HQPlayer Embedded Discussion [2021-2022]

Audio Gear Talk HQ Player
430

I don’t do that, because it will create way too many problems.

You know something is wrong if changing let’s say HQPlayer computer, or a switch makes difference given the algorithms running are the same.

I don’t use any audiophile networking gear. My switches and wireless access points are from Cisco and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (aka HPE, nowadays called Aruba). Most of the switches are managed ones. Wireless access points are powered from the central switch using PoE.

I have two central switches where all the rooms and internet firewalls (primary and backup) are connected to. And then room specific switches in each room where all the wired equipment in that room are connected to. Or well, to be more accurate, wall socket specific switches, since at the office I have two wall sockets and each has it’s own switch next to it.

Yes…

Yes…

If you have a license for HQPlayer you are covered for NAAs.

For example my Spring 3 measurements were done using it. Although at that point using medical grade SMPS before the current Ferrum Hypsos. It always depends on the DAC how much it makes difference. Better the DAC’s isolation, less difference it makes.

OTOH, my ADI-2 measurements were done with ADI-2 connected to my Xeon W-2245 workstation running Ubuntu and HQPlayer Desktop.

2 Likes
431

The final question; since the NAA is not involved in heavy algorithms in same contaxt as the HQPe PC itself; the NAA in your former answer will support transfer of DSD256 DoP from LAN side to USB out?

432

Wish the distance wasn’t so long. I would gladly demo the network implementation to you. Since you are also a skilled listener, I am 100% certain you would notice and also appreciate the difference with using shielded cabels and carefully implemented common ground (the closest one could get to the utopic star-ground). In fact, it resembles what I appreciate with your software and especially the sharp cut-off, high attenuation filtering. It becomes dead silent and music that “always” been sounding like recorded under fire, suddenly you can (“almost”) count the number of “multi” tracks there is, if you feel what I mean? The very most recent progress left my friend with a jaw drop ending at his knee caps, when I was able to reach the DSD256 sample and DSD7 + 256 fs.
Further I agree that something is wrong when a computer change, or even a part change will alter SQ. Here my status today is that there is no changes after comon grounding. But before, when e.g. bought a new NAS, the SQ changed. The device furthest away, if not streaming is counted in. I personally no longer think digital devices sound different. They participate however in polluting ground in manners depending on technical design. And ground noise is a game changer IMHO
Cheers and see you soon :slight_smile:

433

@jussi_laako I see that 4.28.3 has been released but when I went to go download I noticed a .1 release in the images directory. Are we always supposed to install the latest dot release of your release version? So always download 4.28.3.1 (or .2+) instead of the base 4.28.3 release?

434

Yes…

It is not technically feasible to have all the (~50) devices around the house connected such way. And it would be bad already for electrical safety too. There is a very specific reason why for example large office buildings use unshielded patch cables…

Please note that my content storage, servers, NAAs, and central switches are usually all in different rooms… Usually distance from my HQPlayer server to the NAA measured in ethernet cable distance is about 20m.

And HQPlayer Client is running on WiFi, sometimes HQPlayer server is on WiFi too. For example when I’m running it on my development laptop and streaming to the NAA in the equipment rack. Source comes from HRA streaming servers in the cloud, over WiFi to the laptop, is processed there, and sent over WiFi to the NAA, travelling through the central switch in the machine room.

Technically I could be even streaming over VPN to the NAA from other side of the globe…

2 Likes
435

Only the x64gen image got updated today with .1 release with one change in the build configuration to make it a bit more similar to the x64amd one. You can try both variants if you like.

436

So new newbie question for the tribe…

I just tried my first update to HQPe Server after getting my system fully working. I wanted to update to 4.28.3 given some of the changes and fixes. I re-imaged my USB stick with the new image, restored my backup config file to the new image, changed the password for the default user. All good. However…

The new HQPe Server is not seeing my NUC-based NAA that remained untouched and connected via USB to my MAY dac. I rebooted the NAA device and still no go. All I see in the networked audio section is …

CleanShot 2022-01-10 at 17.52.17@2x
CleanShot 2022-01-10 at 17.52.17@2x1810×258 31.4 KB

This now seems harder than it should be for an update. What am I doing wrong here? Thanks.

437

What is your NAA running? These both are not having the same name?

438

NAA is running the prior version of HQPe 4.28.2. And I changed the name of the NAA so it is unique from the default. So that shouldn’t be an issue.

439

Please check that first, because it is one of the potential issues…

440

Follow up question: If I switch the inputs for the MAY away from USB does the NAA release the MAY in some way internally? Because if so then that might be the issue because I last used the MAY with COAX input from a Bluesound Node. I don’t think I switched it back yet to USB. Is the NAA supposed to pick up the MAY once the USB input is switched to the current input?

441

I don’t know how May’s USB interface behaves. Spring 1 and 2 had USB interface always available even if device was on standby. Not anymore the case with Spring 3.

