[frankvw]

Both the RPi3 and the RPi4 have a 4-pole onboard 3.5mm jack for stereo audio and CVBS. On the RPi3 the audio quality (which, AFAIK, is not produced by an on-board sound DAC but derived from 12bit pulse width modulation) is relatively poor and IMO not good enough for KODI, so I have been using a USB sound "card" dongle. (I'm a caveman stuck at the bottom of the world so I'm still happy with basic 2 channel stereo, and currently have no plans or budget to upgrade to 5.1 surround.)

Is the on-board audio output of the RPI4 similar to that on the RPi3, or will upgrading my RP3B+ to a RPi4 render my USB sound dongle redundant?

// FvW

[noggin]

Both the RPi3 and the RPi4 have a 4-pole onboard 3.5mm jack for stereo audio and CVBS. On the RPi3 the audio quality (which, AFAIK, is not produced by an on-board sound DAC but derived from 12bit pulse width modulation) is relatively poor and IMO not good enough for KODI, so I have been using a USB sound "card" dongle. (I'm a caveman stuck at the bottom of the world so I'm still happy with basic 2 channel stereo, and currently have no plans or budget to upgrade to 5.1 surround.)

Is the on-board audio output of the RPI4 similar to that on the RPi3, or will upgrading my RP3B+ to a RPi4 render my USB sound dongle redundant?

// FvW

AIUI the Pi 3 and Pi 4 ranges use roughly the same form of PWM audio (though the implementation of the audio output circuits has changed over time).  If you want high quality audio from a Pi - HDMI (either via an AVR or an HDMI audio extractor), I2S output devices (via the GPIO pins) or USB audio are the routes to take.

[grey]

 If you want high quality audio from a Pi - HDMI (either via an AVR or an HDMI audio extractor), I2S output devices (via the GPIO pins) or USB audio are the routes to take.

can you give an example of such device to get HD Audio from RPi3?

[frankvw]

 If you want high quality audio from a Pi - HDMI (either via an AVR or an HDMI audio extractor), I2S output devices (via the GPIO pins) or USB audio are the routes to take.

can you give an example of such device to get HD Audio from RPi3?

You mean like this? https://thehometheaterdiy.com/hdmi-audio-extractors/ or https://headphonesproreview.com/best-hdm...extractor/

(Found via https://www.google.com/search?q=extract+...+from+hdmi)

// FvW

[grey]

oh, not really.

i thought RPi3 could be upgraded via GPIO pins with some sort of DAC to get HD Audio passthrough (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, etc).

[frankvw]

oh, not really.

i thought RPi3 could be upgraded via GPIO pins with some sort of DAC to get HD Audio passthrough (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, etc).

There are various HAT sound boards: https://thepihut.com/collections/raspber...audio-hats

The standard passthrough on the RPi of Dolby, DTS and other digital audio is done to the HDMI connector.

// FvW

[noggin]

oh, not really.

i thought RPi3 could be upgraded via GPIO pins with some sort of DAC to get HD Audio passthrough (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, etc).

The Pi 4B is the only Pi that can output HD Audio as an HD Audio passthrough bitstream, and it does it over HDMI.  The Pi3B+ and early will decode to PCM 5.1/7.1 and output over HDMI.  HDMI is the only interconnect that has a standard for carrying Dolby True HD, DTS HD MA etc. as a bitstream - you can't carry it as a bitstream on any other interface AFAIK. 

Obviously if you use a DAC you're outputting analogue not digital audio - so that won't be passthrough.  There are I2S stereo DAC boards for high quality stereo output from a Pi - but that's not really relevant to HD audio.

[grey]

The Pi 4B is the only Pi that can output HD Audio as an HD Audio passthrough bitstream, and it does it over HDMI.

oh, i wasn’t aware that Pi4 can passthrough HD Audio! this makes me thinking….

[noggin]

The Pi 4B is the only Pi that can output HD Audio as an HD Audio passthrough bitstream, and it does it over HDMI.

oh, i wasn’t aware that Pi4 can passthrough HD Audio! this makes me thinking….

Yep - HD Audio passthrough for the Pi 4B has been added for a while now (LibreElec includes support).  It's also possible to use the two HDMI output for separate HDMI video and HDMI audio outputs to allow UHD HDR video and HD Audio with non-UHD HDR compatible AVRs.  (This is still quite new so YMMV)

[zallox]

oh, not really.

i thought RPi3 could be upgraded via GPIO pins with some sort of DAC to get HD Audio passthrough (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, etc).

