Having trouble running HQPlayer on M2 Mac Mini with Aqua Formula

Audio Gear Talk HQ Player
1

Roon Core Machine

M2 Mac Mini

Networking Gear & Setup Details

Ethernet Router

Connected Audio Devices

USB to Aqua Formula

Number of Tracks in Library

Roughly 50,000 tracks from Tidal and Qobuz

Description of Issue

I decided to try HQPlayer running on my Mac Mini connected to my Aqua Formula DAC.
Well, I cannot get it to work.

I set up HQPlayer on my Mac Mini after paying for a license.
I set the volume to fixed and the host to localhost as it is running on the same machine as Roon.

I added the HQPlayer to Roon in the settings and I disabled the existing Aqua Formula device, which is reached through CoreAudio.

At first, I did not disable the existing Aqua Formula connection and ran into problem with the two devices fighting over the connection.

I picked CoreAudio as the output device for HQPlayer.

Now, I seem to have a connection from HQPlayer to the Aqua Formula but no music.
At one point, I got an error that said Roon had lost track of the output device.

I set the play parameter in HQPlayer to Time.

Any idea why this is not working for me?

2

Have you tried to reboot everything or restart Roon and HQPlayer?

3

Yes, I have tried restarting the Mini multiple times. No dice.

4

Please try to get playback working with standalone HQPlayer first. Then you know output is working. You can then add Roon to the picture. So working from output towards source step by step.

Screenshot of your HQPlayer settings would also help.

5

Thanks for the reply.

Ok, standalone playback with system out on the Mac Mini?

6

Standalone playback through the intended output path, meaning your Aqua Formula. I recommend to also make sure that the DAC used for HQPlayer is not set as macOS default audio device. This way, macOS won’t try to play all kinds of notification sounds and similar that would intervene with HQPlayer output.

7

Ok, but the output from HQPlayer should be CoreAudio, right? That is what is supported by the Aqua Formula.

Your advice leads me back to debugging with the Aqua Formula in the loop, which is fine, I guess, although I thought you were leading me away from doing that.

I have the default output device set as the Mac Mini speaker.

8

I have both running, and I have set the output to CoreAudio and aqua XHD device but I keep getting that Roon has lost control of the Audio Device.

The default sound output is set to the Mac Mini speakers. Here is a screenshot.

IMG_3529
IMG_35294032×3024 1.35 MB

9

I seem to have gotten Roon to stop losing the audio device, and when I stream from Roon with HQPlayer, the time moves, and the Formula shows a sample rate of 384 but no music comes out…:

10

I can change the sample rate of the output on the Formula and it changes the light, from 384 to 192 and back but still no sound is produced.

I suppose I could change filters or something but I am really at a loss as to why it does not produce any sound.

11

I got sound but it is low!

What is the volume set to -60 when I set it to Fixed? Am I missing a setting to Fixed on this screen?

I have to crank it up a lot to get a decent level.

IMG_3531
IMG_35314032×3024 1.29 MB

12

Do I have to set it to 0.0dBFS to get Fixed? It seems that way. That’s confusing.

13

Never raise the volume level of HQP higher than -3dB. -60dB is the default setting to avoid people breaking their ears and speakers.

14

Where did you set it to fixed?

As @patouskii said, the volume shouldn’t be set any higher than -3 dBFS. Otherwise you will start triggering limiter due to inter-sample overs.

15

I set it to Fixed in Roon but that doesn’t carry over to HQPlayer, it seems.

Maybe it needs a little fixed button or something to prevent people from setting it higher than -3dBFS. I changed it.

There is a delay in Roon when stopping and starting tracks. I’ll have to see if I can get used to that. I have grown used to the instantaneous start and stop when using Roon and the Aqua.

I still get some spurious Roon has lost the Audio Device messages but it doesn’t stop playback, which is kind of strange.

16

In my own defense, I started my preamp at -69 so combined with the -60, it was inaudible. I didn’t think that volume control was active.

I understand preventing people from blowing out their speakers. I would never start anywhere except at -69 on my preamp.

17

Yes, HQPlayer and Roon settings are independent of each other and not related.

If you leave Roon set to “Device volume”, Roon will adjust HQPlayer’s volume. From Roon’s perspective, HQPlayer is the “output device”.

Sometimes people use DAC direct to power amp, without preamp. In such cases it is pretty important to limit initial volume! For this reason, HQPlayer also allows one to set the volume control range, both minimum and maximum values, to reduce likelihood for accidents.

18

I set it to Device Volume but Roon does not set the volume, I have to set the volume in Roon.

I’m back to setting it to -3.0 because my preamp is on a low gain setting for a lower noise floor.

Depending on the recording, I have to go to -20 to
-18 to get a listenable volume. That’s from -69.

19

That sounds like pretty usual volume setting with some headroom to increase but not too much attenuation.

20

I guess, I don’t really know how other people run their preamps.

I always turn my preamp all the way down before I power it off. Since the preamp and all sources are powered on first, before the amp, I would notice if the volume were set high before I switched on my amp.