So I’ve been struggling to get any audio at all via my digital out of the OMNI 5.1, tried several fix attempts with no luck, something is seriously wrong and I’m not too sure where to start.
I’ve not really had this problem in the past as its worked on other OS installs (windows works). I’ve had no issues under a Ubuntu OS or Manjaro… not sure whats going on, spdif is dead on this OS it seems…
What info would be helpful to post?
I’ll just post some info here that seems to be a common ask.
aplay -L | grep :CARD
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=1
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=2
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=4
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=5
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=6
usbstream:CARD=NVidia
default:CARD=Transmitter
sysdefault:CARD=Transmitter
front:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
surround21:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
surround40:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
surround41:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
surround50:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
surround51:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
surround71:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
iec958:CARD=Transmitter,DEV=0
usbstream:CARD=Transmitter
usbstream:CARD=C920
default:CARD=S51
sysdefault:CARD=S51
front:CARD=S51,DEV=0
surround21:CARD=S51,DEV=0
surround40:CARD=S51,DEV=0
surround41:CARD=S51,DEV=0
surround50:CARD=S51,DEV=0
surround51:CARD=S51,DEV=0
surround71:CARD=S51,DEV=0
iec958:CARD=S51,DEV=0
iec958:CARD=S51,DEV=1
usbstream:CARD=S51
cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [NVidia ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
HDA NVidia at 0xf7080000 irq 66
1 [Transmitter ]: USB-Audio - ASTRO Wireless Transmitter
Astro Gaming Inc. ASTRO Wireless Transmitter at usb-0000:0c:00.3-3, full speed
2 [C920 ]: USB-Audio - HD Pro Webcam C920
HD Pro Webcam C920 at usb-0000:02:00.0-9, high speed
3 [S51 ]: USB-Audio - SB Omni Surround 5.1
Creative Technology Ltd SB Omni Surround 5.1 at usb-0000:0c:00.3-4, high speed
The Astro DAC is not used most times.
What does alsamixer show?
Edit:
So this is an external usb device?
lsmod | grep snd_usb_audio
Have you tried
amixer -c 0 cset name=‘IEC958 Playback Switch’ on
Just reinstalled the OS, stock setup, same issue… its a USB DAC
lsmod | grep snd_usb_audio
snd_usb_audio 307200 3
snd_usbmidi_lib 40960 1 snd_usb_audio
mc 61440 5 videodev,snd_usb_audio,videobuf2_v4l2,uvcvideo,videobuf2_common
snd_hwdep 16384 2 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 147456 5 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_core
snd 114688 18 snd_seq_device,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_intel,snd_usb_audio,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_codec,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi
amixer -c 0 cset name=‘IEC958 Playback Switch’ on
amixer: Cannot find the given element from control hw:0
Okay is this hooked up to a laptop or desktop? Does sound work normally but just not out from the usb device?
Edit: What desktop are you using? Is pavucontrol installed? Just go into pavucontrol and change the output to 5.1 audio.
I don’t have analog speakers to test atm but in past when I had them installed it worked fine. Also connecting soundbar via Bluetooth works also.
This is a desktop machine with KDE Plasma.
pacmd list-cards
4 card(s) available.
index: 0
name: <alsa_card.usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_07B6516F-02>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 6
properties:
alsa.card = "2"
alsa.card_name = "HD Pro Webcam C920"
alsa.long_card_name = "HD Pro Webcam C920 at usb-0000:02:00.0-9, high speed"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:02:00.0-usb-0:9:1.2"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.3/0000:02:00.0/usb1/1-9/1-9:1.2/sound/card2"
udev.id = "usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_07B6516F-02"
device.bus = "usb"
device.vendor.id = "046d"
device.vendor.name = "Logitech, Inc."
