USB Audio support

[gizag]

is it already there ???

The analog audio kinda (->really) suxors so I thought let's buy a hdmi surround receiver. Made a big mistake, it has HDMI but just video passthrough no sound.

So I can now sell the thing or buy a cheap usb thingie with either toshlink or a rca output, would it work ?

[CurlyMo]

No, not yet. That's because XBMC still hasn't built any support for ALSA, which is required for USB audio.

[gizag]

Cr*p

Btw, would it not theoretically be possible to output digital audio directly to 1 channel of the jack connector ? In a similar way that most motherboard soundcards usually have a option to switch one jack output to a spdif output?

[CurlyMo]

Theoretically yes, but then the CPU must do all the ADC conversion and we all know it's not that powerfull. The motherboards you are talking about do have an seperate DAC and ADC on them.

[rikardo1979]

looks like you hit dead end with your AV Receiver, at least for now
you have few options
- wait for future development for USB DAC support (no costs but ETA unknown)
- use analog 3.5 mm out (no good quality and no DD or DTS)
- sell your AV Receiver and buy some with full HDMI support (involved investments)

I know you didn't want to hear this but those are your options

[gizag]

hehehe Yep, I came to the same conclusion

I guess waiting for USB is the way I'll go I was allready analog, now I'm just analog with a big fat DTS capable amp
I'm not the only one with the issue, so given enough time it'll be there

Perhaps when Frodo hits release ?

[robster]

Any news in this matter? I too am trying to stream all my audio to a external usb sound card, but unfortunately it doesn't work.

Even with frodo there is no way to choose another audio output than analogue and hdmi.

[rikardo1979]

(19th May, 2013 04:13 AM)robster Wrote:  Any news in this matter? I too am trying to stream all my audio to a external usb sound card, but unfortunately it doesn't work.

Even with frodo there is no way to choose another audio output than analogue and hdmi.

no, not I'm aware of. Until XBMC official release support for RPi builds we not going to support it I'm afraid

[robster]

Aww too bad. So then it's let's just hope and wait I guess ...

[0xFF]

Would be really nice to have ALSA support in xbmc. Especially when we have working ALSA I2S driver for RPi http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=8496.

Recently I started thread on xbmc forum http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=165552 asking for ALSA I2S driver support.
It seems to be a complex task to get it work on "semi-open" RPi platform, but for me it would be cool feature even without audio/video sync.

[rikardo1979]

(26th May, 2013 03:51 AM)0xFF Wrote:  Would be really nice to have ALSA support in xbmc. Especially when we have working ALSA I2S driver for RPi http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=8496.

Recently I started thread on xbmc forum http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=165552 asking for ALSA I2S driver support.
It seems to be a complex task to get it work on "semi-open" RPi platform, but for me it would be cool feature even without audio/video sync.

yes it would be as I posted over there
all depend on XBMC/RPi devs

[jan01]

Is that the reason why I can't make my USB to analog output audiocard work?
I bought this card
http://www.adafruit.com/product/1475


And followed these steps
https://learn.adafruit.com/usb-audio-cards-with-a-raspberry-pi?view=all

I have got no experience with Linux and I am no programer. But I would love to listen to at least edium quality music ;-)

I would be so happy if somebody could help me ... it already took me hours to make it not work %-)

[mk01]

@jan01

currently you can't use USB sound card for audio output in XBMC.

but it will work for other services / players you would install to you XBian. like for instance squeezelite etc.

[Killerbee]

@mk01
I am back and I still didn't gave up!
Still I have poor quality issues when using my USB (soundblaster) DAC with squeezelite on xbian.

I tried openelec 4.2.0 and guess what...... No issues! Good quality.

The only difference I could see is that OE is using
kernel:

Code:

Linux OpenELEC 3.16.3 #1 PREEMPT Fri Sep 26 07:56:17 CEST 2014 armv6l GNU/Linux

Firmware:

Code:

Sep 19 2014 16:49:58
Copyright (c) 2012 Broadcom
version 193e6925ff92741775b3893fbd95bb8b6dc41e41 (clean) (release)

Do you know how I could use this kernel and firmware on xbian?

KB

[mk01]

with 3.15.8 you have problems ?

---

btw: how do you install squeezelight on OE ???