HQPlayer

[Confused]

I am planning to do the 30 day trial (Windows) of HQPlayer.  This will be PC, Ethernet, microRendu, Mutec, Devialet.  However, DSD256 is currently not possible via the mR due to the lack of a Linux patch for the Mutec.  Sonore are currently sorting this out.  Once the Linux issue is fixed I'll try HQPlayer and report back.  I could run DoP128 now, but there have been a number of favourable reports regarding HQPlayer upsampling to DSD256, so I might as well wait until I can try this via the Mutec.

Hi Confused,

In this configuration, you would rely on the Mutec to make the DSD -> PCM conversion wouldn't you ? Do you expect better results with this setup than converting to PCM in HQPlayer and feed PCM through the Mutec to the Devialet ?

Yes, the Mutec would convert DSD to PCM, the Mutec reclocks, then sends reclocked PCM to the Devialet.  From what I have read, the Mutec does a very good job of the DSD to PCM conversion.  As to what I expect, to be honest my expectations are quite low!  In fact, I suspect that I may well end up preferring the sending of good old 'bit perfect' 16/44.1 to the Devialet.  However, you never know unless you try!  So I will be trying HQPlayer DSD64, mR, USB to the Devialet, but I doubt this will provide an optimum solution simply because I think the USB implementation in the Devialet is inferior to AES/EBU.   At least my expectation bias will be firmly in check when I try all this!