HQplayer 4 and Mac-mini M1

[FooFighter]

9 hours ago, FooFighter said:

@Miska,

since today my HQ Player Desktop 4190 on Mac mini M1 isn't starting up anymore, no matter what I am trying, like reboot, unmounting and remounting the dmg in Finder.

Am only getting the turning circle.

Any idea for trouble shooting?

 

finally I was able to start it again and recognised that there was some backend device configured instead of "none".

Now it's working again more stable

[FooFighter]

@Miskait appears as if I am still having issues with stuck HQPlayer, not able to playing song especially with PCM.

Switching e.g. from playing DSD256 to PCM, the DAC is still reporting DSD256 and so is the HQPlayer Desktop status screen while Roon is yet saying it's playing HQPlayetr with the preselected filter and rate.

It's not even sufficient to hard force quit HQPlayer but to also reboot the NAA in order to get a connection to the DAC again...

Haven't has such issues before, might be related to the latest update?

 

Chain is Mac-Mini M1 running Roon into HQPlayer Desktop -> Ethernet -> UP Gateway -> Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE

Any ideas?

[Miska]

18 minutes ago, FooFighter said:

Chain is Mac-Mini M1 running Roon into HQPlayer Desktop -> Ethernet -> UP Gateway -> Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE

 

What is running on the UP Gateway?

 

[FooFighter]

42 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

What is running on the UP Gateway?

 

naa-420-x64.img

right now it's running again but don't know when will be the next time it's freezing. Haven't encountered such frequent freezing issues before.

 

Testing further it seems also that HQPlayer takes years to switch sample rates between Redbook and MQA (and gets stuck there eventually).

I am not subscribed to Quobuz currently to test it with another streaming service than Tidal.

 

[Miska]

51 minutes ago, FooFighter said:

Testing further it seems also that HQPlayer takes years to switch sample rates between Redbook and MQA (and gets stuck there eventually).

 

It can take a particularly long time on M1 with the filter you have selected and especially because you also have rate conversion from 44.1k family to 48k family.

 

If you try for example poly-sinc-gauss family of filters, you may experience less delays. Or even if you just enable adaptive output rate.

 

[Louisiana]

@FooFighter

I also use a Mac Mini M1, but poly-sinc-xtr-mp does not work for me, how is that possible?

[Miska]

19 minutes ago, Louisiana said:

@FooFighter

I also use a Mac Mini M1, but poly-sinc-xtr-mp does not work for me, how is that possible?

 

One possible difference is conversion within rate family vs between rate families which is heavier.

 

[FooFighter]

1 hour ago, Louisiana said:

@FooFighter

I also use a Mac Mini M1, but poly-sinc-xtr-mp does not work for me, how is that possible?

Currently not at home but I will post my settings later which are currently working flawlessly.

That filter is my favorite right now paired with my new Solitaire P headphones with ultra wide pads taming sibilances but being tight and impactful.

Really sublime.

[FooFighter]

Here are my current settings

[SKR]

Can anyone make things easier for me. I am a non computer guy using HQPlayer. So you can understand my situation. Using late 2014 Mac mini with 3GHz Dual Core Intel i7 processor with 16GB, 1600MHz DDR3.
Graphics Intel Iris 1536 MB. Mac OS Monterey. 500GB SSD
I can only upsample upto DSD128. Normal files can do 256 also. But high resolution files like 192 and above cannot be played.

Can anyone help me to tell what I can do IF POSSIBLE to upgrade my Mac mini.

I think this 2014 Mac mini and later ones cannot be upgraded.

Than can someone suggest BEST SETTINGS FOR ME WITH MY PRESENT MAC MINI, which will give me optimum performance. I am not enjoying music @DSD128 upsampled.

In another city I have 8 core Mac Mini M1 which I can do upto DSD256 and it sounds much better.  I don’t understand settings etc. So please let me have two best settings for MacMini M1 new one.( In Asia we get 8 core only.)

And best settings for my present Mac mini i7 as described above.

My system, Roon software on Roon Nucleus, SOTM connected via NAA, and HQPlayer on my Mac mini. All connected on same net work including Mac mini, 

[AudioDoctor]

42 minutes ago, SKR said:

Can anyone make things easier for me. I am a non computer guy using HQPlayer. So you can understand my situation. Using late 2014 Mac mini with 3GHz Dual Core Intel i7 processor with 16GB, 1600MHz DDR3.
Graphics Intel Iris 1536 MB. Mac OS Monterey. 500GB SSD
I can only upsample upto DSD128. Normal files can do 256 also. But high resolution files like 192 and above cannot be played.

Can anyone help me to tell what I can do IF POSSIBLE to upgrade my Mac mini.

I think this 2014 Mac mini and later ones cannot be upgraded.

Than can someone suggest BEST SETTINGS FOR ME WITH MY PRESENT MAC MINI, which will give me optimum performance. I am not enjoying music @DSD128 upsampled.

In another city I have 8 core Mac Mini M1 which I can do upto DSD256 and it sounds much better.  I don’t understand settings etc. So please let me have two best settings for MacMini M1 new one.( In Asia we get 8 core only.)

And best settings for my present Mac mini i7 as described above.

My system, Roon software on Roon Nucleus, SOTM connected via NAA, and HQPlayer on my Mac mini. All connected on same net work including Mac mini, 

 

You're likely hitting the limit of what that machine can do. Your recourse is to a) upsample to the lower rates only, or b) buy or build a new machine.

