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Hqplayer: best NAA with best sound quality


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Today I've been playing with my new Ryzen 9 laptop as a HQPlayer server.

 

  • Files served from NUC "NAS" running Debian Buster (and has also Roon core), wired to my gigabit office network.
  • Laptop with Ryzen 9 5900HS CPU and RTX 3060 GPU. Connected to the office network over WiFi.
  • Playback to a Linux-based NAA, also wired to the gigabit office network, and output to Denafrips Ares II.

 

So both the source content and output travels over the same wireless network link. Works perfectly fine.

 

On wired network this is even more straightforward, since it is all full-duplex, and traffic is going to opposite directions. Source content is coming in and output is going out. So going even over different wire pairs.

 

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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Finally got around to setting up a PC to run HQPlayer.

Running the Windows Desktop app and can get it to work with my local WASAPI USB device for testing:HQP1.thumb.JPG.433046e608361f86491951985e973f68.JPG

Got ROON to link up so I can use that as control SW.

So far so good...

Now to turn my Innuos Zenith in to a NAA:

I changed the boot priority on the Zenith and got it to boot both naa-412-x64.7z and naa-4121-x64.7z (Tried 4121 first and when I couldn't get it to work I tried 412)

After boot I can see my MAY dac linking (shows DSD512X in the display) and I can ping it from my desktop.

But I cant seem to figure out how to stream to it...

When I select NetworkAudioAdaptor in settings I don't have an option to type or select anything in the Device field:HQP2.JPG.9af4559f4c41d5aa98441bd00578da3e.JPG

I have a feeling I am doing something wrong and I should configure the NAA first. Just not sure how...

I have tried to google for a guide (for dummies...) but haven't found a guide describing the setup of a NAA.

Help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Roon ROCK server (NUC10i7FNH) -> Etherregen (Powered by a Teddy Pardo PSU) -> Innuos Zenith Mk3 running HQPlayer -> Tellurium Ultra Silver -> Holo Audio KTE May DAC -> Tellurium Ultra Black XLR -> KGSSHV Carbon -> STAX SR-009.

Audio components all connected to a PS Audio PowerPlant 3 via Tellurium Black.

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On 6/7/2021 at 8:31 PM, Miska said:

Today I've been playing with my new Ryzen 9 laptop as a HQPlayer server.

 

  • Files served from NUC "NAS" running Debian Buster (and has also Roon core), wired to my gigabit office network.
  • Laptop with Ryzen 9 5900HS CPU and RTX 3060 GPU. Connected to the office network over WiFi.
  • Playback to a Linux-based NAA, also wired to the gigabit office network, and output to Denafrips Ares II.

 

So both the source content and output travels over the same wireless network link. Works perfectly fine.

 

On wired network this is even more straightforward, since it is all full-duplex, and traffic is going to opposite directions. Source content is coming in and output is going out. So going even over different wire pairs.

 

 

Does the music have the characteristic Ryzen SQ? (jk)

Custom room treatments for headphone users.

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39 minutes ago, dkdali said:

After boot I can see my MAY dac linking (shows DSD512X in the display) and I can ping it from my desktop.

But I cant seem to figure out how to stream to it...

When I select NetworkAudioAdaptor in settings I don't have an option to type or select anything in the Device field:

 

Please check that your HQPlayer computer doesn't have more than one network interface active.

 

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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On 6/8/2021 at 1:31 AM, Miska said:

and output to Denafrips Ares II.

 

Have you posted any measurements of this?

"Science draws the wave, poetry fills it with water" Teixeira de Pascoaes

 

HQPlayer Desktop / Mac mini → Intona 7054 → RME ADI-2 DAC FS (DSD256)

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On 6/14/2021 at 10:28 PM, Miska said:

 

Please check that your HQPlayer computer doesn't have more than one network interface active.

 

I have turned off all other network interfaces on my HQPlayer PC where I do the processing.

I have 2 (only 1 connected) on the NAA (Innuos Zenith) and there doesn't seem to be any option to turn it off in the bios.

