# MusicBox not playing via HifiBerry Digi

**URL:** <https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413>\
**Category:** Pi MusicBox (archive)\
**Created:** [December 10, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413 "2014-12-10T22:55:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Frank\_v\_son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Frank\_v\_son](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/Frank_v_son)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/1 "2014-12-10T22:55:44Z")

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Hi all,

Got a model B RaspberryPi running Musicbox (0.5.1), but I cannot get it to output via the HifiBerry Digi.  
I am quite new with this, so looking for your input to determine the rootcause.

The config file is set to: output = hifiberry\_digi  
However it is still (and only) outputting via the analog output. From the manual I understand that setting the default output should override the automatic detection, but should setting it to i2S also disable the analog output?

On the HifiBerry Digi the green LED is lit, but the optical output is not lit. On the RCA there is also no audio output. (I tried two different hifiberry digi boards and triple checked the soldering of the header)

Previously I did not have any issues getting a Hifiberry DAC working, but ran out of ideas and knowledge to solve this problem.

Thanks for your help in prior!

Best regards,  
Frank

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**Author:** ![tilojandt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.mopidy.com/tilojandt/32/64_2.png) [@tilojandt](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/tilojandt)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/2 "2014-12-16T22:00:08Z")

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Same for me … after fresh install i have no sound via hifiberry digi.

aplay -l shows:  
\*\*\*\* List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices \*\*\*\*  
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 0: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA]  
Subdevices: 8/8  
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0  
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1  
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2  
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3  
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4  
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5  
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6  
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7  
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 1: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI]  
Subdevices: 1/1  
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0  
card 1: sndrpihifiberry [snd\_rpi\_hifiberry\_digi], device 0: HifiBerry Digi HiFi wm8804-spdif-0 []  
Subdevices: 0/1  
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

If I change my /etc/asound.conf from card 0 to card 1 like:  
pcm.!default {  
type hw  
card 1  
}  
ctl.!default {  
type hw  
card 1  
}

everything is fine.

But /etc/asound.conf is overwritten after every reboot … how could I do this change permanently?

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**Author:** ![Alan\_Bollington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@Alan\_Bollington](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/Alan_Bollington)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/3 "2014-12-20T16:59:27Z")

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I tried tilojandt’s solution and it works. However, he’s correct that asound.conf is reset on reboot. I’m using 0.5.2.

Any suggestions?

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**Author:** ![kingosticks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/858c86/32.png) [@kingosticks](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/kingosticks)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/4 "2014-12-20T17:41:31Z")

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Hack the [setsound.sh](http://setsound.sh) file (or whatever it’s called, in /opt/musicbox) to  
not overwrite your asound.conf file. Obviously this isn’t a practical fix  
for musicbox but it’ll keep your system working in the meantime.

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**Author:** ![Alan\_Bollington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@Alan\_Bollington](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/Alan_Bollington)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 2:18pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/5 "2014-12-21T14:18:39Z")

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Thanks kingosticks. That seems to fix it for now. Hopefully it will be sorted in 0.5.3. Or is it a problem for HiFiBerry? or Raspbian?

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**Author:** ![Moscher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@Moscher](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/Moscher)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/6 "2014-12-27T18:52:52Z")

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I have the Same configuration with the Same problem.  
I tried to modify the asound.conf like tilojandt did. But i get no sound out of it. Need i restart the sound Module or something else? If yes… What is the command?  
ThX & Greets

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**Author:** ![tilojandt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.mopidy.com/tilojandt/32/64_2.png) [@tilojandt](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/tilojandt)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 10:37am UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/7 "2015-01-04T10:37:29Z")

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Yes you have to reload the Alsa configuration: alsa force-reload

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**Author:** ![Moscher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@Moscher](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/Moscher)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/8 "2015-01-04T15:40:26Z")

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ThX, for the Tip. now its working very fine via optic cable. Is 44.1khz the maximum, or is there a way to set it higher?

Greets

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**Author:** ![Quintijn\_Hoogenboom](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.mopidy.com/quintijn_hoogenboom/32/1068_2.png) [@Quintijn\_Hoogenboom](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/Quintijn_Hoogenboom)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/9 "2019-01-12T18:22:22Z")

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Hi, I jump in here. I am new to musicbox, and cannot get the hifiberry\_digi soundcard working. My settings are as above. Until this point.

In several logfiles, there are errors showing up, but I do not know where to start.

In general, is there a logfile on the musicbox/rapsberry pi, where the different listings (as shown above) are kept, so I can use them in posts like this?

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**Author:** ![kingosticks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/858c86/32.png) [@kingosticks](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/kingosticks)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/10 "2019-01-14T16:04:13Z")

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No, please start a new thread since this one is from 2014. You will find info about log files at [http://docs.pimusicbox.com/en/latest/troubleshooting/](http://docs.pimusicbox.com/en/latest/troubleshooting/)

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**Author:** ![Quintijn\_Hoogenboom](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.mopidy.com/quintijn_hoogenboom/32/1068_2.png) [@Quintijn\_Hoogenboom](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/Quintijn_Hoogenboom)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/11 "2019-01-14T16:34:12Z")

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I will do so, Thanks Nick/Kingosticks, Greetings, Quintijn

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**Author:** ![jodal](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.mopidy.com/jodal/32/2564_2.png) [@jodal](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/jodal)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 11:47am UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/musicbox-not-playing-via-hifiberry-digi/413/12 "2026-02-19T11:47:00Z")

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