I have a Mac mini running Roon acting as a server
& a MacBook running Roon (as remote) with a headphone Mac/amp connected to headphones
I want to use the Server over the network as the HQP host, as my localhost is restricted on my work machine.
Where should I install and run the latest version of the HQP app? Server, Remote or both?
What are the correct HQP input & output settings for Server and Remote?
Where is the HQP set as the destination Zone? Server or Remote?
Once you hand audio to HQPlayer then you will no longer use RAAT, or Roon’s network audio implementation.
So, on the Mac mini you want to run HQPlayer desktop and point Roon’s HQPlayer configuration at “localhost”. This will create a new audio zone under Settings → Audio which you then enable.
Selecting this zone will tell Roon to send the audio to HQPlayer.
Once at HQPlayer you want to get the audio over to the MBook. HQPlayer has a network audio implementation called NAA. You can familiarize yourself with it here Network Audio Adapter (NAA) – Signalyst
But, basically, install NAA on the MBook then
On HQPlayer configure the output as “Network” and select the MBook which should display as an option and reference your DAC.
When this work you’ll have a nice Roon → HQPlayer → NAA → DAC
chain
Thank you for responding ipeverywhere.
Where do I get the NAA installation file for OSX?
Same website
Products → Downloads
The NAA section should link to all the NAA software including Mac.
NAA is not here: Downloads – Signalyst
There is a Network Audio Daemon: 5.1.x link but the downloads only contain Windows executable files.
Yeah, the zip files in that folder contain Windows executables. I’ll raise this with Signalyst.
I’m not sure that the suggested configuration can work for me in any case actually. When I change the Roon Zone to HQPlayer on my Mac Mini Server, then I lose the ability to playback to my Dutch & Dutch 8c speakers using Roon Remote on my iOS device (another of my use cases).
Download the zip. Unzip it. Run the file:
$ file networkaudiod
networkaudiod: Mach-O universal binary with 2 architectures: [x86_64:Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64] [arm64:Mach-O 64-bit executable arm64]
networkaudiod (for architecture x86_64): Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64
networkaudiod (for architecture arm64): Mach-O 64-bit executable arm64
It would be worth reviewing the way zones work in Roon. Your HQPlayer server becomes a zone. Your D&D speakers should stay their own zone.
Your guidance is very much appreciated. I was making a schoolboy error with the zip files & letting the browser intervene!
Do I need to run NAA as a terminal process ongoing, or just run it once?
I am hearing music now but at very low volume.
Also, I have been using a Convolver filterset configured in Roon on my MacBook. Where I how should I have this configured in this new chain?
Also, I have been using a Convolver filterset in Roon. Where does this fit into this new chain? Should I run it on the Server?
I don’t use convolution so can’t help there but, yes, HQPlayer and load the convolution filter and you can turn it off in Roon.
Everything is done on the HQPlayer server. NAA has no options.
In the HQPlayer manual it will explain headroom. Out of the box HQPlayer attenuates the volume to make a configuration does not cause clip. This is adjustable for SDM and PCM independently.
Thank you for your guidance ipeverywhere
NAA process needs to be running in Terminal always when you want audio output through it.
Convolution filters can be configured either in the simple convolution engine, or in the matrix processor. Please note that these need to be mono WAV. And those are recommended to be for example 352.8k or 192k ones if possible.
Thank you @jussi_laako,
I got 352.8 ones from Mitch Barnett. I actually missed the Enable checkbox at first after loading them. Which other settings Expand HF, Convolution engine & Gain comp should I use?
I am running Roonserver and HQPlayer on an ethernet connected Mac Mini M1 and then Roon Remote & NAA on a MacBook M2 connected to wifi, all on the same network. I have a Sennheiser HDV 820 connected to the MacBook M2 as my dac amp.
Could you advise on optimal settings for the HDV 820 please? I have attached screenshots of how I have configured this myself, based on info I have been able to find. I am currently hearing interference when I switch between tracks.
The 1st screen shot doesn’t show the HDV 820 because whenever I open Preferences to change the configuration, there are no Devices shown in the dropdown. If I press Ok & then go back in, I see a list of Devices & the one selected is not the HDV 820. So, my Device configuration doesn’t persist.
One other thing is that there is few seconds delay between me pressing Play, Pause or Skip a track and the action happening.
Best wishes, Jason
For 352.8k ones you can leave the Expand HF out. Convolution engine is best set at the default one (overlap-add). For gian compensation, if not already specified by Mitch, it is best to use Plot function of matrix to see what is maximum peak gain of the filter and adjust relevant negative compensation so that it always stays below 0 dBFS.
I would output DSD256 with ASDM5EC-light for example.
The HDV 820 should mute it’s output in such points. But with Roon, I recommend to set “Idle time” on Advanced tab for example to 30 seconds. This way Roon is not all the time stopping and restarting HQPlayer’s playback engine and subsequently the DAC when you just want to switch tracks or seek around. Makes interaction much snappier too.
There is some problem with HQPlayer installation on your Mac. Did you install it in the Applications folder? Please also check System Preferences / Security & Privacy so that HQPlayer has been granted all the needed permissions. Now there seems to be some issues enumerating the devices and possibly also storing the settings.
Hi @jussi_laako,
Thank you for your response.
Sorry, I’m not sure how to do this, even having read the manual pdf. Mitch doesn’t use HQPlayer, so I’m not sure he can help me with this setting. How does it affect the effectiveness of the convolution filterset I’m using?
I’ve updated the “Idle time” as you suggested. I’m still hearing hiss with interference before music tracks start, although perhaps for a shorter time period.
Yes, HQPlayer is in my Applications folder. I added disk access and media access in System Preferences / Security & Privacy. Are there others I should add HQPlayer to particularly?
