SGC - sonicTransporter Series and Signalyst HQPlayer 4 Embedded

[agillis]

I just released HQPlayerd 4.1.1. It has a bunch of fixes and improvements.

 

Test and post! 

[asdf1000]

Just an update on my issues.

 

With today's latest update it appears the sonicT i7 can NOW run RoonServer and HQP up-sampling to DSD512 with all the 2s filters (even the poly-sinc-xtr-2s filters), without pops, using the ASDM7 modulator. This is the modulator most will use anyway with DSD512 (I'm guessing).

 

The only popping is now with the "ASDM7 512+fs" modulator at DSD512 but that's not an urgent fix for me. Maybe it still can be fixed at some point. I've reported it to Jussi and Andrew, so I'm sure they'll try to get that modulator working too, if it's possible.

 

ALL 2s filters now work at DSD512  with the ASDM7 modulator, with RoonServer running at the same time, all on the sonicTransporter i7.

 

Great work by Jussi, Andrew and JR for helping to get this sorted.

 

I'm guessing this all in one HEADLESS solution will become quite popular with HQP Embedded.

 

If there's any issues over this weekend (pops re-appear) then I'll report back, but so far so good.

 

Many thanks for all the help JR

[jamesg11]

Very good outcome. Now a very attractive proposition.

[asdf1000]

17 minutes ago, jamesg11 said:

Very good outcome. Now a very attractive proposition.

 

Now is an attractive proposition indeed - thanks to my beta testing !! :-) More thanks to Jussi and Andrew and JR of course.

 

Just press the power button and by the time you sit down and load Roon app on your iPad, music is ready to be played at HQP DSD512.

 

There's no fussin around on a Windows/Mac/Linux computer with a keyboard and a mouse.

 

Any HQP settings you may want to change, can all be done with your iPad in hand as you're sitting in front of your listening gear 

 

Well worth the price.

 

Fingers crossed it stays working without pops this weekend

 

[vortecjr]

Awesome...enjoy!

 

So for the record:

The sonicTransporter i5 can up sampling PCM to DSD256.

The sonicTransporter i7 can up sampling PCM to DSD512.

[asdf1000]

14 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

The sonicTransporter i7 can up sampling PCM to DSD512

 

* with 2s filters

** not with the DSD512+fs modulator (at present) 

 

You need to mention these things otherwise you will get reports of pops by people that don’t read this thread or any thread.

 

I don’t care about the DSD512+fs modulator personally but someone will use it and still complain of pops at some point. Guaranteed to happen.

 

Thanks again for the help and initial  fire fighting

 

[mark_z]

Thought I'd try this out on my just upgraded to 2.6 i7 sonictransporter but I get this message when I try to install HQPlayer:

 

Package install in progress...

04/28/2018 09:59:39 - Installing package hqplayerd (this can take some time)...
04/28/2018 09:59:39 - Installing HQPlayer (hqplayerd).
eth0 is already assigned to HW address
mkdir: cannot create directory '/etc/hqplayer': File exists
Error: nothing provides gupnp needed by hqplayerd-4.0.6-1.fc25.x86_64
(try to add '--allowerasing' to command line to replace conflicting packages)
Back to Package Manager

 

Any thoughts?

[R1200CL]

1 hour ago, mark_z said:

Any thoughts?

 

Uninstalling and reinstalling ?

And reboot after uninstall. 

[mark_z]

HQPlayer install fails - nothing to uninstall.  Drive Mounter, Roon and Minimserver are the only apps installed.

[R1200CL]

2 hours ago, mark_z said:

HQPlayer install fails - nothing to uninstall.  Drive Mounter, Roon and Minimserver are the only apps installed.

 

Have you powered off totally. And done a normal update ? 

And then try again ?

 

if so, and not working, please email Andrew or Jesus. I think you will get some remote help. 

[jamesg11]

20 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

* with 2s filters

** not with the DSD512+fs modulator (at present) 

 

You need to mention these things otherwise you will get reports of pops by people that don’t read this thread or any thread.

