RPi4 onboard audio performance/measurements?

[lamode]

Just curious if anyone has measured the onboard audio of the RPi4? Everyone seems to ditch the onboard audio immediately in favour of a HAT or external DAC but just how bad is the RPi4's native audio performance? And how can you measure the improvement if you don't measure the base performance?

 

[lamode]

Has this never been tested by anyone?

 

[DHT 845]

I am curious as well. USB out of Rpi4 and via Uptone USPCB A>B Adapter and without it.

 

[dc655321]

If one is looking at the digital outputs, say over usb as suggested above, what issues could there be?

Flipped bits? Unlikely and easily audible.
Noise? A descent dac would filter that.
Jitter? Again, an asynchronous dac should handle much of that.

If the software used on the pi does no processing (resampling, etc), what goes in digitally must emerge intact.

 

[lamode]

I'm not sure which poster you were addressing but my question (and the thread topic) is about the analogue audio output via the 3.5mm jack.

 

[dc655321]

I'm not sure which poster you were addressing but my question (and the thread topic) is about the analogue audio output via the 3.5mm jack.

Sorry. Should have pointed my reply at DHT.

And no, I don't know of any measurements of the pi4 analog outs. I would guess similar to many phones - SINAD ~85dB, or so.

 

[CrustyToad]

+1
Good question...
I would be curious to find out as well.
Though I must say an older rpi I had did show some oxidation around the mini jack plug (was only used inside the house though).

 

[Kagemusha]

If one is looking at the digital outputs, say over usb as suggested above, what issues could there be?

Flipped bits? Unlikely and easily audible.
Noise? A descent dac would filter that.
Jitter? Again, an asynchronous dac should handle much of that.

If the software used on the pi does no processing (resampling, etc), what goes in digitally must emerge intact.

I think if you use a USB DAC, like kind of the Dragonfly or another one, can not be a big issue, but I think the DAC HAT is cheaper than a good USB DAC.

 

[DHT 845]

If one is looking at the digital outputs, say over usb as suggested above, what issues could there be?

Flipped bits? Unlikely and easily audible.
Noise? A descent dac would filter that.
Jitter? Again, an asynchronous dac should handle much of that.

If the software used on the pi does no processing (resampling, etc), what goes in digitally must emerge intact.

If you are so sure, what makes various streamers with only dig out sound different?
Flipped bits, not sure. Noise, yes, jitter (that is digital noise), software issues, definately yes.

 

[CrustyToad]

I thought the question was about the mini jack out of the rpi which probably uses some sort of onboard dac

 

[dc655321]

If you are so sure, what makes various streamers with only dig out sound different?

If they are not altering bits (dsp, resampling, etc), then "imagination" of listener would be my guess.
Are you aware of reasonable evidence suggesting bits from one digital device differ from those of another over USB?

 

[Daverz]

If you are so sure, what makes various streamers with only dig out sound different?
Flipped bits, not sure. Noise, yes, jitter (that is digital noise), software issues, definately yes.

As Amir has explained before, it's just how our brains work, we hear differences even when measurements show no audible differences, like seeing canals on Mars.

 

[Kagemusha]

Just curious if anyone has measured the onboard audio of the RPi4? Everyone seems to ditch the onboard audio immediately in favour of a HAT or external DAC?

mini jack?

 

[Pauper]

I'm not sure which poster you were addressing but my question (and the thread topic) is about the analogue audio output via the 3.5mm jack.

It’s a question that I would like answering too. I’m nearly 70 so my hearing may be way off but, when I plug my earphones directly to the RP4’s mini jack it sounds good!

 

[Pauper]

I might add that I have never heard music through a dedicated dac

 

[lamode]

Still curious to see the results if anyone tests the Rpi's audio jack

 

[phofman]

The onboard audio is a simple PWM, no real DAC. Measurements e.g. http://www.crazy-audio.com/2014/07/sound-quality-of-the-raspberry-pi-b/

 

[lamode]

The onboard audio is a simple PWM, no real DAC. Measurements e.g. http://www.crazy-audio.com/2014/07/sound-quality-of-the-raspberry-pi-b/

Thanks for trying but unfortunately that link is dead. It also appears to be published 7 years ago so it doesn't apply to the RPi4 (which is the model specified in the original post).

 

[phofman]

Hm, the link seems to work for me. Maybe your browser refuses to open non-SSL websites?

The PWM audio interface has not changed on RPi4. It's a feature provided by the GPU part of the SoC.

 

[lamode]

Link works now for some reason (same browser). That was interesting, thanks.