[Miska]

5 hours ago, SKR said:

I can only upsample upto DSD128. Normal files can do 256 also. But high resolution files like 192 and above cannot be played.

 

If 1x rates work fine to DSD256, then likely Nx rates will start working as well if you select a lighter filter. You could for example try the current default poly-sinc-gauss-hires-lp, or alternatively something like poly-sinc-short-lp-2s

 

[mickstuh]

Newbie question. Mac Mini – I have a choice between 2018 i5 64gb RAM or M1 with 16GB RAM. Do want to do DSD upsampling. Which one?

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, mickstuh said:

Newbie question. Mac Mini – I have a choice between 2018 i5 64gb RAM or M1 with 16GB RAM. Do want to do DSD upsampling. Which one?

M1

[AudioDoctor]

3 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

M1

+1

 

Get the 16GB version. Just trust me on this, the 8GB isn't enough.

[rah50]

@AudioDoctor I do trust you after reading many of your posts, but what will the 16GB do better than the 8GB? My 8GB will play almost every filter at DSD256 using 7ecv2. It won't do the Sinc's of course, but I didn't think 16gig would do that either? I'm also running Roon on it as well. Thoughts?

[AudioDoctor]

6 hours ago, rah50 said:

@AudioDoctor I do trust you after reading many of your posts, but what will the 16GB do better than the 8GB? My 8GB will play almost every filter at DSD256 using 7ecv2. It won't do the Sinc's of course, but I didn't think 16gig would do that either? I'm also running Roon on it as well. Thoughts?

 

The difference is that it will be running entirely in RAM instead of also using Swap memory. I had an 8gb as well, just idling with no programs running it was already using 4GB of the 8GB total which is also shared with Video memory. Running HQP on it maxes out the RAM usage. I returned it for a 16GB model and Swap usage dropped to zero and the machine runs more smoothly. Swap is actual physical space on the SSD and the speed it can work is dependent on the speed of the SSD which is far slower than RAM. I know people say 8GB is enough, but I bet those same people would change their minds after using a 16GB model. Like it or not, the Mac Mini also has to run an entire operating system and that takes RAM, it runs much more efficiently and smoothly when it is running in only RAM and not using Swap memory.

[rah50]

@AudioDoctor Makes perfect sense technically, but would I hear the difference?

 

BTW, I'm getting ready to convert my M1 to 12v DC. That should be interesting as well!

[AudioDoctor]

2 hours ago, rah50 said:

@AudioDoctor Makes perfect sense technically, but would I hear the difference?

 

BTW, I'm getting ready to convert my M1 to 12v DC. That should be interesting as well!

 

Maybe, I don't know. There would be significantly less activity because the computer would not have to shuffle stuff between RAM and the SSD constantly. Using Roon at the same time guarantees that this is happening. I was not using Roon and already using all the RAM and gigabytes worth of Swap.

[Reg19]

On 3/4/2022 at 8:15 AM, Miska said:

 

It would help with filters, convolution and such. So likely you could run wider variety of filters. M1 Pro also has double the memory bandwidth of M1. And M1 Max has 4x the memory bandwidth of M1. This also has some amount of impact on the performance.

 

 

So, a Mac mini with M1 Pro would most likely help with HQP.

 

If, instead, I get a MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip, would it likely be better than the M1 Mac Mini as well or does that fact that it is a laptop (with a attached screen) rather than a headless computer (as I currently run my M1 Mac Mini) hurt it in someway?

[Miska]

2 hours ago, Reg19 said:

If, instead, I get a MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip, would it likely be better than the M1 Mac Mini as well or does that fact that it is a laptop (with a attached screen) rather than a headless computer (as I currently run my M1 Mac Mini) hurt it in someway?

 

Possible limiting factor is thermal management. I think Mac Mini is not limiting M1 power in order to fit some narrower thermal envelope. But devices like MacBook Air is. I think the bigger MacBook Pro has special cooling arrangements to allow sustained full loads on the bigger M1 models. When I find time, I will do some HQPlayer testing on my new MacBook Pro. But so far I haven't got time.

 

[Miska]

Here's some initial load figures from my MacBook Pro with M1Max.

 

[jamesg11]

23 hours ago, Miska said:

Here's some initial load figures from my MacBook Pro with M1Max.

 

Interpretation, for a current macmini m1 16gb user?

[Miska]

23 hours ago, jamesg11 said:

Interpretation, for a current macmini m1 16gb user?

 

M1 Max and other versions with more cores allow wider variety of filter choices. And may allow even DSD512 with EC modulators.

 

After a bit of new tunings on the new MacBook Pro, this case works perfectly fine (MacBook Pro fans get very loud though 😆):

 

And this case is almost stable:

 

Both cases with 10 band headphone correction EQ. Source is from Thunderbolt HDD output to a NAA over wired network (Type-C to Ethernet dongle).

 

These would be likely better with onboard Ethernet and M1 Ultra on the new Mac Studio. But unfortunately it is too expensive for me.

[Schafheide]

I have just updated to 4.19.2

Based on your info re this update -

Bug fixes and component updates. Core usage improvements in certain cases.

It would seem that our Mac Mini M1 are not included?  I was hoping to be able to use EC.

I do appreciate that you cannot always perform miracles!