Embedded OS requires minimal Linux skills. It can be configured via a web interface mostly.
Although on first set up, have a keyboard and Display attached to your machine.
You should to do a few things one time at the console like setting a root password for the machine and as well, setting a password and user for the hqplayer web config page.
First boot:
Login as root (no password):
root
Set password for root:
passwd
Set user/pass for hqplayer web:
hqplayerd -s some_user some_password
reboot
Unhook keyboard and display if you want and then configure hqplayer options from your tablet/other device at: http://hqplayer.local:8088/
For my main listening I run HQPlayer 5 Embedded on Linux Ubuntu Server. It is a proper “headless” linux server machine.
My HPQ server CPU is overclocked, some may say - heavily. But no custom cooling, though. I also have Holo May and I normally listen in DSD@1024x48, time to time switching to PCM 1,5, both options with convolution. So, yes, you may say that I max out HQP capabilities, squeezing it to the last drop.
12th Gen Intel can also do DSD@1024 as well but less filter/modulator combinations.
As for the listening impressions the comparison of @512 vs @1024 is somewhat subjective. I’m convinced that HQPlayer + HoloAudio May + DSD@1024x48 is a marriage made in heaven. With modern PCs, HQP DSD@512 at max settings is something very achievable, but comparing “apples to apples”, i.e. similar “fat” settings at DSD@1024 is still out of reach for many, hence a lot of theoretical speculations…
For what I know - HQPlayer @1024x48 on May sounds AWESOME !
I’ve been reading a bit. How difficult is it to start using SSH? Your gear is similar to what I want to run.
So how do you setup a Linux Ubunto Server? Is that the same as Jussi’s Linux setup? Are there Nvidia drivers for Linux? The more I dive the more questions I get. I really appreciate the help.
That’s kind of why I was asking if there was any kind of setup guide that I could look over to avoid asking so many questions. I really like the learning aspect but finding the info can be difficult.
Yes, here is the catch - HQplayer OS do not require tweaking, it is ready made, if I may say so, but it comes with no CUDA. With Ubuntu setup you have more flexibility, you can certainly install Nvidia drivers, but its a bit manual to set it all up.
I"d say if you know what you are doing - set up of Linux server and HQP embedded takes 15-30min… But learning curve would most likely require several trial and error attempts.
On the other hand, again, Ubuntu Server is free, so if you have hardware you only invest your time.
SSH - you normally tick as option at server installation. And there are many apps that you can use to connect to server from iPad or iPhone by IP address.
Why is it not recommended? If you have a machine with enough horsepower there are no negatives. For example, I could run two M1/M2 Mac mini systems…one for Roon and one for HQPlayer. Or I could run both Roon and HQPlayer on one M1/M2 Mac mini, save a bunch of money, and have absolutely the same performance as the two Mac mini setup. Zero difference…
First of all I totally agree - Roon can perform very well on one machine with HQP. Your’s is a very good example of M1/M2 Mac mini. But it does not have CUDA. And can you remind, by the way, what is the maximum DSD rate this system can produce?
If that is a final goal, I would also suggest to look at something like cirrus7 - fanless mini-PCs - made in Germany - these are fan-less PC’s at very reasonable price tags with impressive specs - you can connect directly to DAC saving a bunch of money on network switches, NAA’s, etc…
Let’s assume we talk about 2 channels playback from HQPlayer, say on some Intel 12th or 13th Gen. The HQP performance in a sense of highest sample rates and heavy modulators is defined by single P-core performance. For 2 channels you will have only 2 p-cores pushed like hell to the maximum. And you don’t want anything interfering with them. Roon is known for its unpredictability in terms of it"s activity on p-cores. It does not necessarily takes much (your argument about enough horsepower) but it takes enough to have an impact on critical cores. Here, on this forum, you see periodically the questions on how to tame/limit either HQP or Roon to certain cores so that they don’t overlap. It’s possible with challenges, may be, but is it really necessary if you can run it on separate machines ?
