SGC - sonicTransporter Series and Signalyst HQPlayer 4 Embedded

[Miska]

10 hours ago, jamesg11 said:

But, I’m definitely now moving on from thoughts of getting the Qutest, re both potential streaming & dsd matters.

Have to re-think ... a dac that does quality pcm + dsd.

 

You want to send both PCM and DSD to a DAC? With software upsampling? Maybe take a look/listen for example at Holo Audio Spring DAC.

 

[rickca]

Deleted

[asdf1000]

On 5/25/2018 at 8:09 AM, vortecjr said:

Just give him my email and I'll be happy to explain the issue to him. 

 

Actually Rob did confirm a few days ago: 

 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-electronics-qutest-dac-official-thread.869417/page-97#post-142531

 

Native DSD mode with ASIO on Windows only (as it’s been with Rob’s DACs forever).

 

[soares]

On 5/24/2018 at 6:09 PM, vortecjr said:

Just give him my email and I'll be happy to explain the issue to him. 

Thank you so much Jesus. I did it. I start to see a light on the end of the tunnel... Perhaps I am too optimistic...

[soares]

On 5/24/2018 at 5:49 PM, Miska said:

 

I have this white noise problem with my Chord Mojo, even when playing from iPhone 6 or 7 using USB from Camera Connection Kit. Naturally no upsampling. Same thing from my Windows work laptop playing Spotify. Naturally no upsampling what so ever in either case.

 

The Chord implementation just seems to got nuts if there's even slightest disturbance on the USB traffic. Also particular USB cable used has big impact on how soon this will happen at least on Mojo.

 

So far I've got so fed up with Mojo that I'm probably going to discard it because I cannot get it work lengthy times with anything and it drains it's battery all the time even when not in use...

 

 

Anyway... With Chord DAC's, don't send DSD there. They will convert it to PCM in not-so-great way (measured from the DAC output). You are much better off sending highest possible rate PCM there always. So if you have DSD content, let HQPlayer convert it to high rate PCM...

Thank you Miska. The problem is that the second HQplayer license I bought to use in my ST i5 is totally useless with my Qutest... A waste of almost 300 dollars...

 

[Miska]

20 hours ago, soares said:

Thank you Miska. The problem is that the second HQplayer license I bought to use in my ST i5 is totally useless with my Qutest... A waste of almost 300 dollars...

 

I don't think so? If you can keep Qutest working with HQPlayer doing upsampling to highest PCM rate it supports.

 

If it is acting up (white noise), it would be good to bug Chord to fix their firmware.

 

[soares]

17 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

I don't think so? If you can keep Qutest working with HQPlayer doing upsampling to highest PCM rate it supports.

 

If it is acting up (white noise), it would be good to bug Chord to fix their firmware.

 

Miska, the white noise shows up also when upsampling to PCM768... You understand now why I am so upset...I can't compare to my other Mac HQplayer license  because it's an old model that does not more then DSD128 and PCM358.

[diecaster]

I thought about buying HQPlayer for my sonicTransporter i5. But there is no way I am going to spend that kind of money on software that is forever tied to a piece of hardware. Why would I do something that stupid when server hardware is changed as often as toothbrushes??

[vortecjr]

Update notice:

 

There is a new version of NAA for SonicOrbiter on the Rendu series.

 

Please go to Apps / Software Manager and press Update. Please wait for the Back to Main Menu link.  

[R1200CL]

6 hours ago, vortecjr said:

Update notice:

 

warning: file /usr/share/upmpdcli/cdplugins/uprcl/uprclcontrol.pyo: remove failed: No such file or directory

warning: file /usr/share/upmpdcli/cdplugins/uprcl/uprclcontrol.pyc: remove failed: No such file or directory

 

Jesus

Is this a problem ?

[asdf1000]

Update went ok at my end. DSD512 sounding great and pop free. ? 

 

Great job Jussi

 

 

 

[Miska]

8 hours ago, soares said:

Miska, the white noise shows up also when upsampling to PCM768... You understand now why I am so upset...I can't compare to my other Mac HQplayer license  because it's an old model that does not more then DSD128 and PCM358.

 

Hmmh, why doesn't it do higher than 384k PCM? Upsampling to PCM is not that heavy, so even with older computers 768k shouldn't be much of an issue.

 

But I think people should really begin to bug Chord about this. I was also upset with my Mojo because I couldn't find a single use for it where it wouldn't do that sooner or later (even at 44.1k PCM input from iPhone). And there have been no firmware updates for it either. I'm just too busy to run around fighting for such fairly inexpensive DAC (for me it would cost more in time than price of the device). So now I only use it when I want to make short tests with it. If needed, Chord can email me and I'm happy to discuss with them and do some tests.

[Miska]

7 hours ago, diecaster said:

I thought about buying HQPlayer for my sonicTransporter i5. But there is no way I am going to spend that kind of money on software that is forever tied to a piece of hardware. Why would I do something that stupid when server hardware is changed as often as toothbrushes??