device.product.id = "082d"
device.product.name = "HD Pro Webcam C920"
device.serial = "046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_07B6516F"
device.form_factor = "webcam"
device.string = "2"
device.description = "HD Pro Webcam C920"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "camera-web-usb"
profiles:
input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 65, available: unknown)
input:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Input (priority 55, available: unknown)
off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
active profile: <input:analog-stereo>
sources:
alsa_input.usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_07B6516F-02.analog-stereo/#0: HD Pro Webcam C920 Analog Stereo
ports:
analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
iec958-stereo-input: Digital Input (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
index: 1
name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_0a_00.1>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 7
properties:
alsa.card = "0"
alsa.card_name = "HDA NVidia"
alsa.long_card_name = "HDA NVidia at 0xf7080000 irq 66"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:0a:00.1"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.1/0000:0a:00.1/sound/card0"
device.bus = "pci"
device.vendor.id = "10de"
device.vendor.name = "NVIDIA Corporation"
device.product.id = "10ef"
device.product.name = "GP102 HDMI Audio Controller"
device.string = "0"
device.description = "GP102 HDMI Audio Controller"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
profiles:
output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5700, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra5: Digital Stereo (HDMI 6) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra5: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 6) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra5: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 6) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra6: Digital Stereo (HDMI 7) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra6: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 7) Output (priority 600, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra6: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 7) Output (priority 600, available: no)
off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
active profile: <off>
ports:
hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
device.product.name = "UHD DP
"
hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-5: HDMI / DisplayPort 6 (priority 5400, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-6: HDMI / DisplayPort 7 (priority 5300, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
index: 2
name: <alsa_card.usb-Astro_Gaming_Inc._ASTRO_Wireless_Transmitter-00>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 8
properties:
alsa.card = "1"
alsa.card_name = "ASTRO Wireless Transmitter"
alsa.long_card_name = "Astro Gaming Inc. ASTRO Wireless Transmitter at usb-0000:0c:00.3-3, full speed"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:0c:00.3-usb-0:3:1.0"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.1/0000:0c:00.3/usb3/3-3/3-3:1.0/sound/card1"
udev.id = "usb-Astro_Gaming_Inc._ASTRO_Wireless_Transmitter-00"
device.bus = "usb"
device.vendor.id = "9886"
device.vendor.name = "Astro Gaming Inc."
device.product.id = "0001"
device.product.name = "ASTRO Wireless Transmitter "
device.serial = "Astro_Gaming_Inc._ASTRO_Wireless_Transmitter"
device.string = "1"
device.description = "ASTRO Wireless Transmitter "
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
profiles:
input:mono-fallback: Mono Input (priority 1, available: unknown)
input:multichannel-input: Multichannel Input (priority 1, available: unknown)
output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
output:analog-stereo+input:mono-fallback: Analog Stereo Output + Mono Input (priority 6501, available: unknown)
output:analog-stereo+input:multichannel-input: Analog Stereo Output + Multichannel Input (priority 6501, available: unknown)
output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (priority 5500, available: unknown)
output:iec958-stereo+input:mono-fallback: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Mono Input (priority 5501, available: unknown)
output:iec958-stereo+input:multichannel-input: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Multichannel Input (priority 5501, available: unknown)
off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
active profile: <off>
ports:
analog-input-headset-mic: Headset Microphone (priority 8800, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
multichannel-input: Multichannel Input (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
analog-output: Analog Output (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
index: 3
name: <alsa_card.usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 9
properties:
alsa.card = "3"
alsa.card_name = "SB Omni Surround 5.1"
alsa.long_card_name = "Creative Technology Ltd SB Omni Surround 5.1 at usb-0000:0c:00.3-4, high speed"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:0c:00.3-usb-0:4:1.0"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.1/0000:0c:00.3/usb3/3-4/3-4:1.0/sound/card3"
udev.id = "usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00"
device.bus = "usb"
device.vendor.id = "041e"
device.vendor.name = "Creative Technology, Ltd"
device.product.id = "322c"
device.product.name = "SB Omni Surround 5.1"
device.serial = "Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z"
device.string = "3"
device.description = "SB Omni Surround 5.1"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
profiles:
output:analog-stereo-output+input:analog-stereo-input: Analog Stereo Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 7, available: unknown)
output:analog-surround-21+input:analog-stereo-input: Analog Surround 2.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 6, available: unknown)
output:analog-surround-40+input:analog-stereo-input: Analog Surround 4.0 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5, available: unknown)
output:analog-surround-41+input:analog-stereo-input: Analog Surround 4.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 4, available: unknown)
output:analog-surround-50+input:analog-stereo-input: Analog Surround 5.0 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 3, available: unknown)
output:analog-surround-51+input:analog-stereo-input: Analog Surround 5.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 2, available: unknown)
output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo-input: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1, available: unknown)
off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
active profile: <output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo-input>
sinks:
alsa_output.usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00.iec958-stereo/#0: SB Omni Surround 5.1 Digital Stereo (IEC958)
sources:
alsa_output.usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00.iec958-stereo.monitor/#1: Monitor of SB Omni Surround 5.1 Digital Stereo (IEC958)
alsa_input.usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00.analog-stereo-input/#2: SB Omni Surround 5.1 Analog Stereo
ports:
analog-output: Analog Output (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
analog-input-linein: Line In (priority 8100, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
pacmd list-sinks
1 sink(s) available.
