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HQPlayer 5 Desktop - upsampling multichannel audio player for Linux, macOS and Windows

Screenshots (click to enlarge):
Client meter display
Client album view
Client playlist editor
Server main window

Streaming partners:

Supported source formats:

  • CDDA (Audio CD)
  • FLAC
  • WavPack (PCM and DSD)
  • DSDIFF (DFF, non-compressed)
  • DSF
  • RIFF (WAV, including DXD/RF64)
  • AIFF
  • MP3
  • RAW streams
  • Realtime audio inputs

Supported playlist formats:

  • M3U / M3U8
  • PLS

Features:

  • Software upsampling / downsampling with selectable algorithm up to 32-bit 1.536 MHz or down to 8-bit 32 kHz PCM (63 options)
  • Delta-Sigma modulators for upsampling PCM/DSD content up to 98.304 MHz 1-bit SDM (34 modulators, 70 PCM oversampling options and 3 DSD rate converters)
  • Selectable dithering / noise shaping algorithm (10 options)
  • DAC specific output signal correction
  • 128 DSP pipelines for routing and mixing with various algorithms (max 48 DSD source channels)
  • Selectable convolution algorithm (FIR) for equalization, such as digital room correction (2 options), for PCM/DSD content
  • Optional high-frequency expansion for the convolution engine
  • Parametric equalizers for PCM/DSD content, minimum- and linear-phase
  • RIAA equalization for vinyl sources
  • Software-based digital volume control for PCM and SDM (DSD)
  • Source content analysis to detect need for apodizing oversampling filter
  • Source content metering and analysis displays
  • Playback of DSF/DSDIFF files through any supported audio interface (PCM conversion and DSD rate conversion)
  • Selectable algorithm and noise filters for DSF/DSDIFF PCM playback (14 / 12 options)
  • Native/direct playback of DSF/DSDIFF files (ASIO DSD, DoP v1.1 with both 0x05/0xFA and 0x06/0xF9 markers)
  • Playback of stereo, 2.1, 3.0, quadrophonic, 3.1, 5.0, 5.1 and 7.1 channel material
  • Speaker configuration for multichannel playback (delay and level) for PCM and SDM (DSD)
  • Matrix processing for routing, filtering and mixing channels with gain, for PCM/DSD content
  • Bypasses operating system software mixer and sample rate conversion
  • Support for professional ASIO drivers
  • Network endpoint support with Signalyst Asynchronous Network Audio Adapters
  • Support for ID3v2 tags on AIFF, DSF, WAV and MP3 files (versions 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4)
  • Smooth level limiter for clipped material
  • "Dual wire" channel bonding support to reach 2x rates, PCM and DoP (DSD)
  • 64/80/128-bit and arbitrary precision floating point processing
  • Support for 128 channels (max 48 DSD source channels
  • Full support for multi-core processors
  • Light weight desktop-GUI to lower graphics noise
  • Touch-aware remote control client
  • DSP offload to GPU using NVIDIA CUDA
  • Headphone cross-feed processing
  • Adaptive loudness control
  • Library analysis for true peak and RMS levels, loudness, and need for an apodizing filter
  • Support for ReplayGain 2.0, both PCM and DSD
  • Support for combining multiple output devices into one combined multichannel output

Resampling filters:

  • 42 linear phase
  • 3 intermediate phase
  • 11 minimum phase
  • 4 impulse optimal
  • 3 closed form

Dithers and noise-shapers:

  • 4 dithers
  • 5 noise shapers

Delta-Sigma conversion:

  • 34 modulators
  • 70 oversampling filters (64x - 2048x)
  • Direct rate conversions, 3 algorithms
  • Digital volume control
  • Convolution engine
  • Parametric equalizer
  • Routing and mixing

HQPlayer is a high quality audio player for macOS, Linux and Windows. HQPlayer also features several selectable high quality upsampling and downsampling algorithms as well as selectable dither, noise shaping and modulator algorithms.

All modern DACs employ oversampling and delta-sigma modulation, however the hardware implementations are more or less resource constrained. Higher quality oversampling and delta-sigma modulation can be done by utilizing vast amount of processing power available in modern PCs. Many AVRs also resample internally to 48, 96 or 192 kHz, with the HQPlayer, these can be fed at the native rate.

Want to buy 192/24 or DXD files for future but currently own only 96/24 capable hardware? Or want to buy DSD128 or DSD256 files but currently own only DSD64 or 192/24 PCM capable hardware? Resampling and dither/noise shaper can be used to playback high resolution files on a lower resolution hardware, allowing future-proof investment on high resolution files.

For digital room correction and other equalization purposes, selectable convolution algorithms and parametric equalizers are included. Convolution engine supports RIFF (WAV) format FIR impulse responses, which can be produced with suitable software, such as Acourate, rePhase, Audiolense, Focus Fidelity or DRC. Also parametric equalizer setting txt files from Room EQ Wizard can be imported for processing.

Network Audio Adapter

Network audio is especially useful to give freedom from cables when player is run on a tablet or other wireless device.

Processing is performed by the player application and the processed data is then asynchronously streamed over network to a very lightweight network audio adapter interfacing to the DAC. Asynchronous FIFO provides maximum isolation between processing and audio reproduction.

System requirements, Windows version:

  • Windows 10 x64, or Windows 11 x64
  • CPU support for AVX2 instruction set
  • Display adapter with OpenGL support
  • Minimum full-HD resolution (1080p)

System requirements, Linux version:

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (x64), Linux Mint 22 (x64), Debian 12 / RPi OS (arm64) or Fedora 41 (x64)
  • CPU support for SSE4.2 (AVX2 on Fedora) instruction set, or RaspberryPi4 or instruction set compatible (ARMv8A)
  • Display adapter with OpenGL support
  • Minimum full-HD resolution (1080p)

System requirements, macOS version:

  • macOS version 12.0 or later
  • On Intel silicon hardware, support for AVX2 instruction set
  • Audio interface with CoreAudio drivers
  • Minimum full-HD resolution (1080p)

System requirements, CUDA offload:

Recommended hardware:

Devices with built-in NAA:

Control applications:

Note! If you have audio problems when using USB audio device with default settings, try increasing buffer time to 100 ms. This will most likely help.

Quick Start Guide

A really brief quick start guide can be found here.

HQPlayer 5 Desktop: 5.12.2

trial / update.

trial / update.
trial / update.

trial / update.
trial / update.
trial / update.
trial / update.

HQPlayer 4 Desktop: 4.22.1

update.

update.
update.

update.
update.
update.

Custom Linux kernel packages for native DSD support here.

Network Audio Daemon: 5.1.3

On Windows, Microsoft runtime is required, in case you get error message about missing DLL, you can download the necessary runtime here. It is also recommended to keep this component up to date.

 

 

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