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HQPlayer4 EC modulator tips and techniques


ted_b

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2 hours ago, k6davis said:

I was able to buy the CPU and motherboard to do full EC upsampling for about $400. No (knowledge about) overclocking, BIOS settings or special cooling, etc was required. So, it's not expensive (for this hobby) and it doesn't have to be complex.

 

$400 is a really good price, I'm in the process of buying parts to build a new PC for this and I paid almost $350 just for the 9700k.

 

My total looks to be just under $1000, but I could have gone somewhat cheaper.  And this doesn't include cost of an OS, planning to use Ubuntu or pick up a cheaper windows license.

I want a machine that I can overclock if I need to, otherwise could have saved maybe $100.

This total doesn't include a graphics cards, using the 9700k graphics for now.  Also no monitor, mouse, kb. Just the real basics to make a PC.  Also no storage HDD, only a m.2 sdd for the OS and some local storage.

 

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1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

Most of the benchmarks are not very good match for HQPlayer loads, so best would be to use HQPlayer itself for the benchmark.

 

This benchmark rates cuda performance for many different video cards, and its the only cuda benchmark I've found, although I didn't spend a lot of time looking.

It would be great to get a benchmark for hqp, but since no one running hqp has all the different graphics cards, I'm not really sure what you're suggesting.

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  • 2 weeks later...
4 hours ago, bodiebill said:

I just got a license for HQP embedded, and am ready to build something to enable playback of DSD256 with EC. Something along the lines of:

case    Cooler Master Elite 110
mobo    ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX
cpu    Intel Core i7-7900K (TDP 95W)
cooling    stock?
memory    16GB RAM 2x8
PSU internal    HDPlex 250W ATX PSU (accepts 19V)
PSU external    HDPlex 100W LPSU 19V + 12V

Would this be a good idea?

Will the HDPlex 100W LPSU be able to cope?

(I am planning to use a separate 12V rail for the CPU.)

There is no stock cooler included.

I'm using a noctua D15s. 

Big, heavy, expensive and probably overkill 

But one of the better air coolers around

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26 minutes ago, bodiebill said:

 

Thanks, that is a handy tool. It shows that I would need 239W.

I would use this machine only as a server with HQP OS or AudioLinux with HQP embedded, sending the DSD256 files to a minimal fanless NAA PC in the audio room over fiber ethernet.

Would a linear PSU make much difference in that case, SQ wise? 

I went with a "standard" PC type supply, a Cosair, so I didn't think so.

I'm using a pi2 for my naa, and am working on a fancy PS for the pi stack.

But I am certainly not qualified to answer your question, this is my first crack at hqplayer.  

I have built PC's, so I know something on that front.

 

EDIT:  Another reason to oversize the PS is in case we find we need a graphics card later to run cuda.  Right now it seems as though a 9700k can do without the help, but who knows what future changes are out there.

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  • 2 months later...
2 hours ago, bodiebill said:

 

Just in case: I assume you have turbo boost & hyperthreading enabled in BIOS?

Here 7EC plays stutterless with the exact same CPU without overclocking or CUDA offload.

Turbo boost on.  Was looking at cpu frequency last night

With both 5ec and 7ec, max was around 4.8 GHz.  I never see it get close to 4.9.

Using top to check load, I see around 215% for 5ec and 240% for 7ec.  For 7ec there is less variance, looks likes it something is pegged and can't go higher.  For 5ec, varies about +/-5%.

All filters are poly sinc ext2

 

I think hyperthreading is enabled, not sure what gigabyte calls it.

Will play with bios settings to see if it helps

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1 hour ago, rickca said:

There's no hyperthreading on the i7-9700K.

I guess that's why I couldn't find it lol.

 

1 hour ago, Holzohr said:

I have an i7 8700 (without K or T). With HQPlayer embedded on Euphony DSD256, poly-sinc-ext2 and EC7 is not possible. DSD256 and EC5 works 'sometimes'. Of course HT and Turbo Boost are enabled. Speed is about 4.3 GHz.

