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Just for grins and learning. Try a Raspberry Pi4 (or 5) with Gentoo Player and Audirvana Studio Linux beta. Or run UPNP and MinimServer. On the Pi. Use your HDPlex PS set to 5V for the Pi. The above is a Pi4 with 4TB of local storage running MinimServer and UPnP.

Hey sir @Miska, thanks for the new version of HQPlayer Embedded. I wanted to ask the content of the following feature. What kind of correction is applied, what is the scope?

@Miska can you elaborate a little more on your latest addition?

Agree. This one surprised me. It's great!

All four of the Joni Atmos mixes are quite good. My fav though is the live album. Places you smack dab in the middle of the crowd. Atmos and well done live recordings are a match made in heaven.

Compared to their treble and bass, the StarkRimson monos don’t have the same low volume level resolution in the midrange, so some nuance is blurred, indistinct for softer midrange instruments in the background

Hi Miska, I've used the latest version of sacd_extract that I could fine (0.3.9.3-107). The issue is less pronounced on the DSF's I purchased. But it is still there. As I play mostly classical, solo instrumental music it is likely to be more obvious than if you play "louder" music, I think. I run HQPlayer desktop on a Ubuntu 22.04 PC. I drag the directories that I want to play via the Nautilus file manager on the HQPlayer. This then displays the files the I want to play. Is this wrong?

Under Windows : With hqp5-control.exe (delivered with HQPlayer5Desktop-setup-561.exe): When used from the cmd console (... or a .bat), the response to C:\b>hqp5-control.exe --discover is: stdout is empty stderr is : [::ffff:192.168.1.51] 'HQPlayerEmbedded' - Signalyst HQPlayer Embedded 5 When used from a program (tested with c# via "new Process" and electron via "spawn"), the response to "C:\b>hqp5-control.exe —discover” is always empty and no error is reported: stdout is empty stderr is empty When used from a program (tested with c# via "new Process" and electron via "spawn"), the response to "C:\b>hqp5-control.exe -causing-error-discover” the response report an error: stdout is empty stderr is: "error: Host not found" So, under Windows, why are stdout and stderr always empty when, a program creates a sub-process that executes "C:\b>hqp5-control.exe --discover"? Have I missed something or is there something to look for in the hqp5-control .exe? PS: Under OSX and under Linux there is no problem, but to be noted that the response is always present in stderr never in stdout. Thanks for helping!

I was wondering if matching a dartzeel nhb-18ns which according to reviews has a single ended circuitry, to my dan d'agostino momentum m400 mxv which should have all balanced circuitry. I also have a doubt about matching impedance with these two. Thanks

Thanks 👍

Please uncheck the "Verbose metadata" in Client control panel!

… sMS-2000 will be launched at High End Munich 2024

@Miska hi Jussi, it seems that since last (at least) HQPlayer Client (iOS) update filter and modulator are not shown any more … or is it a HQPlayer Embedded thing (5.5.3 both amd and Intel versions)?

Really will be interesting….

Lots of choices! I got an authorization to exchange the R26 from the seller. I'll try that first. I just can't believe my unit is functioning properly given that it's so highly regarded and sounds so lackluster in my system, which is very revealing of the highs. I want to end up with one DAC (due to finances) and preferably not much required in the way of extra components (DDC) and premium cables. (I have a really good digital coax cable and a good USB cable; perhaps I could use the U18 with no further cable purchases.) By the way, one thing that greatly reduced the harshness in the x20pro was putting it on vibration isolation. It smoothed out the treble, but didn't change the basic tonal balance, so more improvement is possible. It already has an audiophile fuse in it.. the technician who did the mod put that in. I could potentially return the PS Audio with a 10% restocking fee (I picked it up on clearance from The Music Room for $1600) but I've decided I'll just keep it as long as I need to decide, and I can probably sell it for roughly the same as what I paid for it if I decide against it. So I'll focus on the Gustard choices. The PS Audio is the most enjoyable DAC I have ever heard. I've never listened for as long or as much as when I have it set up. But it lacks power in bass instruments in classical recordings, at least when the bass instruments are playing mezzo-piano and/or the midrange instruments cover them up. I think I'll focus on continuing the burn-in until I get the R26 exchanged. Maybe the bass will grow stronger. To add to the number of choices I have here, there is a mod that a lot of people do to the PS Audio that is supposed to improve the bass. The parts only cost about $200, and my technician friend is willing to trade me the work on the mod for giving him an old component I don't need. The mod is well-known and increases the resale value. And I haven't mentioned that my modded x20pro DAC has a problem with headphones, which is that it stimulates some kind of ear resonance. The PS Audio doesn't do that. Mystery, ugh. The problem was always there but the resonance got much stronger when I switched to the N100. Huh? I can't figure that out. I hear you when you say you focus on the source more than the DAC. I'm listening. If I like the exchanged R26 I'll try a clock and the U18. AANNDDD... I'll take my time. No rush. Burn stuff in fully. I can always audition something for more than 30 days and sell it on Audiogon... a small loss but worth it to take my time.

