SGC - sonicTransporter Series and Signalyst HQPlayer 4 Embedded

[asdf1000]

51 minutes ago, alcarp said:

Thanks. So how does one arrange a trial installation on a Sonictransporter I5?

 

Just install it via 'available apps' and start using it. 

 

It will work for 30 days, with the 30 minute time limit.

 

[alcarp]

Thanks. Just one more question. What does it cost?

[asdf1000]

4 hours ago, alcarp said:

Thanks. Just one more question. What does it cost?

 

Roughly USD280. Use the 30 day free trial to see/hear if you like it.

 

I have a feeling you'll be signing up very early in the trial period, to get rid of the annoying 30 minute time limit ?

 

While it does seem expensive at first, I can assure you from 1st hand experience the support offered is 1st class, by @Miska and @agillis @vortecjr - and that's part of the cost too.

 

[BlueDL]

I’ve been trying HQPlayer embedded on my STi7 - upsampling to DSD512 with the -2s filters. Every few tracks or so, playback stops and a ‘transport unable to connect to HQPlayer’ message appears. Returning to HQP Config to reapply/reaffirm settings seems to unlock it to allow further playback.

 

Has it been concluded that this is just the result of limitations in the 7700 CPU manifesting themselves, or is it a software problem?  My network is wired and, typically, download rates are around 45MBps.

[asdf1000]

27 minutes ago, BlueDL said:

Has it been concluded that this is just the result of limitations in the 7700 CPU manifesting themselves

 

The sonicTi7 can handle the 2s variants of all poly-sinc filters, including xtr, at DSD512 

 

There was an issue a few pages back that I raised with pops at DSD512 playing to my Rendu - and Jussi was able to eventually reproduce it with his Rendu and update NAA on the Rendu and that fixed everything.

 

No problems with the i7-7700 with all -2s filters at DSD512.

 

Are you using a Rendu or a direct ALSA USB connection to your DAC?

 

Not that I'm an expert here, but this info may help when Andrew or JR or others come online.

 

 

[BlueDL]

Hi, thanks for that insight.

im using a microRendu (v1.4 HW, v2.6 SW) as NAA. Was your NAA update specific to your unit or is it readily available? 

[MM]

26 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

 

The sonicTi7 can handle the 2s variants of all poly-sinc filters, including xtr, at DSD512 

 

There was an issue a few pages back that I raised with pops at DSD512 playing to my Rendu - and Jussi was able to eventually reproduce it with his Rendu and update NAA on the Rendu and that fixed everything.

 

No problems with the i7-7700 with all -2s filters at DSD512.

 

Are you using a Rendu or a direct ALSA USB connection to your DAC?

 

Not that I'm an expert here, but this info may help when Andrew or JR or others come online.

 

 

 

Same here - my STi7 is running fine at DSD512 with all the -2s filters.  I haven't had the problem you are experiencing since SGC converted my ST from Windows to the Sonic Orbiter OS with HQPlayer embedded (and even then it only manifested itself if I didnt use the system for a long period).  When I did have this issue it was always network related - the trick was to power cycle the various components until they could see each other .  Without being an expert this could often take a little while.   It is not related to the power limitations of the CPU. 

 

I am using an ultraRendu as NAA.

[BlueDL]

I opted for the Sonicorbiter OS version for the very reason I’d had enough of ‘high maintenance’ Windows 10 on my bootcamped late 2012 Mac Mini. 

 

I didn’t try any network reboot (reapplying config in the HQPlayer page seems to the trick), but it’s a shame if this is going to be how it is going forward (if so, I’ll revert to using Roon DSP only). But I am hoping the NAA update mentioned by em2016 can be made available for my microRendu.

[BlueDL]

MM - the fact that you’re using an UltraRendu as NAA and HQPlayer for you is rock steady with the Sonicorbiter OS does suggest the issue I have perhaps lies with the microRendu, but I would have thought the SW should be common to both the micro and ultra units?

