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HQPlayer and Cubox-i

fabiodeluca

By fabiodeluca
in Software

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fabiodeluca

fabiodeluca

Posted
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After 1 month waiting, finally the Cubox-i arrived from Israel

 

Is there anyone willing to explain in a simply way what I have to do to use it as a NAA with HQPlayer on a MacBook Pro (Yosemite)?

 

Please do not use Venusian slang...;-)...and help me in a step by step fashion

 

I know there is an image of the operative system on the Signalyst website...but more than download it I do not know what to do

 

Thanks to anyone that would help (Miska?)

 

Regards

Fabio

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bibo01

bibo01

Posted
Posted

I will describe the procedure for a PC that can be used for installing OS on Cubox-i, but you can eventually find a Mac application to put OS image onto microSD.

Installation of Cubox-i is pretty simple and no Linux involved:

- download iso for cubox ( naa-2051-cubox-i.zip ) from Index of /bins/naa/cubox-i on your PC

- take a microSD for cubox-i and insert in your microSD reader

- Copy iso on microSD using a software such as http://sourceforge. net/projects/win32diskimager/

- insert microSD in cubox-i

- take a router (non wifi) and turn it on, wire connect cubox-i and Mac to router

- usb connect dac to cubox-i and turn dac on

- turn Mac on

- turn cubox-i on (insert AC plug) and wait 40 sec / 1 min

- open HQPlayer

- open settings and in Device choose your dac connected over the network

- select a song and begin to listen to music!

How curious are you?
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fabiodeluca

fabiodeluca

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Bibo thanks a lot.

 

Everything worked flawlessly (apparently).

I did everything as you suggested (the only difference is that the router is a wireless modem router...is this vital?)

Problem is that when I connect and turn on everything, HQPlayer doesn't recognize my device (EMM LABS DAC2x) through the network and the 'Device' list looks blank (no options possible) when I choose as 'Backend' the NAA.

If I try to move a track in the Playlist window nothing happens and, of course, I cannot listen to any music....:-(

In case I choose as 'Backend' the option CorrAudio I have to options in the 'Device' list (Uscita Integrata and Ingresso Integrato) but again no music is playable.

 

Could you try and help me?

Also writing in private (and in Italian....;-) to [email protected].

 

Thanks and ciao

Fabio

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Superdad

Superdad

Posted
Posted

Fabio:

 

I am a Mac HQP/NAA user so I will try to help.

 

Is there a display monitor attached to your CuBox-i? If so, then when it gets to the very end of booting, look up about a dozen or so lines and report to us what IP address lease number you see. If if failed to get a proper DHCP lease then you will see that. Or it may have given up and self-assigned an IP. Neither is good.

 

Is your MacBook Pro connected to the network via wireless or via Ethernet cable? If via cable, then is it the same router as the CuBox-i is plugged into? Please also report here the IP address of your MBP.

 

Being able to choose Network Audio Adapter as the "backend" means nothing as anyone can choose that (or ASIO of CoreAudio) without any compatible devices being connected. The only thing that counts is being able to see a DAC choice in the "Device" drop-down menu.

 

HQP/NAA is fussy about network attachment as the Linux/NAA boot is impatient for DHCP IP assignment and also requires presence of a DNS server. For me it only works when I have the NAA plugged directly into my DSL modem/router, and not when plugged into my Ethernet switch connected to the same. That is because my phone company supplied DSL modem/router is at the slow end of spec for giving DHCP IP assignments.

 

Best,

ALEX

UpTone Audio LLC

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fabiodeluca

fabiodeluca

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Alex thanks for helping. I'm not sure I understood everything (see below)

 

What do you exactly mean for 'display monitor'? My Cubox-i is a small black plastic cube and no monitors are attached to it... Could you explain to me a bit clearer...sorry

 

Do my MacBook Pro need to be necessarily connected to the Internet? I only connected it to the router (the same the Cubox-I is connected to...) via an Ethernet cable....and this router is not connected to the web....maybe this is the big mistake!.... I connect to the Internet this MBP dedicated to audio only from time to time in order to download CD covers or titles from Gracenote database...and I do it wirelessly through a modem router different from the one I use with the Cubox-I....big mess, isn't it?

 

I hope you can help me to fix it

 

Regards

Fabio

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fabiodeluca

fabiodeluca

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What do you exactly mean with 'his modem/router' and with 'and not to his Ethernet switch'?

