Re: [Alsa-user] Characterising a fault with audio playback
Paul and list On Wed, Oct 26, 2022, 14:34 Paul Dorman wrote: > Hi Ralf, > > thanks for your reply. Yes I have tried changing the USB ports, but there > was no improvement. My system has both USB2 and USB3 ports so by switching > I was also switching controllers. > > I have tested with plain ALSA, with S16_LE and S32_LE PCM sample formats, > as well as direct digital streams using the DSD_U16_LE, DSD_U32_LE formats. > The problem isn't resolved with any one of them, so it must be isolated to > one or a combination of the snd-usb-audio kernel module, alsa-lib itself, > or some issue with the device itself. > When you were using "plain ALSA" did you: 1. Disable Pulse and Pipewire access to the device? 2. Use the "hw" and "plughw" devices? > > Here are the audio streams available on the FiiO K5Pro. Perhaps there's a > clue there as to what parameters I might try to tune next. > > cat /proc/asound/Pro/stream0 > GuangZhou FiiO Electronics Co.,Ltd FiiO K5 Pro at usb-:06:00.0-1, high > spee : USB Audio > > Playback: > Status: Stop > Interface 1 > Altset 1 > Format: S32_LE > Channels: 2 > Endpoint: 0x01 (1 OUT) (ASYNC) > Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, > 705600, 768000 > Data packet interval: 125 us > Bits: 32 > Channel map: FL FR > Sync Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN) > Sync EP Interface: 1 > Sync EP Altset: 1 > Implicit Feedback Mode: No > Interface 1 > Altset 2 > Format: S16_LE > Channels: 2 > Endpoint: 0x01 (1 OUT) (ASYNC) > Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, > 705600, 768000 > Data packet interval: 125 us > Bits: 16 > Channel map: FL FR > Sync Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN) > Sync EP Interface: 1 > Sync EP Altset: 2 > Implicit Feedback Mode: No > Interface 1 > Altset 3 > Format: SPECIAL > Channels: 2 > Endpoint: 0x01 (1 OUT) (ASYNC) > Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, > 705600, 768000 > Data packet interval: 125 us > Bits: 32 > DSD raw: DOP=0, bitrev=0 > Channel map: FL FR > Sync Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN) > Sync EP Interface: 1 > Sync EP Altset: 3 > Implicit Feedback Mode: No > > Cheers, > Paul > > > > On Wed, 26 Oct 2022 at 20:58, Ralf Mardorf > wrote: > >> On Wed, 2022-10-26 at 20:24 +1300, Paul Dorman wrote: >> > one of the USB3 ports >> >> Hi, >> >> did you test different USB ports? >> >> > Whatever is causing it, the problem has persisted through OS upgrades >> > and the switch from Pulseaudio to Pipewire. >> >> I'm in favour of using plain ALSA or jackd. For testing purpose don't >> use a sound server, test with plain ALSA. >> >> Regards, >> Ralf >> >> >> ___ >> Alsa-user mailing list >> Alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user >> > ___ > Alsa-user mailing list > Alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user > ___ Alsa-user mailing list Alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user
Re: [Alsa-user] Characterising a fault with audio playback
Hi Ralf, thanks for your reply. Yes I have tried changing the USB ports, but there was no improvement. My system has both USB2 and USB3 ports so by switching I was also switching controllers. I have tested with plain ALSA, with S16_LE and S32_LE PCM sample formats, as well as direct digital streams using the DSD_U16_LE, DSD_U32_LE formats. The problem isn't resolved with any one of them, so it must be isolated to one or a combination of the snd-usb-audio kernel module, alsa-lib itself, or some issue with the device itself. Here are the audio streams available on the FiiO K5Pro. Perhaps there's a clue there as to what parameters I might try to tune next. cat /proc/asound/Pro/stream0 GuangZhou FiiO Electronics Co.,Ltd FiiO K5 Pro at usb-:06:00.0-1, high spee : USB Audio Playback: Status: Stop Interface 1 Altset 1 Format: S32_LE Channels: 2 Endpoint: 0x01 (1 OUT) (ASYNC) Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000 Data packet interval: 125 us Bits: 32 Channel map: FL FR Sync Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN) Sync EP Interface: 1 Sync EP Altset: 1 Implicit Feedback Mode: No Interface 1 Altset 2 Format: S16_LE Channels: 2 Endpoint: 0x01 (1 OUT) (ASYNC) Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000 Data packet interval: 125 us Bits: 16 Channel map: FL FR Sync Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN) Sync EP Interface: 1 Sync EP Altset: 2 Implicit Feedback Mode: No Interface 1 Altset 3 Format: SPECIAL Channels: 2 Endpoint: 0x01 (1 OUT) (ASYNC) Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000 