Cheap USB DAC (CM106 like) - no spdif output

Hi all,

I have brought a cheap USB DAC (this one: ebay.co.uk/itm/External-5-1 … 2749.l2649)

It is based on a CM6206 chip. The reason for buying it was needing a SPDIF output and this seemed the cheapest way to try. However I am unable to get it running with the digital output. It is producing sound with the analog however.

lsusb gives:

volumio@volumio:~$ lsusb Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 004: ID 05dc:c75c Lexar Media, Inc. Bus 001 Device 003: ID 062a:4101 Creative Labs Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0d8c:0102 C-Media Electronics, Inc. CM106 Like Sound Device Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

aplay -l

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices **** card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC887-VD Analog [ALC887-VD Analog] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC887-VD Digital [ALC887-VD Digital] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 5: Device [USB Sound Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

aplay -L shows a s/pdif device (iec958)

default:CARD=Device USB Sound Device, USB Audio Default Audio Device sysdefault:CARD=Device USB Sound Device, USB Audio Default Audio Device front:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio Front speakers surround21:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio 2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers surround40:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio 4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers surround41:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio 4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround50:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio 5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers surround51:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio 5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround71:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio 7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers iec958:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output dmix:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio Direct sample mixing device dsnoop:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio Direct sample snooping device hw:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio Direct hardware device without any conversions plughw:CARD=Device,DEV=0 USB Sound Device, USB Audio Hardware device with all software conversions

However in Volumio and in alsamixer there seems to be no way to use it.

Been searching on how to make it work but no luck (although it did show me the commands above so I’ve learnt something at least). Does anyone have one of these and have you been able to get the SPDIF output to work?

Can you explain “there seems to be no way to use it” a bit more in detail…?

It is listed as alsa device, so I assume you have set the USB device as Output Device?

Assuming that you have done that, how do you check the SPDIF output? Do you know for sure that the subsequent SPDIF receiver is working? Does the analog output give an output?
The device does not seem to have any means of manually selecting SPDIF or analog output. Does the manual state if you need to select one, and if so, how? Can you verify that it works with a PC?

As you see, plenty of questions to try. We need a bit more info…