The Pi 4B is the only Pi that can output HD Audio as an HD Audio passthrough bitstream, and it does it over HDMI.  The Pi3B+ and early will decode to PCM 5.1/7.1 and output over HDMI.  HDMI is the only interconnect that has a standard for carrying Dolby True HD, DTS HD MA etc. as a bitstream - you can't carry it as a bitstream on any other interface AFAIK. 

Obviously if you use a DAC you're outputting analogue not digital audio - so that won't be passthrough.  There are I2S stereo DAC boards for high quality stereo output from a Pi - but that's not really relevant to HD audio.

That's good to know.

What is your opinion on a Raspberry Pi 4B running libreelec vs odroid n2+? I want to be able to play my uncompressed UHD blu-ray remuxes with TrueHD passthrough (to AVR) +/- dolby vision

[noggin]

oh, not really.

i thought RPi3 could be upgraded via GPIO pins with some sort of DAC to get HD Audio passthrough (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, etc).

The Pi 4B is the only Pi that can output HD Audio as an HD Audio passthrough bitstream, and it does it over HDMI.  The Pi3B+ and early will decode to PCM 5.1/7.1 and output over HDMI.  HDMI is the only interconnect that has a standard for carrying Dolby True HD, DTS HD MA etc. as a bitstream - you can't carry it as a bitstream on any other interface AFAIK. 

Obviously if you use a DAC you're outputting analogue not digital audio - so that won't be passthrough.  There are I2S stereo DAC boards for high quality stereo output from a Pi - but that's not really relevant to HD audio.

That's good to know.

What is your opinion on a Raspberry Pi 4B running libreelec vs odroid n2+? I want to be able to play my uncompressed UHD blu-ray remuxes with TrueHD passthrough (to AVR) +/- dolby vision

CoreElec and the N2+ is the more 'finished' product at the moment - but it currently relies on AMLogic specific stuff which the Kodi developers are moving away from (and instead are using the new V4L2 video framework). The Pi 4B's drivers for UHD, HEVC and HD Audio etc. are all being based around this new driver framework (which is why stuff is taking a while to develop - and also why stuff like 3D MVC Decode, and hardware deinterlacing (?) which was supported on the 3B+ and earlier models doesn't work on the Pi 4B - I think)

I have an AMLogic-based ODroid N2 and C4 and they are my day-to-day Kodi platforms running CoreElec, alongside MrMC on my Apple TV 4K v2.  However I do keep my eye on LibreElec on the Pi4B too - as I've got a couple of 4Bs and I fire one up now and again.

I watch a lot of interlaced content (Live and Recorded TV from TV Headend) - so hardware deinterlacing is important to me, and the Pi 4B still has issues with 12-bit 4:2:2 output of 10-bit content. (It's currently RGB 8-bit only for 2160p SDR and HDR stuff I think, and the hardware, it seems, can't do 10-bit 4:2:0 for 2160p50 and above, so 4:2:2 12-bit output is the only option for the devs for 2160p50 and above >8 bit)

[zallox]

The Pi 4B is the only Pi that can output HD Audio as an HD Audio passthrough bitstream, and it does it over HDMI.  The Pi3B+ and early will decode to PCM 5.1/7.1 and output over HDMI.  HDMI is the only interconnect that has a standard for carrying Dolby True HD, DTS HD MA etc. as a bitstream - you can't carry it as a bitstream on any other interface AFAIK. 

Obviously if you use a DAC you're outputting analogue not digital audio - so that won't be passthrough.  There are I2S stereo DAC boards for high quality stereo output from a Pi - but that's not really relevant to HD audio.

That's good to know.

What is your opinion on a Raspberry Pi 4B running libreelec vs odroid n2+? I want to be able to play my uncompressed UHD blu-ray remuxes with TrueHD passthrough (to AVR) +/- dolby vision

CoreElec and the N2+ is the more 'finished' product at the moment - but it currently relies on AMLogic specific stuff which the Kodi developers are moving away from (and instead are using the new V4L2 video framework). The Pi 4B's drivers for UHD, HEVC and HD Audio etc. are all being based around this new driver framework (which is why stuff is taking a while to develop - and also why stuff like 3D MVC Decode, and hardware deinterlacing (?) which was supported on the 3B+ and earlier models doesn't work on the Pi 4B - I think)

I have an AMLogic-based ODroid N2 and C4 and they are my day-to-day Kodi platforms running CoreElec, alongside MrMC on my Apple TV 4K v2.  However I do keep my eye on LibreElec on the Pi4B too - as I've got a couple of 4Bs and I fire one up now and again.