Data packet interval: 125 us Bits: 32 DSD raw: DOP=0, bitrev=0 Channel map: FL FR Sync Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN) Sync EP Interface: 1 Sync EP Altset: 3 Implicit Feedback Mode: No Cheers, Paul On Wed, 26 Oct 2022 at 20:58, Ralf Mardorf wrote: > On Wed, 2022-10-26 at 20:24 +1300, Paul Dorman wrote: > > one of the USB3 ports > > Hi, > > did you test different USB ports? > > > Whatever is causing it, the problem has persisted through OS upgrades > > and the switch from Pulseaudio to Pipewire. > > I'm in favour of using plain ALSA or jackd. For testing purpose don't > use a sound server, test with plain ALSA. > > Regards, > Ralf > > > ___ > Alsa-user mailing list > Alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user > ___ Alsa-user mailing list Alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user
Re: [Alsa-user] Characterising a fault with audio playback
On Wed, 2022-10-26 at 20:24 +1300, Paul Dorman wrote: > one of the USB3 ports Hi, did you test different USB ports? > Whatever is causing it, the problem has persisted through OS upgrades > and the switch from Pulseaudio to Pipewire. I'm in favour of using plain ALSA or jackd. For testing purpose don't use a sound server, test with plain ALSA. Regards, Ralf ___ Alsa-user mailing list Alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user
[Alsa-user] Characterising a fault with audio playback
Hi all, I have a FiiO K5 Pro connected one of the USB3 ports on my primary system, running Ubuntu Jammy. I have so far been unable to isolate a persistent problem with audio playback, and I am writing to you all in the hope that maybe someone on this mailing list might have experienced (and solved!) the same problem. I work in IT and have thirty years of using Linux as my primary OS. I'm confident that I can solve any audio-related configuration issues on my own, but what I have been unable to do so far is definitively correlate what I hear with a kernel module or software package. I am pretty certain that if someone has had the same issue as I have, they will know what I am talking about simply by a description of what I hear. When I have audio playing (normally music) there are irregular noises that sound at times exactly like a turntable stylus hitting a scratch or two (but not repeating), and at other times almost exactly as if someone has bumped a turntable - a slightly longer sound with a stuttery aspect to it. If you've ever been to a nightclub where they are playing vinyl you will know the sounds I am talking about. The music is not interrupted or distorted as far as I can tell - though I wouldn't be surprised if there were timing deviations that I can't pick up from just listening. I hear these sounds irrespective of whether I'm using mplayer, vlc, or playing video, etc. The noises are irregular as I said, happening one or two times a minute. They are not tied to the sound being played, which is to say I can play the same music file and the noises will not occur at the same timestamps. Nothing is reported by the applications (incl. with debug settings), in the dmesg output, or anywhere else. I am fairly sure that the problem has something to do with the snd_usb_audio kernel module, but I have tried both standard and non-standard module options (quirk flags) to see if I could influence what is happening. Whatever is causing it, the problem has persisted through OS upgrades and the switch from Pulseaudio to Pipewire. What I really hope for is for someone who recognises the specific problem I describe and knows precisely where I should be looking for a solution. I haven't found any similar reports though, so I concede that the chances of someone actually having come across this before are probably pretty slim, but no harm in asking, right? The FiiO K5 Pro has a XMOS XUF208 for USB decoding, and a AK4493 DAC. I haven't entirely ruled out a hardware problem, but I can tell you that I hear the same disturbances when the K5 is used with other Linux systems as well. I have yet to test it with Windows, partly because I'm terrified that it will just work flawlessly! If you think you know what might be going on, please let me know. If you haven't come across this problem before yourself, but have some tips on how I might better articulate the problem, or if you could suggest strategies for how I might make some headway in diagnosing the problem, I would love to hear from you. Many thanks, Paul Dorman ___ Alsa-user mailing list Alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user
