Smart Home Automation Forum - KinCony AS

Very Low Volume even at MAX

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:23:27 +0800

I finally have it working with esphome. Unfortunately I'm unable to use it - or any local device - for a voice assistant. My host is too old without AVX to host Whisper. However I still have it working as a smart speaker able to play media and tts just fine (not easy!). However the volume is too low no matter what I do. I can hear it but barely. From the marketing pictures the speaker appears to be 8 ohm at 3W. I have a few Gen1 Amazon Dots and they appear to be only about 1.2W and are much much louder than the AS. Are there any hints to maximize the volume? I'm running the most current version of Esphome builder and Home Assistant as of the date of this post.

I've commented out volume_max as it is said the default is 100%, but I've tried many values with no improvement.

Thanks for any help

Martin

Here's the yaml

Code:
# Whisper addon cannot be started on the HP Microserver

# Voice Assistant will not work

# AVX instruction set required. Not avail on Turion II

# only Instructionsets: MMX, 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4A,

# AMD64, AMD-V (AMD Virtualization), and EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection).

esphome:

  name: as

  friendly_name: AS

  platformio_options:

    board_build.flash_mode: dio

  on_boot:

    - light.turn_on:

        id: led_ww

        blue: 100%

        brightness: 60%

        effect: fast pulse

esp32:

  board: esp32-s3-devkitc-1

  framework:

    type: esp-idf

    sdkconfig_options:

      CONFIG_ESP32S3_DEFAULT_CPU_FREQ_240: "y"

      CONFIG_ESP32S3_DATA_CACHE_64KB: "y"

      CONFIG_ESP32S3_DATA_CACHE_LINE_64B: "y"

      CONFIG_AUDIO_BOARD_CUSTOM: "y"

psram:

  mode: octal  # quad for N8R2 and octal for N16R8

  speed: 80MHz

# Enable logging

logger:

  hardware_uart: USB_SERIAL_JTAG

# Enable Home Assistant API

api:

  encryption:

    key: "TFpb+pBAvQIS1MVwaA7EoJ2DkpWE+79UvVro7yMyGdU="

ota:

  - platform: esphome

    password: "******************"

wifi:

  ssid: "wifi"

  password: "***************************"

  fast_connect: True

  manual_ip:

    static_ip: 192.168.55.127 #WiFi

    gateway: 192.168.55.1

    subnet: 255.255.255.0

    dns1: 192.168.55.1

  # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails

  ap:

    ssid: "Esp32-S3-Wake-Word"

    password: "*************"

captive_portal:

button:

  - platform: restart

    name: "Restart"

    id: but_rest

light:

  - platform: esp32_rmt_led_strip

    id: led_ww

    rgb_order: GRB

    pin: GPIO16

    num_leds: 1

    chipset: ws2812

    name: "on board light"

    effects:

      - pulse:

      - pulse:

          name: "Fast Pulse"

          transition_length: 0.5s

          update_interval: 0.5s

          min_brightness: 0%

          max_brightness: 100%

i2s_audio:

  - id: i2s_output

    i2s_lrclk_pin: GPIO6  #LRC

    i2s_bclk_pin: GPIO7 #BLCK

speaker:

  - platform: i2s_audio

    id: i2s_audio_speaker

    dac_type: external

    sample_rate: 48000

    i2s_dout_pin:

      number: GPIO8

    bits_per_sample: 32bit

    i2s_audio_id: i2s_output

    timeout: never

    buffer_duration: 100ms

    channel: mono

    # sample_rate: 16000

    # bits_per_sample: 32bit

  # Virtual speakers to combine the announcement and media streams together into one output

  - platform: mixer

    id: mixing_speaker

    output_speaker: i2s_audio_speaker

    # num_channels: 2

    num_channels: 1

    source_speakers:

      - id: announcement_mixing_input

        timeout: never

      - id: media_mixing_input

        timeout: never

  # Vritual speakers to resample each pipelines' audio, if necessary, as the mixer speaker requires the same sample rate

  - platform: resampler

    id: announcement_resampling_speaker

    output_speaker: announcement_mixing_input

    sample_rate: 48000

    bits_per_sample: 16

  - platform: resampler

    id: media_resampling_speaker

    output_speaker: media_mixing_input

    sample_rate: 48000

    bits_per_sample: 16

media_player:

  - platform: speaker

    id: external_media_player

    name: Media Player

    internal: False

    volume_increment: 0.05

    volume_min: 0.4

#    volume_max: 0.85 # when amp gain connected to ground. Avoids cutting out.

    icon: mdi:speaker-wireless

    announcement_pipeline:

      speaker: announcement_resampling_speaker

      format: FLAC    # FLAC is the least processor intensive codec

      num_channels: 1  # Stereo audio is unnecessary for announcements

      sample_rate: 48000

    media_pipeline:

      speaker: media_resampling_speaker

      format: FLAC    # FLAC is the least processor intensive codec

      # num_channels: 2

      num_channels: 1

      sample_rate: 48000

    on_announcement:

      - mixer_speaker.apply_ducking:

          id: media_mixing_input

          decibel_reduction: 20

          duration: 0.0s

Pinout od AS Voice Assistant P1 and P2???

