Euphony OS w/Stylus player setup and issues thread

[edwardsean]

I went back again to 421 to give it another spin. I still found the same differences, and realized just how dissimilar 421 is from 102. 

 

421 has a wonderful clarity over 102, but the sound is tight and congeals to the middle, with a smaller low end. 102 flows out and spreads the image over a larger canvas. It actually creates more space between elements and allows them more air and separation. 

 

Again, the cost for 102's sense of space is a more diffuse rendering over 421's definiteness. 102 can sound almost mushy by comparison, but 421 is so hard and focused it feels strained.

 

I really wish I didn't have to choose, but I find 102 considerably more easeful and, ahem, euphonic. It makes me sad, but I'm happier with 102. Along with others, I revolt against going backwards, but that is how much I prefer the pre 216/216 builds.  

[ASRMichael]

11 hours ago, di-fi said:

Thanks and sorry to insist, it's out of curiosity, and maybe one day soon my system will evolve so it becomes practical to know. I understand you have no USB drive. Do you keep more than 2 versions of Euphony on your Optane 32 Gb?

I had M.2 fail which carried two versions, 108 and 102 if I recall. Each time you upgrade you can go back one if don't like it. Unfortunately I had no other backups on a USB from a fresh install image.  

[di-fi]

11 hours ago, ASRMichael said:

I had M.2 fail which carried two versions, 108 and 102 if I recall. Each time you upgrade you can go back one if don't like it. Unfortunately I had no other backups on a USB from a fresh install image.  

Ok I understand now. I know how to revert and switch between 2 versions within the same install, but not more than 2. Many thanks!

[mrkoven]

On 4/20/2021 at 12:32 AM, StreamFidelity said:

I tried Euphony. I like the tidy user interface and the options in RAM for buffering and loading Euphony from RAM.

 

A little prehistory:

 

I am a convinced HQPlayer user and like to use DSD 256 with the modulator ASDM7EC. These algorithms require two cores with at least 4GHz for stereo. No problem for an Intel Core i9-9900K. Since I have a fanless PC, I have to throttle the temperature development. I do this in the BIOS with a fixed clock rate of 4.2GHz. Very high-performance under Windows 10 Pro and without any problems.

 

Unfortunately this does not work under Euphony. Regardless of the setting, two cores are always occupied with 100% utilization.

 

 

It seems to be a problem that has existed for a long time. Too bad.

 

Do you know if AL has this core utilization issue as well? Coincidentally I am in the middle of building a 9900K server for DSD256 7EC. I intended to go with Euphony OS for ease of setup but may be a dealbreaker with this issue. 

[edwardsean]

Darn, 421 performs so well in terms of precision and detail. I really wish I could have a mix of 421 and 102. As it is, no matter how hard I try, I can't settle on 421 in my system. 

 

This is a plea for Željko, going forward, if we could move the balance back some toward 102, or if we could have some more tuning options. 

[NanoSword]

10 hours ago, edwardsean said:

Darn, 421 performs so well in terms of precision and detail. I really wish I could have a mix of 421 and 102. As it is, no matter how hard I try, I can't settle on 421 in my system. 

 

This is a plea for Željko, going forward, if we could move the balance back some toward 102, or if we could have some more tuning options. 

I read @ASRMichael comment's explain IRQ after I start play with IRQ I feel the image is improving. 

[c-w]

13 hours ago, mrkoven said:

 

Do you know if AL has this core utilization issue as well? Coincidentally I am in the middle of building a 9900K server for DSD256 7EC. I intended to go with Euphony OS for ease of setup but may be a dealbreaker with this issue. 

 

Apparently, this was resolved for at least one user (by direct intervention over remote connection). I advise contacting support if you have the same issue.

[edwardsean]

5 hours ago, NanoSword said:

I read @ASRMichael comment's explain IRQ after I start play with IRQ I feel the image is improving. 

 

Which build are you on?

[NanoSword]

I did try upsampling to DSD256 7EC with Euphony chord Dac but the problem is with Hqplayer specially with new ver they are not taking the advantage of multi core it looks Hq used two core and the process will hit 100% and the sound will start to cut. 

 

With old ver like 4.8 or 4.12 I can't upsample higher rate PCM like 192 to 7EC but with lower sample rate it's working good .  I believe the best way to go with 7EC is to replicate @hols build .

