RTL-SDR Device Comparison for Volumio
Device Testing Disclaimer
Anyone can purchase a device, test it with this plugin, and post their results in this forum or GitHub discussions. Community-contributed test results help other users make informed decisions. When posting test results, please include:
- Device model and specifications
- FM reception results (working/not working)
- DAB+ reception results (working/not working)
- Any driver or compatibility issues encountered
- Raspberry Pi model used for testing
Devices confirmed working through actual testing:
- RTL-SDR Blog V3: Tested and working (FM and DAB+)
- NooElec models: Confirmed working by community reports
- Generic RTL2832U with TCXO: Expected to work based on chipset
Important Warning About RTL-SDR Blog V4
DO NOT USE RTL-SDR Blog V4 with this plugin
Issues confirmed by testing:
- Requires driver compilation from source on Debian 12
- DAB+ does not work reliably
- Only FM reception confirmed working
- Not compatible with standard Volumio environment
Use RTL-SDR Blog V3 instead - works perfectly with standard drivers
Device Comparison Table
| Feature |
RTL-SDR V3 |
NooElec SMArt v5 |
NooElec SMArt XTR |
Generic RTL2832U |
| Price (EUR) |
25-28 |
28-32 |
38-42 |
9-18 |
| Chipset |
RTL2832U |
RTL2832U |
RTL2832U |
RTL2832U |
| Tuner |
R820T2 |
R820T2 |
R820T2 |
R820T2 or R820T |
| TCXO Accuracy |
0.5 PPM |
0.5 PPM |
0.5 PPM |
None |
| Bias Tee |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Software Bias Tee |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
N/A |
| Case Material |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
Plastic |
| Connector |
SMA |
SMA |
SMA |
MCX |
| Frequency Range |
24-1766 MHz |
25-1750 MHz |
25-1750 MHz |
24-1766 MHz |
| Sample Rate |
2.56 MSPS |
2.56 MSPS |
2.56 MSPS |
2.56 MSPS |
| Driver Support |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
| FM Reception |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Good |
| DAB+ Reception |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Poor |
| Plugin Compatibility |
Perfect |
Perfect |
Perfect |
Limited |
| Recommended For |
Best Choice |
Alternative |
Premium |
Testing Only |
Detailed Specifications
RTL-SDR Blog V3 (RECOMMENDED)
| Specification |
Value |
| Price |
25-28 EUR |
| Chipset |
RTL2832U |
| Tuner |
Rafael Micro R820T2 |
| Frequency Range |
24 MHz - 1766 MHz |
| Sample Rate |
Up to 2.56 MSPS |
| ADC Resolution |
8-bit |
| TCXO |
Yes, 0.5 PPM |
| Bias Tee |
Yes, software controlled |
| USB |
2.0 |
| Connector |
SMA Female |
| Case |
Aluminum, shielded |
| ESD Protection |
Yes |
| Volumio Compatibility |
Perfect - standard drivers |
| FM Performance |
Excellent |
| DAB+ Performance |
Excellent |
| Works with Plugin |
Yes, all features |
| Recommended |
YES - Primary choice |
NooElec NESDR SMArt v5
| Specification |
Value |
| Price |
28-32 EUR |
| Chipset |
RTL2832U |
| Tuner |
Rafael Micro R820T2 |
| Frequency Range |
25 MHz - 1750 MHz |
| Sample Rate |
Up to 2.56 MSPS |
| ADC Resolution |
8-bit |
| TCXO |
Yes, 0.5 PPM |
| Bias Tee |
No |
| USB |
2.0 |
| Connector |
SMA Female |
| Case |
Aluminum, shielded |
| ESD Protection |
Yes |
| Volumio Compatibility |
Perfect - standard drivers |
| FM Performance |
Excellent |
| DAB+ Performance |
Excellent |
| Works with Plugin |
Yes, all features |
| Recommended |
Yes - Good alternative |
NooElec NESDR SMArt XTR
| Specification |
Value |
| Price |
38-42 EUR |
| Chipset |
RTL2832U |
| Tuner |
Rafael Micro R820T2 |
| Frequency Range |
25 MHz - 1750 MHz |
| Sample Rate |
Up to 2.56 MSPS |
| ADC Resolution |
8-bit |
| TCXO |
Yes, 0.5 PPM |
| Bias Tee |
Yes, software controlled |
| USB |
2.0 |
| Connector |
SMA Female |
| Case |
Aluminum, shielded |
| ESD Protection |
Yes |
| Extended Filtering |
Yes |
| Volumio Compatibility |
Perfect - standard drivers |
| FM Performance |
Excellent |
| DAB+ Performance |
Excellent |
| Works with Plugin |
