How to implement ROON, HQ Player, and iPad Air 2 questions

Hi,
I have several how to questions.

I’m running ROON server on my server. I have a a second PC used as an endpoint. Is this where I would install HQPlayer? This
PC is connected to my Lampi Big7 DAC. I believe that’s right? ROON and HQ player merge their outputs.

Next an iPad question.
I’ve gotten my iPad Aire to work in this setup but I have a couple of questions.

  1. When ROON is used with iPad, apparently the iPad becomes a ROON only device during that session. Whenever I switched to another app ROON would stop playing. So no more browsing on iPad while playing music, correct?
    I find that a little disappointing as I can switchback and forth between apps when I use jRiver?

  2. I thought once version 1.2 was released that my PC and iPad would mirror each other and the iPad would select the music tracks and my PC I use as an endpoint would be coordinated. This would be what I’m used to when using iPad, jRemote, jRiver, with an audio PC and the server. Am I doing something wrong? In other words I’d like my large screen displaying something similar to my iPad screen like jRemote and jRiver manage yo do in theater mode. This is very convenient when I have guests so they can see what I’m playing. It’s very cool to do this.

  3. In question 1 above how do I control ROONsever on one PC, HQPlayer, on the other PC, and use my iPad Air 2 to make music selections.

Thanks in advance.

Steven

I have a second PC used as an endpoint. Is this where I would install HQPlayer?

Yes.

ROON and HQ player merge their outputs.

Not quite, Roon treats HQP as a zone and sends it audio.
HQP the processes the audio and manages its own output to your DAC.

When ROON is used with iPad, apparently the iPad becomes a ROON only device during that session.

Not true, once the tracks are queued for the selected zone it’s the Roon server [core] that reads the audio files and output the stream to the zone … not the iPad remote.

Whenever I switched to another app ROON would stop playing. So no more browsing on iPad while playing music, correct?

No.

I thought once version 1.2 was released that my PC and iPad would mirror each other and the iPad would select the music tracks and my PC I use as an endpoint would be coordinated.

The screens don’t mirror each other however any Roon remote can select music for and control any Roon zone. I believe @andybob replied to you in detail on this in another topic.

I’d like my large screen displaying something similar to my iPad screen like jRemote and jRiver manage to do in theater mode. This is very convenient when I have guests so they can see what I’m playing. It’s very cool to do this.

If you select the required zone on the PC and put Roon into screen “saver mode” it will display the art work and track information of what is playing on that zone at that time.

In question 1 above how do I control Roon Sever on one PC, HQPlayer, on the other PC, and use my iPad Air 2 to make music selections.

From the iPad just select the Roon zone you wish to select and queue music to.

There is no HQP control from within Roon, so you would need to use the HQP GUI.

Hope that helps.

Hi Steven,

Just to add to @Carl’s response regarding where to install HQ Player, I would reccomend installing it on the fastest and highest spec computer you own… If that is the same machine that Roon is on, then you can just type “localhost” into the HQP zone setup window. If it is a different machine, then you will need to enter the IP address for that machine AND toggle “allow Network control” on in HQP (last button on the right in the icon bar).

Hi,
Had some time to try getting mRendu, ROON, and HQPlayer to work together.

So far I’ve gotten ROON and mRendu cooperating.

ROONServer is installed on my server which runs Windows 2012 and AUdiophileOptimizer.

I’ve installed HQPlayer on my audio PC running Windows 10 and AudiophileOptimizer.

Concerning the IP address I need to give to ROON for HQPlayer do I type in the IP address of the server where ROON is installed or the address of the audio pc where HQPlayer is installed?

I’m controlling ROON from my iPad air2.

Also in HQPlayer Windows does the icon for the network need to highlighted or faded to be on?

Has anyone written a how to for configuring ROON, HQPlayer, and mRendu?

Is there away to use jPlay with all this.

Sound quality so far vs old setup.
Chain: Windows Server 2012 PC with AO, jPlay, Fidelizer 7 feeds Audio PC with Paul Pang USB 3, jPlay, AO, Fidelizer and jRiver

MRendu setup seems to be more dynamic and explosive. More blackness around instruments, more decay.

But old setup is smother, more depth, better imaging, when using jRiver. Same setup using ROON definitely inferior to jRiver.