I have never switched inputs on my Holo DACs, so I have no idea how it behaves.

In order for HQPlayer to connect a DAC, the DAC needs to be alive.

If you pull the plug (rug) under HQPlayer’s feet when things are up, it may not recover so easily. If you power down the May or switch inputs when HQPlayer is not connected, it should recover once the DAC becomes available again.

Why not route that through HQPlayer too? :wink:

442

Well I’d to do that but am unclear on how this would work in practice. I need to have an easy to use Apple Music streamer available to my wife so she can just Airplay music using Siri or her phone. We also want a deep catalog for discovery purposes. But I have a large curated Roon library of higher res albums and I setup HQP specifically to stream from that library to the MAY. So I have the Bluesound Node connected to the MAY’s COAX input and the Intel NUC NAA connected via USB, switching inputs on the MAY depending on the situation. I had assumed that the HQP setup would ‘just work’ in this use case, i.e. stream via USB when that input was active. I haven’t yet tested switching the input back to USB and seeing if that solves my NAA losing the MAY after I updated HQPe Server. I will report back. But I sincerely hope that I won’t have to choose between AM and ROON as I really need both setups.

How would I go about routing the Node streaming Airplay through HQP?

443

@jussi_laako
@dabassgoesboomboom

Hi, where can I find the NAA OS image suitable for e.g. Up Gateway? Been looking like crazy on your various pages. Thanx :slight_smile:

1 Like
444

Here

Index of /bins/naa/images/

The x64 image can be used with any Intel based computer, not only UpBoard Gateway

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445

The reason for the naming is historic and goes back some 20 years. AMD we’re the first to release an extended 64 bit instruction set, Intel came with a whole new architecture and AMDs solution emerged as the defacto standard.

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446

Now, I have been searching the net, and even talked to some retail businesses about signal integrity, use of better USB card in computer, or network backend NAA end points and it is not so very crystal clear what or how. Perhaps you guys can add some input, besides the welcome suggestions of Sonore UltraRendu I received and UP gateway.

It seems all these products boils down to the very same problem area as the HQPe computer itself and the USB output. The NAA must be quiet enough to be an alternative at all. With quiet, I mean not unit sounding, but electrical and ground silence. And there is no disadvantage if the source offers a good clock, even though my RME as it seems provide some propriatery wonder called “fs steady clock”. One example I messed around with RPi’s and Allo USB hat and ok, it did not … sound bad, but did it really ( I mean, really) improve anything??? I am today very sceptical. Not even comparabel to my very positive effect on network ground revision and not to forget the game changing HQPe which over and over proves nothing less than being the cornerstone making streaming audio sounding as analogue as the real thing.

I will soon replace the RME supplied SMPSU to a Keces P3 linear PSU with decent ripple levels. That is to reduce possible switch noise inside, even if there are filters and decoupling, the “number” of decibels of filtering can always use the extra push from starting at a much lower level. If I am to use a NAA endpoint, I obviously do not want that one to be noisy as the RPi, or to connect the noise through final short USB cable shield to the PCB ground layers in both units. In that case, My point is that it would in theory be back at same status as taking the USB from the HQPe computer.

It is not completely obvious to me why a NAA would improve SQ compared to HQPe PC direct? Not if measures are taken to isolate, shield and feed an USB card exclusively built and installed for taking the signal with as little jitter and noise as possible.

I wish to ask you guys what is the general opinion and are there someone sitting on some substantial scientific evidence? I don’t mind empirical judgements at all, if there is a clear majority telling more or less the same.

Happy to hearing from you. :slight_smile: And hope you will accept this question here, it is not interely a software issue, but perhaps more of an electrical and architectural question. But judging from many comments here, it seems there are plenty of knowledge in that field too :wink:

447

If you really want to read about this topic “to the Nth degree” I would suggest looking over threads at AS. For me, the decision was easy to go the NAA route…physical noise in the audio room. My server sits in a room adjacent to the audio room, therefore allowing me to actively cool any high-powered CPU adequately. I built a simple, low power, fanless NAA with a good quality power supply and NIC. Along the way I did try a fancy JCAT USB card in it, but sold the card as it made an insignificant audible difference.

2 Likes
448

The most important reason for me is I use Mac. Mac only do DoP and is always half the rate of so-called native DSD. For example, some DACs support PCM768KHz / DSD512 natively but these DACs can only play DSD256 on Mac just because macOS must use DoP to deliver DSD. If I have a capable Mac that can do DSD1024 upsampling why would I have to sacrifice to DSD512 using direct USB connection? NAA is the solution for full DSD capability on Mac, not just only for SQ.

1 Like
449

@Steven_Edwards

Sorry for the plain question, what is AS?

My issue is not a noisy pc, it is dead silent (15 dB), darn ventilation is louder and high performance.

Thanks for reminding me of JCAT, that is a brand that I have forgotten … :slight_smile: