DAC Corrections

[dabassgoesboomboom]

@ffk

With RoonServer and hqplayer on the same M1 Max, I was noticing higher frequencies almost sounded harsh or distorted, especially female vocals. Not sure what that was all about. Roon dsp is on bypass, and hqplayer limit is -4. Convolution is disabled. Not sure if it’s just separating the two but with the core now it’s own Linux machine it feels zippier and the harsh sound is gone.

Would be interesting experiment if you could try Roon+HQPlayer on the Mac, but now play to an NAA connected to Holo May.

Can you try, for science

[ffk (Doctors Practice. Plumbers Perform.)]

@patouskii

Do you use NAA or do you have your MAC directly connected to the DAC by USB?

NAA on a UP-GWS01 Atom x5-Z8350.

Path was: M1max - Server/hqp/zfs pool [macOS 15] → NAA → May

New path: i5 7600k - Server [Mint xfce] (audio is on the M1max pool) → M1max hqplayer → NAA → May

It didn’t matter the file source, if they were local files in the pool, local files on the Mac internal ssd, or Qobuz streams.

@dabassgoesboomboom

Would be interesting experiment if you could try Roon+HQPlayer on the Mac, but now play to an NAA connected to Holo May.

Can you try, for science

Unfortunately NAA is already in the chain.

For science I could do the opposite and try a direct connection but the hqplayer machine is in the basement, but one would think making a direct connection from computer to dac would introduce more negatives than positives.

[dabassgoesboomboom]

@ffk

Unfortunately NAA is already in the chain.

Mmm very interesting

mac CPU load is somehow affecting the NAA’s output.

[ffk (Doctors Practice. Plumbers Perform.)]

@dabassgoesboomboom

Mmm very interesting

mac CPU load is somehow affecting the NAA’s output.

No idea. I have a M2 Macbook Air, I could put a RoonServer on it and output to hqp on the M1 Max and see if the annoyances return. If they don’t then it has nothing to do with the server being on Linux instead of macOS.

Somewhere I have a Apple Thunderbolt ethernet adapter that I could use so I don’t need to rely on WiFi for the test. Time to dig through the old computer stuff.

[mitchell_lim]

HI, tried the dac correction, with my Mac Studio with USB to Ferrum Wandla and have checked the Matrix and correction enabled, But Wandla does not show up, do I miss anything ?

[erekola]

No correction for Wandla. In my opinion, not ESS-based DACs at all.

[patouskii]

Here’s a list of DAC’s which support DAC correction feature of HQPlayer:

https://signalyst.com/dac-correction-support/

And actually Ferrum Wandla is listed there so it should show up. You need to connect it through USB to HQP server or NAA for it to work.

[mitchell_lim]

I did try both USB and NAA, both do not show up

[erekola]

My mistake…

[jussi_laako (Jussi Laako (Signalyst))]

I already responded to this elsewhere, but is your Wandla firmware up to date?

[mitchell_lim]

my firmware version is the latest one 1.6.1

[jussi_laako (Jussi Laako (Signalyst))]

OK, weird… I assume it is also fairly recent macOS version on Apple silicon? While if the NAA is my latest 5.1.3, then the that shouldn’t matter either…

Somehow your Wandla seems to be different from mine for some unknown reason.

[Artem_Maltsev]

I have Gustard A26 which is in the list of supported DAC Corrections. But I don’t see an option to choose the DAC Correction:

Does anyone know why? HQPlayer Desktop v5.13.0

[George_Dierna]

I’m still trying to figure out what is preferred, DSD512 with the best modulators/filters and without DAC Correction, DSD512 with some of the "lesser modulators or filters with DAC Correction, or DSD256 with DAC Correction and the best modulators filters. My Mac will run all the configurations of DSD256 with corrections, but struggles with DSD512 and DAC Correction with some filters/modulators. This is using the HOLO Red as a NAA.

Any thoughts?

[Dirk_De_Taey]

What are your ears telling you?

I really do not understand why everybody now is so fixated on Dac correction.

I admit I don’t know what I’m missing out, as I simply refuse to test it.

[jussi_laako (Jussi Laako (Signalyst))]

@Artem_Maltsev

I have Gustard A26 which is in the list of supported DAC Corrections. But I don’t see an option to choose the DAC Correction

It should work if you connect it through USB. I guess the NAA version built-in is too outdated. (the one in my unit is completely dead, so I’m not sure)

[jussi_laako (Jussi Laako (Signalyst))]

@George_Dierna

I’m still trying to figure out what is preferred, DSD512 with the best modulators/filters and without DAC Correction

Can you elaborate a bit what you mean by “best modulators/filters” here?

@George_Dierna

My Mac will run all the configurations of DSD256 with corrections, but struggles with DSD512 and DAC Correction with some filters/modulators.

Possibly I wouldn’t worry about those combinations that don’t work.

@George_Dierna

This is using the HOLO Red as a NAA.

Which DAC is it?

[iDomiJi]

@jussi_laako

It should work if you connect it through USB. I guess the NAA version built-in is too outdated. (the one in my unit is completely dead, so I’m not sure)

Hello @jussi_laako

Unfortunately, HQP5 does not recognize my Gustard A26 either. Neither via USB nor via NAA. Is there perhaps a trick here, or can I select it manually?

Thanks and best regards,

Dominik

[jussi_laako (Jussi Laako (Signalyst))]

@iDomiJi

Unfortunately, HQP5 does not recognize my Gustard A26 either. Neither via USB nor via NAA. Is there perhaps a trick here, or can I select it manually?

It probably has something different then in the USB interface compared to what I have. For the DAC correction to work over NAA, you need NAA version >= 5.1. Which OS are you using for running HQPlayer connected to the DAC over USB? Have you checked that it doesn’t complain about lack of internet connection?

[Akira_Itakura]

Since I’m using diretta, the DAC correction pull-down menu doesn’t appear.

Therefore, I defined in ‘plugin dac=“Holo Audio Spring 3” enabled=“1” type=“correction”/’ hqplayer.xml. Will this enable it?