MRendu does lots for ROON. I’m hoping HQPlayer will make the mRendu, ROON, setup better than the paulpang USB setup.

Give Roon the IP address of the machine where HQP is installed when conguring HQP in Roon. I think the network icon is on when it’s lit, but don’t have it running in front of me to check.

Hi,
Thanks for all your help. Looks like I was doing it all correctly.
Don’t know what the problem is yet.

Have you tried mrendu yet? Very interesting product. L

Iris

Yes, my mR arrived 4 days ago and is still breaking in. Impressed with it out of the box and wondering whether to direct connect it to my DAC or retain the Mapleshade Clearlight USB cable.

Try toggling the network button in HQP. I really can’t recall which is on and off so that advice will be at least 50% correct :blush:

Check out the HQP Kick Start guide ( cant link on phone, Google will bring it up) for initial HQP settings. Check back here if you continue to have problems.

I’m using the closed form filter with the mR (or will be when I get home, travelling atm) and enjoying it greatly.

Thanks,
Are you in USA? It would be fun to talk. 314.971.2037.

I’ll look at HQPlayer Quick Start Guide.

As for mRendu and connections,
I have the short 20 cm or so USB cable supplied with the REGEN. I started with it as I don’t have a shelf the mRendu will set upon in the back of my Lampi big 7. It was well broken in and it sounded very good to start. Very dynamic with lots of detail.

I just purchased a custom built USB cable made from the Legendary Western Electric wire. I ordered it before deciding yo try the mRendufor my Paul Pang USB card to DAC. I recieved it the same day as the mRendu.

I tried it first with my PP USB. It sounded very good from the start. Exactly the same qualities as my WE speaker cables and power cords I’ve been constructing.

I decided to substitute the WE USB for the 20cm REGEN USB cable. Even though the REGEN USB has played for months, the WE is at least it’s equal on the first listen. If I like it I’ll have a short cable WE cable. We’ll see.

Will HQPlayer sound better than ROON alone with PCM ? I know HQPlayer and roon up sampling PCM to DSD is supposed to be the holy grail.

I have the mRendu here for 30 day eval. If it doesn’t sound remarkably better I’ll return it as my current setup sounds excellent then I’ll wait for the next miracle to appear.

Happy travels,

Steven

I’m in Australia; miracles of modern communication.

Perceived improvements with HQP depend largely upon whether the DAC is better or worse than HQP at upsampling and associated filtering. Different DACs benefit from different levela of bypass. My Vega sounds good being fed DSD128, but there is an erhereal quality to DSD for me and I find rhe closed form filter puts a bit of meat back on the bones. Other DACs do best with a PCM input, one of the advantages of HQP is that you can play around with lots of combinations until you find something you like.

Before I left to travel I was hearing some very low level noise on my system when I opened windows etc on my BRIX. The only thing I can think of that might cauae that is a ground loop from some CAT8 Ethernet cable I added recently. I’ll revert it when I get home and see if it goes away.

Hmm, Cat 8, how is it different from cat 7? Who makes it? I did perceive differences between Cat 5, 6, and 7.

I have a Dac that separates pcm from dsd. PCM sounds great, but DSD through a Lampi DAC is the best I’ve heard. So I’m looking forward to HQPlayer up sampling all PCM to DSD and keeping the Lampi in DSD mode.

From a pure bandwidth standpoint Cat 5e is enough for most music applications. So why go up?

The two things that seem to matter as you progress from Cat5 to 6, 7 and 8 are: 1) the individual foil shieliding on each cable (which, in theory, reduces outside noise affecting the signal on the cable) and 2) whether or not the metal shielding is grounded, i.e. connected to the actual RG45 connector (which potentially creates a path for computer noise to travel along the shielding and reach the DAC).

Cat6a has better sheathing (than 5 or 6) to limit crosstalk and improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Cat 7 cables introduce copper braiding for even better shielding, but they are also are grounded (which is good for some puposes, but the grounding introduces the risk that noise can travel along the ground).

So what works best for you may depend on whether it is more important to prevent adjacent noise from getting into your cables or whether you need to limit noise from your computer (or switch) from travelling down the cable to your DAC.

I can clearly hear an improvement in going from 5e to 6a, 7 or 8 in my system, but I have a much harder time hearing noticeables differences between 6a and 7 or 8. YMMV