Table of Contents

Audio Troubleshooting

This section provides basic sound troubleshooting steps.

Ensure the CoreELEC Device is directly connected to the Sound Output Device (Amplifier, Receiver, Sound Bar, TV Speakers,…)

Team CoreELEC provides no support for daisy chained or defective hardware


Quickstart guide

Depending on the way the devices are connected in the media pool, adjustments to the audio settings and/or equipment may be required

The following table is intended as a guide. Further adjustments for particular hardware combinations may be required.

Kodi Settings PC Speakers (2.0) PC Speakers (5.1) TV TV (AC3)[1] AVR SPDIF (AC3/DTS)[2] AVR HDMI (no HD Audio)[3] AVR HDMI (HD Audio)[4]
Audio Output Device Speakers Speakers HDMI/SPDIF HDMI/SPDIF SPDIF HDMI HDMI
Number of channels 2.0 5.1 2.0 2.0 N/A 7.1 7.1
Output configuration Best Match Best Match Best Match Best Match Best Match Best Match Best Match
Stereo upmix Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled
Normalize levels on downmix Enabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled
Resample quality Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium
Keep audio device alive 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min
Enabled passthrough [5] Disabled Disabled Disabled Enabled Enabled Enabled Enabled
Passthrough output device [5] N/A N/A N/A HDMI/SPDIF SPDIF HDMI HDMI
Dolby Digital (AC3) capable receiver N/A N/A N/A Enabled Enabled Enabled Enabled
Enabled Dolby Digital transcoding N/A N/A N/A Enabled Disabled Disabled Disabled
DTS capable receiver N/A N/A N/A Disabled Enabled Enabled Enabled
TrueHD capable receiver N/A N/A N/A Disabled Disabled Disabled Enabled
DTS-HD capable receiver N/A N/A N/A Disabled Disabled Disabled Enabled
  1. Where TV can decode AC3.
  2. Where AVR only has SPDIF which will support AC3 & DTS.
  3. Where AVR has HDMI inputs but can't decode TrueHD or DTS-HD.
  4. Where AVR has full decode capabilities.
  5. If Sync playback to display is enabled, Passthrough is automatically disabled.

Supported Audio Formats for Passthrough

Audio Source
Audio Codec HD DVD Blu-ray Disc DVD-Video DVD-Audio Passthrough Setting
Channels (max) Max bit rate Sample rate (Max) Channels Max Max bit rate Sample rate (max) Channels (max) Max bit rate Sample rate (max) Channels (max) Max bit rate Sample rate (Max)
Dolby Digital (AC-3) 5.1 504 kbit/s 48 kHz / 16 bit 5.1 640 kbit/s 48 kHz / 16 bit 5.1 448 kbit/s 48 kHz / 16 bit 5.1 448 kbit/s 48 kHz / 16 bit Dolby Digital (AC3) capable receiver
Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3) 7.1 3 Mbit/s 48 kHz / 24 bit 7.1 1.7 Mbit/s 48 kHz / 24 bit N/A
DTS 5.1 (Core) 1536 kbit/s 48 kHz / 24 bit 5.1 (Core) 1536 kbit/s 48 kHz / 24 bit 6.1 768 kbit/s 48 kHz / 16 bit N/A DTS capable receiver
DTS 24/96 N/A 5.1 1536 kbit/s 96 kHz / 24 bit 5.1 1536 kbit/s 96 kHz / 24 bit
Linear PCM (LPCM) 7.1 27 Mbit/s 192 kHz / 24 bit 8.1 27 Mbit/s 192 kHz / 24 bit 5.1 6.1 Mbit/s 48 kHz / 16 bit 5.1 6.1 Mbit/s 96 kHz / 24 bit MultiChannel LPCM capable receiver
Dolby TrueHD 7.1 18 Mbit/s 192 kHz / 24 bit 7.1 18 Mbit/s 192 kHz / 24 bit N/A TrueHD capable receiver
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio (HRA) 7.1 6 Mbit/s 96 kHz / 24 bit 7.1 6 Mbit/s 96 kHz / 24 bit N/A DTS-HD capable receiver
DTS-HD Master Audio (MA) 5.1 18 Mbit/s 192 kHz / 24 bit 5.1 18 Mbit/s 192 kHz / 24 bit N/A
7.1 18 Mbit/s 96 kHz / 24 bit 7.1 18 Mbit/s 96 kHz / 24 bit N/A

For AAC 5.1 and 7.1 audio on 5.1 and 7.1 systems connected via HDMI, select HDMI Multi Channel PCM output, and set the corresponding Number of Channels


Verify Audio Settings


Check the hardware

Defective hardware can cause sound issues.

Make sure that the audio cable(s) work properly when connecting the TV Set Top Box or Speaker System. Try a different audio cable or try the audio cable in another device. Verify the connectors are in good working order (are they broken, bend, or damaged?).

Take a look at the audio ports and make sure there is no damage. When finding dust in the ports, use a brush to remove and try again.

When using Bluetooth audio, pay attention to unstable Bluetooth connections. Bluetooth connections can experience interference from other wireless signals.


Sound Check

AudioCheck hosts an extensive collection of sound tests, playable online and downloadable in high-quality.

Kodi Audio Settings

Most CoreELEC Media Center Settings are compatible with Kodi Settings and perform the same functions. Please consult the Kodi Wiki for reference.