HQPlayer Linux Desktop and HQplayer embedded

[Miska]

2 hours ago, Outlaw said:

When changing SDM settings I have to hit apply twice.If I only apply settings once music will show playing but no sound ? 

 

I have not seen such behavior. But why are you changing configuration frequently? Isn't it easier to just change the settings from front page or from a client?

 

[Outlaw]

10 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

I have not seen such behavior. But why are you changing configuration frequently? Isn't it easier to just change the settings from front page or from a client?

 

Not changing frequently.Not a big deal just something that’s happening.

[mikel]

Quote

Up Squared, but I never got the USB device mode working on it so far. Maybe it's a BIOS bug or something. But there have been hardware revisions since mine, so maybe they have fixed it on the newer ones. Someone would need to buy it and try it out, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.

Picking up the idea of the standalone upsampler, using HQPlayer Embedded:

I read through the posts here. While I am new considering this idea, i dont yet see a solution in my mind (yet).

My setup could be:

- RME ADI 2 Pro FS

- some kind of Mini Computer with linux and HQ Embedded (and other software that would be needed)

My Goals:

- Stream from various devices (Win 10 notebook, Ipad, Mac) to Mini Computer

- Primarily use Roon or Tidal 

- Mini Computer would do all upsampling to DSD (in my case happy with DSD128 with ASDM7EC and Poly Sync Ext2)

- Able to use other players too than Roon (I dont like the Roon implementation of Tidal at all)

 

- What would be a good silent Mini-PC to do this (fanless)?

- Is it a good idea in the first place to do this with something like the ADI-2 or would a device like the Okto Dac 8 Stereo with direct Rasberry Pi implementation be a better solution (it would not be able to fully cover the upsample requirement I have)

 

Additional Remark regarding using other software (Tidal Player) with HQPlayer:

I tried a local solution on the Mac as well with some kind of Loopback driver (GitHub - ExistentialAudio/BlackHole: BlackHole is a modern macOS virtual audio driver that allows applications to pass audio to other applications with zero additional latency.)

to see how I can output audio from Tidal Player into HQplayer without Roon. While it works, it does for some reason not achieve the same fidelity as when I either play the files directly in HQ Player or when I stream from Roon to HQPlayer. Soundstage is less deep and separation lacks too. I tried also Loopback some time ago with the same result, loss of fidelity. SInce it is all digital, i dont really have an expaination.

 

[mikel]

On 1/10/2021 at 4:06 AM, asdf1000 said:

Out of interest, besides Jussi of course, is anyone else out there using HQP OS and UAC2 input with UpBoard Gateway ?

 

Or is it just me and Jussi lol

 

It's super cool 

 

At my desktop I have Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Tidal Desktop app, Qobuz Desktop app, all going through HQP OS to my RME ADI-2 (V2) FS DAC.

 

Don't need Roon or Audirvana etc. Can use the official apps of the streaming services.

 

 

Hi

Does your setup allow upsampling to DSD128 by the upboard?

Can you share more details of the techical solution?

Regards, Michael

[asdf1000]

1 hour ago, mikel said:

Hi

Does your setup allow upsampling to DSD128 by the upboard?

Can you share more details of the techical solution?

Regards, Michael

 

Hi, no chance of upsampling to DSD128. It's a little Intel ATOM x5-Z8350

 

No problems with 2-channel PCM768kHz though (ext2 filter, LNS15, auto rate family enabled)

 

For me it is PC/macOS/iPadOS -> USB -> UpBoard HQP OS -> USB -> RME ADI-2 FS DAC (V2).

 

 

[asdf1000]

2 hours ago, mikel said:

Able to use other players too than Roon (I dont like the Roon implementation of Tidal at all)

 

This was actually my main motivation too, but also being able to use Spotify and Apple Music for music discovery.

 

The Tidal Desktop and iPadOS apps are actually very good now, especially recommendations. Even the UI now.