On the other hand one may not be interested in high sampling rates and be happy with, say, DSD@256 only. At this instance probably you can enjoy HQP running together with Photoshop and 1000 more active apps on Windows using 12th Gen with CUDA.
So, it’s not that it is not recommend…it’s that it may not always be appropriate depending on what you are trying to accomplish and depending on what hardware you are using.
Also, I would never directly connect a general purpose computer to my DAC. Just too much electrical noise.
Mmh, I would say, that’s not a real problem to let Roon and HQPlayer on one machine, but for a more “clean” output it’s recommended to use a NAA client.
Also I prefer together with the May better filter and convolver against higher bitrates, but that should decide everyone for himself.
Still trying to wrap my head around which version of HQ player is best for my setup. I plan on streaming Quboz and playing files both PCM and DSD from my NAS using Roon controlled from my iPad. My NAA(s) will be located in different areas of the house connected to different DACs. One is a Holo Red and the other is a UltraRendu both able to do NAA.
Should I be thinking embedded or desktop? It looks like they both can use Roon? Looking at the desktop version it seems to do some of the same function as Roon as far as playing from your library but will it stream Quboz over Roon also? I also want to be able to select which NAA I’m using by iPad control.
Any suggestions?
I can say that what you are looking for can be achieved with embedded version. You can use Roon remote on iPad to chose tracks from your library and Qobuz. Roon server will always stream to HQP Server. From the HQP Server web control page in Configuration settings you will be able to choose which NAA you want to stream to. I’m also using two NAA’s. And you may use either Web control page or HQP Control app on iOS to switch the filters/modulators…
I have not been using Desktop version for a while and for such scenario in particular. May be some one can comment here.
Why would embedded be better than the desktop version? I’ve been researching a lot and I’ve seen it stated that the desktop version is more beneficial for beginers and the embedded is more designed for users already proficient in Linux.
Would the desktop version allow me to stream with Roon and select which NAA I wanted to send HQP to?
Note that HQPlayer OS has these default to “hqplayer” and “password” and these can be changed over the web interface. So any operation on console is optional. Manual setting of username as password is required when HQPlayer Embedded is installed on a regular Linux distribution though (no default credentials then).
Yes, if you use Roon, both can do the same. If you’d like HQPlayer to act as UPnP Renderer, then Embedded offers that capability.
If you like to squeeze most processing power out of your hardware, Linux is best choice as OS platform. Or if you would want slim headless setup, then Embedded is the choice.
If you are not familiar with Linux, and would like to use CUDA support for Nvidia GPU offloading, then Windows is easiest choice as OS platform.
If you go with Desktop, you can anyway later switch from Windows to Linux with no extra cost.
You mention one very specific point - changing/selecting from your iPad which out of your two NAAs to use for output. I use this exact scenario on Embedded (but I really don’t know how to do it on Desktop in “easy” way)
I’m thinking… may be worth asking this very particular question in Desktop thread - how exactly to switch between NAA’s remotely with Desktop version?
Yes, I would agree with that.
I’d say there are two “challenges” about HQP software for beginners 1) exactly what we are discussing now - how to connect things 2) once all is connected, the variations of configuration settings is another learning curve.
IMHO, if one starts with “easy” scenario, learns few HQP design concepts on a way, switching to Linux should not be an issue on later day (if needed)
Once again - the trials for HQP versions are free, I encourage you to try.
You would need to use remote desktop application, such as VNC for the purpose. This is certainly easier on Embedded, since it can be done with a web browser.
I see here always the lack of comfort in using HQPlayer.
In Roon you can save for one endpoint multiple pre settings (using for example different convolver) and select them easily in the remote.
Using HQPlayer you don’t have such a easy handling and so I’m using only one endpoint with HQPlayer and all the others directly with Roon.
So I set (like written before) the Red to use either HQPlayer or Roon together with the May.
In hearing with one of my (there are more then ten) headphones, which are primarily used with an own convolver, I’ll prefer nearly every time not to use HQPlayer…
Using Roon can you select an endpoint and save the presets for HQ player for that particular endpoint such as when those endpoints are selected it uses HQ player? If so would that be using the embedded version or the desktop version?
