HQPlayer Impressions and Settings Rolling Thread

[dericchan1]

The question of volume control inside the DAC has come up in the Gustard X30 thread. Many people connect their DACs directly to their power amps in a speaker set up to eliminate a preamp. The X30 designers chose to (waste money) implement a switched passive resistive with no (to save money) buffer. So the output impedance presumably is much higher as soon as you engage the volume control at useful levels of -20db ,40db, whatever gets the signal down to a normal listening level with the gain in the amps. which explains why the reviewers recommend not using the internal volume control in this DAC since it doesn't sound as good.

This prompted me to listen to the internal volume control in my X26III, which is digital, versus the volume control in HQ Player desktop, versus sending -3db of HQ Player through the fixed volume setting in the DAC to the excellent sounding dual mono/ dual balanced Muses volume control in my loaded Burson Soloist GT3 headphone amp. I had to set the amp gain to high and max volume to try -37db in the DAC and -39db in HQ Player with a setting of 30 or so in the amp with the HQP and DAC at normal fixed use. Roughly level matched by ear.

The volume control in HQ Player sounds excellent even at this amount of attenuation. Much better than the digital control inside the X26III. Which will be way better than the passive volume control in the X30. The sound with HQ Player at -39db is so good that the differences from the amp come down to plusses and minuses. The full scale signal with the amp controlling the volume has slightly more fine detail in the trailing edges and better depth, but the -39db in HQ Player has fuller images and is "easier". if not quite as see through detailed. The -37db in the DAC is slightly flatter and less detailed and hazier than the other two.

It is quite possible that eliminating any preamp and controlling the listening level with HQ Player will sound better. And be definitely better than the passive resistive control in the X30.

Well, the digital volume of hqplayer is amongst industry best. Which is why the jplay iOS integration is so appealing. You now can skip the preamp altogether and your iPhone volume buttons can control hqplayer digital volume directly.

Or as Miska was referring to “hybrid volume control” - try setting your preamp fixed at certain level, that would enable your regular listening level while hqplayer digital volume to more or less -10db optimal level. Then you would simply use hqp volume control for minor adjustments a few db + or - of -10db

 

[sendler2112]

Well, the digital volume of hqplayer is amongst industry best.

What is different with the attenuation in HQ Player versus the digital attenuation inside the Gustard X26III DAC? Does HQ Player reduce the level and then re-dither the bit depth back to the full setting? This test was done with the excellent sounding X26III receiving PCM WAV files up sampled to PCM 768/ 32. But this DAC also sounds even better receiving SDM 512 when I want to listen through the skips in processing power to hear what it can really do.

 

[catastrofe]

I currently have HQP volume fixed (Output Tab, min and max both set to 0db) and use the volume control of my DAC. I tried chaning HQP min to -60db while leaving max at 0db, but the volume slider in JPlay is grayed out. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[dericchan1]

I currently have HQP volume fixed (Output Tab, min and max both set to 0db) and use the volume control of my DAC. I tried chaning HQP min to -60db while leaving max at 0db, but the volume slider in JPlay is grayed out. Am I doing something wrong?

Yes because jplay in this case have access to hqplayer client volume but you have set both min and max to 0db that’s why jplay can not control volume

You should fix volume of your dac and allow volume control within hqplayer so jplay can control volume

 

[catastrofe]

Yes because jplay in this case have access to hqplayer client volume but you have set both min and max to 0db that’s why jplay can not control volume

You should fix volume of your dac and allow volume control within hqplayer so jplay can control volume

Doh!...I had Direct SDM enabled. I can control the volume within HQP, but in JPlay on my MacBook, the volume slider is grayed out. That slider does reflect whatever is shown in HQP, I just can't control it from my Mac.

 

[dericchan1]

Doh!...I had Direct SDM enabled. I can control the volume within HQP, but in JPlay on my MacBook, the volume slider is grayed out. That slider does reflect whatever is shown in HQP, I just can't control it from my Mac.

If you had direct sdm enabled volume control is disabled so you can’t use hqp or jplay for volume control

 

[catastrofe]

If you had direct sdm enabled volume control is disabled so you can’t use hqp or jplay for volume control

Yes, I removed the Direct SDM check.
I can use the volume wheel in HQP, but the volume slider in JPlay is still non-functional.

 

[dericchan1]

I use HQP Client for streaming Qobuz but I find it somewhat awkward to use with the local library. There seems to be no difference in sound quality. My only complaint about HQP Desktop is not being able to change the sorting of a directory, which makes sense for albums only. I did complain to Jussi about this.

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/63831-hqpwv-hqplayer-web-viewer/

For local contents only, this is amazing for sorting local library contents by artist, albums, genres, years, and into sub categories also…

 

[Sand Dan Glokta]

Hi guys! New to this thread.
Have some questions, sure allready answered, so sorry in advance.
Im about to buy a holo cyan2 for my cayin soul 170ha and my susvaras:
Does hqp work as standalone, or need roon?
And, pcm qobuz files can be converted to dsd in real time?
It is really a big steep from the pcm nos listening?

 

[dericchan1]

Hi guys! New to this thread.
Have some questions, sure allready answered, so sorry in advance.
Im about to buy a holo cyan2 for my cayin soul 170ha and my susvaras:
Does hqp work as standalone, or need roon?
And, pcm qobuz files can be converted to dsd in real time?
It is really a big steep from the pcm nos listening?

Hqplayer has a client playback app built in that can play local files and support qobuz streaming and upsampling pcm or converts pcm to dsd on the fly. so roon is not needed unless you do not like using the interface of hqplayer client.

Hqplayer offers free trial upto 30 minutes session then you have to restart the app again, I would suggest you give it a try for yourself

 

[Sand Dan Glokta]

Hqplayer has a client playback app built in that can play local files and support qobuz streaming and upsampling pcm or converts pcm to dsd on the fly. so roon is not needed unless you do not like using the interface of hqplayer client.

Hqplayer offers free trial upto 30 minutes session then you have to restart the app again, I would suggest you give it a try for yourself

Thx! Very helpful

 

[sendler2112]

This is what it looks like when you search the Qobuz section of HQ Player Client for a band name. It works perfectly and is in many ways easier to navigate than going to the actual Qobuz player app directly.

And then when you click on an album you get this player screen.

Some of the settings such as the filters (this is about 1/3 of the available choices), and the dither shaper (but not the bit depth ) are available to compare with just a click. on the Client player screen

PS. Unfamiliar with Dream Theater? Watch this amazing live performance from the 2006 "Score" DVD of a song they wrote in 1994 (they have been cutting edge good for a very long time.



And the play through video for their latest song



I have tickets for March.

 

[dsyzling]

Does anyone know if HQPlayer processing is disabled if the input and output sampling rates are the same? I'm wondering if I normally use 705.6/768, Sinc-L with LNS15 and I feed it a PGGB album or track (which has been processed to 705.6/768) will HQPlayer ignore processing and play the track as is? I'm thinking I might have to disable the dither and set upsampling to None.

 

[genefruit]

I'm thinking I might have to disable the dither and set upsampling to None.

That is my understanding. I don't disable the dithering but I do set the upsampling to None when doing the same.

 

[catastrofe]

Does anyone know if HQPlayer processing is disabled if the input and output sampling rates are the same? I'm wondering if I normally use 705.6/768, Sinc-L with LNS15 and I feed it a PGGB album or track (which has been processed to 705.6/768) will HQPlayer ignore processing and play the track as is? I'm thinking I might have to disable the dither and set upsampling to None.

These are my settings for non-processed playback: