Which HQP Filter are you using? [2024]

Having pursued the best perceived transient response, I have now stayed a while with ASDM7EC+512fs-fast, but only at max DSD256 DoP to my RME DAC. The filter is minphaseFIR, but due to CPU stuttering, I cannot use IIR2, it is a too hard strain on CPU, while the minphaseFIR seem a lot less CPU intense, perhaps more GPU support. They sound a little alike in my rig. I have ticked the 20kHz filter, too. It is not much of difference, though. Even my brother, who focus on rhythm and beats now think my rig is very pleasant to audition. With the latest USB optic galvanically decoupling the DAC from my NAA, it now also plays exceptionally clean from any harshness or sibilance, even at really high output volume. I can enjoy a number of almost criminally poor remasters of 80th rock music from Qobuz, without ripping my ears of and without sacrificing the sought after, immediate, lightning fast, transient response, or the resolution I desire. Finally I managed to repair the big mistake I made selling my Matrix Audio Element H PCIE USB card. Puhhh … Interesting to read the comments about really high DSD ā€˜speeds’ in comparison to the ā€˜old’ DSD256… I have auditioned other DACs at DSD512, but I am a bit hesitate to say that it is better.

:+1:

What’s your view on this @jussi_laako? What would be similar in HQP?

As with the other almost-no-filter solutions, it is quite horrible, with the typical 10 - 22 kHz 3 dB treble roll-off at 1x rates:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/ch-precision-c10-da-processor-measurements

But polynomial-2 is similar…

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Hi

I am using HQPlayer with my Gustard X26 Pro; I have just added the Intona 7055-C USB isolator into my system (using USB 2.0 cables at the moment) and things are not working well.

  1. It won’t play in the DSD Direct mode for pre-upsampled files (does so no problem when my PC is connected directly to the DAC).
  2. It only goes up to 3.072M even when I select DSD512.
  3. It only goes up to 96kHZ for PCM.
  4. Changing the Output setting to either of the Network Audio Adapter settings does not work, as in no processing takes place.

As this device is plug-and-play, I don’t think that there are any settings for the Intona itself. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a setting on the HQPlayer that requires to be changed? Or is it the USB 2.0 cables that are slowing things down (but they’ve been perfectly fine for sending DSD512 directly to my DAC so far).

Thanks

EDIT - it seems like the issue is not limited to the HQP, Windows mixer only offers up to 96kHz upsampling also when the Intona USB isolator is in my chain. Strange. Might need to try different cables.

With 7055-C, always connect it to USB3.x port on your computer, using a proper USB3 SuperSpeed Certified cable (look for the official certification badge).

Do not connect anything to the AUX power input on the Intona.

If your DAC has USB2 interface, make use you use a USB2 HiSpeed Certified cable (again, check for the official certification badge).

P.S. If you use Roon + HQPlayer, did you remember to check that the DAC is disabled under Roon Settings / Audio?

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Thanks, Jussi.

I’ve used USB 3.0 ports on my PC but a USB 2.0 cable. On paper, with the right handshake between the devices, this should give me speeds up to 480MBps. I’ve in the meantime found a short manual for the device and judging by the blinking speed when the device is connected, it only reaches ā€˜full speed’, not the ā€˜high speed’ mode. These names may be a bit confusing but it seems that full speed is only 12mbps, which would probably explain the sample rate limitation. I’ve tried two different cables, one of them a Supra - same result.

I’ll get a hold of a decent USB 3.0 cable and hopefully this will solve the issue.

I have on this occasion used FLAC files directly from my PC. I initially thought it was an HQPlayer issue, but later realised that Windows also automatically limited the available sample rates, so there was clearly a handshake issue.

Yeah, but there are other aspects as well. USB2 can provide max 500 mA current, while USB3 can provide max 900 mA current. As an example… USB3 B-cable has that extra bulge because it runs separately isolated power wires. It depends to some extent on the computer USB port implementation how agressive peak current limiting it has, so USB2 port could cause the 7055-C + DAC combination from not properly powering up if it cuts a bit too aggressively at or before 500 mA.

It is not an issue to use USB2 from the 7055-C to the device, but I would strongly recommend a proper USB3 SS for the host side.

Full Speed is USB1, that’s why you are limited to 96/24 PCM in non-asynchronous mode which is maximum UAC1 can do.

It could also have something to do with your DAC. But I’m using 7055-C for example between my development machine and T+A HA200. USB3.2 connected to the 7055-C using a proper big blue USB3 SuperSpeed cable. And HA200 connected using a regular USB2 HiSpeed cable.

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Thanks, @jussi_laako

I almost sent the device back, even changing the cable did not help. Then I suddenly remembered that there had been a firmware update for my DAC years ago which I had never downloaded. I installed it and voila - everything is working fine, regardless of which cable I am using (USB 2.0 or 3.0). So it seems that my DAC’s USB protocol was for some reason triggering a ā€˜safe mode’ or something of that kind.

Initially when I used the 3.0 cable for the first time, the blinking speed increased which I interpreted as the device entering its high-speed mode. But it made no difference to the max sample rate. Now the blinking is extremely fast, so I had wrongly identified the initial blinking speed - it wasn’t even in ā€˜fast mode’ but the slowest mode possible.

The device has made a very significant difference in my system, much bigger than expected. Highly recommended, especially when one is upsampling and paying attention to small details (although it’s also very apparent on the macroscale).

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Hi everyone, I’m using a Philips TDA1543-based DAC without oversampling and output filtering, which can handle up to 16/44.1 material at most. Does it make sense to use HQPlayer with it, and if yes, what settings?

HQPlayer allows you to downconvert modern hires to such resolution for listening. Be it hires PCM, or DSD.

Remember to use either TPDF or Gauss1 dither and set DAC Bits to 16!

My new favorite filter combo

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Hello everyone.
I’m using an old ESI Juli@ audio card.
Does it make sense for me to listen to music in HQPlayer?
If so, which filters would be more preferable for my audio card?

Or get a Chord Dave. I am playing 256DSD dual BNC input to DAVE. No changes like other Chord dacs do.

You can try and see what you think about the result, you can set HQPlayer to output fixed 192k rate, 24-bit TPDF or Gauss1 dither. The default filters are a good general purpose choice I recommend to get started with.

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Thank you so much for your reply and recommendation, Jussi! I will try fixed values of 192 kHz/24 bit with Gauss1 dithering, as you suggested.

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