(How to) IgorSki spins CDs (connects CD Transport) through HQPlayer Embedded

Audio Gear Talk HQ Player
21

In my use case - HQPlayer Server is in the separate room away from listening place. So I need at least a NAA as an end point to play to my DAC (an output NAA that would be).

I tried HQPlayer Server in fanless form-factor connected to my DAC directly - here I can only speak for my self - I don’t see any difference in SQ between NAA connected to the DAC or HQPlayer Embedded connected directly to the DAC.

I also have Qobuz subscription. But I predominantly use Roon for all my library/Qobuz playback. Some members here reported that Qobuz directly from HQPlayer Client sounds better to them than Qobuz from Roon. My ears/brain do not pickup such difference.

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I have always used NAAs (in fact 4 output NAAs to 4 different rooms/systems/dacs). It would have been a no brainer to go with Embedded if NAA 5 was not launched that supports input.

With NAA 5 launched, I started using 1 input NAA as UPNP renderer and loopback Qobuz and local content to input NAA and sent to HQP desktop and route to 4 output NAAs and it really has been rock solid.

Now the decision between Embedded and Desktop is much less of a clear cut…

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23

Unfortunately on this step HQPe shows Stopped instead of Playing and it’s impossible to start playing even if I push the Play button on the HQPe main page … it doesn’t matter if the NAA is set to host or peripheral

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@IgorSki I found the “issue” … the dac I was using is a DSD/DoP only dac, changed to a DSD dac (Topping E30 II) and all finally worked!
… and it works setting the NAA to host too

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25

I suppose the dsd/dop only dac should still work if you choose dop in hqplayer output settings and upsample to no higher than dsd128?

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Yes, it does but it doesn’t let work the NAA as simultaneously Input and Output

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27

Amasing! Congrats! I knew the concept should’ve worked for you ! DoP finding is interesting, though… :slight_smile:

Now, that is interesting! Thank you for sharing. I wonder if all other manual additions to config.txt are necessary… I will try tomorrow.

28

By normal USB spec hardware, maximum PCM output is 705.6/768k which means DSD256 over DoP. Like RME ADI-2 does for example (it only supports DoP).

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29

Finally I was able to get it work, the “issue” is in the selected filter:
poly-sinc-xtr-short-lp isn’t accepted as a valid filter
I changed it to poly-sinc-gauss-long and all works file

IMG_3746
IMG_37462048×467 167 KB

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30

Finally it all makes sense now. Thank you for sharing this, also a good reassurance that DoP is not an obsticle for this scenario with “Input/Output NAA”

But indeed, switching between different set-ups in HQPlayer requires a bit of attention and memory. I currently have a couple of set-ups “powered” by HQPlayer, one is with MAY and floor-standing speakers and another one with good ol’ TEAC-501 for headphones. And yeah, TEAC is less flexible, I always need to remind me about some of its limitations.

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All is clear now … when I tried the simultaneous I/O setup the ASDM7EC-super 512+fs modulator was “accidentally” selected, but it doesn’t work at dsd128 (only down to dsd256), and my DoP only dac cannot do more than dsd128.
ASDM7EC-super works fine.
Therefore all is solved now and DoP only was only a … “false” path

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