AK4499EQ - Best DAC ever

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Markw4

Member
Joined 2016
Terry,
I like the HQ Player 'ADSM-7 512+' modulator. That and the most demanding upsampling filter my most powerful PC will run. At DSD512 that would probably be the 'closed form' filter, but not the 20M version. For the longer 20M version DSD256 is the highest I can currently go (without dropouts occurring).

Also, there are some even more sophisticated filters in the latest version of HQ Player for which some have said no currently made PCs can run them higher than DSD256 (IIRC). They sound very good though from a brief bit of testing I did with a less demanding modulator than the one I usually prefer.
In addition, I can get some glimpses of better sounding filters than I can run reliably. What happens is that dropouts occur, but one can still get a sense of the audio quality that is possible with a sufficiently powerful PC.
 
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mountainman bob

mountainman bob

Member
Joined 2019
So does something like this have enough nut to get going in the right direction?

It has HQPlayer embedded......I’m assuming that’s probably a good thing?

sonicTransporter i5 – Small Green Computer

Edit......this isn’t just a frivolous impulse buy, I’m needing something to run full Roon and store music files also, so it would be a dedicated setup just for music.
 
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T

terry22

Member
Joined 2017
Markw4 said:
Terry,
I like the HQ Player 'ADSM-7 512+' modulator. That and the most demanding upsampling filter my most powerful PC will run. At DSD512 that would probably be the 'closed form' filter, but not the 20M version. For the longer 20M version DSD256 is the highest I can currently go (without dropouts occurring).

Also, there are some even more sophisticated filters in the latest version of HQ Player for which some have said no currently made PCs can run them higher than DSD256 (IIRC). They sound very good though from a brief bit of testing I did with a less demanding modulator than the one I usually prefer.
In addition, I can get some glimpses of better sounding filters than I can run reliably. What happens is that dropouts occur, but one can still get a sense of the audio quality that is possible with a sufficiently powerful PC.
Click to expand...

Thank you mark.
I play with the same settings.
 
M

Markw4

Member
Joined 2016
mountainman bob said:
So does something like this have enough nut to get going in the right direction?
Click to expand...

I looked at that once before at the request someone. My recommendation was that one could probably get more for the money doing something diy. I tend to see that box as something setup for the convenience, with part of cost of it being for the service of making it easy to use, rather than for all of the cost going to performance.

As far as Roon itself goes, I am not willing to pay the subscription fee. On the other hand, HQ Player is a product one can buy and keep.
 
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mountainman bob

mountainman bob

Member
Joined 2019
I must admit ease of use and convenience is key for me......when it comes to computers mixing into my music a couple years ago I’d of said ‘no way!’ but now my technotard self is found up to my posterior in it!
There’s no hope for me to figure out how to apply diy in this case so I am their target demo!
That said......is it probably the best route for me?

I know this is OT but kindly related if you squint real hard! I’ll shut up about it after this :p
 
M

Markw4

Member
Joined 2016
Bob, It will run Roon and do some DSP for you, maybe upsample to DSD256 using a moderate to sorta good quality algorithm (rough estimate). You should be able to control it via your iPad.

Probably runs the install version of Roon called Rock, if you look at the bottom of the page at: Roon Labs: Download ....or something more or less on that level.
Roon Knowledge Base - Roon Optimized Core Kit
Roon Optimized Core Kit (previously reported as Roon OS) - ROCK - Roon Labs Community

EDIT: Added a couple more links for interested readers.
 
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N

Nanekiu

Member
Joined 2016
Markw4 said:
Terry,
I like the HQ Player 'ADSM-7 512+' modulator. That and the most demanding upsampling filter my most powerful PC will run. At DSD512 that would probably be the 'closed form' filter, but not the 20M version. For the longer 20M version DSD256 is the highest I can currently go (without dropouts occurring).

Also, there are some even more sophisticated filters in the latest version of HQ Player for which some have said no currently made PCs can run them higher than DSD256 (IIRC). They sound very good though from a brief bit of testing I did with a less demanding modulator than the one I usually prefer.
In addition, I can get some glimpses of better sounding filters than I can run reliably. What happens is that dropouts occur, but one can still get a sense of the audio quality that is possible with a sufficiently powerful PC.
Click to expand...
Would you recommend using the new EC modulators at 256, or continue using DSD512 with 512fs modulator?
 
M

Markw4

Member
Joined 2016
I have seen the EC filters (IIRC). Haven't seen an EC modulator myself. The EC filters appear to be an improvement over the 20M Closed Form filter. The drawback of the EC filters is that they need a PC faster than one can buy now to run at 512MHz.

That said, looking at how the HQ Player computation load is distributed among processor cores, its looks like it possibly might not be coded for maximum efficiency.

Most people that can run EC filters at DSD256 seem to think that is the best sounding option. Since my fastest PC is not the fastest money can buy, I don't have an opinion of my own as to which option is best, at least not for now. Do you have an opinion on it?
 
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Nanekiu

Member
Joined 2016
Markw4 said:
I have seen the EC filters (IIRC). Haven't seen an EC modulator myself. The EC filters appear to be an improvement over the 20M Closed Form filter. The drawback of the EC filters is that they need a PC faster than one can buy now to run at 512MHz.

That said, looking at how the HQ Player computation load is distributed among processor cores, its looks like it possibly might not be coded for maximum efficiency.

Most people that can run EC filters at DSD256 seem to think that is the best sounding option. Since my fastest PC is not the fastest money can buy, I don't have an opinion of my own as to which option is best, at least not for now. Do you have an opinion on it?
Click to expand...

Hmm i find that both DSD512 with 512fs modulator, and DSD256 with ASDM7EC modulator sounds good, but i prefer the EC7 modulator atm.
 
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Nanekiu

Member
Joined 2016
Markw4 said:
What does the rest of your system look like?
Click to expand...
I'm using a Allo shanti + Usbridge sig connected to a XSPDIF-2 which is further connected to a Matrix Sabre Pro via HDMI LVDS, I'm interested in these new dac's that use AKM4499, but so far the only ones i see are Topping D90, and Gustard, though the D90 doesn't measure bad according to ASR so maybe i'll purchase one on a trial period to evaluate, though in my opinion previous topping products has had mediocre SQ.
 
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