RPi zero W + Justboom digiboard : Airplay connected+playing but no sound

Help and Support Help
1

Hi all,

My RPi Zero W does not play nice with Airplay. From the airplay sending device (iPad) I see that Volumio is connected as source, also in Volumio GUI, and that it streams. But no sound. Connecting to another Airplay device works. Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Sander

  • OS info

  • Version of Volumio: 2.917

  • Hostname: volumio

  • Kernel: 4.19.118+

  • Governor: performance

  • Uptime: 0 days, 0 Hrs, 12 Minutes, 37 Seconds

  • Audio info

  • Hw audio configured: JustBoom Digi Boards

  • Mixer type: None

  • Number of channels:

  • Supported sample rate:

  • Board info

  • Manufacturer: Raspberry Pi Foundation

  • Model: Raspberry Pi Zero W Rev 1.1

  • Version: 9000c1

  • Firmware Version: Apr 27 2020 14:35:17 - 3a8f1793b758d6fb7f375edaa260e069ecd34c88

  • CPU info

  • Brand: processor rev 7 (v6l)

  • Speed: 1Ghz

  • Number of cores: 1

  • Physical cores: 1

  • Average load: 114%

  • Temperature: 47°C

  • Memory info

  • Memory: 475264 Ko

  • Free: 46140 Ko

  • Used: 429124 Ko

  • Storage info

  • INTERNAL storage - Size: 27544Mo

  • Used: 542Mo

  • Available for storage: 25576Mo (93%)

Volumio Version: v
Hardware:
DAC:

2

Depending on the type of HAT it is required to choose a mixer type. Some support hardware mixer (which is preferred, as there is no quality loss in the audio stream), or software (less optimal, but rather theoretically, as one hardly can hear the difference, which depends mostly on the quality of your audio gear). Did you try that?

3

Hi Martin,

I just tested what you suggested, doesn’t change anything.

I do see the source information and time counter counting down in the Volumio GUI, so by the look of it all works well, even my receiver switches to the optical input I attached the Justboom toslink to. But no sound, not even distortion.

Sander

4

shairport.conf lists hw:2,0 , that’s also what play -l says, so this seems ok.

aplay -l:
card 2: sndrpijustboomd [snd_rpi_justboom_digi], device 0: JustBoom Digi HiFi wm8804-spdif-0 [JustBoom Digi HiFi wm8804-spdif-0]
Subdevices: 0/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

volumio@volumio:/lib/systemd/system$ more /tmp/shairport-sync.conf
general =
{
name = “Volumio”;
};

diagnostics =
{
log_verbosity = 0;
};

alsa =
{
output_device = “plughw:2,0”;

};

sessioncontrol =
{
allow_session_interruption = “yes”;
run_this_before_play_begins= “/usr/local/bin/volumio startairplayplayback”;
run_this_after_play_ends = “/usr/local/bin/volumio stopairplayplayback”;
run_this_before_entering_active_state="/usr/local/bin/volumio airplayactive";
run_this_after_exiting_active_state="/usr/local/bin/volumio airplayinactive";
};

metadata =
{
enabled = “yes”;
include_cover_art = “no”;
//pipe_name = “/tmp/shairport-sync-metadata”;
//pipe_timeout = 5000;
socket_address = “127.0.0.1”;
socket_port = 5555;
};

5

So, I attached my old Chord Gem DAC to the mini usb of the RPi Z W and connected the analogue out to my receiver. I could hear the sound via Airplay with a very low volume. Next I tried again via the Justboo toslink and when I cranck up the volume of the receiver to 100% Its just about normal listening level.

So, question is, why is the volume so low? When I look in alsamixer the volumes to both usb dac and just boom hat are already on 100%.

Sander