Yes, all features |
| Recommended |
Yes - Premium option |
Generic RTL2832U Dongles
| Specification |
Value |
| Price |
9-18 EUR |
| Chipset |
RTL2832U |
| Tuner |
R820T2 or R820T (old) |
| Frequency Range |
24 MHz - 1766 MHz |
| Sample Rate |
Up to 2.56 MSPS |
| ADC Resolution |
8-bit |
| TCXO |
No |
| Bias Tee |
No |
| USB |
2.0 |
| Connector |
MCX (needs adapter) |
| Case |
Plastic, minimal shielding |
| ESD Protection |
No |
| Volumio Compatibility |
Works - standard drivers |
| FM Performance |
Fair to Good |
| DAB+ Performance |
Poor - Unreliable |
| Works with Plugin |
FM only |
| Recommended |
No - Testing only |
Performance Comparison
Reception Quality Ratings
| Signal Type |
RTL-SDR V3 |
NooElec SMArt |
NooElec XTR |
Generic |
| Strong FM |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
4/5 |
| Weak FM |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
2/5 |
| Strong DAB+ |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
3/5 |
| Weak DAB+ |
4/5 |
4/5 |
5/5 |
1/5 |
| Frequency Stability |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
1/5 |
| Build Quality |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
2/5 |
| Volumio Compatibility |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
| Plugin Compatibility |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
2/5 |
Rating Scale:
- 5/5 = Excellent
- 4/5 = Very Good
- 3/5 = Good
- 2/5 = Poor
- 1/5 = Very Poor / Not Working
Feature Availability
| Feature |
RTL-SDR V3 |
NooElec SMArt |
NooElec XTR |
Generic |
| TCXO (0.5 PPM) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Bias Tee |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Software Bias Tee Control |
Yes |
- |
Yes |
- |
| SMA Connector |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No (MCX) |
| Aluminum Case |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Shielding |
Excellent |
Good |
Excellent |
Poor |
| ESD Protection |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Extended Filtering |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Standard Drivers |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| DAB+ Working |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Cost Analysis
Initial Purchase Cost
| Item |
RTL-SDR V3 |
NooElec SMArt |
NooElec XTR |
Generic |
| Dongle |
26 EUR |
30 EUR |
40 EUR |
14 EUR |
| SMA Adapter |
- |
- |
- |
3 EUR |
| Total |
26 EUR |
30 EUR |
40 EUR |
17 EUR |
Complete Setup Cost
| Item |
Budget |
Recommended |
Premium |
| Dongle |
Generic (14 EUR) |
RTL-SDR V3 (26 EUR) |
NooElec XTR (40 EUR) |
| Antenna |
DIY Dipole (2 EUR) |
FM/DAB Combined (32 EUR) |
Outdoor + LNA (65 EUR) |
| Cables |
Basic (5 EUR) |
Quality (14 EUR) |
Premium (23 EUR) |
| Total |
21 EUR |
72 EUR |
128 EUR |
| FM Quality |
Fair |
Excellent |
Excellent |
| DAB+ Quality |
Poor |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Volumio/Debian Compatibility
Raspberry Pi Compatibility
All dongles work with all Raspberry Pi models supported by Volumio:
| Pi Model |
USB Standard |
Max Current |
RTL-SDR V3 |
NooElec |
Generic |
| Pi 5 |
USB 3.0 |
1.6A |
Perfect |
Perfect |
OK |
| Pi 4 |
USB 3.0/2.0 |
1.2A |
Perfect |
Perfect |
OK |
| Pi 400 |
USB 3.0/2.0 |
1.2A |
Perfect |
Perfect |
OK |
| Pi 500 |
USB 3.0 |
1.6A |
Perfect |
Perfect |
OK |
| CM4 |
Via IO Board |
Variable |
Perfect |
Perfect |
OK |
| CM5 |
Via IO Board |
Variable |
Perfect |
Perfect |
OK |
| Pi 3B+ |
USB 2.0 |
1.2A |
Good |
Good |
OK |
| Zero 2 W |
USB 2.0 |
Limited |
Hub Needed |
Hub Needed |
Maybe |
Power Requirements:
- RTL-SDR Draw: ~300 mA
- Pi 4/5 USB Port: 600 mA limit
- Sufficient margin on all Pi 4/5 models
Driver Installation on Volumio (Debian 12)
RTL-SDR Blog V3, NooElec Models, Generic Dongles:
Standard drivers work out of box. If rtl-sdr tools not installed:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install rtl-sdr
Verify Installation:
rtl_test -t
Should show device detected without errors.
