Hifiman Serenade - Himalaya Pro R2R DAC headamp all-in-one

[jovas]

Thank you so much @Dalmonegrig and @Ichos for your replies!

Hi my friend. No offence at all. Your post was very well written.

Unfortunately I can't help with upsampling because I don't use the HQ player. Maybe some other more experienced user CA help.

Do you, by any chance, know how to enable the Max setting on Tidal Connect in the Serenade? Seems odd that I can do it through mconnect android app but not through Tidal....

1) HQPlayer works well with audio devices that are recommended on their official website. The list of devices is here (see these devices below on their web page). Hifiman Serenade is not on this list.

Are those the ones in the DAC Corrections tab? It seems rather odd to have the Ares II and not the Pontus 15th, right?

2) HQPlayer is quite demanding in terms of performance if the sound source is a computer. Based on this, your computer should not just have good performance, it should have super performance, so that all the maximum settings for high-quality sound in HQPlayer work normally.

Yes, I am aware. I have a 5700x, with 32GB DDR4 and ... a 7800XT. Guess the graphics card bottlenecks me hard. There is no direct CUDA in AMD cards.

3) Much also depends on your DAC, its software and hardware implementation and optimization. If your audio device (Hifiman Serenade) has a poor implementation, you will have problems with sound when using HQPlayer at maximum settings (possibly even at medium settings).

The USB upsampling is flawless in Linux, only bottlenecking in processor capabilities. No cracks or pops with the appropriate modulator. I could live with that. The problem is that, due to lack of specific Windows driver (it uses the dreadful XMOS 4.13) , there is no native or even DoP support. Only in Linux. Fedora, Ubuntu, ... I tried a bunch of them. The only problem is that the sound of the Serenade through ethernet or USB is quite different and... the cracks and pops are there. In whichever OS.

4) I recommend that you use HQPlayer with default settings (the settings that HQPlayer itself selects for your Hifiman Serenade). In this use case, your Hifiman Serenade will work stably, although the sound quality may not be the best possible for your DAC.
5) Based on point 4 above, you can experiment by selecting different HQPlayer settings, thus improving the sound quality and checking the stability of your Hifiman Serenade. Based on the logic of the HQPlayer developers, you get the best sound quality when choosing the settings at the bottom of the list (these are the maximum levels, for normal operation of which you need a super-efficient computer or an audio device with good software and hardware implementation). Move down the list of HQPlayer settings until the point of instability (when you start to experience sound distortions). This is the maximum of your DAC (what your DAC is currently capable of).

Default settings do the same cracks on pops on ethernet. As for trying combinations... yes, I have tried everything and the kitchen sink. I've been trying this for days on end.

6) What to do next to improve the sound quality on HQPlayer? Wait for Hifiman driver update (maybe it will fix the problem) or change the hardware.

Here is the HQPlayer thread, check it out, maybe there will be answers to your question or ask your question there.

Changing the hardware may be my next probable route. Any good recommendations? I can move the Serenade to my E-drums... they have such a wonderful sound through the Serenade!...

I will be studying the thread, thank you so much for taking the time to answer!

 

[Dalmonegrig]

The USB upsampling is flawless in Linux, only bottlenecking in processor capabilities. No cracks or pops with the appropriate modulator.

Harsh reality: Keep using Linux.

Any good recommendations?

The problem is complicated by the fact that you cannot personally listen to how other audio devices with the HQPlayer implementation actually sound.
Therefore, when choosing a new audio device, you will depend on the opinions of other people and their preferences in audio sound, which in turn increases the likelihood of you making a mistake when choosing a new audio device (we people have different ideas and perceptions of high-quality sound).
To minimize risks, focus on the software part of improving your audio equipment (what will improve the sound quality when using HQPlayer without replacing the audio equipment or looking for a close analogue of HQPlayer, which works more stably and is more versatile, for example, Roon).