 

When you buy server from any other hardware manufacturer it's the same thing. Let's say you buy Esoteric or dCS server, you can't lift the software from the hardware. Price of the software is baked into the product price. Same goes for you mobile phone, TV and car...

 

[asdf1000]

I can HIGHLY recommend the sonicTransporter i7 +  Roon app + HQP Embedded app + Rendu solution

 

Pair it with a Pro-Ject S2 DAC or iFi iDSD Black Label, both which do DSD512x48 and PCM768kHz with HQP, or any DAC you want of course, and sit back and enjoy the music.

 

[diecaster]

If I buy Windows Server 2016 and install it on a Dell box today, I can buy a HP box 6 months from now and install that copy of Windows Server 2016 on that server hardware without spending a dime.

[diecaster]

Your software is an add on that costs money to activate. It does not come with the server all ready to run and activated. 

[Miska]

35 minutes ago, diecaster said:

Your software is an add on that costs money to activate. It does not come with the server all ready to run and activated. 

 

You can buy it that way too... And that is the intended way.

 

Possibility to buy it separately is for DIY people.

 

36 minutes ago, diecaster said:

If I buy Windows Server 2016 and install it on a Dell box today, I can buy a HP box 6 months from now and install that copy of Windows Server 2016 on that server hardware without spending a dime.

 

If you buy a computer with pre-installed Windows, it is the OEM version which cannot be moved to a new computer.

 

If you like to have HQPlayer that you can move around you can buy the Desktop version.

[diecaster]

55 minutes ago, Miska said:

If you buy a computer with pre-installed Windows, it is the OEM version which cannot be moved to a new computer.

 

Your software for the sonicTransporter i5 does not come preinstalled AND enabled. If it did, we would not be having this conversation. It doesn't really matter how you intend it to be used. The simple fact is that I have to pay for it after the fact. In my 40 years in the computer industry, I can't think of any third-party software product that I bought or licensed that could not be transferred to another system if I chose to upgrade the hardware. The license was tied to me and 1 or more of my computers. The reason for this is that computer hardware is always advancing and people are always upgrading. I would never buy a software product that penalized me for upgrading my hardware. This is exactly what you are doing. 

[vortecjr]

You can't take the digital signal processor (DSP) out of a receiver and place it in your next receiver, but you pay for it even if you don't use it. Jussi is protecting is intellectual property and I really don't see an issue. SGC does not preinstall the software and include its cost in the base cost of the product because not everyone will use HQ Player Embedded. You can install the software and run it for free under the trial. If you want the software you have to pay for it and the license will be tied the unit.    

[diecaster]

16 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

You can't take the digital signal processor (DSP) out of a receiver and place it in your next receiver, but you pay for it even if you don't use it. Jussi is protecting is intellectual property and I really don't see an issue. SGC does not preinstall the software and include its cost in the base cost of the product because not everyone will use HQ Player Embedded. You can install the software and run it for free under the trial. If you want the software you have to pay for it and the license will be tied the unit.    

 

You DSP analogy is ridiculous! You don't see an issue but I do. You don't care I guess because it does not affect you. I am sure you get a free license if you ask. This is not protecting IP. This is a way to make more money when people eventually upgrade hardware.

 

The very point you make about not installing and not charging for the software is the reason the license should be moveable from one system to another. This would be like me buying Roon and installing it on the sonicTransporter i5 only to have to buy it again when I bought a replacement server sometime down the road. Again, this is crazy because servers are upgraded often enough for this to be a problem. He might as well charge a $99 annual fee to use the software.

[vortecjr]

8 minutes ago, diecaster said:

 

You DSP analogy is ridiculous! You don't see an issue but I do. You don't care I guess because it does not affect you. I am sure you get a free license if you ask. This is not protecting IP. This is a way to make more money when people eventually upgrade hardware.

 

The very point you make about not installing and not charging for the software is the reason the license should be moveable from one system to another. This would be like me buying Roon and installing it on the sonicTransporter i5 only to have to buy it again when I bought a replacement server sometime down the road. Again, this is crazy because servers are upgraded often enough for this to be a problem. He might as well charge a $99 annual fee to use the software.

You are just being argumentative. 

[vortecjr]

I just had look at the i5 and i7 sonicTransporter series on the SGC website. These units are very competitively priced considering they include specialized software that is prepackaged for you and professionally maintained for you. I have the i5 without an internal drive and it retails for $795.    

[asdf1000]

3 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

I just had look at the i5 and i7 SonicTransporter series on the SGC website. These units are very competitively priced considering they include specialized software that is prepackaged for you and professionally maintained for you. I have the i5 without an internal drive and it retails for $795.    

 

Very nicely priced and the support is first class.

 

[asdf1000]

@diecaster you can email SGC to price up a custom fanless build for you that runs Windows... and then you can have HQP for Windows and that license can move to a new PC later... Problem solved.

 

But the headless experience running sonicOrbiter OS + HQP Embedded is the best user experience.

 

[vortecjr]

The main difference is that you are on your own to main the software on the Windows server and we all know how much fun that can be. I think the only reason SGC had a Windows version was for HQ Player, but now that HQ Player Embedded runs on the Linux servers there is no need for Windows.