HQplayer PCM to DSD, please help a clueless newbie.

[squirrelman]

I just received my Lampizator Euforia dac, which is their DSD only DAC. I've been trying to get it up and working on Windows 10 with Roon. So far I have been able to get it to play actual DSD files, but I can't get it to anything with redbook files that it would need to upconvert. I'm trying to set it to play everything at DSD128, but can't seem to make heads or tails out of the short little guide from their website. I'm on the trial right now if that matters, I wont buy it til I've got it working.

 

Can anyone point me to a better guide I might be missing or please let me know what I need to be setting it at to get this working right?

[bibo01]

On your main HQPlayer desktop view please set drop dowm menus to:

poly-sinc-short (or poly-sinc-short-mp)

DSD7

5644800

SDM

 

In Settings set buffer time to 50ms or more; if you have a quad core cpu, enable Pipeline SDM.

[One and a half]

A choice would be to install HQPlayer feed the stream from Roon. For settings in Roon, select the output device as HQPlayer.

 

When you're ready to play a track, see the Auto drop downs under the command lines? Check off the auto and select as per bibo01's suggestions.

 

Depending on your DAC, you could have to map your ASIO channels.

 

If a drag n drop of music files into the main playing area on the screen fails to work if HQPlayer standalone is used, then the DAC's not setup right.

[squirrelman]

On your main HQPlayer desktop view please set drop dowm menus to:

poly-sinc-short (or poly-sinc-short-mp)

DSD7

5644800

SDM

 

In Settings set buffer time to 50ms or more; if you have a quad core cpu, enable Pipeline SDM.

 

Thank you so much that did the trick finally! I was setting them only in the settings menu but no in the drop down menus on the screen.

 

What is the difference between poly-since-short and poly-since-short-mp?

[Nikhil]

What is the difference between poly-since-short and poly-since-short-mp?

 

They are both variants of the poly-sinc filter.

poly-sinc-mp is for minimum phase.

poly-sinc-shrt is for short pre and post echo

poly-sinc-shrt-mp is the minimum phase variation of poly-sinc-shrt

In general you get the best transient response with -mp option. Jussi recommends -mp (minimum phase) filters for studio productions of non-classical music. Use the linear phase filters (poly-sinc) for classical and acoustic recordings.

 

Read this page on filters if you would like/need to understand the terminology.

[AnotherSpin]

 

What is the difference between poly-since-short and poly-since-short-mp?

 

You may want to listen filters for a certain time one by one to select which you would prefer for various types of music (I use poly-sinc family). Also try to find out which modulator suits better to you, DSD7 or ASDM7. Ideally, you may start with selecting preference filters and then listen each of them with various modulators. More for later (and this is something what Miska, developer of HQP declines to admit). I realized, that PCM settings (left column in settings), such as dither influence the sound of SDM output as well, I set for NS9, for example.

 

Sounds complicated, I know, but this is an advantage of HQP - it gives a lot of choose from and fine tune the sound outcome to personal preferences.

 

And, from File settings you may select DSDIFF/DFF settings and check Direct SDM - it will bypass digital volume control in HQP for direct output.

[jacquesr]

Hello guys.... Another newbie...

Just started migrating from iTunes + Marra to Roon + HQ. A mRendu is on order.

I read so much.... it all seemed so daunting... In fact, in 20 mins I was up and running.

HQ seems to sound WAY more natural than Amarra.

Plus, ans this was not obvious, but HQP seems to make it easy to "Set-up and forget".

 

Questions:

1)

I have red book and hi-res PCM files. With the default setup (n preferences), all my files were played at 96K.

I have increased the sample rate to 192,000 - now everything plays at 192....

Is this recommended? Is there a way for each track to play at its sample rate?

 

2)

I listen mainly to acoustic / classical music. Any better options than poly-sinc / TPDF?

 

3) DSD

Would like to try PCM->DSD

I use for now a Chord Mojo that does 256K.

I dont see where I can ask HQP to convert PCM to DSD

In the second drop down I see no DSD option.

 

Thanks for your help

[orgel]

The best thing to do would be to post a screen shot of your HQP settings. Meanwhile, though, a couple of tips if you want to upsample everything to DSD:

 

In File -> DSDIFF/DSF settings, make sure DirectSDM is unchecked.

 

In HQP's main window, the rightmost dropdown should be set to SDM.

 

I would start testing DSD upsampling with the bit-rate limit in the settings set to 2822400 (DSD64) and move up from there.

 

--David

[Nikhil]

Welcome to HQPlayer and Computer Audio!

 

 

Questions:

1)

I have red book and hi-res PCM files. With the default setup (n preferences), all my files were played at 96K.

I have increased the sample rate to 192,000 - now everything plays at 192....

Is this recommended? Is there a way for each track to play at its sample rate?

 

Purists prefer to play the file in native format. But that is not why you use HQPlayer.

 

Set the output to the native resolution of your DAC which for the Mojo is 768kHz. That way you are doing all the heavy lifting outside the DAC in your computer and letting the DAC just play the music. You should try different settings on this and see which suits your setup.

 

2)

I listen mainly to acoustic / classical music. Any better options than poly-sinc / TPDF?

 

Poly-sinc are the most recommended filters.

Use poly-sinc-shrt for acoustic and classical music to start with.

 

 

3) DSD

Would like to try PCM->DSD

I use for now a Chord Mojo that does 256K.

I dont see where I can ask HQP to convert PCM to DSD

In the second drop down I see no DSD option.

