XBMC audio output
Krischan_HH
Junior Member
Posts: 19
#1
2014-03-21, 20:14
Hi to all!

I'm using Gotham beta 2 and fortunately the bug playing FLAC-files with different bitrates/samplingrates was fixed.
Now I have only one problem. I want to use my USB soundcard with XBMC (only for playing FLACs not for multichannel/bitstream), but I have no entry in the XBMC audio output list.
The soundcard is listed in the aplay -l or -L list as "card 1 / device 1". So I tested with "aplay -D hw:1,1 sound.wav" and it works fine.
So my question is, how is it possible to say XBMC to use the soundcard hw:1,1?
I want only using alsa and not pulseaudio because of the soundquality. For that reason I deinstalled pulseaudio.

Any suggestions?

Regards,
Krischan
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fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,264
#2
2014-03-21, 20:24
Post your xbmc.log - I am sure it's listed.
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Krischan_HH
Junior Member
Posts: 19
#3
2014-03-21, 20:59
This is my xbmc.log: http://xbmclogs.com/show.php?id=154518
In the xbmc.log you will see Device 6 and Device 7 as the USB-device but with a wrong DEV-number (device 0 instead of device 1)

This USB DAC offers two devices - see this extract from aplay -l

card 1: Device [T+A USB Audio Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Device [T+A USB Audio Device], device 1: USB Audio [USB Audio #1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0


I need the [USB Audio #1] device.
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fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,264
#4
2014-03-21, 21:15
0 analog
1 spdif

choose: Number 7

please post aplay -l and aplay -L, too
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Krischan_HH
Junior Member
Posts: 19
#5
2014-03-21, 21:45
Device 7 is the wrong device, due to the fact that Device 7 refers to DEV=0. I need DEV=1 (hw:1,1).

That's my aplay -l (the device I need is in bold letters):

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC898 Analog [ALC898 Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC898 Digital [ALC898 Digital]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Device [T+A USB Audio Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Device [T+A USB Audio Device], device 1: USB Audio [USB Audio #1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

**********************************************************************************************

aplay -L (the device I need is in bold letters):

null
Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
sysdefault:CARD=PCH
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
Default Audio Device
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
Front speakers
surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Digital
IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
HDMI Audio Output
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Digital
Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Digital
Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Digital
Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Analog
Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
HDA Intel PCH, ALC898 Digital
Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
Hardware device with all software conversions
sysdefault:CARD=Device
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
Front speakers
surround40:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
dmix:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=Device,DEV=1
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio #1
Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=Device,DEV=1
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio #1
Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=Device,DEV=1
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio #1
Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=Device,DEV=0
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio
Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=Device,DEV=1
T+A USB Audio Device, USB Audio #1
Hardware device with all software conversions
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fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,264
#6
2014-03-21, 21:56
Okay - that device is not enumerated and xbmc does not have a way of specifiing a custom device, so you are out of luck until someone (probably you) with such a hardware will fix AESinkALSA

Edit: I rechecked the code - and I am still the oppinion that you are looking for number 7 - cause using a hw device directly is not possible for non raw streams, also you don't take the IEC prefix into account, which is an internal represantation to get to ,1

So - you absolutely hear nothing from your spdif out? You don't want spdif out? You have read somewhere that it's only true audiophile when you can specify ,1?

Here what xbmc does:

card 1: Device [T+A USB Audio Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Device [T+A USB Audio Device], device 1: USB Audio [USB Audio #1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Gets to:
@:CARD=Device,DEV=0
iec958:CARD=Device,DEV=0
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Krischan_HH
Junior Member
Posts: 19
#7
2014-03-22, 00:42
That's not the Problem. When I select T+A IEC958 in XBMC the device produces distortions. Therefore the manufacturer of the DAC published a document where they recommend using device 1 (hw:1,1).
The distortions appears when the samplingrate is above 44.1 kHz. I tested the DAC with Daphile (a Squeezebox
open source software) and there is the possibility to select directly hw:1,1 and this functions perfectly with all samplingrates up to 192 kHz. Therefore I don't think hat the IEC958 device is not the USB Audio #1, as you mentioned in your posting.
The reason why I don't use the spdif out (Toslink) from the HTPC, is the jitter. With the asynchronous USB connection the DAC and not the HTPC generates the clock with a extreme low jitter.
I don't know why the USB DAC appears as an IEC958 device although I connect the DAC only via USB
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fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,264
#8
2014-03-22, 00:46
Okay.
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Krischan_HH
Junior Member
Posts: 19
#9
2014-03-22, 12:59
I think it will be a good idea, if XBMC will support direct hardware access for sounddevices in the next release.
There are a lot of audiophile people who are looking for a solution to replay audiofiles with the best possible sound
and an intuitive handling (e.g. YATSE). Daphile is a good solution but the handling is not optimal.
Do you have some suggestions how I can tell XBMC to use the needed device (e.g. some ALSA-tricks)?
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fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,264
#10
2014-03-22, 14:57
Sure, sure - seen to many audiophiles without any background knowledge lately. Here is something to read: http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

Btw. your sound system on the other hand is 100% wrong configured - see the single sample rate for the device you don't want. That means system is running DMIX - highly non audiophile.
And concerning the custom device - have a deep look into guisettings.xml - what works can be added to advancedsettings.xml
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Krischan_HH
Junior Member
Posts: 19
#11
2014-03-22, 17:06
Ok, I have no ~/.asoundrc or /etc/asound.conf and nothing configured manually. So, does it come from the alsamixer add-on for XBMC?
The reason why I actually use Daphile instead of XBMC for audio, is that I don't know how to configure Ubuntu/XBMC to access the audio-device directly with no
downsampling or something like that.
That's why I'am asking... Big Grin
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uomiarz
Fan
Posts: 345
#12
2014-03-26, 23:01
(2014-03-22, 14:57)fritsch Wrote: Sure, sure - seen to many audiophiles without any background knowledge lately. Here is something to read: http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

I am setting up xbmc for my friend and he is all about external DACs to get "untouched" stream from xbmc to the amp...
Pile of bs that he does not understand and cannot hear any difference what so ever. But its top priority for him Smile
Whatever makes you happy i guess Smile

Very good reading. Thx fritsch.
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petemcfc
Member
Posts: 68
#13
2014-03-27, 00:16
I agree,an interesting link,and since upgrading my main speakers to a pair of B&W's last friday (ebay £70 and local collection= a happy dance),
I now know all about the threshold of pain in a none kinky stylie.Cool
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fritsch
Team-Kodi Developer
Posts: 23,264
#14
2014-03-27, 09:17
There are some flacs provided, that produce sound out of the range that can be heard by humans. Try those to see if there is something wrong in your audiophile chain :-) - be careful with the volume.
First decide what functions / features you expect from a system. Then decide for the hardware. Don't waste your money on crap.
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Krischan_HH
Junior Member
Posts: 19
#15
2014-03-28, 21:20
Thanks for the link, I know this article but it doesn't really answer my question.
My intension is to connect the DAC via USB to reduce the jitter and to connect to the device hw:1,1, nothing else.
That an onboard Realtek audio device connected via SPD/IF to a DAC produces a lot more jitter than a DAC connected via USB should be, I think, clear.
My question was if maybe the alsa-mixer add-in avoid the connection to hw:1,1
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