Roon and HQ Player

[microstrip]

NAA = HQPlayer Network Audio Adapter. A way to remove the complex data processing and HQPlayer user interface from the computer connected to the DAC, and instead have it done on a separate computer, somewhere else on the network. That remote computer streams the already processed data to the NAA computer. NAA process receives it and forwards it to the DAC, unmodified. The NAA computer can be very tiny, since it's not doing much processing. Something like Raspberry PI, f.i.

So the NAA is just a kind of network "buffer"? How can we be sure that the NAA does not degrade sound quality?

 

[pkane]

So the NAA is just a kind of network "buffer"?

Yes, and a way to stream high quality audio content to possibly multiple systems from a single PC. If each of your systems has an NAA attached to it, you can have a laptop or a desktop computer stream audio to any one of them.

How can we be sure that the NAA does not degrade sound quality?

Only by testing it

But there are reasons to believe that it might help improve SQ:

1. It's removing heavy processing from the computer that's physically connected to the DAC. This can help feed less electrical noise from the PC into the DAC, allow you to use a fanless PC that doesn't make noise or generate much heat or draw much power.
2. Heavy and varying CPU load on the computer feeding the DAC can result in additional jitter during playback. Since NAA doesn't do any heavy processing, this reduces the chance that CPU load can have a negative effect on timing
3. If you use a tiny PC, you can feed it power from a quality linear power supply that doesn't have to be beefy. This helps reduce potential electrical noise.
4. You can run NAA on Linux, in addition to Windows and MacOS. This makes it easier (and cheaper) to optimize it for quality sound playback

There are probably others. It may be worth your time to ask Jussi, HQPlayer author for additional details.

 

[nc42acc]

I use a wireless system in my house that connects my main system to the cable modem at the back of the house. Will the NAA device work with a wireless network?

NAA = HQPlayer Network Audio Adapter. A way to remove the complex data processing and HQPlayer user interface from the computer connected to the DAC, and instead have it done on a separate computer, somewhere else on the network. That remote computer streams the already processed data to the NAA computer. NAA process receives it and forwards it to the DAC, unmodified. The NAA computer can be very tiny, since it's not doing much processing. Something like Raspberry PI, f.i.

 

[nc42acc]

I should rename this thread "Roon and HQ Player for an Audio Dummy"

 

[Dr Tone]

So the NAA is just a kind of network "buffer"? How can we be sure that the NAA does not degrade sound quality?

It's a network hardware device, in most cases meant to be plugged directly into your DAC. The microRendu, SOTM sMS-200, and many others can be HQPlayer NAA endpoints. It can also be a windows computer if you need windows DAC drivers to get the full potential of your DAC.

 

[pkane]

I use a wireless system in my house that connects my main system to the cable modem at the back of the house. Will the NAA device work with a wireless network?

Yes, with one caveat: your wireless network must be fast enough and low-latency enough for streaming audio in your desired format. DSD512 would require significantly greater bandwidth and lower latency than, say 44KHz/16bit PCM stream.

Also, don't be surprised if you encounter playback problems while the kids are watching Netflix over the same Wi-Fi

 

[nc42acc]

So would there be any benefit of having the main PC in the room with my system and still use a NAA so I can have it all on a wired network? Hope this makes sense.

 

[hifial]

So would there be any benefit of having the main PC in the room with my system and still use a NAA so I can have it all on a wired network? Hope this makes sense.

Yes, it makes sense if it is not practical to have the cable from the main PC in another room run to the NAA in the audio room.

I highly recommend that anyone doing DSD512 do not do wireless at this time but use a wired connection and I would add DSD256 to that in most cases, when using a NAA.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Exactly ... Are there any PCI or similar cards in the market that can implement such dual AES output?

There's the weiss int202 which can do that aswell. It has a firewire interface though.

 

[microstrip]

There's the weiss int202 which can do that aswell. It has a firewire interface though.

Thanks. The Elgar DAC also has firewire inputs - is it possible to use them to connect it to a computer or server?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Thanks. The Elgar DAC also has firewire inputs - is it possible to use them to connect it to a computer or server?

Is that an Elgar Plus then? Many many years ago I owned an Elgar/Purcell but that didnt have firewire. Anyway the int202 uses the firewire interface to connect to a computer, they were usually used with apple gear which used to sport firewire as a standard. It has dual aes/ebu out to drive an Elgar up to 192KHz.

 

[microstrip]

Is that an Elgar Plus then? Many many years ago I owned an Elgar/Purcell but that didnt have firewire. Anyway the int202 uses the firewire interface to connect to a computer, they were usually used with apple gear which used to sport firewire as a standard. It has dual aes/ebu out to drive an Elgar up to 192KHz.

Yes, it is an Elgar Plus. Do you think it is possible to use the firewire interface with non DCS equipment?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Yes, it is an Elgar Plus. Do you think it is possible to use the firewire interface with non DCS equipment?

Yes it was not designed to be used with DCS at all.

 

[microstrip]

Yes it was not designed to be used with DCS at all.

Sorry, let me reformulate:

Yes, it is an Elgar Plus. Do you think it is possible to use the Elgar Plus firewire interface with non DCS equipment?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Sorry, let me reformulate:

Yes, it is an Elgar Plus. Do you think it is possible to use the Elgar Plus firewire interface with non DCS equipment?

Ah, I very much doubt that but I have zero experience with the Plus / DCS firewire interface.