 

it looks he prefer PGGB now.

 

 

For me I appreciate 7EC with song recorded as DSD but not to upsampling from PCM> DSD I can't imagine how the sound will become good with DAC prefer DSD file as I know chord DAC work's best with PCM yet the sound is still beautiful with 7EC. 

 

So I think for euphony using DSD file and HQ 7EC sound very beautiful. 

and playing PGGB PCM with Stylus sound very beautiful . 

 

 

 

 

[NanoSword]

9 minutes ago, edwardsean said:

 

Which build are you on?

I am using AMD 3950x still I don't use any LPS for my server I have Taiko-ATX and I am waiting ULPS from taiko .

[edwardsean]

4 hours ago, NanoSword said:

I am using AMD 3950x still I don't use any LPS for my server I have Taiko-ATX and I am waiting ULPS from taiko .

 

I'm sorry, I meant which build as in 421, 102, 108, etc.?

[NanoSword]

16 minutes ago, edwardsean said:

 

I'm sorry, I meant which build as in 421, 102, 108, etc.?

I am using 421&108 going back and forth I decide to stay with 421.

[mrkoven]

Picking up some Apacer 2666 from Mouser. Is 2x4GB sufficient for DSD ramroot, or better 4x4GB to be safe?

[al2813]

5 hours ago, NanoSword said:

I am using 421&108 going back and forth I decide to stay with 421.

Same here. 

[StreamFidelity]

Good news for HQPlayer users with DSD256 and modulator ASDM7EC: It works great!

 

I reported my problems.

Thanks to the excellent customer service from Željko. My Euphony version was adapted to the HQPlayer. The workload shows a high but reduced workload of two cores. The most important thing: no more stuttering, just a melodious sound.

 

The configuration of two cores is normal for stereo. The EC modulator requires at least 4GHz clock frequency for each channel. It works the same way under Windows.

 

 

Of course I also played with core isolation. I had to learn that the HQPlayer always falls back to its own core assignment when the stream starts again. The trick in my case is to leave the first 8 cores to the HQPlayer and distribute the rest. In the picture you can now see that the other cores from Core 8 - 15 are also used. For example CPU 9+10.

 

How did I do that? For Core Isolation I chose this setting: 8-15 hqplayerd 0-7 dhcpcd 1-15

 

Explanation: All programs not listed separately are distributed away from the HQPlayer to the cores 8-15. The HQPlayer stays at 0-7. dhcpcd is important for my Solarflare X2522 NIC, which has to run on as many cores as possible so that the lowest possible latencies can be achieved. I only left out core 0, as this core is usually heavily loaded. This is what it looks like:

 

1067 nfm: 8-15
1078 stylus: 8-15
1178 avahi-daemon:: 8-15
1385 hqplayerd: 0-7
469 / usr / bin / lvmetad: 8-15
641 / usr / bin / haveged: 8-15
661 / usr / bin / acpid: 8-15
711 / usr / bin / dhcpcd: 1-15

 

Overall, the power consumption has been reduced compared to Windows. This is also noticeable in a lower heat development. On average I am now <50°C. Before it was about 10°C more!

 

Summary

 

For me, Euphony has taken the important hurdle of error-free playback with the HQPlayer DSD 256 / ASDM7EC. I have no Linux knowledge and really appreciate the simple, well-designed user interface. The driver for the Solarflare NIC (SFN8522 & X2522) works without any problems. Euphony's ticket system is excellent. I enjoy the great sound.

 

[NanoSword]

4 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

The EC modulator requires at least 4GHz clock frequency for each channel. It works the same way under Windows.

Did you make any change from BIOS ? I changed Freq from euphony only.

 

4 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

the picture you can now see that the other cores from Core 8 - 15 are also used. For example CPU 9+10.

 

How did I do that? For Core Isolation I chose this setting: 8-15 hqplayerd 0-7 dhcpcd 1-15

It is impressive your CPU utilization have 93%,  mine is reaching 99-100% .

 

 

 

 

[StreamFidelity]

2 hours ago, NanoSword said:

Did you make any change from BIOS ?

