos-native-dsd

The official support will come with alsa 1.0.29 and kernel 3.18 only for some XMOS dacs like IFI nano/micro iDSD

 

I have compiled alsa-git and the last realtime kernel with the new patches.

I think HQplayer 3.5.1 is not recognizing the new format DSD_U32_LE.

 

Do you have plans for supporting it?

[Miska]

It seems that now native DSD (non DoP, up to DSD512) is possible on linux, see https://github.com/lintweaker/xmos-native-dsd

The official support will come with alsa 1.0.29 and kernel 3.18 only for some XMOS dacs like IFI nano/micro iDSD

 

I have compiled alsa-git and the last realtime kernel with the new patches.

I think HQplayer 3.5.1 is not recognizing the new format DSD_U32_LE.

 

Do you have plans for supporting it?

 

Yes, I plan to support it, but haven't got time yet to build the driver and test it. As usual, the driver support needs to exist first and this U32 DSD format is new one (there were earlier 8-bit and 16-bit word variants).

[OpusOne]

Yes, I plan to support it, but haven't got time yet to build the driver and test it. As usual, the driver support needs to exist first and this U32 DSD format is new one (there were earlier 8-bit and 16-bit word variants).

 

To hifi25nl,

I have been eagerly awaiting the general release of ALSA 1.0.29 as well, as i have expressed earlier in this thread. I m not linux savvy, so i am not brave enough to compile the alas-git. SO if i understood you correctly, even with the new ALSA driver, we will still need HQP to recognize the new format DSD_U32_LE to noble native DSD playback?

Thanks.

[Esprit]

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[hifi25nl]

No, it is now possible to use a special version of mpd (mpd-dsd) tha can play both DoP and non-DoP.

I have it all: patched kernel, alsa-git, mpd-dsd. Tomorrow is arriving my new iDSD micro that is in the list of supported devices so I can check that the system is really working.

I am also uploading to my site a VirtuaBox .vdi image of this system just now.

 

P.S. The already compiled packages of realtime kernel, mpd-dsd, alsa-git (Archlinux only) are ready for free download. If interested please contact me.

 

To hifi25nl,

I have been eagerly awaiting the general release of ALSA 1.0.29 as well, as i have expressed earlier in this thread. I m not linux savvy, so i am not brave enough to compile the alas-git. SO if i understood you correctly, even with the new ALSA driver, we will still need HQP to recognize the new format DSD_U32_LE to noble native DSD playback?

Thanks.

[Miska]

I have been eagerly awaiting the general release of ALSA 1.0.29 as well, as i have expressed earlier in this thread. I m not linux savvy, so i am not brave enough to compile the alas-git. SO if i understood you correctly, even with the new ALSA driver, we will still need HQP to recognize the new format DSD_U32_LE to noble native DSD playback?

 

I just got this working with HQPlayer and while doing it found that there's a bug in the driver...

[Miska]

Now there's a 3.5.2beta3 for Linux available with support for native (non-DoP) DSD with XMOS devices, such as iFi iDSD Micro/Nano. So DSD256 with Nano and DSD512 with Micro.

 

This requires very latest ALSA driver and library.

 

Note! Do not try to install this, unless you are familiar dealing with packaging system on Ubuntu...

 

Needed files; kernel and libasound2 with backported changes can be found from my personal site:

Index of /src

 

In usual case, following packages should be enough:

http://www.sonarnerd.net/src/linux-image-3.13.0-39-lowlatency_3.13.0-39.66jl2_amd64.deb

http://www.sonarnerd.net/src/linux-headers-3.13.0-39-lowlatency_3.13.0-39.66jl2_amd64.deb

http://www.sonarnerd.net/src/libasound2_1.0.27.2-3.1jl2_i386.deb

http://www.sonarnerd.net/src/libasound2_1.0.27.2-3.1jl2_amd64.deb

http://www.sonarnerd.net/src/libasound2-data_1.0.27.2-3.1jl2_all.deb

 

Player:

http://www2.signalyst.com/bins/beta/hqplayer_3.5.2-17_amd64.deb

[hifi25nl]

Very quick!

I have just tested (with volume to zero, is late...) and this version is working also with my Archlinux packages (realtime kernel 3.14 and alsa-git). I had to install only the package qt5-quick1.

For what I understand if in SDM pack "none" is selected (there is only "none" and "DoP") HQplayer will use automatically the new native format if SDM is selected on the main window

[Miska]

For what I understand if in SDM pack "none" is selected (there is only "none" and "DoP") HQplayer will use automatically the new native format if SDM is selected on the main window

 

Exactly, it's the same for for all OS. With SDM Pack = none, native DSD support is auto-detected and used when available.