This is not a criticism of RME (I love my RME ADI-2 FS), but has Matthias found a way to reconcile the existence of these products with his repeated remarks over several years that external power supplies and the like do not offer any appreciable difference in sound quality? It is Matthias I believe who has used the term 'audiofools' to describe people who buy these products...of course, that was before the products were sold and marketed by RME. I have no intention of selling my ADI DAC, so I'm keen to learn more :)

The reason I asked was because a lot of folks have said great things about using a DDC like the Gustard U18 with their Gustard DACs. These DACs lack isolation at the input so a low noise source is a must. The N100 certainly counts as a low noise source but you might still benefit from a U18. I suspect it might even eliminate that harshness. If black works for you, this is a heck of a good price. Free returns so you would have a month to audition it. A Synergistic Research Purple fuse, once burned in, improved the treble quite a bit with my X26pro. The upper frequencies coming from this DAC are maybe its greatest strength. This is a very well regarded DAC. I’ve not heard one though. As you can probably tell, I think the source is far more important than the DAC. That’s why I suggest giving a DDC a try before giving up on the R26.

Not yet. I may just try that though. @BCRichand I were just chatting about this.

I just recently acquired an Aurender N100, replacing a Windows 10 NUC. It was such an improvement! Night and day. But it changed the tonal balance of the DAC (at that time, my modified Gustard x20pro) and there was some harshness in classical recordings of strings in the upper register. With the PS Audio DirectStream Mk 1, there is no harshness in the treble (also fed by the Aurender). Also, given that the Gustard R26 is so dark, there is no harshness in the treble (but also no life in the treble).

@jelt2359Amazing that it sounds great even without the "special" USB driver's from Taiko. That would be less "spaghetti" as well😅

Have You tried on ATX connector to use cooper wire for ground and silver one for positive pole? R

What is the source feeding your DAC?

For those who don’t know, Chord Dave can do DSD512 and DSD256, with its asio windows driver. The Chord Dave is the only “non-decimating” Chord DSD dac, and going DSD direct at DSD512 and DSD256 allows you to skip WTA 1 and 2. It is actually quite an ideal DSD Dac as long as you feed it upsampled DSD. Actually “decimating” is not necessarily bad. For example, PGGB DSD’s “always 44.1k” option decimates 48k files but in my estimation sounds good enough that I’m choosing it for all my files.

AfterDark PROJECT CLAYX GIESEMANN OCXO 10MHz Emperor Double Crown REFERENCE Master Clock In as new condition with box and all accessories including a basic 75ohm clock cable. Purchased new in Dec 2023. Selling to upgrade my turntable. 75 Ohm Sinewave. Extremly low phase noise. My unit tested at 1hz -117 10hz -144 so slightly better than manufacturer specs. (see pics for test report) Requires a seperate 12v power supply (not included) specs are The external DC specification is 12V 2.5A. The external DC plug standard is 2.1mm / 5.5mm. Highly recommend a Linear PSU as these high precision clocks require high quality powersupplies to perform at there best. Afterdark recommend (and sell) the Farad Super 3 LPSU which is what i purchased and used with this unit. This will be for sale seperately. Features The product uses the selected audio grade OCXO, and through long-term calibration to select and install equipment with excellent stability. OCXO that employs with qualitative measure equipment. OCXO is enclosed and covered with Dynamat Extreme Corporation (Made in USA) which is used to stabilize and minimize heat separation, addition EMI material from KEMET EMI Shielding is placed on top of OCXO, the outer layer is covered with real leather to isolate the heat factors for maximizing OCXO performance . Black Alu material + Carbon Fiber material front and backplate, solid anti-vibration. In addition, due to the thickness used, 3mm / 6mm Carbon Fiber material material with plate can provide solid EMI/ magnetic coverage. Advanced instrument Symmetricom 5125A calibrated with plotted characteristics. The phase noise, and Allen Derivation defines different grades of the OCXO. Audio Note Silver Solder Duelund AC0.4 Silver Premium Audio Cable (Silver in Cotton / Oil impregnated) (Handmade in Denmark) (Internel DC cable only) Hand made in Hong Kong Asking Price: 2300 USD including shipping and paypal fee. Will ship worldwide.

My song of the day, available in 24/192 on Qobuz.