With HQPlayer 4 Desktop on Windows Server 2019 in core mode on the same machine DSD256, poly-sinc-ext2 and EC7 is possible. The problem (to me) is the HQPlayer 4 Desktop is a trial version. I have purchased the embedded version.. lol. I still want to give HQPlayer embedded on Audiolinux on the same machine a try before making a decision about purchasing HQPlayer 4 Desktop and remaining with the Windows installation.

Strange that it works with Server 2019 but not embedded.

Surprised and encouraged that the non k version can run ec7 dsd256 on any os.

 

Was expecting embedded to be at least as good as the desktop version.

No idea if Euphony has any effect.  

 

Randy

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23 hours ago, Miska said:

If you want to compare or have a ballpark for Embedded, boot up the HQPlayer OS image and see how it performs.

 

Reduces amount of possible variables to one known software setup.

 

Seems to be working, I didn't hear dropouts but I'll listen more tonight and tomorrow.

 

I can run the HQP OS, but have a couple questions.

How do I connect to a network drive?  I can setup in ubuntu using samba and editing fstab to connect to my drives, which are connected to my router.  But from what I remember, hqp os is locked down so can't make many changes.

 

Is there a way to remotely shutdown?  Not a big deal, but would be nice if I could power down without pushing the power button.

 

Randy

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3 hours ago, randytsuch said:

Seems to be working, I didn't hear dropouts but I'll listen more tonight and tomorrow.

 

I can run the HQP OS, but have a couple questions.

How do I connect to a network drive?  I can setup in ubuntu using samba and editing fstab to connect to my drives, which are connected to my router.  But from what I remember, hqp os is locked down so can't make many changes.

 

Is there a way to remotely shutdown?  Not a big deal, but would be nice if I could power down without pushing the power button.

 

Randy

NVM about the network drive question.  I found that nano works and I could edit fstab and connect to my network drive.  My biggest problem is I had to figure out I needed to reset before I could add the drive to the library.

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HQP OS seems to be fine at 7ec, but it stopped playing last night.

Realized it was in trial mode, but I thought I had entered the license file.

 

Tried again tonight, then figured out my fingerprint had changed so the license file didn't work.

Since the pc was the same, I thought the fingerprint would not change, guess not.

 

So pretty likely I'll send a request for a new license file to match the fingerprint for my pc running hqp os.  In my setup, I don't see any problems running hqp os.

 

Wondering if I decided to try debian or fedora, would the fingerprint change again?

 

Randy

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Seems I opened a can of worms lol

 

OK, so I'll look into why further since it should be the same.  Thanks to Bill, I have a guide to what to do.

One thing I was already wondering about was that my ip address is different with hqp os, and I have it set to a static ip at my router.

So checked router settings, and found that the mac address changed with hqp os, which doesn't make sense to me.  I'm using the motherboard ethernet jack for hqp os and buster, so not sure how it could be different.  I guess its a driver issue?

 

Randy

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  • 2 weeks later...
26 minutes ago, barrows said:

Hey folks, so what is the consensus?  Some seem to say that I7-9900K works for EC7 at DSD 256, others not so much?

 

I guess an I9-9900K would definitely be fine?  I am right in this, for ASDMEC7 @ DSD 256?  I want to get a machine built up for this, but I require DSD256 (for DSC-2balanced) so I do not want to make any mistakes.  I would also like to run ROON not he same machine.  Thinking 16 Gb RAM to be fully safe.

I7-9700K? 

 

I have the I7.  I use hqp embedded.  If I use hqp OS booted from a usb stick, I get no stuttering at 256 ec7.

My bios is slightly tweaked, but I was tweaking it when I was trying to get debian and hqp embedded to run ec7 with no stuttering, and I left it as it after running hqp os.  I think a newer version of hqp embedded came out that is supposed to be better with deb but I have something working so I have no interest in trying it.

 

Seems like anyone running hqp desktop has no problems with an 9700k and 256 ec7.

 

Randy

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  • 3 weeks later...
21 hours ago, bodiebill said:

 

Perhaps, but I am somewhat puzzled as the dropouts are tiny and only occur after 40 seconds or so. And they also occur with dsd128 and temperatures remain moderate (<60C). So I suspect it is something else.

Yes, I think you're right, I missed that you get dropouts at 128.  I only had dropouts at 256 and 7ec.

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