HQPlayer Impressions and Settings Rolling Thread

[MLGrado]

My dsc2 would not take pcm so that’s out of the question haha

well yeah of course lol

I am talking about HQPlayer

 

[GoldenSound]

Oh seriously? i wouldnt say i have seen a correlation between my tinnitus and what im listening to, unless its high volume ( IME 90dB+ will trigger tinnitus fairly quickly, tho i usually can listen to 70-80dB for hours with no real problem afterwards )

Tho, after watching @GoldenSound Dac comparison which was released 1 or 2 days ago i was yesterday curious if i could still hear 20khz on higher volumes.... "there was something" .... and afterwards i got a strange feeling in my ears with tinnitus.... i probably shouldnt have listen to 20khz sinetone at around 80dB.... (it was just for like max 30 seconds with testing different frequencys) but the feeling and tinnitus stayed for half an hour or so

i also played around with the 20khz filter, but i just got the expression that high frequemcy "crap" gets cut out, which was still audible to some degree, it seems to let you focus more on the "real" lower audible band
Tho this 'crap' can be part of the (intended) recording, specially if we talk overtones and all that, thats why i settled with my own filter doing only a few db at 18-22khz, which still lets you focus more on the audible band without cutting "details or this airy feeling" completely

I want to listen to them before doing any measurements. I prefer to listen first so the data doesn't influence my perception.

Unfortunately it seems the corrections don't work at 4x rates though and I'm temporarily using SPDIF currently so will need to wait a while before I can try them

 

[MLGrado]

My dsc2 would not take pcm so that’s out of the question haha

although I have seen versions with PCM to DSD SRC after the USB input so external software is not needed.

I thought about a version with that feature, but I don't think it allows for DSD bypass, which is a compromise IMO.

 

[dericchan1]

although I have seen versions with PCM to DSD SRC after the USB input so external software is not needed.

I thought about a version with that feature, but I don't think it allows for DSD bypass, which is a compromise IMO.

Yes from Pavel's page, there is one for the BeagleBone and one for Amanero, but note Pavel's comment below bolded in red.

DSD'it - DSD SRC for BeagleBone

AK4137 allows you to convert to DSD256 without significant loss in quality.
This cape cannot claim to be HQPlayer's conversion quality, but it can compete with Roon software conversion.

 

[Ghoostknight]

Yes from Pavel's page, there is one for the BeagleBone and one for Amanero, but note Pavel's comment below bolded in red.

DSD'it - DSD SRC for BeagleBone

AK4137 allows you to convert to DSD256 without significant loss in quality.
This cape cannot claim to be HQPlayer's conversion quality, but it can compete with Roon software conversion.

this thing is actually the reason why i wanted to start DIY my own dac...

Tho... listening to the BLA 2x2 Interface which is PCM only (and uses a older CS chip) and comparing to my previous aune x8 with DSD upsampling setup, i have to admit, the BLA beats the aune with DSD in transient response and overall smoothness and more precise high frequencys, very high frequencys, probably like 10-20khz pretty much always sound like crap on ESS dacs in hindsight, the BLA was the first dac after 3 ESS dacs that really changed this

just to give a comparison here, i always had to tame high frequencys on ESS dacs extensively, with the BLA highs actually sound that precise/pleasent that i was able to adjust my house curve.... around 2-3db more output at highs and the same "pleasent" feeling (and of course better details) as with the tamed aune, tho i would describe this in hindsight as if the high frequencys on ESS dac sound more "jittery" or something... its hard to describe

Now just speaking about ESS dacs .... DSD is over PCM still an improvement, but the BLA just mixed my conclusion about DSD previously completely up again, i guess this is also the case with (PCM only) NOS dacs

 

[MLGrado]

Yes from Pavel's page, there is one for the BeagleBone and one for Amanero, but note Pavel's comment below bolded in red.

DSD'it - DSD SRC for BeagleBone

AK4137 allows you to convert to DSD256 without significant loss in quality.
This cape cannot claim to be HQPlayer's conversion quality, but it can compete with Roon software conversion.

Roon conversion quality isn't all that bad, so this could be a nice solution for a lot of people. But it just isn't in the same league as HQPlayer.

 

[Ghoostknight]

Roon conversion quality isn't all that bad, so this could be a nice solution for a lot of people. But it just isn't in the same league as HQPlayer.

nope you are right, it isnt as good as hqplayer as i read comments about it, but it allows for upsampling everything in hardware, which is the big plus here.... just stick the usb cable in and it works

 

[dericchan1]

Roon conversion quality isn't all that bad, so this could be a nice solution for a lot of people. But it just isn't in the same league as HQPlayer.

Or just “DSD’it”!!! and take roon out of the equation

 

[MLGrado]

Or just “DSD’it”!!! and take roon out of the equation

indeed. I was just assuming the statement that the AK4137 conversion quality was similar to Roon is correct.