I can ping the NAA but I cant access it (ip:8088) or find it in the player.

Roon ROCK server (NUC10i7FNH) -> Etherregen (Powered by a Teddy Pardo PSU) -> Innuos Zenith Mk3 running HQPlayer -> Tellurium Ultra Silver -> Holo Audio KTE May DAC -> Tellurium Ultra Black XLR -> KGSSHV Carbon -> STAX SR-009.

Audio components all connected to a PS Audio PowerPlant 3 via Tellurium Black.

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On 6/17/2021 at 12:29 PM, dkdali said:

I can ping the NAA but I cant access it (ip:8088) or find it in the player.

 

HQPlayer Embedded listens on port 8088, NAA doesn't have any web interface.

 

Is the DAC up and running with correct input selected?

 

Things appear on the device listing only when NAA is found and also DAC(s) behind it. If the DAC(s) are not accessible, then nothing is shown for that NAA at all.

 

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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21 hours ago, Miska said:

 

HQPlayer Embedded listens on port 8088, NAA doesn't have any web interface.

 

Is the DAC up and running with correct input selected?

 

Things appear on the device listing only when NAA is found and also DAC(s) behind it. If the DAC(s) are not accessible, then nothing is shown for that NAA at all.

 

Yes, May dac is on the right input and shows dsd512x in the display (shows 44khz when there isnt a link)

Roon ROCK server (NUC10i7FNH) -> Etherregen (Powered by a Teddy Pardo PSU) -> Innuos Zenith Mk3 running HQPlayer -> Tellurium Ultra Silver -> Holo Audio KTE May DAC -> Tellurium Ultra Black XLR -> KGSSHV Carbon -> STAX SR-009.

Audio components all connected to a PS Audio PowerPlant 3 via Tellurium Black.

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2 hours ago, dkdali said:

Yes, May dac is on the right input and shows dsd512x in the display (shows 44khz when there isnt a link)

 

OK, so NAA hooks to the DAC just fine. But there's some networking problem why HQPlayer doesn't discover the NAA. Either the multicast message doesn't find there, or the unicast response doesn't get back.

 

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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21 hours ago, Miska said:

 

OK, so NAA hooks to the DAC just fine. But there's some networking problem why HQPlayer doesn't discover the NAA. Either the multicast message doesn't find there, or the unicast response doesn't get back.

 

Status:

Both the Zenith and the HQPlayer PC is hooked up to the same ASUS GT-AX11000 router configured as a AiMesh Node to a ASUS RT-AX92U which is the main AiMesh router. Both have the latest firmwares. To not have to many unknowns I have removed my EtherRegen from the chain.

Here is what I do:

1: Power on DAC and amp

2: Boot Zenith with naa-4121-x64.img or naa-412-x64.img made using win32diskimager-1.0.0-install.exe or rufus-3.14.exe on a Win10 PC

I let it run until the login screen (do I need to login?). While booting I get a wall of text and a lot of green "icons". But I also get two red "icons". To fast for me to see what it is though.

3: Boot HQPlayer PC with Firewall off and only the needed cabled network adaptor active (Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V).

At this point I can ping the Zenith from my HQPlayer PC.

4: Start HQPlayer - select NetworkAudioAdapter and hope to see a device (so far no luck... Roon can find HQPlayer but wont start playback). I saw in @GoldenOne settings he had Null Output so I tried that too without luck (though Roon will play music and show up in HQPlayer but no sound)

 

Am I doing anything wrong?

@baconbrain how do you get your Innuos device to be found by HQPlayer?

Roon ROCK server (NUC10i7FNH) -> Etherregen (Powered by a Teddy Pardo PSU) -> Innuos Zenith Mk3 running HQPlayer -> Tellurium Ultra Silver -> Holo Audio KTE May DAC -> Tellurium Ultra Black XLR -> KGSSHV Carbon -> STAX SR-009.

Audio components all connected to a PS Audio PowerPlant 3 via Tellurium Black.

