Workstation Audio Playback

1080p · 2011-04-26 23:48:29

My PC:
Intel DH67CL / i5 2500 / 2.6.38-ARCH / Xfce

I am looking to setup my workstation to play music. I want to be able to reproduce up to 24bit / 96kHz streams so I am hoping to do this by outputting analog signal from my motherboard (2.1) to an amplifier connected to two bookshelves and a subwoofer. I am looking at analog because S/PDIF looks like it can only handle up to 20bit / 48kHz in most situations.

What I would like are some recommendations and/or guidance on setting up software for this kind of audio reproduction. What media player or audio backend (gstreamer?) should I make use of.

Is it possible for the audio software to automatically detect a streams bit length an sample rate? Ideally I'd like the software to detect this at playback and adjust output accordingly.

Apologies is I sound like a n00b (I am) but I am new to audio on Linux.

defears · 2011-04-27 02:42:11

Does your soundcard, amp and speakers support it? If one doesn't, don't bother. Yes analog only. I think all programs support it. They have for years. The only thing that does sound better than alsa/pulse is Oss4. It's got a better
sounding resampler. I do remember a bash script to change alsa's sample rate on the fly on the forums somewhere though. Just try a search for it.

Six years ago I spent good money getting a Audigy2 sound card, amp and speakers for a media center. Got a Nine Inch Nails super audio cd to test. Using ubuntu edgy at the time. Didn't notice anything different. Got a tone generator program and I found out I can't physically hear above 17KHz. Sad, but FM radio, mp3, aac, ac3, super audio, ogg, flac, all sound the same to me. Facepalm. The moral of the story is let your friends buy the $2000 audio system and see if it sounds good first.

GogglesGuy · 2011-04-27 12:39:30

1080p wrote:

My PC:
Intel DH67CL / i5 2500 / 2.6.38-ARCH / Xfce
I am looking to setup my workstation to play music. I want to be able to reproduce up to 24bit / 96kHz streams so I am hoping to do this by outputting analog signal from my motherboard (2.1) to an amplifier connected to two bookshelves and a subwoofer. I am looking at analog because S/PDIF looks like it can only handle up to 20bit / 48kHz in most situations.

At least give it a try. I was able to produce 24bit/96khz to my amp over spdif just fine.

1080p · 2011-04-27 19:51:36

Yah, I think I misread the article on S/PDIF. It looks like 24/96 is possible. I just have to find out more about this Intel HD Audio chipset and what it is able to produce.

1080p · 2011-04-28 01:11:38

Does or can ALSA dynamically change sample rateas requested by software media player? I ask becasue I noticed OSS does if vmix is disabled,

"If you do not see a "vmix0-rate" (or "vmix1-rate", etc.) being outputted, than it probably means that vmix is disabled. In that case, OSS will use the rate requested by the program which uses the device, so this section doesn't apply."

which is from the Wiki.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-04-26 23:48:29

Workstation Audio Playback

#2 2011-04-27 02:42:11

Re: Workstation Audio Playback

#3 2011-04-27 12:39:30

Re: Workstation Audio Playback

#4 2011-04-27 19:51:36

Re: Workstation Audio Playback

#5 2011-04-28 01:11:38

Re: Workstation Audio Playback

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