 

Yes a lot of them. Take a look. 😉

On 3/3/2020 at 3:27 PM, StreamFidelity said:

2.1 BIOS

 

BIOS stands for "basic input / output system" and is the firmware on the mainboards. You can access the BIOS settings by clicking the F2 key several times during booting. Screenshots are taken on ASUS boards with the F12 key and e.g. B. stored on a USB stick. There are really a lot of setting options. Below I describe the most important ones I use.

 

2.1.1 BIOS update

 

Before the BIOS configuration and installation of the operating system, the latest BIOS version should be loaded in any case. There are different methods. I like to use the internet connection because it is very straightforward.

 

 

All BIOS settings are lost during the update. At least with this board. Anyone who has already made settings is well advised to save these settings on the USB stick.

 

 

2.1.2 RAM settings

 

The XMP II profile is recommended for system-stable operation. This setting reads out the profile in RAM and applies it.

 

 

2.1.3 CPU clock frequency

 

The most important setting for high performance concerns the clock frequency of the CPU. The Intel Core i9-9900K has a base clock of 3.6GHz. Not enough for the EC modulators of the HQPlayer. At least 4GHz on 3-4 cores are required. The CPU has 8 cores. I experimented with different settings. For example, clocking the first cores higher than the following ones. I did not like it. I stayed with the simple configuration: all cores on 4.1GHz.

 

 

2.1.4 Hyperthreading

 

If the HQPlayer loads complex filters, it will occupy all cores with 100%. To prevent the system from freezing, hyperthreading should be activated. 16 logical processors are then made available. As a result, the computing load can be better distributed.

 

2.1.5 Energy management

 

I am not describing settings for climate protection, but for increasing audiophile PC operation. The rule of thumb is to deactivate all energy saving options! The clock frequency should remain stable at 4.1GHz and not be reduced. The result would otherwise be z. B. Dropouts when playing the music. Deactivating the CPU C-states prevents (among other settings) switching back the clock frequency.

 

 

2.1.6 Temperature development

 

One of the main problems, especially with a passively cooled system, is the temperature development. By reducing the voltage, excessive temperature development can be avoided. However, if the voltage is set too low, the system freezes. The CPU is cooled very well. I therefore set the setting for BLCK Aware Adaptive Voltage to Enabled without fine adjustment.

 

 

In addition, I have the power consumption at 120W with max. 160W limited.

 

 

The CPU i9-9900K can up to max. 100 °C operated. Way to high. I have a max. Temperature set at 95 °C.

 

 

2.1.7 Deactivate functions that are not required

 

Basically, all functions of the board that are not required must be switched off. This saves electricity and promotes trouble-free

operation. In any case, I prefer M.2 SSDs and therefore do not need the SATA controller. That is also one of the reasons why I did not try RAID 0, because otherwise I could not have deactivated SATA.

 

 

I was able to switch off HD audio on this board without any problems. It seems that this also bypasses the problems on Windows. With a digital volume control like with the HQPlayer you have to switch off the Windows system sounds, which can otherwise be quite loud.

 

 

I have deactivated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

 

 

There are countless USB ports on the board. I only need three: for keyboard, mouse and USB stick. The assignments can be found in the mainboard manual. The JCAT USB Card Femto uses a PCIe connection and is not affected by these settings.

 

 

2.18 Settings for fanless operation

 

It is very important to deactivate the monitoring of fans or water pumps. Otherwise the system always shows an error message and does not start up.

 

 

[NanoSword]

With Zeljko's golden touches he made the 7EC barely reach 93%.

 

[ASRMichael]

11 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

Good news for HQPlayer users with DSD256 and modulator ASDM7EC: It works great!

 

I reported my problems.

Thanks to the excellent customer service from Željko. My Euphony version was adapted to the HQPlayer. The workload shows a high but reduced workload of two cores. The most important thing: no more stuttering, just a melodious sound.

 

The configuration of two cores is normal for stereo. The EC modulator requires at least 4GHz clock frequency for each channel. It works the same way under Windows.

 

 

Of course I also played with core isolation. I had to learn that the HQPlayer always falls back to its own core assignment when the stream starts again. The trick in my case is to leave the first 8 cores to the HQPlayer and distribute the rest. In the picture you can now see that the other cores from Core 8 - 15 are also used. For example CPU 9+10.