I watch a lot of interlaced content (Live and Recorded TV from TV Headend) - so hardware deinterlacing is important to me, and the Pi 4B still has issues with 12-bit 4:2:2 output of 10-bit content. (It's currently RGB 8-bit only for 2160p SDR and HDR stuff I think, and the hardware, it seems, can't do 10-bit 4:2:0 for 2160p50 and above, so 4:2:2 12-bit output is the only option for the devs for 2160p50 and above >8 bit)

Great thanks for that. How do you find the speed of kodi on the N2 vs RPi B2? The N2+ fully kitted with eMMC is a lot more expensive than a Pi

[noggin]

That's good to know.

What is your opinion on a Raspberry Pi 4B running libreelec vs odroid n2+? I want to be able to play my uncompressed UHD blu-ray remuxes with TrueHD passthrough (to AVR) +/- dolby vision

CoreElec and the N2+ is the more 'finished' product at the moment - but it currently relies on AMLogic specific stuff which the Kodi developers are moving away from (and instead are using the new V4L2 video framework). The Pi 4B's drivers for UHD, HEVC and HD Audio etc. are all being based around this new driver framework (which is why stuff is taking a while to develop - and also why stuff like 3D MVC Decode, and hardware deinterlacing (?) which was supported on the 3B+ and earlier models doesn't work on the Pi 4B - I think)

I have an AMLogic-based ODroid N2 and C4 and they are my day-to-day Kodi platforms running CoreElec, alongside MrMC on my Apple TV 4K v2.  However I do keep my eye on LibreElec on the Pi4B too - as I've got a couple of 4Bs and I fire one up now and again.

I watch a lot of interlaced content (Live and Recorded TV from TV Headend) - so hardware deinterlacing is important to me, and the Pi 4B still has issues with 12-bit 4:2:2 output of 10-bit content. (It's currently RGB 8-bit only for 2160p SDR and HDR stuff I think, and the hardware, it seems, can't do 10-bit 4:2:0 for 2160p50 and above, so 4:2:2 12-bit output is the only option for the devs for 2160p50 and above >8 bit)

Great thanks for that. How do you find the speed of kodi on the N2 vs RPi B2? The N2+ fully kitted with eMMC is a lot more expensive than a Pi

Do you mean the Pi 4B (the Pi 2B hasn't been sold for a long while, and there isn't a B2?).  The N2 possibly feels a bit snappier - and the eMMC is a nice quick boot solution (but not sure it makes a huge difference once you're booted).

What I would say is that ODroid have a frankly TERRIBLE warranty support system, so make sure you buy from a UK or EU reseller if you're in the UK or EU so you get covered by decent consumer protection laws.  There have been more than a few documented failures of ODroid boards in the past - and their attitude as a company has often been pretty bad to RMAs etc.  (For a long time a fault on a previous board was blamed on TV compatibility, AVR compatibility etc., and a firmware/OS issue similarly - when the issue was with board design and driver implementation...)

The Pi devices have a much better degree of hardware and community support (and a much wider choice of support hardware like cases - the Flirc case for the Pi 4B is a nice solution for instance) - however I think the N2 (can't speak about the N2+) is a great solution (and to be honest so is the C4 - though it's CPU isn't as snappy).

At the moment the Pi 4B is a bit more of a work in progress - BUT in recent months the HD Audio and HDR work has been going at a decent pace, and it's work that is being implemented in a future-proof way.  Not sure how far down the line the ODroid / AMLogic stuff is at migrating to the new V4L2 video ecosystem that Kodi has moved to. (i.e. how long CoreElec will have to continue to do things 'differently' to mainstream Kodi - if my understanding is correct)

[zallox]

Do you mean the Pi 4B (the Pi 2B hasn't been sold for a long while, and there isn't a B2?).  The N2 possibly feels a bit snappier - and the eMMC is a nice quick boot solution (but not sure it makes a huge difference once you're booted).

Yeah I meant the 4B.

Thanks for that, I might get the Pi as that would be easier to repurpose in the future.

[justinturner]

The 5 best noise-canceling headphones under $200 you can buy right now I made this list based on my personal opinion

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