 

I don’t care about the DSD512+fs modulator personally but someone will use it and still complain of pops at some point. Guaranteed to happen.

 

Thanks again for the help and initial  fire fighting

 

Sage advice, from experience & keen observation!

[asdf1000]

Some feedback after 1+ week of testing to find the limits of the sonicTi7 with Roon Server on the same machine.

 

Wit 2s filters, it was just the AMSDM7 DSD512+fs modulator that had issues at DSD512, with popping.

 

Apart from that, all other 2s filters worked fine with all other modulators.

 

Now that testing to find the limits is over, current favourite is poly-sinc-short-mp-2s, DSD7 DSD256+fs at DSD512 output.

 

Works flawlessly.

 

Quite a nice all-in-one very powerful, silent, headless box.

 

[vortecjr]

5 hours ago, Em2016 said:

Some feedback after 1+ week of testing to find the limits of the sonicTi7 with Roon Server on the same machine.

 

Wit 2s filters, it was just the AMSDM7 DSD512+fs modulator that had issues at DSD512, with popping.

 

Apart from that, all other 2s filters worked fine with all other modulators.

 

Now that testing to find the limits is over, current favourite is poly-sinc-short-mp-2s, DSD7 DSD256+fs at DSD512 output.

 

Works flawlessly.

 

Quite a nice all-in-one very powerful, silent, headless box.

 

That is a win in my book. It’s also a win at DSD256 with my i5:) 

 

So are we ready to move on to phase 2 of this project...digital inputs?

[asdf1000]

2 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

So are we ready to move on to phase 2 of this project...digital inputs?

 

For this same model? Or a new different model?

 

Do share what this will look/function like

[vortecjr]

Same model. We have not tested this solution, but Jussi has informed us that it works great with an external source (cd player, Chromecast, etc.) streaming to a NAA device while applying HQ Players algorithms to the stream. Basically, it would be possible to make the sonicTransporter your digital hub.

[asdf1000]

7 hours ago, vortecjr said:

Same model. We have not tested this solution, but Jussi has informed us that it works great with an external source (cd player, Chromecast, etc.) streaming to a NAA device while applying HQ Players algorithms to the stream. Basically, it would be possible to make the sonicTransporter your digital hub.

 

Cool I've seen past posts of his. He's feeding Spotify via a Chromecast or something and everything up-sampled via HQP. Or something like that.

 

If the NAA is a micro/ultraRendu, how would this work? What connects to what? And I mean just basic physical connections, how would it work.

 

Say with a Chromecast with digital optical output

 

The sonicTi7 only has USB ports though? Would there need to be an adapter, like an optical-to-USB adapter, to feed the sonicTi7?

 

Unless there's an optical input that I missed on the back panel . I see a mic port but that's an analogue input?

[vortecjr]

10 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

Cool I've seen past posts of his. He's feeding Spotify via a Chromecast or something and everything up-sampled via HQP. Or something like that.

 

If the NAA is a micro/ultraRendu, how would this work? What connects to what? And I mean just basic physical connections, how would it work.

 

Say with a Chromecast with digital optical output

 

The sonicTi7 only has USB ports though? Would there need to be an adapter, like an optical-to-USB adapter, to feed the sonicTi7?

 

Unless there's an optical input that I missed on the back panel . I see a mic port but that's an analogue input?

The sonicTransporter has plenty of USB ports so we can an external USB device. I asked Jussi for just such a device and he pointed me the this one. Remember this has not been tested and requires things enabled that are not presently enabled. I will purchase one of these and start the development work with Jussi and Andrew. 

https://www.minidsp.com/products/usb-audio-interface/usbstreamer-kit-box

 

The signal path is simple: USB streamer -> sonicTransporter with HQ Player running -> NAA on micro/ultraRendu. 

