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Enable HiFiBerry DAC+ on Argon V3 with moOde Audio OS (Raspberry Pi 5)

Updated

Category: Setup Guide

Products: Argon V3

Platform: Raspberry Pi 5

Operating System: moOde Audio OS

Keywords: Argon V3 DAC, Argon V3 HiFiBerry DAC, Argon V3 audio, Argon V3 no audio, V3 DAC setup, V3 HiFiBerry DAC, HiFiBerry DAC+, HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro, moOde Audio OS, moOde DAC, Raspberry Pi 5 DAC, Raspberry Pi 5 audio, I2S audio, I²S Audio Device, dtoverlay, hifiberry-dacplus, hifiberry-dacplus-std, hifiberry-dacplus-pro, aplay, ALSA, no sound, audio output

Overview

This guide explains how to enable and configure the HiFiBerry DAC+ on the Argon V3 when using moOde Audio OS with a Raspberry Pi 5.

moOde Audio OS supports automatic configuration of many DACs through its web interface. If the HiFiBerry DAC+ is not detected or there is no audio output, you can manually configure the required Device Tree Overlay.

Before You Begin

Before starting:

  • Power off your Raspberry Pi 5.
  • Install the HiFiBerry DAC+ onto the Argon V3.
  • Power on the Raspberry Pi running moOde Audio OS.
  • Ensure the Raspberry Pi is connected to your network using Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

Step 1 – Connect to moOde

You can configure the system using either the moOde web interface or SSH.

Web Interface

Open a web browser and go to:

http://<MOODE_IP>/

Replace <MOODE_IP> with the IP address of your Raspberry Pi.

SSH

Connect using SSH:

ssh root@<MOODE_IP>

Step 2 – Locate the Configuration File

Determine which configuration file your installation uses:

ls -l /boot/config.txt /boot/firmware/config.txt

Step 3 – Remount the Boot Partition as Writable

Run one of the following commands:

mount -o remount,rw /boot

or

mount -o remount,rw /boot/firmware

Step 4 – Edit the Configuration File

Open the appropriate configuration file:

nano /boot/config.txt

or

nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

For a HiFiBerry DAC+ Standard, add:

dtparam=i2s=on
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std

For a HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro, add:

dtparam=i2s=on
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-pro

If you experience distorted audio, use the slave variant:

Standard DAC:

dtparam=i2s=on
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std,slave

DAC+ Pro:

dtparam=i2s=on
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-pro,slave

Step 5 – Save the Changes

Save the file:

  • Press Ctrl + O
  • Press Enter
  • Press Ctrl + X

Step 6 – Reboot

Restart the Raspberry Pi:

reboot

Step 7 – Verify That the DAC Is Detected

After rebooting, verify that the operating system has detected the DAC.

List available audio devices:

aplay -l

Display ALSA sound cards:

cat /proc/asound/cards

Check the kernel log:

dmesg | grep -i hifiberry

If the HiFiBerry DAC+ appears in the output, it has been detected successfully.

Step 8 – Configure Audio Output in moOde

  1. Open the moOde web interface.
http://<MOODE_IP>/
  1. Navigate to:

Menu → Configure → Audio

  1. Under I²S Audio Device, select:

HiFiBerry DAC+

  1. Save the settings.
  2. Reboot the Raspberry Pi if prompted.

How moOde Configures the DAC

When you select HiFiBerry DAC+ from:

Menu → Configure → Audio → I²S Audio Device

moOde automatically updates the Raspberry Pi configuration file with the required Device Tree Overlay.

For a standard HiFiBerry DAC+, moOde typically adds:

dtparam=i2s=on
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus

For a HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro:

dtparam=i2s=on
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-pro

On the Raspberry Pi 5, improved compatibility may require replacing the standard overlay with:

dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std

or

dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std,slave

if audio distortion occurs.

Verify That moOde Applied the Configuration

Connect using SSH and run:

grep hifiberry /boot/config.txt

or, on Raspberry Pi 5 systems:

grep hifiberry /boot/firmware/config.txt

If the HiFiBerry overlay is displayed, moOde has successfully updated the configuration.

Troubleshooting

If the DAC is not detected or there is no audio output:

  • Verify that the HiFiBerry DAC+ is fully seated.
  • Confirm that the correct Device Tree Overlay has been added.
  • Try using dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std.
  • If audio is distorted, use the ,slave variant.
  • Re-select HiFiBerry DAC+ from the moOde web interface and reboot.
  • Verify detection using:
    • aplay -l
    • cat /proc/asound/cards
    • dmesg | grep -i hifiberry

Frequently Asked Questions

My Argon V3 has no audio. What should I check?

Verify that HiFiBerry DAC+ is selected under Menu → Configure → Audio → I²S Audio Device, then confirm that the correct Device Tree Overlay has been added to the Raspberry Pi configuration file.

Which Device Tree Overlay should I use on Raspberry Pi 5?

For most Raspberry Pi 5 systems using the Argon V3, use:

dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std

If you experience distorted audio, use:

dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus-std,slave

How do I know if the DAC is detected?

Run:

aplay -l

or

cat /proc/asound/cards

If the HiFiBerry DAC+ appears in the output, the Raspberry Pi has successfully detected the audio device.

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