Who knows... listening is king, and I have never heard one.

Someday in the future, I might build my own DSC1 based DAC with AK4137 and instead of a transformer output, I may go with a more fleshed out tube output.

At the very least time consuming, probably expensive, but maybe worth it in the end? The experience gained is always worth it for an amateur like me.

 

[dericchan1]

indeed. I was just assuming the statement that the AK4137 conversion quality was similar to Roon is correct.

Who knows... listening is king, and I have never heard one.

Someday in the future, I might build my own DSC1 based DAC with AK4137 and instead of a transformer output, I may go with a more fleshed out tube output.

At the very least time consuming, probably expensive, but maybe worth it in the end? The experience gained is always worth it for an amateur like me.

Or swapping out the transformer output and use some suitable neutral sounding opamps instead? then add a DHT low gain preamp?

 

[MLGrado]

Or swapping out the transformer output and use some suitable neutral sounding opamps instead? then add a DHT low gain preamp?

yes

that's very possible and not a too difficult modification.

Not to go too far off subject, but I believe that the PSAudio DirectStream, which is a similar DAC, albeit with a much more complex input FPGA and PCM digital filtering, in the end is a 1-bit thermometer coded converter that also uses output transformers.

The DSC2 with HQPlayer is just as good or better than that.. and if you can build one or find one pre-built will save many thousands upon thousands of dollars.

I say this as I have a first gen Directstream on the way now for a review comparison.

 

[dericchan1]

yes

that's very possible and not a too difficult modification.

Not to go too far off subject, but I believe that the PSAudio DirectStream, which is a similar DAC, albeit with a much more complex input FPGA and PCM digital filtering, in the end is a 1-bit thermometer coded converter that also uses output transformers.

The DSC2 with HQPlayer is just as good or better than that.. and if you can build one or find one pre-built will save many thousands upon thousands of dollars.

I say this as I have a first gen Directstream on the way now for a review comparison.

I know nothing about ps audio dacs, is the direct stream actually dsd direct?

 

[Failed Engineer]

If anyone has a lead on a DSC2 DAC, please PM me. I'm very interested in acquiring one but have never seen one actually for sale. I'm not a DIYer so that's not an option.

 

[sendler2112]

HQPlayer is a very dangerous program for someone like me to get started with. I just sat and listened to the same 30 seconds of the same three songs for an hour and a half. Back and forth between LAN PCM and LAN DSD and USB PCM into a Gustard A26. And I haven't even started to experiment with any of the upsampler/ filter settings and have just been using the defaults as they come loaded . P-S-G long/ P-S-G-Hires-LP/ TPDF. Other than sample rate. I have to take it back that I said I thought USB sounded better than the LAN. I find the LAN is a bit better even with just cheap Cat6 cables linking the DAC and the laptop through a cheap TP-Link router. Contrary to theory, I find LAN PCM 384 sounds better than DSD 256 with the Gustard A26. And PCM 768 sounds better yet. Blacker, with more empty space between the central images and slightly deeper with better trailing edge decay. Some people who listen to nightclub small combo jazz singer stuff might prefer the DSD which has a smoother, warmer, but less detailed sound. More analog? DSD 512 gains back some of the advantage of fine detail from the PCM 768 but it had my cooling fan screaming for mercy using 25% of the processor. DSD256 only uses 13% and PCM 768 is 4%. And DSD 512 still didn't quite catch the transparency of PCM 768 which is apparently a breeze to process.

 

[EMINENT]

HQPlayer is a very dangerous program for someone like me to get started with. I just sat and listened to the same 30 seconds of the same three songs for an hour and a half. Back and forth between LAN PCM and LAN DSD and USB PCM into a Gustard A26. And I haven't even started to experiment with any of the upsampler/ filter settings and have just been using the defaults as they come loaded . P-S-G long/ P-S-G-Hires-LP/ TPDF. Other than sample rate. I have to take it back that I said I thought USB sounded better than the LAN. I find the LAN is a bit better even with just cheap Cat6 cables linking the DAC and the laptop through a cheap TP-Link router. Contrary to theory, I find LAN PCM 384 sounds better than DSD 256 with the Gustard A26. And PCM 768 sounds better yet. Blacker, with more empty space between the central images and slightly deeper with better trailing edge decay. Some people who listen to nightclub small combo jazz singer stuff might prefer the DSD which has a smoother, warmer, but less detailed sound. More analog? DSD 512 gains back some of the advantage of fine detail from the PCM 768 but it had my cooling fan screaming for mercy using 25% of the processor. DSD256 only uses 13% and PCM 768 is 4%. And DSD 512 still didn't quite catch the transparency of PCM 768 which is apparently a breeze to process.

Congrats.
Now do it again with the rest of the dithers and modulators.
Then repeat with each and every filter.
Then report.