 

Tidal apps have really improved the last 2 years (while everyone said they would be dead long ago)

 

Meanwhile Roon has stayed the same and boring and not adding Tidal's new features and the recommendations are crap (for me).

[mikel]

@asdf1000

Can you tell me where you bought that hardware? A link would be useful.

I agree with your evaluaton about Roon. Also the search function in Tidal is much better.

 

Regards, Michael

 

Maybe that would work for DSD upsampling (DSD 128)?

UP Squared gateway.Pentium N4200, w/8G memory,64G eMMC board.w/oVESA plate (up-shop.org)

 

[asdf1000]

55 minutes ago, mikel said:

Can you tell me where you bought that hardware? A link would be useful.

 

Direct from Up:

 

https://up-shop.org/up-gateway-atom-x5-z8350-w-4g-memory-32g-emmc-board-w-vesa-plate.html

 

55 minutes ago, mikel said:

Maybe that would work for DSD upsampling (DSD 128)?

UP Squared gateway.Pentium N4200, w/8G memory,64G eMMC board.w/oVESA plate (up-shop.org)

 

It might be able to do the DSD128 upsampling (or maybe not, I don't know) but the key USB input feature that I am talking about (UAC2 input) is unknown.

 

Jussi just mentioned this model yesterday on the previous page - see below link. He couldn't get it working. As he mentions, someone else can buy it and see if newer model/BIOS is better. I'm quite happy with my model though doing PCM and I know it works reliably doing PCM768kHz, so I have no interest in buying that Pentium N4200 model.

 

 

[Outlaw]

To update to latest version of HQPlayer Embedded Ubuntu are these the correct commands to update or are there more steps ?                                                                                                                                                                                 

wget https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/hqplayerd/focal/hqplayerd_4.20.1-57_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i hqplayerd_4.20.1-57_amd64.deb
sudo apt install -f

[Outlaw]

21 hours ago, Miska said:

 

I have not seen such behavior. But why are you changing configuration frequently? Isn't it easier to just change the settings from front page or from a client?

 

This also happens when I first start HQPlayer music will not start untill I go into web page configuration and hit apply twice.Thats even without changing settings

[mikel]

It seems waiting is a good idea... the new Intel Atom Generation (Elkhart Lake) will be introduced Q1/2021.

These new Atom CPUs feature up to 2.7 Ghz Turbo while still being very efficient. This could be the way to go in combination with Upboard and HQPlayer embedded, including DSD upsampling.

 

Intel Atom x6425E - Benchmark and Specs (cpu-monkey.com)

 

Very cool stuff to come!

 

 

[asdf1000]

1 hour ago, mikel said:

It seems waiting is a good idea... the new Intel Atom Generation (Elkhart Lake) will be introduced Q1/2021.

These new Atom CPUs feature up to 2.7 Ghz Turbo while still being very efficient. This could be the way to go in combination with Upboard and HQPlayer embedded, including DSD upsampling.

 

Intel Atom x6425E - Benchmark and Specs (cpu-monkey.com)

 

Very cool stuff to come!

 

 

 

For this UAC2 input feature kind of stuff, I prefer to only go with what Jussi himself owns and tests and supports and confirms works.

 

Certainly if he gets one (or something else) next year or anytime in the future and he confirms it works with HQP OS, then I will consider.

 

The UpBoard Gateway certainly works really well for my needs.

 

I don't need DSD but I would like to be able to do 8-channels @ PCM192kHz with ext2 + LNS15 , for convolution (both DSP crossover and room correction/EQ). For use with videos, Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud etc. And Amazon Music HD when it eventually reaches my country.

 

 

[Miska]

On 1/12/2021 at 10:59 PM, Outlaw said:

To update to latest version of HQPlayer Embedded Ubuntu are these the correct commands to update or are there more steps ?                                                                                                                                                                                 

wget https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/hqplayerd/focal/hqplayerd_4.20.1-57_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i hqplayerd_4.20.1-57_amd64.deb
sudo apt install -f

 

Can you please keep this in the dedicated thread?

 

[Miska]

On 1/12/2021 at 4:21 PM, asdf1000 said:

 

Hi, no chance of upsampling to DSD128. It's a little Intel ATOM x5-Z8350

 

No problems with 2-channel PCM768kHz though (ext2 filter, LNS15, auto rate family enabled)

 

For me it is PC/macOS/iPadOS -> USB -> UpBoard HQP OS -> USB -> RME ADI-2 FS DAC (V2).

 

 

If you use it as a NAA, you can perform all the heavy lifting on some other computer... Instead of running HQPlayer on it.

 

[Outlaw]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

Can you please keep this in the dedicated thread?

 

In dedicated thread thank you

[asdf1000]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

If you use it as a NAA, you can perform all the heavy lifting on some other computer... Instead of running HQPlayer on it.

 

 

But I recall asking you if NAA can support UAC2 input and ALSA output and you mentioned not yet.

 

So it would require a 2nd NAA then?

 

So HQPe -> UpBoard NAA with UAC2 input -> NAA with ALSA output?

[asdf1000]

32 minutes ago, asdf1000 said:

 

But I recall asking you if NAA can support UAC2 input and ALSA output and you mentioned not yet.

 

So it would require a 2nd NAA then?

 

So HQPe -> UpBoard NAA with UAC2 input -> NAA with ALSA output?

 

Edit: Apologies @MiskaI have to go back to our discussion. I remember you mentioned it is because of NAA names and I need to edit the config file. I will revisit and try that.

[Miska]

54 minutes ago, asdf1000 said:

So HQPe -> UpBoard NAA with UAC2 input -> NAA with ALSA output?

 

Yes, that's the case. And of course if you have two NAAs, they must have a different name.

 

[asdf1000]

13 hours ago, Miska said:

And of course if you have two NAAs, they must have a different name.

 

If I have 2 x UpBoard Gateways both running NAA image - how do I change their NAA names?

 

 

[mikel]

not sure I understand this.... so you would need 2 different UpBoard Gateways?

no internal routing possible if the hardware is all in one place?

 

[Miska]

On 1/14/2021 at 4:24 PM, asdf1000 said:

If I have 2 x UpBoard Gateways both running NAA image - how do I change their NAA names?

 

You cannot change anything on the NAA image, because it is read-only RAM filesystem. So it is only good for either one.

 

But HQPlayer OS image you can change and for example edit /etc/default/networkaudiod to have something like

NETWORKAUDIOD_NAME="SomeNAA"

 

And you can disable HQPlayer Embedded on it with

systemctl disable hqplayerd
systemctl stop hqplayerd

 

[asdf1000]

2 hours ago, Miska said:

You cannot change anything on the NAA image, because it is read-only RAM filesystem. So it is only good for either one.

 

But HQPlayer OS image you can change and for example edit /etc/default/networkaudiod to have something like

 

Ok thanks! This is easy.

 

I guess right now the UpBoard UAC2 input is running as HQP OS so I'll just rename the NAA for that and disable HQPe on that one.

 

[asdf1000]

Hi again @Ales Prochazka

 

Another feature request to add to HQPControl (when you have spare time).

 

Bauer cross-feed which is available on the HQPe 'Matrix' page.

 

 

[Ales Prochazka]

4 hours ago, asdf1000 said:

Hi again @Ales Prochazka

 

Another feature request to add to HQPControl (when you have spare time).

 

Bauer cross-feed which is available on the HQPe 'Matrix' page.

 

 

 

This case can be solved within Matrix profiles.
@Miska I don't think there is an API for cross-feed control?

[asdf1000]

Hi @Miska a separate but related query, is "post-process" is completely separate to "matrix pipeline" at the top of Matrix page?

 

So I can enable 'post-process' and I do NOT have to enable 'matrix pipleline' for Bauer cross-feed to work?