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:19:10 +0800

Hi, I am trying to add onto the Kincony AS Voice assistant (hardware) and I cannot find the pinout of the P1 and P2 "connectors" (are they set up for 433mhx transmitter and receiver?)

I have looked everywhere and cannot find any info.

could you please let me know (and add the info to the product web page for others??) what the pins on these "ports" do and what GPIO they area attached to???

a graphic with all of the solder pads labelled would be most helpful......

PXL_20251207_021252078~2.jpg (Size: 858.66 KB / Downloads: 156)

Kincony AS

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 13:22:47 +0800

I had a problem installing the YAML file for Kincony AS, as the line rmt_channel: 0 in the YAML file flagged red; every effort to identify it failed. I then removed rmt_channel: 0 and was to install it in ESPHome. The device was discovered and I followed the instruction to complete the configuration. The device doesn't turn to listening after I say 'hey jarvis'. It remains idle. What could caused this? See attachedpicture

Kincony AS-idle.png (Size: 149.27 KB / Downloads: 450)

KC868 server16 and GSM module

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:46:51 +0800

My KC868 server16 has a GSM module. How do I use the GSM module in server16 to do sms and calls

Question:AS. Improving AI Voice for Medication Management System on ESP32 S3

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 07:45:18 +0800

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently bought an AI assistant product and watched a YouTube video about it. However, I’m not satisfied with the AI’s voice in the video. I want the voice to be more efficient and soothing for a medication management system I’m working on. My plan is to integrate this AI into a medication box where it will help remind users to take their medication.

I know it’s challenging to make it sound like Alexa, but I want it to be clear, effective, and user-friendly. How can I improve the code to make the voice sound better and more suitable for this purpose?

Also, I’m wondering if there’s a way to integrate machine learning into this system to make it smarter over time. I’m a beginner and still have a lot to learn, so any help would be appreciated.

The AI assistant I’m using is based on the ESP32 S3 Wroom 1U. Would it be possible to switch to a Raspberry Pi 4instead? If so, how would I go about doing that? I like the ESP32 because it has an SD card, microphone, speaker, and I2S, which are all useful for my project. But I’m unsure of what to do next.

OR is there a solution easy one I didn't see?
Please help!

ESPhome builder 2025.2

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 22:09:20 +0800

After updating ESPhome builder in HA. The device can no longer be updated. Something goes wrong with LED.

INFO ESPHome 2025.2.0
INFO Reading configuration /config/esphome/as.yaml...
INFO Updating https://github.com/esphome/esphome.git@pull/7672/head
Failed config

light.esp32_rmt_led_strip: [source /config/esphome/as.yaml:133]
platform: esp32_rmt_led_strip
id: led_ww
rgb_order: GRB
pin: GPIO15
num_leds: 3

This feature is not available for the IDF framework version 5.
rmt_channel: 0
chipset: ws2812
name: On Board Light 1
effects:
- addressable_color_wipe:
name: Startup Pulse
colors:

The device is working only new device can not be intergradet in HA

Not showing up as Assist satellite target in automations

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:30:03 +0800

I am trying to create an automation that makes an announcement at a certain time, but it does not shoe up as a target. How do I fix this? HAOS 2024.12.5 .

AS voice assistant - Home Assistant - cannot install faster-whisper

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 07:19:15 +0800

Hi,
I have a new AS voice assistant, and am attempting to install it on Home Assistant (running on an 64 bit x86 under a bunch of Linux in virtualbox VM)

While attempting to install faster-whisper I continuously get installation errors, and faster whisper will not install.

--------error log from HA---------
Logger: homeassistant.util.package
Source: util/package.py:152
First occurred: 5:15:01 PM (3 occurrences)
Last logged: 5:15:04 PM

Unable to install package wyoming-faster-whisper==1.0.1: × No solution found when resolving dependencies: ╰─▶ Because only the following versions of ctranslate2 are available: ctranslate2<=3.17.0 ctranslate2==3.17.1 ctranslate2==3.18.0 ctranslate2==3.19.0 ctranslate2==3.20.0 ctranslate2==3.21.0 ctranslate2==3.22.0 ctranslate2==3.23.0 ctranslate2==3.24.0 ctranslate2>4 and ctranslate2>=3.17.0,<=3.24.0 has no wheels with a matching Python ABI tag, we can conclude that ctranslate2>=3.17.0,<3.17.1 cannot be used. And because wyoming-faster-whisper==1.0.1 depends on ctranslate2>=3.17,<4 and you require wyoming-faster-whisper==1.0.1, we can conclude that your requirements are unsatisfiable.
---------END ERROR LOG------

My question is, is there a workaround (already checked faster whisper GitHub for any solutions none there, and this issue has been around since 2023) or can another piece of software be substituted for faster whisper?

Thanks in advance....?

Just Arrived: Annoying Buzz

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:35 +0800

Hello,

I was excited to receive my Kincony AS speaker. But when I plug in the USB cable the speaker makes an loud "Buzz".
What is wrong? What can I do to fix it? This is not normal.

