Does anyone have experience with the HQ player software?
http://www.signalyst.com/consumer.htmlThe below comments from the PS Audio forum sparked my interest (comments from Ted B over at Computer Audiophile)
http://www.psaudio.com/forum/directstream-all-about-it/yale-beta-test/page-15/2) USB from JCAT card (HQplayer NAA pc running WS2012 and AO; being fed music from the HQplayer music pc running WS2012 and AO…and Synology NAS, all via fiber optic networking). The DS had no issues seeing the JCAT card (top port, powered).
2a – ASIO mode (PCM 352k upsampling only). The Windows driver allows HQPlayer to run ASIO for PCM, up to 352.8k so I upsampled everything PCM to that. The results were basically identical to native PCM through the Rendu, with maybe a smidgen less detail. (I don't find this PCM to be a step back from PP or 1.2.1 at all).
2b – DoP mode (DSD128). In this standard driver mode I found a real sense of what Yale can do when I upsampled everything (PCM and DSD) to DSD128 (specifically 5.64Mhz) within HQPlayer. It made my previous listening moot! The DS now enters the world of great DSD dacs, and the tonality, ease, sense of air and space, yet coupled with dynamics, solidity, PRAT, and weight….makes this setup my got-to for this new firmware'd Directstream. It's really not close, if you are paying attention. Redbook favorites like Gillian Welch's Harrow and the Harvest sounded newly discovered, with a weight to all the images in the soundstage, whether they be banjos or David Rawlings' great mix of guitar accompaniment. DSD64 material sounds smooth and effortless, but with plenty of dynamics and punch when needed (and it's been needed ).
An Audiophile Optimized Windows Server 2012 environment, with HQplayer playing into Directstream's newly acquired DSD128 strength…well, that is a combination that, on first impression, is almost magical in its musicality.