Cubox-i was neither equipped with a dedicated modem/router nor with an Ethernet switch. I connected the Cubox-i directly to a generic D-Link modem/router non connected to the Internet and dedicated to HQPlayer. The modem/router was connected via an Ethernet cable to the Cubox-i on one side and to the MacBook Pro (again with an Ethernet cable) on the other side.

Than I used an USB cable from the Cubox-I to the DAC.

That's it....

 

Could you help me?

Thanks

Fabio

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Miska

Miska

Posted
Posted

CuBox-i has an HDMI output you can use to connect to an external display to see the information Alex was referring to. It could be used for audio output too, although I have not tested it.

 

One reason things could be failing is lack of DNS availability in this case, due to lacking internet connection. Normal home routers act only as DNS proxy, if even that. Technically DNS is not essential for the functionality, but not being able to reach DNS server makes things fail. I will fix this in future release since it seems to be causing notable amount of trouble.

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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fabiodeluca

fabiodeluca

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CuBox-i has an HDMI output you can use to connect to an external display to see the information Alex was referring to. It could be used for audio output too, although I have not tested it.

 

One reason things could be failing is lack of DNS availability in this case, due to lacking internet connection. Normal home routers act only as DNS proxy, if even that. Technically DNS is not essential for the functionality, but not being able to reach DNS server makes things fail. I will fix this in future release since it seems to be causing notable amount of trouble.

 

Miska thanks for your comment.

 

Is there anyway I can fix myself the problem?

Could be useful to connect the modem/router to the Internet?

 

Regard

Fabio

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Superdad

Superdad

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Posted
I will fix this in future release since it seems to be causing notable amount of trouble.

 

Thank you Miska! We wil all look forward to that. I bet I will then have better luck getting HQP/NAA connected with a Cat6a cable straight between the two computers (I'll agin try bootpd or OSX's built-in Internet sharing). That is my goal--for SQ reasons.

Regards,

--Alex C.

 

P.S. Will the fix be a change to the Linux/NAA side or just to the HQP desktop player side? I am hoping/guessing just the player side, since I use your custom slimmed Intel Linux/NAA build and I think you don't uptake that one very often.

UpTone Audio LLC

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fabiodeluca

fabiodeluca

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Many many thanks to Bibo and Miska for their precious suggestions!!

 

The problem was solved connecting the modem/router to the Internet with the ADSL cable.

Immediately HQPlayer recognized the dac!!

Sound is great!!

Apparently the volume is slightly lower than Amarra and A+ (with the same preamp setting)....but who cares: HQPlayer is my favorite player now!

 

One question: what do I do with the Cubox-i once I turn off everything? Do you suggest to unplug its power cable too or I can leave it on forever?

 

Regards

Fabio

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Superdad

Superdad

Posted
Posted
Many many thanks to Bibo and Miska for their precious suggestions!!

 

The problem was solved connecting the modem/router to the Internet with the ADSL cable.

Immediately HQPlayer recognized the dac!!

Sound is great!!

Apparently the volume is slightly lower than Amarra and A+ (with the same preamp setting)....but who cares: HQPlayer is my favorite player now!

 

One question: what do I do with the Cubox-i once I turn off everything? Do you suggest to unplug its power cable too or I can leave it on forever?

 

Regards

Fabio

 

Leave it it on. It draws very little. Now you need to find a better power supply for it. A nice linear PS will improve your sound even further.

UpTone Audio LLC

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Superdad

Superdad

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Any suggestion for a linear PS?

 

Regards

Fabio

 

Yes, but I am not sure that you would want my $925 dual-rail, choke-filtered LPS for your $100 computer! ;)

JS-2 rear.jpg

 

Unless you are using a exaSound DAC or some other fine audio component that runs of external +DC of 5,7,9, or 12V. In which case the two outputs would both be put to excellent and satisfying use.

UpTone Audio LLC

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fabiodeluca

fabiodeluca

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Yes, but I am not sure that you would want my $925 dual-rail, choke-filtered LPS for your $100 computer! ;)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15042[/ATTACH]

 

Unless you are using a exaSound DAC or some other fine audio component that runs of external +DC of 5,7,9, or 12V. In which case the two outputs would both be put to excellent and satisfying use.

 

Pretty impressive!...

I'll think about it also because I don't know if it is marketed in Europe

 

Thanks btw

Fabio

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