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Just tried to move my HQPlayer PC closer to my May so I could connect it directly and it works beautifully at 1.536M PCM and 256xDSD! So the player side looks to work as intended.

It actually sounds better directly from my PC with HQPlayer than from the Zenith with Roon....

This unfortunately isnt a permanent solution as the WAF kills the idea of a PC in the living room... So I need to get the Zenith to work as a NAA (please see my message above)

image.thumb.png.8b8f97cf5628e276041dd367992a698e.png

Roon ROCK server (NUC10i7FNH) -> Etherregen (Powered by a Teddy Pardo PSU) -> Innuos Zenith Mk3 running HQPlayer -> Tellurium Ultra Silver -> Holo Audio KTE May DAC -> Tellurium Ultra Black XLR -> KGSSHV Carbon -> STAX SR-009.

Audio components all connected to a PS Audio PowerPlant 3 via Tellurium Black.

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On 5/24/2021 at 12:09 PM, lotusaurus said:

In terms of flexibility, is it better to get an NAA machine that can run Windows?

 

It seems that Linux is the preferred OS for the NAA box because there's less OS overhead, but my concern is that some DACs might have ASIO drivers but not Linux drivers. Or it's possible that the ASIO driver sounds better. Worst (best?) case, if the DAC works with Linux, I can always install Linux on the NAA box.

 

Currently I have a TEAC UD-501, so no problems, but am thinking about upgrading this.

 

Currently I'm using a RPi4 with RoPieee, but I wonder if I can do better. Or will changing from the RPi4 make little difference?

 

Any help on this would be appreciated.

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9 hours ago, dkdali said:

I let it run until the login screen (do I need to login?).

 

No need to login, once it ends up in login it is ready to use.

 

9 hours ago, dkdali said:

3: Boot HQPlayer PC with Firewall off and only the needed cabled network adaptor active (Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V).

At this point I can ping the Zenith from my HQPlayer PC.

 

Windows? In Control Panel -> Network -> Manage interfaces you have all other in "Disabled" state than the one you use?

 

9 hours ago, dkdali said:

Am I doing anything wrong?

 

Looks correct. You could also try booting up HQPlayer OS image instead NAA OS to see if it makes any difference.

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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@MiskaDo you have detailed information about the Zen STream, its components and especially its NAA integration?
Does it run on a proprietary Linux on ARM chip?
Will it be possible to have a pure NAA OS version?

 

https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-stream/

 

I don't understand the limitation to PCM 384... is it only in wifi because of the speed?

 

ROON + HQP / Hdplex H3-i5 + 400ATX >Gustard A26 (NAA twk) > SQM > Benchmark AHB2 / Recital Audio Illumine HEFA

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12 hours ago, Zauurx said:

@MiskaDo you have detailed information about the Zen STream, its components and especially its NAA integration?
Does it run on a proprietary Linux on ARM chip?
Will it be possible to have a pure NAA OS version?

 

https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-stream/

 

I don't understand the limitation to PCM 384... is it only in wifi because of the speed?

 

I don't have much information yet. I should soon have one, so hopefully I know more once I have done some testing myself.

 

I would say it is unlikely that there would be NAA OS for the device. For NAA OS I have my set of supported hardware which is nowadays more or less limited to x64 and RPi4 hardware.

 

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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13 hours ago, Zauurx said:

@MiskaDo you have detailed information about the Zen STream, its components and especially its NAA integration?
Does it run on a proprietary Linux on ARM chip?
Will it be possible to have a pure NAA OS version?

 

https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-stream/

 

I don't understand the limitation to PCM 384... is it only in wifi because of the speed?

 

 

I have wondered why no one had a device like this on the market yet. It seems like such an obvious idea to optimize the streaming abilities of a small ARM device in this way. I would have based it on a Raspberry Pi4 compute module, but that's just me.

No electron left behind.

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The difficulty is the update via wifi (OTA) without video output to check.
But they promote the 'open source' side. If they develop a forum and iFi Audio support, there may be alternatives.
The amazing thing about the software configuration is the "performance" choice with a rotary knob to choose an exclusive renderer.