Plugin Compatibility
Feature Support
| Feature |
RTL-SDR V3 |
NooElec SMArt |
NooElec XTR |
Generic |
| FM Scanning |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| FM Playback |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| DAB+ Scanning |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| DAB+ Playback |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Station Management |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Limited |
| Favorites |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Limited |
| Manual Testing |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Limited |
| Per-row Save |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Software Tool Support
| Tool |
RTL-SDR V3 |
NooElec SMArt |
NooElec XTR |
Generic |
| rtl_fm |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| rtl_power |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| dab-cmdline |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| GQRX |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequency Stability Comparison
| Dongle Type |
TCXO |
PPM Accuracy |
Drift/Hour |
Drift/Temp |
DAB+ Usable |
| RTL-SDR V3 |
Yes |
0.5 |
<2 Hz |
Very Low |
Yes |
| NooElec SMArt |
Yes |
0.5 |
<2 Hz |
Very Low |
Yes |
| NooElec XTR |
Yes |
0.5 |
<2 Hz |
Very Low |
Yes |
| Generic |
No |
100+ |
50-200 Hz |
High |
No |
Why TCXO Matters for DAB+:
- FM bandwidth: 200 kHz (tolerates drift)
- DAB+ bandwidth: 1.5 MHz (requires stability)
- Without TCXO: Stations drift away, constant retuning needed
- With TCXO: Stable reception, set and forget
Antenna Requirements
For FM (87.5-108 MHz)
| Antenna Type |
Cost |
Indoor |
Outdoor |
Gain |
Performance |
| DIY Wire Dipole |
2 EUR |
Maybe |
Yes |
0dB |
Fair |
| Commercial FM |
14-28 EUR |
Yes |
Yes |
2dB |
Good |
| Combined FM/DAB |
32-55 EUR |
Maybe |
Yes |
3dB |
Excellent |
FM Dipole Specifications:
- Length: 1.5 meters total (75cm each arm)
- Material: Wire or telescopic
- Impedance: 50 or 75 ohm
- Connection: SMA connector
For DAB+ (174-230 MHz)
| Antenna Type |
Cost |
Indoor |
Outdoor |
Gain |
Performance |
| DIY Wire Dipole |
2 EUR |
Maybe |
Yes |
0dB |
Fair |
| Commercial DAB |
23-46 EUR |
No |
Yes |
4dB |
Good |
| Combined FM/DAB |
32-55 EUR |
Maybe |
Yes |
3dB |
Excellent |
| Log-Periodic |
46-92 EUR |
No |
Yes |
6dB |
Excellent |
DAB+ Dipole Specifications:
- Length: 1.3 meters total (65cm each arm)
- Material: Wire or elements
- Impedance: 50 or 75 ohm
- Mounting: Outdoor preferred (loft/roof)
- Connection: SMA connector
Important: Do not use the telescopic antenna included with dongles - too short for proper reception.
Buying Recommendations
Best for Plugin Development
PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION: RTL-SDR Blog V3
| Factor |
Rating |
Details |
| Price |
Excellent |
26 EUR |
| DAB+ Performance |
Excellent |
Confirmed working |
| FM Performance |
Excellent |
Confirmed working |
| Driver Support |
Perfect |
Standard Debian drivers |
| Build Quality |
Excellent |
Aluminum case |
| Plugin Compatibility |
Perfect |
All features work |
| TCXO |
Yes |
0.5 PPM |
| Bias Tee |
Yes |
Software controlled |
| Reliability |
Proven |
Years of successful use |
| Volumio Support |
Perfect |
Works out of box |
Why RTL-SDR V3:
- Standard driver support (no compilation)
- DAB+ confirmed working
- FM confirmed working
- Best value for money
- Proven reliability with Volumio
Premium Alternative
NooElec NESDR SMArt XTR
| Factor |
Rating |
Details |
| Price |
Good |
40 EUR |
| DAB+ Performance |
Excellent |
Confirmed working |
| FM Performance |
Excellent |
Confirmed working |
| Driver Support |
Perfect |
Standard Debian drivers |
| Build Quality |
Excellent |
Premium aluminum case |
