Hqplayer: best NAA with best sound quality

[ericuco]

38 minutes ago, DancingSea said:

 

Let’s break it down into baby steps.  Let me know if I’m on the right track, and fill in the blanks where you can:

 

1) On my Mac, I format a memory stick to something like exFAT?

 

2) Download the bootable NAA image that includes OS and the NAA software module all in one, on my Mac.  And put it onto the otherwise blank memory stick?  While on my Mac, do I need to double click whatever I dowloaded from you site?  Or just having it on the memory stick enough?

 

3) Precisely which NAA image are you referring to?  Is it obvious on your website?  I remember there being many many choices.

 

4) I plug the exFAT memory stick with your software on it into the Atom.  And then turn on the Atom. Is that it?  Do I need to be able to see visually what’s on the Atom, like with a monitor?  Is there anything to be done on the Atom besides plugging in the memory stick with your software on it?

 

5) I have Roon Core and HQPlayer Desktop on my Mac Mini.  With HQP launched, will the Atom (connected to Ethernet cable) appear as one of the output options on HQP4 Desktop?  Currently I select Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2 as the output in HQP4 Desktop.

 

6) Does the Atom need to be configured in regards to Ethernet?  Or is it automatic?

 

6) My chain goes USB —> RUR —> USB —> Matrix Audio X SPDIF 2 —> I2S —> DirectStream Junior.  Does the Atom go before the RUR?  The USB goes out of the Atom and into the RUR?

 

7) Does the Atom have to be specifically compatible with the Matrix Audio x SPDIF 2?

 

 

😎 Do you use a fancy power supply for the Atom?

 

Thanks

As Miska said, you have to use a program like Etcher in order to create a bootable USB drive (memory stick). Etcher will take care of formatting the drive and writing Miska’s NAA OS image to the drive. All this can be done on your Mac. Generally Etcher asks which image to write and to what drive ... fairly straightforward ... just don’t pick your local hardrive.

 

Once you have the USB drive, plug into your Atom PC and power up. There is nothing else to do assuming the Atom PC boots correctly. You can’t login into Atom PC to change anything. Obviously it needs to be connected to your network (Ethernet) and DAC (USB usually).

[ericuco]

2 hours ago, DancingSea said:

 

Are there any of these sorts of mini computers sold in the USA?  Both this and the Atom come from Europe.  

 

And how do these sorts of mini computers handle the “dirty side” / “clean side” vs the Allo products?

 

A quick search of Amazon found this.

[ericuco]

6 minutes ago, ambre said:

HI Jussy, installed the NAA-411-X64 on https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-x5-Z8350-Graphics-Computer-Bluetooth/dp/B07D9YX3W6

On screen it gives Network Audio Adapter 4.x.3.0.1 naa tty1

But I am now asked for NAA login and password? Please advice 

 

I don't think you are permitted to log-in to the computer when using one of images.

[ericuco]

On 12/20/2020 at 11:42 AM, toddrhodes said:

Thinking maybe I took a wrong turn with the embedded image, I tried the latest 4112 NAA Pi4 image as well. Same thing though - no USB output from Pi4, and I also noticed that no matter what settings I use in HQP Desktop, I get output to the NAA as 24/192 PCM. 

 

Back to RoPieeeXL I go, for now.

 

Since no one has replied, I will give it go.

 

Perhaps you could post a sketch on your setup as it is not clear to me what you are doing. Also, include a photo (screen capture) of you HQP main panel as well as the Settings panel. Picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

 

You may already know this, but in general, you have a server that is running HQP Desktop or Embedded and then a smaller, low noise computer running the HQP NAA software. The server needs to have a decent amount of processing power to handle the conversions, upsampling, etc. whereas the smaller NAA computer is just feeding your DAC via USB (typically) so you want something that is quiet (electrically and mechanically) - no fans, spinning HDD, etc.

 

As for no sound, what is the position of the HQP volume control knob? If you are using something other (e.g. preamp) than HQP to control the volume, then typically the HQP volume knob can be max'd out (full clockwise). This assumes you haven't changed the Max Vol. setting in the Settings panel. Again, if you can provide a screenshot of HQP main and settings panel, we can see where you are.

 

As for 24/192 PCM output, it sounds like you have the Default Output Mode set to PCM or Source on the Settings panel as well as the Adaptive Output button checked (or greyed) and the Sample Rate set to 192.

[ericuco]

1 hour ago, ambre said:

But SDM start to playing but has continuous plops/ tics ?

 

Have you tried the following settings:

 

SDM Pack: none

48k DSD: unchecked (your DAC can't handle 48k-based DSD per the documentation: DSD512(22.57892MHz - 44.1k-based rate))

Bit rate (/limit): 44.1k x 512 (max, might want to start with 44.1 x 128 to see if you get sound)

Adaptive Output Rate: grey box

 

Also, what modulator are you using? Can you monitor the CPU usage on your server to see what it is doing?

[ericuco]

14 hours ago, ted_b said:

When configuring a Fitlet2 for optical NAA for a Holo May, which Intel cpu will work better, one of the Atom choices or the Celeron?  Would the more powerful Atom be the quietest (given that NAA work is not heavy lifting, so most powerful doesn't break a sweat)?

 

When considering which CPU to choose, I asked Jussi and he recommended the Intel Atom x7-E3950. My unit barely gets above room temperature.

[ericuco]

13 minutes ago, camott said:

For those of you who are using Fitlet(2)'s ... what CPU did you order? Is the lowest power 2-core Atom E5-3930 sufficient? I am not concerned about the small price differences between the cpu's but thinking that lower power is more important than performance in terms of generating potential noise on usb line, and getting an LPS, etc. 

 

Mine has the Atom x7-E3950 based on recommendation from Miska.

[ericuco]

27 minutes ago, FooFighter said:

 

I wanted to order either the UP Gateway or FITLET2 but I will be able to only use it for HQPlayer and not as a Roon Endpoint booting Miska's image, right?

Couldn’t you get fitlet2 with Linux Mint already installed then load NAA and Roon Bridge so the fitlet2 can be used for either?