HQPlayer and PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC MkII experience(s)

[jussi_laako (Jussi Laako (Signalyst))]

@Roland_von_Unruh

I understand you’re using the Pi for digital input and DSP and send the stream off via ethernet to another box running the NAA that connects to the DAC.

Yes, or like right now:
RPi4 with Digi+ I/O input NAA → PC with AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU and HQPlayer → Holo Audio Red output NAA → Gustard A26 DAC. Source is iPad playing Spotify at 44.1k PCM and output to Gustard A26 is DSD256.

@Roland_von_Unruh

Does it also work as a one box solution i.e. ALSA out via USB to the DAC instead of sending data to a NAA? That would be exactly my use case.

Yes, certainly! I just already have various NAA+DAC combinations on the local network, so it was easiest to setup.

@Roland_von_Unruh

would something like this also work as digital input device: Hifime SPDIF Optical to USB converter, record DAT/minidisc to computer ?

That should do the same job, I don’t have that one, so I have not personally tested, but other people have.

@Roland_von_Unruh

On the input selection page of HQPlayer OS you can select “USB Audio (RPi4)”. Is this meant for such generic USB input devices or does it have another purpose?

No, that one makes RPi4 + HQPlayer appear just like USB-connected DAC to the host device/computer. See end of thread here:

Using any audio source with HQPlayer - Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, Soundcloud [2023]

Ok upgraded to v5 Desktop and testing with RPi4 NAA for HQP input, it works very very well. When I’m at my desktop I actually prefer using Tidal Desktop this way vs Tidal Connect to WiiM Mini because Tidal Connect doesn’t support ‘auto play’ at all I find that to be a useful for discovering music similar to recently played. I changed between 44.1k and 48k based tracks alternating and no issues with garbled sound - but I was practical about it, letting 5 seconds pass before changing. I don’t …

It works either straight with HQPlayer Embedded there, or through the NAA input functionality to HQPlayer running elsewhere.

Please note, to enable this functionality you need to edit the last two lines in config.txt on the image’s boot partition. (switch the type-C connector from host mode to peripheral (device) mode)