Streaming the same files over the network to my 50TB Unraid server didn’t sound as good (sharper). I also copied all my FLAC files to this PC. This is not optimal from a noise perspective, but it’ll ensure no bottlenecks. I also used the Roon phone app as a remote. Since those interested in HQPlayer will probably have their own music server, I installed Roon Remote, Core, and HQPlayer on one of the fastest PCs on this planet. HQPlayer’s trial allows you to use the software for 30 minutes at a time for 30 days. I’ll be testing HQPlayer 4.10.3 and Roon Core/Remote 1.8 Build 764 (64 bit). So is HQPlayer too good to be true? Let’s find out. I’ve tried Roon’s upsampling feature and it wasn’t great (sounds better without it). If I could save a ton of money and have one less box, power supply, and cable to worry about…why the hell not. I’m setting up a new listening room so I figured this was worth looking into. It is a tiny piece of HQPlayer capability.I received many emails requesting a review of HQPlayer: A $260 piece of software that is potentially better than the $5,000 Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler. If someone is just going to measure HQPlayer to compare with M-Scaler, with a great measuring DAC, it would cause a yawn. I think some people need some greater understanding that HQPlayer is not just a cheaper software M-Scaler thing. Inside the listening room is just a HQPlayer endpoint running on fanless and headless on RPi4. HQPlayer runs headless on Ubuntu Server on the other side of the house. I can even change room correciton profiles (different bass profiles) while the music is playing, using an iPad from my couch. In my case with HQP I do it all through one DSP engine that I can control from an iPad and at the same time, the digital filtering is highest quality.

I could do what HQP does with software on PC/Mac/Linux too but it is way more clunky and needs keyboard/monitor/mouse interaction. I think everyone here only think HQPlayer is only for upsampling?įor me it is my DSP engine for 3-way DSP crossover speakers plus 2 subs with digital room correction (65k tap FIR filter created with Audiolense XO) and headphones EQ/correctionĪnd I can feed ( bit perfectly) Amazon Music UHD and Apple Hi-Res or any source through HQPlayer's DSP engine to do all the above.

Hqplayer desktop