| Plugin Compatibility |
Perfect |
All features work |
| TCXO |
Yes |
0.5 PPM |
| Bias Tee |
Yes |
Software controlled |
| Extended Filtering |
Yes |
Additional feature |
| Reliability |
Excellent |
High quality build |
| Volumio Support |
Perfect |
Works out of box |
When to Choose XTR:
- Want extended filtering for cleaner signals
- Premium build quality desired
- Budget allows extra 14 EUR over V3
What NOT to Buy
| Device |
Reason to Avoid |
Alternative |
| RTL-SDR Blog V4 |
DAB+ not working, driver compilation required |
RTL-SDR Blog V3 |
| Generic No-TCXO |
DAB+ unstable, frequency drift |
Any TCXO model |
| Fake/Clone Dongles |
Poor quality, unreliable |
Official brands |
| R820T (old tuner) |
Inferior to R820T2 |
R820T2 models |
| Plastic Case Only |
Poor shielding, noisy |
Aluminum case |
| TV Tuner Sticks |
Not designed for radio use |
Dedicated SDR |
Complete Setup Recommendations
Setup 1: Best Value (Recommended for Plugin)
| Item |
Model |
Cost |
| Dongle |
RTL-SDR Blog V3 |
26 EUR |
| Antenna |
Combined FM/DAB outdoor |
32 EUR |
| USB Cable |
1.5m shielded extension |
7 EUR |
| Coax |
5m low-loss |
11 EUR |
| Total |
|
76 EUR |
| FM Quality |
|
Excellent |
| DAB+ Quality |
|
Excellent |
| Plugin Features |
|
All working |
Setup 2: Premium Performance
| Item |
Model |
Cost |
| Dongle |
NooElec SMArt XTR |
40 EUR |
| Antenna |
Outdoor DAB with LNA |
65 EUR |
| USB Cable |
Premium extension |
11 EUR |
| Coax |
5m ultra low-loss |
16 EUR |
| Total |
|
132 EUR |
| FM Quality |
|
Excellent |
| DAB+ Quality |
|
Excellent |
| Signal Range |
|
Maximum |
Setup 3: Budget Testing
| Item |
Model |
Cost |
| Dongle |
RTL-SDR Blog V3 |
26 EUR |
| Antenna |
DIY wire dipole |
2 EUR |
| USB Cable |
Standard (included) |
0 EUR |
| Total |
|
28 EUR |
| FM Quality |
|
Good |
| DAB+ Quality |
|
Fair |
| Note |
|
Upgrade antenna later |
Where to Buy in Europe
Official Stores
| Store |
Products |
Shipping |
Notes |
| rtl-sdr.com |
RTL-SDR Blog models |
Worldwide |
Official, guaranteed authentic |
| nooelec.com |
NooElec models |
Worldwide |
Official, high quality |
| amazon.de |
All brands |
Fast EU |
Check seller reputation |
| amazon.co.uk |
All brands |
UK/EU |
Check seller reputation |
| amazon.fr |
All brands |
Fast EU |
Check seller reputation |
Buying Tips
On Amazon, Verify:
- Seller rating: 4.5+ stars minimum
- Product reviews: 100+ reviews
- Reviews mention actual model name
- No complaints about fakes or clones
- Ships from Amazon warehouse (preferred)
Avoid:
- Sellers with poor ratings
- Products with no reviews
- Suspiciously low prices (below 20 EUR)
- Ships from unknown locations
- “Compatible with” or “works like” claims
Signal Quality Expectations
With Different Setups
| Setup |
FM Stations |
DAB+ Ensembles |
Notes |
| Generic + Included Antenna |
2-5 |
0-1 |
Poor reception |
| Generic + DIY Dipole |
5-10 |
0-2 |
Unstable DAB+ |
| RTL-SDR V3 + Included |
3-8 |
1-3 |
Limited range |
| RTL-SDR V3 + DIY Dipole |
8-15 |
3-6 |
Decent reception |
| RTL-SDR V3 + Indoor Commercial |
10-20 |
4-8 |
Good reception |
| RTL-SDR V3 + Outdoor |
15-30 |
6-12 |
Very good reception |
| NooElec XTR + Outdoor + LNA |
20-40 |
8-15 |
Excellent reception |
Based on typical suburban UK/European location
Urban and rural areas will vary significantly
Interference Reduction
Common Interference Sources
| Source |
Impact |
Mitigation |
| Raspberry Pi |
Moderate |
USB extension cable |
| Pi Power Supply |
Low-High |
Quality power supply |
| USB Devices |
Low |
Ferrite cores on cables |
| WiFi/Bluetooth |
Low |
Use ethernet during testing |
| HDMI |
Moderate |
Ferrite core on HDMI cable |
| Nearby Electronics |
Variable |
Test different positions |
