Bug 203381

Summary: ESI Gigaport HD+ | configure number of channels
Product: Drivers Reporter: Nicolas B (estro)
Component: Sound(ALSA)Assignee: Jaroslav Kysela (perex)
Status: NEW ---    
Severity: normal CC: estro, tiwai
Priority: P1    
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Kernel Version: 4.4.9 rt17-x64 Subsystem:
Regression: No Bisected commit-id:
Attachments: an RAR file of all files under /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:15.0/usb1/1-8/1-8.1
"lsusb" output
"alsa-info.sh" output
"alsa-info.sh" output

Description Nicolas B 2019-04-22 12:57:35 UTC
Created attachment 282451 [details]
an RAR file of all files under /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:15.0/usb1/1-8/1-8.1

This DAC has 8 channels and is 24/96 capable (if using 2 channels) but under 7.1, it is limited at 16/44.
https://www.esi-audio.com/products/gigaporthd+/
 

As I understand it, there is no specific Linux driver for this DAC as opposed to Windows for which a simple configuration tool is available.
In Windows, you can set the number of channels.  When setting to 2 channel stereo, you get 24/96.
 
Due to a lack of a linux driver, the DAC is always set to 8 channels so limited to 16/44.  Hence, any FLAC above red book CD, like 24/96 for instance, are rendered at 16/44 which is frustrating for the HiFi community as folks that rely on this DAC do it for it’s exceptional acoustic quality and could not care less for the other 6 channels if it means downsampling.
Comment 1 Nicolas B 2019-04-22 13:16:46 UTC
Here is a link to a community of audiophiles hoping for this to be solved:
https://www.lejonklou.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4288&start=25
Comment 2 Nicolas B 2019-06-19 00:43:38 UTC
Any follow-up on this?
Comment 3 Nicolas B 2019-06-19 00:44:57 UTC
perex@perex.ca
Comment 4 Takashi Iwai 2019-06-19 06:00:18 UTC
Please give rather lsusb -v output.  Also give the output of alsa-info.sh.  Run the script with --no-upload option and attach to Bugzilla.
Comment 5 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 14:38:43 UTC
Created attachment 283365 [details]
"lsusb" output
Comment 6 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 14:39:48 UTC
Created attachment 283367 [details]
"alsa-info.sh" output
Comment 7 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 14:44:31 UTC
Created attachment 283369 [details]
"alsa-info.sh" output

The script was ran while playing a stereo 24/96 FLAC
Comment 8 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 14:45:32 UTC
(In reply to Takashi Iwai from comment #4)
> Please give rather lsusb -v output.  Also give the output of alsa-info.sh. 
> Run the script with --no-upload option and attach to Bugzilla.

done!
Comment 9 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 14:50:59 UTC
(In reply to Takashi Iwai from comment #4)
> Please give rather lsusb -v output.  Also give the output of alsa-info.sh. 
> Run the script with --no-upload option and attach to Bugzilla

Sorry, I hope I did not flood Bugzilla as I did not use the --no-upload option but instead, answered "No" when asked if I wanted to upload.

Don't want to be a PITA.

Nicolas
Comment 10 Takashi Iwai 2019-06-21 15:00:18 UTC
(In reply to Nicolas B from comment #9)
> Sorry, I hope I did not flood Bugzilla as I did not use the --no-upload
> option but instead, answered "No" when asked if I wanted to upload.
> 
> Don't want to be a PITA.

No problem, that's exactly the same behavior as --no-upload :)

Now I took a quick glance on the given lsusb output, and I see only the definition for 8 channels.  That is, the two channel behavior isn't described in the standard USB descriptor, and it must be a completely vendor-specific implementation.

So, unless this information is given from the hardware vendor, the only way would be to reverse-engineering / snooping the USB protocol Windows driver speaks, unfortunately.
But it's above my hands and out of scope of the bugzilla entry here...
Comment 11 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 15:35:46 UTC
Thank you for your quick answer.

So If I get it properly, the solution is to write to ESI-Audio and ask or beg for them to develp a driver?

Nicolas
Comment 12 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 16:08:52 UTC
I just wrote at ESI-Audio and asked them to do something.

I also asked the Hakai community to write as well.

Thanks for your time.
Comment 13 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 16:19:48 UTC
I found this in the ESI-Audio knowledge bae:

_________________________________________
Can I use GIGAPORT HD/HD+ under Linux?

Yes. GIGAPORT HD and GIGAPORT HD+ are supported by the current version of the ALSA driver package via the USB audio module. ALSA is part of most common Linux distributions. Please note that the driver has not been developed by us and there are many different Linux variants and possible system configurations, so we cannot provide technical support for this. Please refer to the common online forums and discussion groups regarding audio under Linux and ALSA.
------------------------------------------

Can you please confirm the driver development has to come from ESI-Audio?

Nicolas
Comment 14 Nicolas B 2019-06-21 16:25:32 UTC
https://kb.esi-audio.com/?goto=KB00190EN