[asdf1000]

14 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

The sonicTransporter has plenty of USB ports so we can an external USB device. I asked Jussi for just such a device and he pointed me the this one. Remember this has not been tested and requires things enabled that are not presently enabled. I will purchase one of these and start the development work with Jussi and Andrew. 

https://www.minidsp.com/products/usb-audio-interface/usbstreamer-kit-box

 

The signal path is simple: USB streamer -> sonicTransporter with HQ Player running -> NAA on micro/ultraRendu. 

 

Nice.  I didn't realise that could work as Toslink input and USB output.

 

I'll get one, after you test and confirm it's good to go.

 

Can you also look at turning the sonicT's HDMI port, into a HDMI input for HQP....

There are older Apple TV units with optical output, but using the HDMI input would open up all the latest Apple TV's for HDMI audio output.  Same for other players too, not just Apple TV's.

[vortecjr]

11 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

Nice.  I didn't realise that could work as Toslink input and USB output.

 

I'll get one, after you test and confirm it's good to go.

 

Can you also look at turning the sonicT's HDMI port, into a HDMI input for HQP....

There are older Apple TV units with optical output, but using the HDMI input would open up all the latest Apple TV's for HDMI audio output.  Same for other players too, not just Apple TV's.

That is probably unlikely because it's an output if anything. 

[asdf1000]

No worries. May there's a HDMI-to-USB audio accessory out there, maybe Jussi knows of.

[vortecjr]

12 hours ago, Em2016 said:

No worries. May there's a HDMI-to-USB audio accessory out there, maybe Jussi knows of.

You would want to connect the Apple TV to your TV and then run it's digital output to the sonicTransporter.  

[asdf1000]

19 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

You would want to connect the Apple TV to your TV and then run it's digital output to the sonicTransporter.  

 

As mentioned above, unfortunately the current production Apple TV's only have a HDMI output these days. 

 

Only the older model Apple TV's (out of production, some available on eBay) have both HDMI and optical output. Those older models will stop being supported at some point, with the move to Airplay 2 and then after that.

 

[Miska]

9 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

As mentioned above, unfortunately the current production Apple TV's only have a HDMI output these days. 

 

Only the older model Apple TV's (out of production, some available on eBay) have both HDMI and optical output. Those older models will stop being supported at some point, with the move to Airplay 2 and then after that.

 

 

Apple TV is not so great for music playback anyway, as it has fixed 48 kHz output rate, so everything will get converted to that one. Airport Express has optical output that is fixed to 44.1k output rate and thus more suitable for many music playback cases. However, Airport Express is discontinued stuff too. And I didn't get it working with the miniDSP input, possibly due to too much jitter.

 

HDMI inputs are tricky and expensive to implement because of HDCP requirement which involves lot of protection stuff all over.

 

Google Chromecast Audio dongle is cheaper and better than the Apple products. It is what I have across the house as one of the sources to HQPlayer Embedded.

[vortecjr]

10 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

As mentioned above, unfortunately the current production Apple TV's only have a HDMI output these days. 

 

Only the older model Apple TV's (out of production, some available on eBay) have both HDMI and optical output. Those older models will stop being supported at some point, with the move to Airplay 2 and then after that.

 

What I mean is most TVs output the signal via a digital signal output and that you could use. 

[vortecjr]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

Apple TV is not so great for music playback anyway, as it has fixed 48 kHz output rate, so everything will get converted to that one. Airport Express has optical output that is fixed to 44.1k output rate and thus more suitable for many music playback cases. However, Airport Express is discontinued stuff too. And I didn't get it working with the miniDSP input, possibly due to too much jitter.

 

HDMI inputs are tricky and expensive to implement because of HDCP requirement which involves lot of protection stuff all over.

 

Google Chromecast Audio dongle is cheaper and better than the Apple products. It is what I have across the house as one of the sources to HQPlayer Embedded.

+ it supports higher rates up to 24/96 per Chris' review:)

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/Basic-Bit-Perfect-Testing-Of-The-35-Chromecast-Audio/