Best Practices
-
Use USB Extension Cable (1-2 meters)
- Moves dongle away from Pi interference
- Allows better antenna positioning
- Cost: 7-11 EUR
-
Use Shielded Dongle
- Aluminum case blocks interference
- RTL-SDR V3 and NooElec models have this
-
Position Antenna Properly
- Away from Pi and electronics
- Vertical orientation for best reception
- Outdoor if possible
-
Use Quality Power Supply
- Official Raspberry Pi supply
- 3A minimum for Pi 4/5
- Reduces power supply noise
Testing and Verification
After Purchase
Step 1: Verify Dongle Detection
lsusb | grep RTL
Should show: Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL2838 DVB-T
Step 2: Test with rtl_test
rtl_test -t
Should complete without errors
Step 3: Test FM Reception
rtl_fm -f 98.8M -M wbfm -s 200k -r 48k - | aplay -r 48k -f S16_LE
Should hear FM station at 98.8 MHz
Step 4: Test with Plugin
- Open Volumio web interface
- Go to plugin settings
- Enable diagnostics
- Test FM frequency
- Test DAB+ ensemble
All should work with RTL-SDR V3 or NooElec models
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
| Problem |
Likely Cause |
Solution |
| No device detected |
USB connection |
Check cable, try different port |
| Poor FM reception |
Antenna |
Use proper length dipole |
| No DAB+ stations |
No TCXO |
Buy TCXO dongle (V3 or NooElec) |
| Stations drift away |
No TCXO |
Buy TCXO dongle |
| High noise floor |
Interference |
Use USB extension, shielded case |
| Dropouts |
Weak signal |
Better antenna, outdoor mounting |
| Device resets |
Insufficient power |
Better Pi power supply |
Final Recommendations Summary
For Plugin Development and Testing
PRIMARY CHOICE:
Device: RTL-SDR Blog V3
Price: 26 EUR
Buy From: rtl-sdr.com or Amazon
Reason: Perfect Volumio compatibility, proven reliability, DAB+ works
COMPLETE RECOMMENDED SETUP:
Dongle: RTL-SDR Blog V3 (26 EUR)
Antenna: Combined FM/DAB outdoor (32 EUR)
USB Extension: 1.5m shielded (7 EUR)
Coax Cable: 5m low-loss (11 EUR)
Total: 76 EUR
Result: Professional testing capability for all plugin features
PREMIUM ALTERNATIVE:
Device: NooElec NESDR SMArt XTR
Price: 40 EUR
Buy From: nooelec.com or Amazon
Reason: Extended filtering, premium build, excellent performance
Quick Reference Checklist
Before Buying
- Chipset is RTL2832U
- Tuner is R820T2 (not R820T)
- Has TCXO (0.5 PPM) for DAB+
- Aluminum case for shielding
- SMA connector (not MCX)
- Good seller reviews (4.5+ stars)
- Standard driver support
- Price reasonable (not suspiciously cheap)
For Plugin Testing
- TCXO required (DAB+ will not work without)
- Bias Tee useful (for future LNA)
- Proper antenna (70% of performance)
- USB extension cable (reduce interference)
- Quality coax cable (if outdoor antenna)
- Compatible with all your Pi models
- Standard Debian drivers (no compilation)
Conclusion
Best Hardware for Volumio RTL-SDR Radio Plugin:
-
RTL-SDR Blog V3 (26 EUR) - Primary recommendation
- Standard Debian driver support
- DAB+ confirmed working on Volumio
- FM confirmed working
- Best value for plugin development
- Works perfectly with Raspberry Pi
-
NooElec NESDR SMArt XTR (40 EUR) - Premium alternative
- Extended filtering
- Excellent build quality
- All plugin features working
-
Avoid RTL-SDR Blog V4
- Requires driver compilation
- DAB+ issues confirmed
- Not suitable for Volumio use
Recommended Complete Setup: 76 EUR
- RTL-SDR Blog V3: 26 EUR
- Combined FM/DAB Antenna: 32 EUR
- Quality Cables: 18 EUR
This provides reliable testing capability for all plugin features on all Raspberry Pi models running Volumio.
Prices in EUR approximate, may vary by retailer and location
Based on Volumio 4.x (Debian 12 Bookworm)
Tested on Raspberry Pi 4, 5, CM4, CM5
Kind Regards,
