I’ve just bought an Argon case for my raspberry pi 5.
My RPI is only used for Kodi, it is connected to a TV.
I’ve installed it without a problem. It starts and goes into Kodi like it used to do.
I’ve put the HDMI cable in the spot closest to the power port.
Video works perfectly, unfortunately the sound does not.
I don’t get anything.
I started to do some research and on this forum I read to alter the config.txt file.
Below is something that I added and what is still there.
I deleted other possible solutions because they did not work.
hdmi_force_hotplug=1
hdmi_drive=2
Does anyone have a simple solution for a noob like me?
Thanks in advance!
Which distribution do you use for KODI? LibreELEC 12?
Where do you try to get the sound from? Via HDMI from your TV or do you mean from the 3.5mm headphone jack? For the latter one, you need to enable this explicit in the config.txt of LibreELEC to get that as an available audio device, as far as I know.: dtparam=audio=on
HDMI audio should work out-of-the-box, but depends on the current settings (passthrough enabled/disabled, audio channels …) and the content you trying to play.
Do you use an AVR or is the RPI5 connected directly to the TV?
What kind of content do you attempt to play, where you get no sound?
…
The sound is coming from my TV, not from the headphone jack.
The RPI5 is connectecd directly to the TV.
Music is not working, any kind of video (ripped DVD and little videos from my phone). I don’t even get the system sounds when I’m browsing the menu.
My old case was a Flirc case, everything worked perfectly. But I wanted a better looking case so I bought an Argon case.
I just changed the case and the sound is not working anymore.
Normally it’s a topic that should be handled in the LibreELEC forum. But I know that the support guys there will doesn’t give you a overwhelming welcome if you mention the Argon case. The reason for that, the old generation seems to had some wide spreaded issues regarding the soldering points and so on and triggered many support threads in the past.
I hope it’s not the same with your case and trying to be unbiased.
You wrote that you only changed the case and reused the existing installation. This should work, however the usage of that case implies some technical circumstance take into account.
The Argon ONE V3 doesn’t provides Power Delivery information to the RPi5 internally. But the RPi5 depends on it to get the needed power from the attached PSU. To ensure there are 2 settings:
LibreELEC 11+ (or all newer kernels) are very sensitive regarding EDID data. The available HDMI audio device depends on this information. The additional pcb between the RPi5 and HDMI port at the case should observed like a double micro-HDMI to HDMI adapter. In my opinion HDMI itself is by design a edge case regarding mechanical reliability. The micro-HDMI is even more fiddeling and a hort of possible mechanical and electrical issues. If you catched a not certified, cheap manufactured or using a long HDMI cable (>= 3m) then the sum of this little issues can result in a not working HDMI chain.
First, please ensure that your current installation has these two configurations from above to ensure that the RPi5 power source is stable.
Afterwards enable debug logging like described here: Log Files | LibreELEC.wiki
and provide the link to the protocol.
During the log was created, you connected your HDMI cable to HDMI-0. This is fine and the preferred port. But it looks that the audio output device in KODI seems currently set to HDMI-1. If I’m right, then this setting is currently wrong. Please check Settings → System → Audio and correct audio ouput device to vc4-hdmi-0 (HDMI-0).
2024-02-27 18:26:16.890 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "surround71" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.890 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "surround51" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.890 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "surround71" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.890 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "surround40" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.890 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "surround51" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.890 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "surround71" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.896 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "sysdefault:CARD=vc4hdmi1" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.897 T:969 info <general>: CAESinkALSA - Unable to open device "hdmi:CARD=vc4hdmi1,DEV=0" for playback
2024-02-27 18:26:16.898 T:969 warning <general>: Pulseaudio module module-allow-passthrough not loaded - opening PT devices might fail
Ensure that passthrough is enabled for Dolby Digital only. Set all other passthrough settings to disabled
Additional set number of audio channels to 2.0
only cosmetic: it looks, that there is no line break af the end of line “usb_max_current_enable=1” in your config.txt
I’ve tried every audio output device in my list but still no sound.
I looked at my rpi 3 and the output device is the SAM SAMSUNG one. That works on the 3 but not on this one.
Below I’ve added two pictures of the lists that I get. One from the output device and the other one from the passthrough.
Okay, the selected audio device looks fine to me. How many audio channels do you have currently set and which audio formats are enabled in KODI to be passthrough? It’s very important to set number of audio channels to 2.0 !
The audio signal should transfered on the same signal path like the video, not a separate lines in the cable I think. So it looks wierd to me.
You wrote that you used a FLIRC case without issues before. As a cross check: Do you see a chance to detach the RRPi5 from the Argon ONE case and test the current installation without changing anything else?
Currently you use an SD card as boot media, right?
Yes, you will need an adapter from micro-HDMI to HDMI. But I assume you should have it already.
Hello Harry
Can you help me?
I have latest version rb5 and argon one V3+ blstr dac.
No audio output
Tried to follow this group but no help for me..
usin linux version :Linux raspberrypi 6.12.30-v8-16k+ #1879 SMP PREEMPT Fri May 23 13:30:44 BST 2025 aarch64 GNU/Linux
and installed all drivers
Normal sound ok but hifiberry doesnt work
Does that make a difference if you remove/comment out this line dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus,slave
and instead place these 2 lines at the very beginning of your config.txt?
dtoverlay=
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std
PS: Just for sure, we talking about LE 13 nightly, PiOS or which distribution?
The original poster used LibreELEC 12 and talked about KODI. But the kernel version you mentioned did not match. So I have a feeling you are talking about a different use case. PiOS and desktop sound or similar is a completely different scenario.
Can you please be more specific? What type of distribution and version are you currently using and where (application) is the sound not working?
I sent to you direct details, maybe they are lost, because mailed direct to you
It is normal Raspberry 5 in argon one V3+ blstr dac audio card
In raspberry is nvme card which work just perfect
Is is bookworm distro raspberrypi 6.12.30-v8-16k+ #1879 SMP PREEMPT Fri May 23 13:30:44 BST 2025 aarch64 GNU/Linux
You have copy of my config file
Weird is that audiocard should work with factory drivers or what?
Finally, you have sent an important piece of information that includes ‘bookworm’ so I can now rule out LibreELEC. Yes, it should work with the standard drivers as long as the parameters for the hifiberry overlay entry match the kernel version used.
Since you are using a desktop setup with PiOS, there could simply be other reasons than a malfunctioning sound card/driver:
ALSA output channels muted (alsamixer)
another card is selected as default sound device
…
Please use aplay -l to see which sound devices are available. This describes how you can select a different sound device in the desktop environment: Recently Ordered the BLSTR DAC - #10 by CPN
Yep Harry , you didnt get my earlier answer, because i sent it direct to you!**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: vc4hdmi0 [vc4-hdmi-0], device 0: MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0 [MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: vc4hdmi1 [vc4-hdmi-1], device 0: MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0 [MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