[asdf1000]

1 hour ago, BlueDL said:

But I am hoping the NAA update mentioned by em2016 can be made available for my microRendu.

 

As I mentioned, this NAA update was pushed out many pages ago (long ago). That particular issue was pops at DSD512 and has been fixed for both Rendu's long ago. It was initially thought to be a CPU loading issue with the sonicT i7 but as I mentioned, Jussi reproduced it with his microRendu and fixed it with an NAA update. That's just the history of it all but that's all sorted for a long time now.

 

If you've done a software update on sonicO OS and everything is up to date, your issue is completely different to what was discussed early on, when HQP Embedded first came to the sonicTi7.

 

Email Andrew. He'll help you out. Support is 1st class.

 

[asdf1000]

4 hours ago, BlueDL said:

I’ve been trying HQPlayer embedded on my STi7 - upsampling to DSD512 with the -2s filters. Every few tracks or so, playback stops and a ‘transport unable to connect to HQPlayer’ message appears. Returning to HQP Config to reapply/reaffirm settings seems to unlock it to allow further playback.

 

Has it been concluded that this is just the result of limitations in the 7700 CPU manifesting themselves, or is it a software problem?  My network is wired and, typically, download rates are around 45MBps.

 

Silly question here, but have you purchased HQP Embedded (~USD280) and uploaded the 'key' via sonicOrbiter OS?

 

Because the free trial will cut off, every 30 minutes.

 

Just double checking because I did see someone in another thread expect HQP came as a free software update to the sonicTransporters and they wondered why it kept cutting off.

 

[vortecjr]

4 hours ago, BlueDL said:

I’ve been trying HQPlayer embedded on my STi7 - upsampling to DSD512 with the -2s filters. Every few tracks or so, playback stops and a ‘transport unable to connect to HQPlayer’ message appears. Returning to HQP Config to reapply/reaffirm settings seems to unlock it to allow further playback.

 

Has it been concluded that this is just the result of limitations in the 7700 CPU manifesting themselves, or is it a software problem?  My network is wired and, typically, download rates are around 45MBps.

HQ Player on the sonicTransporter can generate logs from the configuration page. Reproduce the issue and submit the log to Jussi. Are these devices connected directly to a router or passing through other network gear?

[vortecjr]

The apps on SonicOrbiter for the microRendu and ultraRendu are the same assuming recent updates on both units. We are working on a new release and the various apps will be updated then.

[BlueDL]

Regarding the ‘free trial’ suggestion (30-minute cut-off period), it sounds very credible and I will check this evening after work (never assume a question targeted at a Luddite like me is silly!). But I did go through the process of uploading an XML file of the Key (as advised on the Signalyst web page for keys that pre-date certain Windows changes). I found that, if I tried uploading on the Key page (in HQPlayer Config) as ‘User’, I got the ‘Failed!’ message, but if I upload with ‘System’ selected, a ‘Success!’ message was returned. By rejecting ‘User’, does that mean that the (personal) Key file was rejected I wonder?  Maybe it is defaulting to the trial as a result? 

I honestly could not find a clear guide to HQPe set-up for the Sonictransporter (not the configuration detail, anyway), so I kind of stumbled along assuming that the steps I took were correct.  Can someone (@Jussi perhaps) chime in to confirm that a Key file uploaded as ‘System’ should override the trial option?  If so, I would assume that the trial time-out is not the route cause here.

[asdf1000]

22 minutes ago, BlueDL said:

Regarding the ‘free trial’ suggestion (30-minute cut-off period), it sounds very credible and I will check this evening after work (never assume a question targeted at a Luddite like me is silly!). But I did go through the process of uploading an XML file of the Key (as advised on the Signalyst web page for keys that pre-date certain Windows changes). I found that, if I tried uploading on the Key page (in HQPlayer Config) as ‘User’, I got the ‘Failed!’ message, but if I upload with ‘System’ selected, a ‘Success!’ message was returned. By rejecting ‘User’, does that mean that the (personal) Key file was rejected I wonder?  Maybe it is defaulting to the trial as a result? 

