Improve audio components by adding standardized configuration of external DAC with integrated PGA (Programmable Gain Amplifier) as part of this voicekit project?

[Hedda]

Have you considered improving voice-kit project by adding standardized volume control configuration for all external DACs with PGA?

• Volume parameter in the speaker component feature-requests#2619

Specifically a standard for ESPHome config to the controlling of digital volume control for DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) with integrated PGA (Programmable Gain Amplifier) using I2C commands. Also ability to get the current volume. Not only volume control for the voice assistant but also for media player when playing music. Guessing that some volume_multiplier functions/features or similar need to be added to both i2s audio speaker and i2c media player as a start?

• https://esphome.io/components/speaker/i2s_audio
• https://esphome.io/components/media_player/i2s_audio

External DAC with integrated PGA (Programmable Gain Amplifier) like example these Class-D amplifier (a.k.a. digital switching amplifier) hardware examples which ESPHome users already requested that need support for speaker volume control over i2c:

• ES8388
  • ES8388 component esphome#6956
    • Also used on in the Raspiaudio Muse Luxe (ESP MUSE) and the Raspiaudio Radio.
• MAX9744
  • https://www.analog.com/en/products/max9744.html
    • Also used on Adafruit's Stereo 20W Class D Audio Amplifier development board.
• TAS5805M (TAS5805MPWP/TAS5805MPWPR) DAC
  • https://www.ti.com/product/TAS5805M
• DS4420
  • https://www.analog.com/en/products/ds4420.html
• ES9038Q2M
  • https://www.esstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ES9038Q2M-Datasheet-v1.4.pdf

For more examples of DACs with integrated PGA suggest also check out these pages:

• https://www.analog.com/en/product-category/programmable-gain-amplifiers.html#products-in-category
• https://www.ti.com/amplifier-circuit/pga-vga/overview.html
• https://www.esstech.com/products-overview/digital-to-analog-converters/sabre-audiophile-dacs/

FYI, here are some requests, PRs, and projects/use-cases that requested related to i2c audio configurations for DAC in ESPHome:

• enhancement's speaker component  esphome#7137 by @nielsnl68
• Move I2S config settings the the base i2sAudio files. Phase 1 esphome#7183 by @nielsnl68
• [i2s_audio] Add more options to speakers and microphones esphome#7306 by @pyos
• Support I2C Volume control for MAX9744 amplifier feature-requests#1813
• Support for audio volume controllers like DS4420 in media_player feature-requests#1751
• ES8388 component esphome#6956
• Volume parameter in the speaker component feature-requests#2619
• TAS5805M support feature-requests#2666
  • https://github.com/HA-TB303/ESPHome-Louder-ESP32
    • https://www.espthings.io/louder-esp32
    • https://github.com/sonocotta/esp32-tas5805m-dac/
    • https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yzx_xf33BAk
  • Support for MAX4908-MAX4932 analog audio switcher chips in media_player feature-requests#1750
• Port i2s_audio to idf framework feature-requests#1864
• update ESP32-audioI2S library esphome#6062
• DF-Player mini - add get Volume feature-requests#2574
• Internal I2S DAC media player imporvements feature-requests#1874
• Media player volume up/down step size feature-requests#1898
• Add support for 24/32-bit audio, ES9038Q2M DAC feature-requests#1875
• https://github.com/krzychb/dac-cosine
• Be able to mute a media_player feature-requests#2125
• Set tone with ESP32_audioI2S library's built-in EQ esphome#5515
• update ESP32-audioI2S library esphome#6062

PS: Some of those mentioned DACs also offer controls for advanced features such as enable or disable audio inputs/outputs, and more.

PPS: Off-topic; there is btw also a request for USB UAC ( UAC 2.0 / UAC-2 ) USB Host Audio Driver support as well, which XMOS can do:

• USB UAC Support feature-requests#2842
  • https://github.com/esp-arduino-libs/ESP32_USB_Stream/
  • https://components.espressif.com/components/espressif/usb_host_uac/versions/1.0.0
• https://www.xmos.com/software/usb-audio/driver-support/