* index: 0
name: <alsa_output.usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00.iec958-stereo>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
flags: HARDWARE DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
state: RUNNING
suspend cause: (none)
priority: 9048
volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB, front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
balance 0.00
base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
volume steps: 65537
muted: no
current latency: 51.41 ms
max request: 14 KiB
max rewind: 14 KiB
monitor source: 1
sample spec: s16le 2ch 48000Hz
channel map: front-left,front-right
Stereo
used by: 1
linked by: 1
configured latency: 75.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
card: 3 <alsa_card.usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00>
module: 9
properties:
alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
device.api = "alsa"
device.class = "sound"
alsa.class = "generic"
alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
alsa.name = "USB Audio"
alsa.id = "USB Audio"
alsa.subdevice = "0"
alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
alsa.device = "0"
alsa.card = "3"
alsa.card_name = "SB Omni Surround 5.1"
alsa.long_card_name = "Creative Technology Ltd SB Omni Surround 5.1 at usb-0000:0c:00.3-4, high speed"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:0c:00.3-usb-0:4:1.0"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.1/0000:0c:00.3/usb3/3-4/3-4:1.0/sound/card3"
udev.id = "usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z-00"
device.bus = "usb"
device.vendor.id = "041e"
device.vendor.name = "Creative Technology, Ltd"
device.product.id = "322c"
device.product.name = "SB Omni Surround 5.1"
device.serial = "Creative_Technology_Ltd_SB_Omni_Surround_5.1_0000007z"
device.string = "iec958:3"
device.buffering.buffer_size = "384000"
device.buffering.fragment_size = "192000"
device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
device.profile.name = "iec958-stereo"
device.profile.description = "Digital Stereo (IEC958)"
device.description = "SB Omni Surround 5.1 Digital Stereo (IEC958)"
alsa.mixer_name = "USB Mixer"
alsa.components = "USB041e:322c"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
ports:
iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
active port: <iec958-stereo-output>
Think I’ll give up on this… Seems this card has a long history of working then breaking and working and breaking over and over again… and now its clearly broken under Linux again and almost nobody has these USB DAC’s it seems. BACK to windows for now.
One thing I noticed while wearing my headphones, I could hear under Linux popping and distortion like what you’d get when trying to play a bad signal to a device that can’t understand it.
Under windows the headphones are silent, under Linux they buzz and pop… no idea whats going on there.
I tested out Manjaro ISO also (via USB) to see if that handled the DAC better and seems like same issue. Haven’t tried out a Ubuntu based distro yet.
Sound components are complicated to figure out. I’m no expert but i have had some success in the past.
Take a look at this info here and compare as it may be the same issue and i think it probably is that the it may be routing the 5.1 audio to analog? Now this is Debian based but the info is relevant.
Yeah I’ve read that and tried the solution once without luck. I’ll try to make sense of all the scribble again.
Yeah tried it now, no change.
Following the below guide, I loose the digital profile(s) all together, removed. So there is a problem there. I did the guide manually so I knew what was going on.
The guy suggests blocking out the below which is disabling digital options for me all together!
#pcm.iec958 cards.pcm.iec958
#pcm.spdif iec958
It seems nothing works, OMNI DAC just not fully functional under Linux, even tho it may have worked in past it seems alsa and pa have regressed back to a state where it no longer will work on digital, only analog.
I do remember having it working once, but I suspect that was on a Ubuntu distro spin and not arch. (I’ve jumped distros around 4million times)
Sounds like me but 4 million is a lot. 
Fixed the OMNI problem, tho I haven’t fully tested 5.1 remix or AC3 because I probably don’t need those features for soundbar or headphones.
The issue was Alsa/Pulseaudio was going by the configuration file /usr/share/alsa/pcm/iec958.conf which stated sub-device number 0 but it’s mean to be sub-device number 1. Editing that file directly so it pointed to dev 1 and not dev 0 resolved the no audio via SPDIF issue.
As for 5.1 and AC3 etc, I’ll mess with those further down the line when I get my 5.1 analog system setup again (in storage).