I honestly could not find a clear guide to HQPe set-up for the Sonictransporter (not the configuration detail, anyway), so I kind of stumbled along assuming that the steps I took were correct.  Can someone (@Jussi perhaps) chime in to confirm that a Key file uploaded as ‘System’ should override the trial option?  If so, I would assume that the trial time-out is not the route cause here.

 

If you go to the 'About' page, you may see 'Trial' under 'License'. This mean your .xml license hasn't been uploaded correctly and you're obviously still on the trial.

 

If you see your name, then you're not on the trial

 

 

I'll tag Jussi anyway @Miska

[BlueDL]

Embarrassingly, the ‘About’ page is showing ‘Trial’. Thanks.

 

But what confuses me is that, on the ‘Key’ page with ‘Scope’ set to ‘System’, I appear to be able to upload ‘hqplayer3w-Key.xml’ with me temporarily being diverted to a similar ‘Key’ page showing ‘Success!’. This is what made me think I’d uploaded my Key correctly (in the absence of an idiot-proof guide).

 

@Miska, sorry, but any ideas what I’ve messed up (apart from going anywhere near a computer!!)?

 

[Miska]

6 minutes ago, BlueDL said:

Embarrassingly, the ‘About’ page is showing ‘Trial’. Thanks.

 

But what confuses me is that, on the ‘Key’ page with ‘Scope’ set to ‘System’, I appear to be able to upload ‘hqplayer3w-Key.xml’ with me temporarily being diverted to a similar ‘Key’ page showing ‘Success!’.

 

Based on file name that sounds like key for HQPlayer Desktop 3.x for Windows?

[BlueDL]

Yes, that’s what I bought 2 and a half years ago before HQPe was available. Is there a way to convert to make it apply to a Linux compatible version?

[BlueDL]

Ah, is this perhaps because I bought HQP Desktop at the time and it needs to be the Embedded version to work on the STi7?

 

HQPe has been available for years (just checked the website!).

 

I have no real need for Desktop if it’s not compatible with the STi7, so is it possible to switch to HQPe or am I faced with shelling out all over again?

[R1200CL]

1 hour ago, BlueDL said:

Ah, is this perhaps because I bought HQP Desktop at the time and it needs to be the Embedded version to work on the STi7?

 

HQPe has been available for years (just checked the website!).

 

I have no real need for Desktop if it’s not compatible with the STi7, so is it possible to switch to HQPe or am I faced with shelling out all over again?

 

Not this version with web interface. 

[R1200CL]

1 hour ago, BlueDL said:

Yes, that’s what I bought 2 and a half years ago before HQPe was available. Is there a way to convert to make it apply to a Linux compatible version?

 

NO.

 

You may get a discount. But not on the embedded version.

 

Send SMG a mail. That’s where you get the best price for what you’re looking for. It will be looked to that SonicTransporter 4ever. 

[BlueDL]

5 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

 

NO.

 

You may get a discount. But not on the embedded version.

 

Send SMG a mail. That’s where you get the best price for what you’re looking for. It will be looked to that SonicTransporter 4ever. 

Sorry, is SMG the username of someone on CA or a company?

Apologies if it’s a silly question - seems the more I type, the more my ‘novice’ status is revealed!! ??

[R1200CL]

Sorry. Should be SGC. 

 

https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/products/sonictransporter-i5?variant=20893269700

[BlueDL]

Now those guys I have heard of.

Thanks, I’ll email Andrew Gillis (he’s probably sick of hearing from me lately!)

[seaharp1]

Hey BlueDL,

 

I've had 4 or 5 computer teamviews with Andrew (sometimes on the phone at the same time)...he has never shown any impatience with me...

 

Very understanding and patient support.