i found this to work: pacmd list-sinks then just use the index: value for the device in paplay index: 0 is my builtin index: 13 is my hdmi and these command seem to put the output to the expected device: paplay -d 0 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav paplay -d 13 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav -- gsker at skerbitz.org On Sun, 19 Apr 2020, gregrwm wrote: > how do i use either aplay or paplay and specify a device? aplay fails because pulseaudio hogs the devices? and paplay and it's > manpage and help are no help trying to learn how to specify the desired device: > > $ aplay -DS7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav > ALSA lib pcm.c:2642:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM S7 > aplay: main:830: audio open error: No such file or directory > $ aplay -Dhw:S7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav > aplay: main:830: audio open error: Device or resource busy > $ paplay -dhw:S7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav > Stream error: Invalid argument > $ paplay -dS7 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav > Stream error: No such entity > $ paplay -l > paplay: invalid option -- 'l' > $ paplay -L > paplay: invalid option -- 'L' > $ cat /etc/lsb-release > DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu > DISTRIB_RELEASE=20.04 > DISTRIB_CODENAME=focal > DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu Focal Fossa (development branch)" > $ dpkg-query -W alsa-utils > alsa-utils 1.2.2-1ubuntu1 > $ dpkg-query -W pulseaudio-utils > pulseaudio-utils 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu2 > >