[Balinus]

Hello,

I'm looking for a HTPC that will primarily (almost exclusively) be used to listen to my music library and Live TV. I have a USB/optical DAC and I use the Hd Homerun for the Live TV.

Would a Wetek Play (OpenElec edition) be a good choice with these objectives? I could use the USB or optical out for the DAC and Live TV comes through the ethernet cable.

Note: I have another HTPC for video duty, hence no need for future proofing in this department.

Thanks!

[fritsch]

No. As the usb dac won't work without issues on the WT Play.

[Balinus]

No. As the usb dac won't work without issues on the WT Play.

I thought that OpenElec edition of the WT Play (i.e. http://webshop.openelec.tv/shop/wetek-openelec-box-atsc) was OK with USB DAC (the DAC manufacturer told me that as long as ALSA was the default audio engine, it would be "OK").

If I use the optical output, would that solve the problem?

[Vasa]

For music only option with large music library I highly recommend a raspberry pi2 with moode or volumio. I havent explored the options yet on kodi but I believe there are some mpd addons or share play options to check out that can direct the audio to the USB dac.

@fritsch do you know if this is an issue on the wetek core as well? Was also hoping to be able to use it with USB dac for music and hdmi for movies.

[fritsch]

No. As the usb dac won't work without issues on the WT Play.

I thought that OpenElec edition of the WT Play (i.e. http://webshop.openelec.tv/shop/wetek-openelec-box-atsc) was OK with USB DAC (the DAC manufacturer told me that as long as ALSA was the default audio engine, it would be "OK").

If I use the optical output, would that solve the problem?

In theory yes - but the WT is specially patched to use their "own" spdif / hdmi device and hard coding those. So with "normal builds" your DAC won't do a thing from kodi.

[fritsch]

That's not "an issue" - that's by design: See: https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/blob/master...A.cpp#L530

[pappaganush]

Hello,

I'm looking for a HTPC that will primarily (almost exclusively) be used to listen to my music library and Live TV. I have a USB/optical DAC and I use the Hd Homerun for the Live TV.

Would a Wetek Play (OpenElec edition) be a good choice with these objectives? I could use the USB or optical out for the DAC and Live TV comes through the ethernet cable.

Note: I have another HTPC for video duty, hence no need for future proofing in this department.

Thanks!

I'm using a rPi with a HiFiBerry Digi+ for music listening. That works perfectly for me.

[wrxtasy]

The C1+ in combo with the daughter board HiFi Shield works as well with OpenELEC.

http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/...3729448865

USB DAC's with a CM180 chip have been working as well, it was just a matter of easily changing around the asound.conf file and copying that into the ConfigFiles directory of C1+ / OpenELEC. Easily done.
http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/...0081048224

Note: S/PDIF only supports 2.0 PCM audio channels on any device. You still get 5.1 lossy compressed audio via passthrough over S/PDIF.

[Vasa]

That's not "an issue" - that's by design: See: https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/blob/master...A.cpp#L530

Ah - I see. The reason why I asked is because on the rpi, the USB 2 channel DAC is recognized automatically in latest stable openelec and can be selected in the settings.

[Balinus]

How about a Chromebox with Openelec? I mean without the Chrome OS.

[noggin]

If I use the optical output, would that solve the problem?

Sounds like this question remains unanswered? I'd assume PCM2.0 48kHz/16bit audio would be OK (and possibly 44.1kHz/16bit too?) - anyone have any thoughts? Presumably you'd want to avoid and 44.1/48kHz resampling - so TV Audio output at 48kHz and music audio mainly output at 44.1kHz?

[Balinus]

The C1+ in combo with the daughter board HiFi Shield works as well with OpenELEC.

http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/...3729448865

USB DAC's with a CM180 chip have been working as well, it was just a matter of easily changing around the asound.conf file and copying that into the ConfigFiles directory of C1+ / OpenELEC. Easily done.
http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/...0081048224

Note: S/PDIF only supports 2.0 PCM audio channels on any device. You still get 5.1 lossy compressed audio via passthrough over S/PDIF.

2 channel is what I need. My DAC would be connected to an old Sansui 9090.

However, the Raspberry PI route seems more complicated than a Chromebox (I discarded the Wetek Play from "fritsch" comments).

[wrxtasy]

What USB DAC do you have first ?
Brand name / ChipSet ?

Chromebox or these days an Intel Braswell platform in combo Turtle Beach Audio Advantage II is a known combo that works.
These Intel devices would be the best of the lot running OpenELEC, very good deinterlacing as well.

The other option is the new WeTek Core (whenever it is released) with its inbuilt S/PDIF. Excellent deinterlacing on this one as well.

[Balinus]

What USB DAC do you have first ?
Brand name / ChipSet ?

Chromebox or these days an Intel Braswell platform in combo Turtle Beach Audio Advantage II is a known combo that works.
These Intel devices would be the best of the lot running OpenELEC, very good deinterlacing as well.

The other option is the new WeTek Core (whenever it is released) with its inbuilt S/PDIF. Excellent deinterlacing on this one as well.

It's a Peachtree Audio DAC-iTx, with a "ESS 24bit/192kHz Sabre 9023" chipset.

[Stereodude]

I use a Chromebox running OpenELEC with a USB to SPDIF/Coax sound "card" for audio playback (no video). The particular USB audio chipset I have (CM6331A) doesn't play nice coming out of standby / suspend / S3, but some some scripting in OpenELEC worked around that.