[OpusOne]

Exactly, it's the same for for all OS. With SDM Pack = none, native DSD support is auto-detected and used when available.

 

YAY!

Now, I am running ubuntu studio on a i7 64 bit machine, can i just use the package center to unpack and install the kernel and libasound packages?

Thanks.

[Miska]

Now, I am running ubuntu studio on a i7 64 bit machine, can i just use the package center to unpack and install the kernel and libasound packages?

 

Probably the listed dependency packages need to be installed all at the same time using "sudo dpkg -i <packages..>" on command like. But the player itself can be updated using package center after successfully updating kernel alsa libasound2. This build of the player uses newer version of the GUI framework so package center should automatically pull in the needed extra packages.

 

(be careful, kernel (linux-image) and libasound2 are core system components)

[bibo01]

Amanero Linux support is next. Amanero's designer is just about to complete its support in a new driver version.

[OpusOne]

Probably the listed dependency packages need to be installed all at the same time using "sudo dpkg -i <packages..>" on command like. But the player itself can be updated using package center after successfully updating kernel alsa libasound2. This build of the player uses newer version of the GUI framework so package center should automatically pull in the needed extra packages.

 

(be careful, kernel (linux-image) and libasound2 are core system components)

 

Jussi,

Just to be sure, the packages from your links can be used for ubuntu studio? There are so many different linux distributions out there.

Thanks.

[wappinghigh]

Is there any control point software that can be used to control HQ player yet? Thanks

[Miska]

Just to be sure, the packages from your links can be used for ubuntu studio? There are so many different linux distributions out there.

 

Those are specifically for Ubuntu Studio 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr), but should work on all Ubuntu variants.

[Miska]

Amanero Linux support is next. Amanero's designer is just about to complete its support in a new driver version.

 

That is really great! Then I could fully utilize DSC1 on my develoment machine.

[sandab]

What would I buy and use to build a small, fanless, headless, OSX/Linux (i.e. no Windows) audio player? Preferably with wifi, but without is fine (I can hook it up to an AirPort Express). In particular, compatible hardware that is off-the-shelf, small, low power usage (think Mac Mini like), fast enough, yet not total overkill. Sleep mode and WoE would be nice. ZeroConf for discovery. ssh for occasional remote management. Doesn't need graphics or X at all, unless HQPlayer has dependencies on this for embedded builds. I'd be fine with a serial port for console, but if that's not feasible it can have whatever is needed for a trivial VGA-based install. I'd install music on it with rsync from another host (push), or if there's support for it I could explicitly tell it to kick off an rsync (pull). Has anyone else built something like this? It's for my living-room, so small and quiet is important. It would feed USB to a Wyrd in front of an Auralic Vega.

[Miska]

What would I buy and use to build a small, fanless, headless, OSX/Linux (i.e. no Windows) audio player? Preferably with wifi, but without is fine (I can hook it up to an AirPort Express). In particular, compatible hardware that is off-the-shelf, small, low power usage (think Mac Mini like), fast enough, yet not total overkill. Sleep mode and WoE would be nice. ZeroConf for discovery. ssh for occasional remote management. Doesn't need graphics or X at all, unless HQPlayer has dependencies on this for embedded builds. I'd be fine with a serial port for console, but if that's not feasible it can have whatever is needed for a trivial VGA-based install. I'd install music on it with rsync from another host (push), or if there's support for it I could explicitly tell it to kick off an rsync (pull). Has anyone else built something like this? It's for my living-room, so small and quiet is important. It would feed USB to a Wyrd in front of an Auralic Vega.

 

There are not too many fanless options... But Core i5 version of the Intel NUC in a fanless case is probably one of the most cost-efficient approaches. I have couple of the older NUC models.

 

Then more powerful and expensive approach is Fit-PC Intense PC2 with Core i7:

Intense PC2

 

HQPlayer Embedded is intended to be used as UPnP Renderer, so media is served by a UPnP Media Server somewhere in the network. It is also possible to configure the same machine to act as a UPnP Media Server in addition to being Renderer. But for use with HQPlayer Embedded (headless) I recommend using MinimServer as Media Server and BubbleUPnP Android App as the Control Point.

[Esprit]

Using a NAA there is the DSD128 limit?

[Miska]

Using a NAA there is the DSD128 limit?

 

It depends on a DAC. With iFi iDSD Micro, DSD256 is the limit at the moment. I will update things soon to add support for the fresh new non-DoP support for iFi iDSD Nano/Micro and then the limit will be DSD256 and DSD512 respectively.

[freesteve]

On one of the HQ threads running Yosemite Cache Cleaner truly improves the sound was suggested ... I just tried it out and "thumbs Up!"

[planner]

Any option to start HQPlayer in full screen mode at windows start up?