 

[BMCG]

Sorry, let me reformulate:

Yes, it is an Elgar Plus. Do you think it is possible to use the Elgar Plus firewire interface with non DCS equipment?

The FireWire interface oN the Elgar plus was for internal DSD carriage between dCS units only .... e.g: TRANSPORT to upsampler to DAC

DSD over PCM and piped through AES or SPDIF was held by dCS to be superior rendering the Scarlatti's FireWire interface obsolete at the final firmware update for the Scarlatti series....

 

[astrotoy]

Larry what OS,how much ram and size of hard drive. Didi you use a SSHD

Hi Steve, I didn't check this thread for a couple of days and your question got buried. My new computer (received it last week) uses Windows 10 Pro,

CPU i7-6950X

RAM Savage Memory Black - 32GB Kit*(4x8GB) - DDR4 2400MHz Intel XMP CL12 DIMM

Disk SSD 960 PRO NVMe M.2 MZ-V6P1T0BW

I believe this is a very powerful computer. Design was discussed extensively with Jussi and my builder. Remember I am using it to upsample from DSD64 to DSD256 with 6 channels simultaneously. I've been upsampling my many mch files for the past several days - Roon to HQP to my NADAC mch. Great enjoyment! The latest version of HQP 3.16 works great.

PS. I am not a computer expert (last time I did serious computer work was programming in FORTRAN IV with punch cards! on a CDC 6600, before many of you (not Steve) were born.) So all this PC stuff I leave to the experts.

Larry

 

[bibo01]

Hi Steve, I didn't check this thread for a couple of days and your question got buried. My new computer (received it last week) uses Windows 10 Pro,

CPU i7-6950X

RAM Savage Memory Black - 32GB Kit*(4x8GB) - DDR4 2400MHz Intel XMP CL12 DIMM

Disk SSD 960 PRO NVMe M.2 MZ-V6P1T0BW

I believe this is a very powerful computer. Design was discussed extensively with Jussi and my builder. Remember I am using it to upsample from DSD64 to DSD256 with 6 channels simultaneously. I've been upsampling my many mch files for the past several days - Roon to HQP to my NADAC mch. Great enjoyment! The latest version of HQP 3.16 works great.

PS. I am not a computer expert (last time I did serious computer work was programming in FORTRAN IV with punch cards! on a CDC 6600, before many of you (not Steve) were born.) So all this PC stuff I leave to the experts.

Larry

Do you which motherboard was used? Which PSU?

 

[astrotoy]

Do you which motherboard was used? Which PSU?

Here are the details:

CPU i7-6950X
MB GA-X99M-Gaming 5 (rev. 1.1)
RAM Savage Memory Black - 32GB Kit*(4x8GB) - DDR4 2400MHz Intel XMP CL12 DIMM
Video ROG STRIX-GTX1080-A8G-GAMING
PSU Seasonic SSR-850TD PRIME 850 W Titanium
Disk SSD 960 PRO NVMe M.2 MZ-V6P1T0BW
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Cooler Noctua NH D15
Fans Phanteks 140mm Cooling Fan (PH-F140SP_BK)

My builder chose all the components in consultation with Jussi - I just told him what I wanted to be able to do.

It's been working great so far. The fan hasn't kicked on once that I know of. I've been mostly operating it headless with my ipad and the Roon app. I have about 50TB of files - over 15,000 albums, mostly my own 192/24 rips of 10,000+ vinyl albums and tapes that I did over close to six years. I have about 800 mch albums (including the entire Channel Classics catalogue that I bought from Native DSD).

Never have used Roon before. Even though my collection is almost all classical, Roon is working quite well for me - particularly with the mch files which it has quite well identified. I have edited some of the titles so they are more uniformly by composer's last name. Roon cannot recognize my vinyl and tape rips, although it does recognize the scans I did for album covers, backs and inserts.

Larry

 

[sbo6]

Here are the details:

CPU i7-6950X
MB GA-X99M-Gaming 5 (rev. 1.1)
RAM Savage Memory Black - 32GB Kit*(4x8GB) - DDR4 2400MHz Intel XMP CL12 DIMM
Video ROG STRIX-GTX1080-A8G-GAMING
PSU Seasonic SSR-850TD PRIME 850 W Titanium
Disk SSD 960 PRO NVMe M.2 MZ-V6P1T0BW
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Cooler Noctua NH D15
Fans Phanteks 140mm Cooling Fan (PH-F140SP_BK)

My builder chose all the components in consultation with Jussi - I just told him what I wanted to be able to do.

It's been working great so far. The fan hasn't kicked on once that I know of. I've been mostly operating it headless with my ipad and the Roon app. I have about 50TB of files - over 15,000 albums, mostly my own 192/24 rips of 10,000+ vinyl albums and tapes that I did over close to six years. I have about 800 mch albums (including the entire Channel Classics catalogue that I bought from Native DSD).

Never have used Roon before. Even though my collection is almost all classical, Roon is working quite well for me - particularly with the mch files which it has quite well identified. I have edited some of the titles so they are more uniformly by composer's last name. Roon cannot recognize my vinyl and tape rips, although it does recognize the scans I did for album covers, backs and inserts.

Larry

That's quite a beefy machine, more of a Workstation. It would be interesting to hear a comparison of your new machine and if you ever decided to go with a Linear PSU and passive cooling how much of a benefit it would make. In my experience the change to a LPSU alone was quite significant.