 

How did I do that? For Core Isolation I chose this setting: 8-15 hqplayerd 0-7 dhcpcd 1-15

 

Explanation: All programs not listed separately are distributed away from the HQPlayer to the cores 8-15. The HQPlayer stays at 0-7. dhcpcd is important for my Solarflare X2522 NIC, which has to run on as many cores as possible so that the lowest possible latencies can be achieved. I only left out core 0, as this core is usually heavily loaded. This is what it looks like:

 

1067 nfm: 8-15
1078 stylus: 8-15
1178 avahi-daemon:: 8-15
1385 hqplayerd: 0-7
469 / usr / bin / lvmetad: 8-15
641 / usr / bin / haveged: 8-15
661 / usr / bin / acpid: 8-15
711 / usr / bin / dhcpcd: 1-15

 

Overall, the power consumption has been reduced compared to Windows. This is also noticeable in a lower heat development. On average I am now <50°C. Before it was about 10°C more!

 

Summary

 

For me, Euphony has taken the important hurdle of error-free playback with the HQPlayer DSD 256 / ASDM7EC. I have no Linux knowledge and really appreciate the simple, well-designed user interface. The driver for the Solarflare NIC (SFN8522 & X2522) works without any problems. Euphony's ticket system is excellent. I enjoy the great sound.

 

Excellent news! Have you tried IRQ? With your core isolation? 

[StreamFidelity]

12 hours ago, ASRMichael said:

Have you tried IRQ? With your core isolation?

 

Yes, I tried IRQ. Since I don't use USB, but NAA, the Solarflare NIC assignment was interesting for me. However, I found that I was making it worse. Before my IRQ assignment, Ethernet was nicely split up across each individual core.

 

Example with two cores

 

162:      69405          0          0          0          0          1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI 524288-edge      eth0-0

163:          0     491576          0          0          0          0          1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI 524289-edge      eth0-1

After my IRQ assignment, the parallel core was also used. This is bad.

 

Example after the IRQ assignment with irq/162 1 and irq/163 2

 

162:      70837       1874          0          0          0          1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI 524288-edge      eth0-0

163:          0     491804        138          0          0          0          1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI 524289-edge      eth0-1

 

Result: In my constellation, it doesn't work. The reason is probably that the Solarflare NIC does its own mapping like HQPlayer. In the BIOS I set the Solarflare firmware to lowest latencies.

[c-w]

24 minutes ago, StreamFidelity said:

Example after the IRQ assignment with irq/162 1 and irq/163 2

 

162:      70837       1874          0          0          0          1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI 524288-edge      eth0-0

163:          0     491804        138          0          0          0          1          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI 524289-edge      eth0-1

 

Result: In my constellation, it doesn't work. The reason is probably that the Solarflare NIC does its own mapping like HQPlayer. In the BIOS I set the Solarflare firmware to lowest latencies.

 

 

It works. Those numbers are cumulative. As numbers on new assignments rise, numbers on old assignments should stay the same. Leave it running with new assignments for a longer period and it should be obvious.

[ASRMichael]

It’s important to remember when you set core isolation it changes your IRQ. So just because pre core isolation it looks like everything is good. As soon as you set core isolation it will change the IRQ. usually to first isolation set. 0-1 or 0-6 etc. 
 

Quite confusing I know. 
 

 

[mikicasellas]

I can't make my MoBo ethernet ports work with Euphony, i was thinking that with the new upgrade that issue was solved, is anyone having issues with this ?

[Topk]

11 hours ago, mikicasellas said:

I can't make my MoBo ethernet ports work with Euphony, i was thinking that with the new upgrade that issue was solved, is anyone having issues with this ?

This is not the major upgrade yet, only a minor one. Major upgrade later this year…

[edwardsean]

Okay, okay, okay, I've converted to 421.

 

I kept playing with 421 and what finally did it was that I disabled Ramroot. That alleviated the tightness I was experiencing in 421's presentation. 421 has this incredible precision and definiteness where 102 can image overly soft and diffuse. However, with Ramroot engaged, the sound feels like the screws are overtightened and it feels stiff.  I don't like giving up Ramroot, but once I unloaded it, a natural sense of flow returned. 

 

I still long for more of 102's fullness, larger low end and staging. Also, I am uncomfortable losing Ramroot from a technical standpoint. I had to remind myself that the only that counts is the end result sound. Well, you can't have everything. This is still quite a good net win, and I'm glad to be going forward with Euphony!