 

 

Looks like you need to setup your DSD settings ...

You will get this as soon as you are done with setup.

 

Set Oversampling filter to poly-sinc-shrt

Set Modulator to ASDM7 to start with and move to the -256 filters for DSD256

Set your max bitrate to 11289600

 

Volume min -10.0 dB and Volume max to 0.0 dB

In player back off the volume knob a few clicks i.e. DSD sounds better that way.

 

Good luck!

[jacquesr]

Thanks guys. Very helpful.

I was experiment and will have more questions later.

One thing is sure - The send is way more natural and pleasant.

HQP is a big upgrade versus Amarra.

[AnotherSpin]

HQP is a big upgrade versus Amarra.

I paid for Amarra with all bells and whistles and I use HQP happily now, do not care to launch Amarra. So, welcome to the club! HQP is a great player in OXS environment. Ask questions, we will be happy to share experiences..)

[jacquesr]

@AnotherSpin - Thanks for your kind words.

 

I am in a state of disbelief... The sound coming out of my magicos is intoxicating... But:

 

I think all my setting are OK - but not sure HQP converts PCM to DSD - see images

 

(I have 192 selected for now, but once I chance to 768, should HQP convert to DSD with my settings?)

 

Also, sometimes I hear nothing when I want to start a new album or a track

 

Thanks a lot!

[Miska]

I think all my setting are OK - but not sure HQP converts PCM to DSD - see images

 

Now it upsamples PCM to PCM and DSD to DSD ot fastest rate your DAC supports. For Chord Mojo that is probably a good idea given the way it handles DSD inputs.

 

But in order to upsample PCM to DSD you need to select "SDM (DSD)" in the right-most drop-list in the main window. You may also want to enable "Pipeline SDM". And depending on your CPU speed use "poly-sinc-short-2s" instead for "Oversampling" in case your experience drop-outs.

[jacquesr]

Hello Jussi,

I see only PCM and Auto in the right-most drop down.

 

Thank you much for developing HQP. Truly awesome.

If you ever get to make it easier for people to adopt it, you will enjoy even more success.

Thanks for your help

[Miska]

I see only PCM and Auto in the right-most drop down.

 

For Chord Mojo on OS X, you need to set "SDM Pack" setting to "DoP" in the settings dialog ("Preferences" on OS X). This enables DSD output up to DSD256.

[jacquesr]

Ok - my settings are OK now... the proof is that music stutters - my Mac Mini is not powerful enough even with 2s.

 

With the PCM settings, everything is upsampled to 768. Is that what you recommend?

What do I need to change to have each track play at native sample rate?

 

Thanks

[Solstice380]

Ok - my settings are OK now... the proof is that music stutters - my Mac Mini is not powerful enough even with 2s.

 

With the PCM settings, everything is upsampled to 768. Is that what you recommend?

What do I need to change to have each track play at native sample rate?

 

Thanks

 

Set the modulator (left drop down menu) and Filter (second left) to NONE and Output (right side) to PCM. I think that I remember that correctly! Not sure if you have to change the Rate menu (second from right).

[jacquesr]

@squirrelman

 

Please let us know how you like your Euphoria.

It might see one in my future.

Hope you are having fun.

[squirrelman]

@squirrelman

 

Please let us know how you like your Euphoria.

It might see one in my future.

Hope you are having fun.

 

I've got probably about ~8-10 hours on it so far and I am loving it. I'm coming from a Gen 1. Wavelength Brick so no slouch, but a totally different animal. First thing that I love about the Euforia is it's output is much higher than the Brick (3.6v to 1.3v) which lets me use it no problem on my Don Garber Fi-X 2A3 "integrated" (it is just 3 inputs and a passive volume knob). The extra voltage was really needed. So for sake of comparison it is the Brick + Dennis Had LP-27a preamp and the Euforia straight into the Fi-X.

 

The sound stage is so much larger on the Euforia, that is the first thing I noticed that jumped out at me. Everything seems deeper, more separated and has just a little more airiness to it. Listening to Ryan Adams live at Carnegie Hall, when I close my eyes I can see him on stage and feel like I was there more so than ever before. I can here his fingers sliding on the strings more clearly than before, I can him taps on the acoustic guitar that I had never heard before.

[Miska]

With the PCM settings, everything is upsampled to 768. Is that what you recommend?

 

For Chord Mojo that is possibly the best approach. I'm yet to make measurements of it, but based on the information I have, that's my current recommendation for it.

 

What do I need to change to have each track play at native sample rate?

 

Set filter (left-most drop-list) to "none" in main window.

[jacquesr]

How do you feed you DAC?

[squirrelman]

How do you feed you DAC?

 

For now just using a simple ~$50 Kimber cable USB cord from my Windows 10 PC running Roon + HQplayer upconverting everything to DSD128 (max for the Euforia)

[jacquesr]

Have been enjoying HQP for the past few days.

One small issue: I usually play albums, from the beginning (with Roon).

Then after a few tracks... no sound. If I hit "back" the track always play fine.

Any clue?

Thanks

[jacquesr]

Hi, I still have this issue that after a few tracks of an album (Roon) I get no sound... I have to hit the left arrow in Roon to go back at the beginning of the track.

Any idea?

[Miska]

Hi, I still have this issue that after a few tracks of an album (Roon) I get no sound... I have to hit the left arrow in Roon to go back at the beginning of the track.

Any idea?

 

Are you on HQPlayer 3.13.3?