Rpi3 low audio via analogue output

    Quote from Da Flex

    You do autostart scripting to make your case work, right? If my guisettings.xml don't work, deactivate the autostart scripting for a test run.

    I don't use that script any more.

    It didn't always work, it was intermittent in regards to the power led not always working as it should.

    I wrote my own script for more normal behaviour.

    I use gpiozero from the raspberry pi tools from the le repository.

    But I do have to still add a line to the autostart.sh to run the python script.

    Ill give this a try when I have some free time tomorrow.

    Thanks

    • Official Post
    Quote from robmcc83

    Tried your guisettings.xml and it's exactly the same, still low audio via analogue unfortunately.

    OK. Next theory: The analogue audio hardware has been damaged, and your other OS compensates it by doing extra amplification.

    To give you a more practical advice: You could buy an HDMI audio extractor.

    Benefits:

    • They are cheaper than a special RPi audio DAC (HiFiBerry).
    • They work with other devices, too.
    • Other output formats (SPDIF) are possible.

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately I don't have this problem on osmc either.

    I've just put osmc on a spare SD card added my library from my samba share and the audio has not got low volume over analogue.

    Now as a long time user of LibreELEC and having tried osmc when I first started out using the pi's I much preferred LibreELEC as osmc use to crash alot with a sad face on the screen.

    I would much prefer to get to the bottom of this using LibreELEC.

    I have put my LibreELEC sd card into a pi 2 which I have from another project I made, powered it on and tried that, the audio is also low volume over analogue using the pi 2 so I very much doubt any hardware is broke.

    2 other os's don't have this problem on my pi3

    The SD card with LibreELEC also produces low volume on a pi2

    This evidence all suggest LibreELEC is the one that is causing this problem.

    My last resort is to try a fresh install of LibreELEC just incase any settings have been changed that have caused this.

    That is the last thing I can try.

    Thanks

    Quote from Da Flex

    Yes, that's my final thought, too. During the updates an analogue setting maybe got lost. Analogue output is not a very popular feature.

    I use analogue output a lot connected to an old Dvd Surround Sound System and audio is normal as when playing dvd's..

    I always leave the audio setting ON to both analogue and hdmi audio...then when I need to use the speakers just mute the TV.

    • Official Post
    Quote from Mario77

    I use analogue output a lot connected to an old Dvd Surround Sound System and audio is normal as when playing dvd's..

    I always leave the audio setting ON to both analogue and hdmi audio...then when I need to use the speakers just mute the TV.

    My RPi analogue audio has normal volume, too. It seems like only robmcc83 has such a problem.

    Quote from blueribb

    It's strange that no others have complained about this issue. You can't be the only one using analog output on a Pi 2/3

    I actually used Kodi on Raspbian and the very same Pi3 before and audio levels were OK. But not on fresh install of LibreELEC.

    I'm fresh user and I like LibreELEC and how it smoothly make KODI working.

    But I had the similar audio level issue, however, not over Analogue but via HDMI output.
    I have Pi3 connected via HDMI cable to my old TV, where I use remote and drive volume over CEC.
    But even with TV turned to 100% volume it was barely audible.

    LibreELEC version: LibreELEC (official): 9.2.6 (RPi2.arm)
    Uname -a: Linux PiKo3 4.19.127 #1 SMP Sun Oct 25 08:49:28 EDT 2020 armv7l GNU/Linux


    This forum pointed me in right direction.
    Pottered around xml files a bit looking for some volume level controls .. # grep volume `find /storage/ -name *.xml`

    I did those changes in /storage/.kodi/userdata/guisettings.xml which normalized volume over HDMI:
    (I'm not quite sure at the moment which one was crucial, mentioned are new levels)

    <setting id="audiooutput.channels" default="true">2</setting>

    <audio>

    <mute>false</mute>

    <fvolumelevel>1.0</fvolumelevel>

    <defaultvideosettings>

    <volumeamplification>1.000000</volumeamplification>

    Hope that this will help others.