Depending on how you configured HQPlayer that makes sense. There’s a lot of "knobs and dials’ you can twist to get to a sound that you personally are striving to hear in your system. Taking it away is like removing an equalizer in some cases.
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Ted
Thank you for taking the time to explain
Hello, I lost access temporarily to the PC I was using for HQ Player as its original owner returned for the holidays. So, I have not yet been able to test HQ with the MKII. But my first plan would be to use DirectSDM so DSD sources should just pass through. And I do not normally use DoP (so, SDM Pack = None). But I was thinking of using DoP as I think Ted commented in the beta forum that the MKII would convert Native to DoP itself anyway.
Note: I do not use Roon. But I did see some Roon forum posts with settings that may be relevant for you by googling: Roon HQ Player Zen Stream.
PS: Reads like Mode 1 AIO on the Zen Stream should work. But did you try the Mode 4 for NAA?
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Hey! Sorry for the late reply on forums. I got caught up in the whole southwest debacle… SUPER FUN
2.3.3 and 2.3.5 are exactly the same. With one thing we had to add for engineering for testing. Barry explains it like this: “We are now on 2.3.5. This was needed to support the networking module on newer production boards.”
The update is not necessary for the DAC’s with 2.3.3 in the field. There’s zero difference to the code other than the engineering update to the network module for in house testing.
2.3.3 is 2.3.5!
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For the iFi Zen Stream we are on mode 1 AIO on the rear of the unit with all the modes turned on in the apps software.
Will newer versions be equally compatible with beta units.
The MKII sounds amazing playing PCM on our system, we really don’t own many (any) DSD music.
We’ve downloaded some free stuff just to hear the difference… David Elias from Oppo etc.
Thank you,
Steve
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@aaronm @barrys - This has been nagging at me a bit. Are the beta’s different enough that we are going to have compatibility issues with both UI and FPGA updates in the future?
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I am glad you made it through that debacle. What a sh!% show. If you were traveling with kids…that must have been a nightmare,
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Does your HQPlayer work when you play music as PCM? Or you cannot play music at all via HQPlayer?
I don’t use iFi Zen Music Streamer, so I am not sure how the settings should be cofigured; I am curious what the issue could be…
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On the Zen Stream #1 AIO (all in one) works with everything the other individual settings for Roon, NAA, Tidal and UPNP are supposed to slightly “less noisy” but in certain situations don’t always work for some reason. The safest bet is to stay on AIO until you are completely comfortable with the unit. Also there is a 240 page thread on Head-Fi frequented by numerous power users and iFi employees.
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We love what HQPlayer does with PCM.
When we play DSD we bypass HQP and go directly to the iFi Zen Stream.
We prefer listening with the HQP in the chain.
Thank you,
Steve
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Thank you
If you are inclined to listen to more meditative music as the day draws to an end, this particular peice really shows off what the MKII is capable of at lower volumes.
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Hardware wise, they are exactly the same. There were a few things with a couple of beta units that had to be changed. Other than that, the beta and the lauch DSD’s are the same. There will be no compatibility issues with them in the future.
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Having a 15 month old in a rental car for 12 hours straight two days in a row was… Just so much fun!
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I answered this one just a sec ago. Nope! There will be no compatibility issues. Betas are production units, production units are betas. There was a small hardware fix on some of the first off the line that we needed to do in the factory. Those should have all been taken care of now!
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So it is not that the networking module is different, but how it works with production vs. beta boards?
They are the same networking module on both. The .5 revision was just an internal testing code update. It is not needed unless the unit has to be on our test bench.
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By Jove, I think I’ve got it!
Yep DSD sounds great!
Thanks for everyones help!
Steve
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