You will have to spend your time studying these issues and there will be no quick solutions here.
Dig in this direction and over time you will get what you want.

Good luck!

 

[jovas]

Harsh reality: Keep using Linux.

Believe me, I would love to, but the other harsh reality is that professionally I (still) can't

The problem is complicated by the fact that you cannot personally listen to how other audio devices with the HQPlayer implementation actually sound.
Therefore, when choosing a new audio device, you will depend on the opinions of other people and their preferences in audio sound, which in turn increases the likelihood of you making a mistake when choosing a new audio device (we people have different ideas and perceptions of high-quality sound).
To minimize risks, focus on the software part of improving your audio equipment (what will improve the sound quality when using HQPlayer without replacing the audio equipment or looking for a close analogue of HQPlayer, which works more stably and is more versatile, for example, Roon).

The problem is in the place I live I don't have any other way to do it but to rely on views and reviews of others. Maybe learning I have a much more informed decision. And , to be honest, I have not got any bad feeling about buying the Serenade. I certainly love the thing. It's flaws are details, not dealbrakers. Roon has a weird oversample, doesn't seem to do much. USB oversampling is close to ethernet's. If the driver is updated I think the problem should be rather solved. And I will still try workarounds.

Is there, in your experience, an upgrade worth looking into? Denafrips offers a free trial period of the Pontus. Being a musician, detail is very important to me. My fear is overspending to get little more of it.

You will have to spend your time studying these issues and there will be no quick solutions here.
Dig in this direction and over time you will get what you want.

Good luck!

Thank you so much, will do that!

 

[Dalmonegrig]

Believe me, I would love to, but the other harsh reality is that professionally I (still) can't

Look around you, maybe there is a pro who can help you with this.

Is there, in your experience, an upgrade worth looking into?

I don't use HQPlayer as my main audio player now. I have always been a supporter of ready-to-use software and hardware audio solutions, in which everything is already honed and optimized, so I use Esoteric N-05XD and Esoteric Sound Stream.

Which device with HQPlayer will be optimal for you, taking into account the principle of diminishing returns?
Take a closer look at Holo Audio, perhaps these audio devices will satisfy you.

Since we have already deviated from the topic of Hifiman Serenade, it is better to ask these questions in the corresponding topic here.

Good luck!

 

[jovas]

Look around you, maybe there is a pro who can help you with this.

There is no wrapper for Whatsapp in Linux that does video and audio calls, or Windows would be gonners for me.

I don't use HQPlayer as my main audio player now. I have always been a supporter of ready-to-use software and hardware audio solutions, in which everything is already honed and optimized, so I use Esoteric N-05XD and Esoteric Sound Stream.

Which device with HQPlayer will be optimal for you, taking into account the principle of diminishing returns?
Take a closer look at Holo Audio, perhaps these audio devices will satisfy you.

The Cyan 2 seems like a sideways move. The May is way to expensive and it seems that everybody compares the Pontus 15th to a close May. But if Hifiman produces a good driver, I think I am more than satisfied, if the diminuished returns start at a Pontus/Spring 3 level. The first costs 800€ less than the second. I am truly wanting a endgame situation. If someone has a recomendation I would gladly look into it.

Since we have already deviated from the topic of Hifiman Serenade, it is better to ask these questions in the corresponding topic here.

Good luck!

Thank you very much.

 

[Ichos]

@jovas

For some strange reason I cannot connect through Tidal connect. The app recognizes the Goldenwave serenade but it doesn't play music.

 

[jovas]

@jovas

For some strange reason I cannot connect through Tidal connect. The app recognizes the Goldenwave serenade but it doesn't play music.

It is really a number of oddly bad implemented software related things that aren't coherent with the capabilities of the Serenade. Let's hope they get corrected. I managed to connect the Tidal Connect by logging out and in and disconnecting and connecting the machine. But only in High setting, no the Max.

 

[Ichos]

Meet the Junior. LE modules and slightly less power. $699 if I am not mistaken.