Smallest Computer Capable of Running HQP Embedded?

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Guys, I'm looking for the smallest physical computer capable of running HQPlayer Embedded with convolution filters, DSD256, PCM 1,536 kHz, MP filters, and ASDM7EC modulator. I'd love if a NUC could do this but I'm not sure it's possible. 

 

Any suggestions / recommendations welcomed. Thanks in advance. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I know the sonitTransporter i9 can do it, so this is an option.  https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/collections/audio-server/products/sonictransporter-roon-server-hqplayer

[AudioDoctor]

Something in an HDPLex case? Its the same size but you could use different parts...

 

I don't know Chris, I am considering this myself right now and think a desktop case, in my case the Fractal Design Meshify 2 compact, is the smallest that can do it adequately.

[The Computer Audiophile]

11 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

Something in an HDPLex case? Its the same size but you could use different parts...

 

I don't know Chris, I am considering this myself right now and think a desktop case, in my case the Fractal Design Meshify 2 compact, is the smallest that can do it adequately.

 

I just reached out to Intel to get a NUC11BTMi9 for review. I really think this NUC can do it, but am not 100% sure until I try. 

 

https://simplynuc.com/nuc11btmi9-full/

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

I just reached out to Intel to get a NUC11BTMi9 for review. I really think this NUC can do it, but am not 100% sure until I try. 

 

https://simplynuc.com/nuc11btmi9-full/

 

 

 

Interesting, that's a form factor I was not aware of.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Just now, AudioDoctor said:

 

Interesting, that's a form factor I was not aware of.

Look up the internal photos. It's really versatile. 

[AudioDoctor]

4 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Look up the internal photos. It's really versatile. 

 

Impressive. Does it come with the skull RGB or is that optional? That has to give it one more modulator worth of effectiveness.  ;-)

 

It looks like Intel's version of a SFF computer like the Streacom DA2. I thought about one of those with an AIO as well to cool the CPU. I am not sure how quiet that would be though.

[sphinxsix]

Raspberry Pi4.? 

[The Computer Audiophile]

12 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

Raspberry Pi4.? 

I wish. 

[jcbenten]

Does it have to have a GPU??  Not sure of the requirements for your target HQPlayer process.  

 

OptiPlex 7090 Micro Desktop | Dell USA

 

[sphinxsix]

7 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I wish. 

Google: raspberry pi4 hqplayer embedded 

[jcbenten]

12 minutes ago, jcbenten said:

Does it have to have a GPU??  Not sure of the requirements for your target HQPlayer process.  

 

OptiPlex 7090 Micro Desktop | Dell USA

 

 

And this one comes with an RTX GPU...Precision 3240 AI & Compact Desktop Workstation | Dell USA

 

[AudioDoctor]

15 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

Google: raspberry pi4 hqplayer embedded 

 

I have actually done that, but it doesn't upsample anything.

[The Computer Audiophile]

20 minutes ago, jcbenten said:

Does it have to have a GPU??  Not sure of the requirements for your target HQPlayer process.  

 

OptiPlex 7090 Micro Desktop | Dell USA

 

No GPU necessary. HQP OS won’t use it anyway. 
 

I don’t think that Dell can handle the task with its 1.4GHz to 4.6GHz CPU and 35W TDP. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

17 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

Google: raspberry pi4 hqplayer embedded 

Sure, I could install it easily, but not run any upsampling that I need. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Just heard back from Intel. Not even the company has stock for review samples due to supply chain issues. Early next year my contact will have some, but nothing until then. 

[AudioDoctor]

4 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Google: raspberry pi4 hqplayer embedded 

 

I have it running right now because for some weird reason I think the NAA on the OS sounds better than the NAA by itself, on the raspberry Pi4 thats plugged into the Yggy.

 

However... with no upsampling, I can use it to send audio from Audirvana to the Yggy as well.

 

[truongsontape]

My Custom made Tiny PC with Euphony-HQPe: Asus H310T, I3-8300, Noctua L9i cooler, turn off CPU fan for fanless. Quite Good.

[The Computer Audiophile]

7 hours ago, truongsontape said:

My Custom made Tiny PC with Euphony-HQPe: Asus H310T, I3-8300, Noctua L9i cooler, turn off CPU fan for fanless. Quite Good.

I love that!

 

can you run DSD256 using ASDM7EC modulator?

[truongsontape]

8 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I love that!

 

can you run DSD256 using ASDM7EC modulator?

My PC feed Ygg and i dont set DSD upsampling. But When I set Upsampling mode to DSD, DSD Modulator to ASDM7EC, bitrate to DSD256 on Euphony. Everything's Ok.

[Miska]

On 9/30/2021 at 5:29 AM, AudioDoctor said:

However... with no upsampling

 

You can run basic PCM upsampling and DSD up to DSD64 on it. But let's say if you use HIfiberry DAC HD on it, in the nice small steel case and run upsampling to HIfiberry's max 192k PCM, it works perfectly fine as one box network connected DAC.

 

Something a bit bigger, I today tested my new Fitlet2 with E3950 CPU and it can do normal PCM upsampling and up to DSD256 with non-EC modulators (using -2s filters). This one is much more feasible for HQPlayer Embedded. E3950 CPUs can be found in various formfactors, such as Pico-ITX. There's now also newer generation equivalent SoC coming, but no hardware available yet due to chip shortages.

 

P.S. These, including Fitlet2 are available in automotive temperature range and WiFi, so if you want something nice, small and cool to run HQPlayer Embedded in a car....

 

[lotusaurus]

I bought a used HP EliteDesk with an i7-9700T CPU:

 

 

I think this is the (out-of-stock) model at Newegg (although I have 16GB RAM).

 

I can run HQP Desktop under Win10 with output set to SDM, Adaptive output rate grey, poly-sinc-short-mp, ASDM7EC and Bit rate 48k x256. I don't know about convolution. The only time I've had dropouts is when Windows is doing some updating nonsense; CPU utilisation is around 60%. I assume it would be no higher under HQPE.

 

Output is to RPi4 running RoPieee as NAA.

[Mike Rubin]

9 hours ago, lotusaurus said:

I bought a used HP EliteDesk with an i7-9700T CPU:

 

 

I think this is the (out-of-stock) model at Newegg (although I have 16GB RAM).

 

I can run HQP Desktop under Win10 with output set to SDM, Adaptive output rate grey, poly-sinc-short-mp, ASDM7EC and Bit rate 48k x256. I don't know about convolution. The only time I've had dropouts is when Windows is doing some updating nonsense; CPU utilisation is around 60%. I assume it would be no higher under HQPE.

 

Output is to RPi4 running RoPieee as NAA.

I have a NUC 10 i7 with a 1070UU CPU.  I am running the eval version of HQP Desktop under Windows 11 beta.   I only stream to NAA and don’t have USB connections to any device.  
 

I can’t play ASDM7EC at DSD256 at all with most of the filters I have tried and, with poly-sinc-short-mp, I can only play a few seconds at a time without dropouts.  I have to say, though, things sound pretty glorious until the dropouts spoil the session completely.

 

With ASDM5EC, things generally work more reliably, but, as I discussed in the main HQP thread in the Software forum, the CPU temps seem a bigger issue than CPU utilization.  I routinely am above 65c and often peg 95c during my listening sessions, all of which are limited to less than 30 minutes at a pop because I am still during my evaluation period.

 

 I don’t know if the requirements of HQPe are lesser or greater than those of HQP Desktop, but, if the requirement is DSD256 with ASDM7EC, I remain skeptical that the NUC’s cooling is up to the task.