Kodi supported USB audio cards for a car pc project
#1
Hi,

I'm building a "media-center" using a Raspberry PI2, a Waveshare HDMI 7" LCD with touchscreen and Kodi for my car (I will use the AUX input of my Pioneer car receiver).
Knowing that the 3.5 mm audio output of the PI has a poor sound quality, I tried to search for Kodi compatible USB audio cards but I just found old threads (2011 to 2013) reporting that Kodi is not compatible with USB audio cards.
So...are still USB audio cards not supported in actual versions of Kodi?
If there are some compatible, what are them?
Any suggestion?
I'm going to install Kodi "over" raspbian since otherwise I will lose touchscreen functionality.
Thank you, best regards.

Roberto
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#2
Are you sure it has to be USB? I really like and would recommend the Hifiberry. They use a Burr-Brown DAC and they sound GREAT. They have both 3.5 and RCA jack versions. The 3.5 will fit in most standard Pi cases with only drilling a hole. They work on both Raspbian and OpenElec. I'm currently using one in my car, on Raspbian, with a touchscreen...
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#3
Thanks for your reply.
I already knew HiFiBerry but I didn't noticed the configuration guide for OpenElec on their website.
By the way I wrote "USB audio cards" because to configure HiFIBerry under Raspbian it needs a kernel update that would overwrite the touchscreen configuration making it unusable (I will use their pre-configured image).
I should find if there is a tutorial on how to configure the touchscreen driver "manually" on the manufacturer website so that I may use any supported distribution.
Best Regards,


Roberto
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#4
I found the instructions to configure the touchscreen driver on their Wiki pages so it should work (theoretically) also with a "native" installation of OpenElec.
I will try it and if it works I will buy an HiFiBerry.
Best regards,

Roberto
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#5
(2015-10-01, 12:30)washburn_it Wrote: I already knew HiFiBerry but I didn't noticed the configuration guide for OpenElec on their website.

Here it is
it really sounds greate
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#6
How about something like the the Pi-DAC hat?

https://shop.pimoroni.com/collections/ra...cts/pi-dac
Always read the Wiki, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Read/follow the forum rules.
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#7
I have bought this
Same chip
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#8
anyone care 2 share a complete a to z stuff u need to buy for DIY car media center running openelec?
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#9
Sure. Here is what my mobile setup consists of:

7" Waveshare touchscreen
Pi 2
Wifi and Bluetooth dongles
Mini wireless keyboard/mouse
Powered USB hub that allows charging/use simultaneously
Hifiberry DAC+
Heatsinks for the pi
Pi case
2 10,000 mAh Batteries
A dozen cables to connect everything
Altec Lansing mini speakers


You don't want to power the screen from the USB of the Pi. It will eventually burn out. That's why I use the usb hub. It powers the screen and lets the computer talk to it for the touch screen. To be even more difficult, I then power the Pi and the screen with their own batteries.

The beauty of my setup is it is mobile. It runs the car as I'm driving from job to job. Once I arrive to a site, it clips onto my tool bag and can come with me. I'm still working on the case but when It's done, I'll post it in the showcase section.
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#10
The OP is going to be using the Aux input on his Pioneer... Is the audio output from these DACs that much better than the Pi's if the output is via RCA or 3.5mm jack and not Optical output? And would it be a noticeable difference if there was road noise in the car?
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#11
Depends on your ears. The difference is HUGE to me. My car pi uses the 3.5 mm jack hifiberry. Optical is digital and would use the dac in the Pioneer. Either style of plug would be sending the already converted analog signal to the amp, from the pi. If you used the stock 3.5 plug, it would use the much crapier dac that comes in the Pi.
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