Upgrading from Holo Red, need i2s, external clock input & HQplayer NAA

@greatdivide71 it helped me to select the ‘48khz DSD’ box enabled in preferences in HQP 6. Also enable the box. ‘Adaptive rate’ and then finally in DSD preferences tab over to the right a few tabs, select max sample /rate as 48 x 512, not 44 x 512

@greatdivide71 even at DSD 512 you should be fine! I’m running it seemlessly. Turn off all Roon DSP and volume controls. Enable in advanced settings ‘multi core DSP’ and still in advanced, under ‘blocks per cycle’ enter 6. When I get home from my business trip I’ll take a picture of all the filters and NX and 1x and yadda ya. We’ll get you running smooth

jbuddha882 - I also have dsd music files, so I know what did sounds like. I have also compared the output to audirvana, and qobuz connect, and this setup so far sounds the best. I don't need any network converters to fiber, been there, done that. The streamers goal is to do this for me. Here are the specs for my streamer, which again, accepts ethernet in, I2S out:

"completely eliminates the problems of noise, jitter, and EMI influences through complete galvanic isolation and perfect reclocking of the digital audio signal"

If the NT-1 is outside your budget, you may want to consider the Matrix Audio TT-1. It is essentially a stripped-down version of the NT-1 at roughly half the price. While the NT-1 comes with a built-in linear power supply (LPS), you can pair the TT-1 with a good external LPS, such as an LHY, for about $250.

The TT-1 and NT-1 both employ femtosecond clock technology. Although the NT-1 features a more advanced clock implementation, my understanding is that when it is not paired with an external 10 MHz master clock, its internal clock is in a similar performance class to that of the TT-1—if I’m not mistaken.

Aside from those, you may also want to consider the Volumio Rivo Plus and a used Innuos Zen Mk3. I have owned both, and they both sound excellent.

@greatdivide71  "...processing was running around 1x for 24-bit/48 kHz tracks which caused issues so another reason for me to use DSD256. I just downloaded 6 but not sure there is anything helpful for the M4 based on what I’ve read."

HQP v6 gives a nominal processing efficiency improvement over v5.xx, so you will see your speed indicator figures improve. Your M4 should be able to process DSD 512 using the ASDM7EC-fast modulator and reasonable filters (e.g. poly-sinc-gauss-long or poly-sinc-gauss-hires-lp). Be sure to unplug any other USB ports except for the audio, as some have been tripped up this way. Even my nifty handheld ASUS gaming console manages this with DSD 512, but if your DSD settings on the output tab are incorrect or SDM tab bit / max speed rate settings are off, you will experience issues.