To be tested!

ROON + HQP / Hdplex H3-i5 + 400ATX >Gustard A26 (NAA twk) > SQM > Benchmark AHB2 / Recital Audio Illumine HEFA

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24 minutes ago, Zauurx said:

The amazing thing about the software configuration is the "performance" choice

I understand that it is a function similar to that of the SoTM sMS200 in which you have only one service active at a time. Different case is mode 1 (AIO) with which you have all the services active at the same time.

Stefano

 

My audio system

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/29/2021 at 4:22 AM, Miska said:

I don't have much information yet. I should soon have one, so hopefully I know more once I have done some testing myself.

Thank you. Looking forward to this because this device has got great software. What is concerning is that it says it only supports PCM 384 so which means as an HQP NAA, it is not likely to support the PCM.1.5 filters. If it did, this would have take out the hassle of building a mini pc! 

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19 hours ago, BrownMagic said:

Thank you. Looking forward to this because this device has got great software. What is concerning is that it says it only supports PCM 384 so which means as an HQP NAA, it is not likely to support the PCM.1.5 filters. If it did, this would have take out the hassle of building a mini pc! 

 

For 1.5M PCM or DSD1024, you don't need to build a mini PC. I have listed two ready made devices, only thing you need to do is to write my OS image on USB memory stick and boot up the device from it.

 

Signalyst - Developer of HQPlayer

Pulse & Fidelity - Software Defined Amplifiers

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On 6/28/2021 at 3:40 PM, Zauurx said:

Do you have detailed information about the Zen STream, its components and especially its NAA integration?
Does it run on a proprietary Linux on ARM chip?

 

Let's check this out

 

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ZEN-Stream_-Pcb_011-1.jpg

N1fOqJY.jpg

 

Obviously it's based on Firefly's Core-3328-JD4 with Rockchip RK3328

 

http://opensource.rock-chips.com/wiki_RK3328

https://wiki.t-firefly.com/en/Core-3328-JD4/intro.html 

https://en.t-firefly.com/product/coreboard/core_3328_jd4

 

Basically it's quite similar to Rock64 with the same RK3328 SoC

 

Volumio 2 on Rock64

https://community.volumio.org/t/volumio-2-on-rock64/8192

https://github.com/volumio/Build/blob/master/scripts/rock64config.sh

 

Heck, even Firefly themselves were providing instructions for installing Volumio

 

https://www.t-firefly.com/doc/case/221.html

 

And then here's yet another similar board

 

https://github.com/norman-arch/Bootloader-NanoPi-NEO3

Quote

A tiny Rockchip RK3328 SoC, less power consumption. Works perfectly in my music system as a network audio interface (HQPlayer NAA and ROON Bridge).

 

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On 6/29/2021 at 5:12 AM, AudioDoctor said:

I have wondered why no one had a device like this on the market yet. It seems like such an obvious idea to optimize the streaming abilities of a small ARM device in this way. I would have based it on a Raspberry Pi4 compute module, but that's just me.

 

It's in the pipeline, and then Allo should be still working on a similar product as well

 

https://www.pi2design.com/coming-soon.html

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/pi2-design-idiot-proof-ready-to-go-rpi-aes-streamer.10471

Quote

Assuming we keep all the same functionality as the PI2AES we are shooting for $399 list. Not cheap, but you also get high speed storage optional (using NVME a 1TByte SSD is under $100), nice clean looking enclosure and very little setup.

 

We could find plenty of distros that are good for Compute Module 4, though not so sure about the number of viable choices for Rockchip RK3328 of ZEN Stream.

 

And then it would be "so much fun" if ZEN Stream were allowing a different distro to be installed via that USB-C port, anything could happen and then someone might end up bricking that for real.

 

OTOH, Compute Module 4 could either run off its internal eMMC drive or an external micro SD card. It's a piece of cake to either swap that micro SD card or simply flash the eMMC drive with stuff like this

 

http://ukonline2000.com/?p=1270

https://geekworm.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/raspberry-pi-cm4-stick

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