Thanks.

One input switch - turn on lights one after other

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 05:49:07 +0800

Hi,
I use A8S v2 for controlling my lights at home.
I have 1 pushbutton at Digital-Input-D1 and i want to controll my lights in this order:
-1st press turn ON K1+K2 ,
-2nd press turn OFF K1
-3rd press turn ON K1 + TURN OFF K2
-4th press turn OFF K1+K2
....then repeat.

Is is possible from IFTTT Settings ?

first time to use KinCony AS

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 14:44:13 +0800

Some user asked us why first time received new KinCony AS power on will have buzzing sound from speaker.

Don't worry, because our test firmware inside. First time you use config by esphome, download by USB cable, Then you can use it.
here is esphome yaml: https://www.kincony.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6890

change wake up name

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:29:42 +0800

Hi
How do I change wake up name Hey Jarvis to a different name I want , I do not have the option like in your video as shown below..

Screenshot_13-12-2024_141647_homeassistant.local.jpeg (Size: 99.76 KB / Downloads: 662)

Speaker Not Working

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:39:25 +0800

Hello guys, I’ve spent a week trying to solve the following problem: the speaker doesn’t work in any way. I’ve tried many methods to get it working, such as reinstalling the software, reinstalling Home Assistant, and reinstalling everything from scratch. The voice activation command “Hey Jarvis” works, but the response is not heard through the speaker. I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong or if the speaker is simply faulty. I’m attaching screenshots and a video showing how I have everything set up. I hope you can help me. Thank you.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3dvJ8tbW9W8
VIDEO2: https://youtu.be/EIVSB3mJAF8

Let me know if you need more information or anything else.

logs_jarvis2_compile.txt (Size: 143.54 KB / Downloads: 483)

jarvis.yaml.txt (Size: 3.98 KB / Downloads: 385)

voice assistant supported languages list in home assistant

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 07:39:07 +0800

https://developers.home-assistant.io/doc...languages/

how to use AS ESP32-S3 voice assistant in home assistant

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 09:46:40 +0800

Set Up Voice Assist Pipeline

To set up voice assistant, we would need two components to create the Voice Assist pipeline in Home Assistant.

Whisper: For speech-to-text
Piper: For text-to-speech

1: Whisper Addon
2: Piper Addon
3: And finally the entire Voice Assist pipeline.

  addon.png (Size: 102.85 KB / Downloads: 2832)
You don't need to set up the Wake Word addon, as we will use the on-device Wake Word detection with the Micro Wake Word framework
So make sure to watch it and set up the Voice Assist pipeline

  voice-assistant-1.png (Size: 100.86 KB / Downloads: 2725)

  voice-assistant-2.png (Size: 99.13 KB / Downloads: 2716)

  voice-assistant-3.png (Size: 108.74 KB / Downloads: 2742)
ESPHome - add device - create new device called AS:

  esphome-add-device-AS.png (Size: 87.01 KB / Downloads: 2705)
copy and paste KinCony AS yaml file:
  esphome-add-device-yaml.png (Size: 89.89 KB / Downloads: 2704)

Code:
esphome:

  name: as

  friendly_name: AS

  platformio_options:

    board_build.flash_mode: dio

  on_boot:

    - light.turn_on:

        id: led_ww

        blue: 100%

        brightness: 60%

        effect: fast pulse

esp32:

  board: esp32-s3-devkitc-1

  framework:

    type: esp-idf

    sdkconfig_options:

      CONFIG_ESP32S3_DEFAULT_CPU_FREQ_240: "y"

      CONFIG_ESP32S3_DATA_CACHE_64KB: "y"

      CONFIG_ESP32S3_DATA_CACHE_LINE_64B: "y"

      CONFIG_AUDIO_BOARD_CUSTOM: "y"

psram:

  mode: octal  # quad for N8R2 and octal for N16R8

  speed: 80MHz

# Enable logging

logger:

  hardware_uart: USB_SERIAL_JTAG

# Enable Home Assistant API

api:

  encryption:

    key: "TFpb+pBAvQIS1MVwaA7EoJ2DkpWE+79UvVro7yMyGdU="

  on_client_connected:

        then:

          - delay: 50ms

          - light.turn_off: led_ww

          - micro_wake_word.start:

  on_client_disconnected:

        then:

          - voice_assistant.stop: 

ota:

  - platform: esphome

    password: "1245211a05eef56614a2ef5a3f3e971c"

wifi:

  ssid: "KinCony"

  password: "a12345678"

  # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails

  ap:

    ssid: "Esp32-S3-Wake-Word"

    password: "LJfUrdJk3svP"

captive_portal:

button:

  - platform: restart

    name: "Restart"

    id: but_rest

switch:

  - platform: template

    id: mute

    name: mute

    optimistic: true

    on_turn_on: 

      - micro_wake_word.stop:

      - voice_assistant.stop:

      - light.turn_on:

          id: led_ww           

          red: 100%

          green: 0%

          blue: 0%

          brightness: 60%

          effect: fast pulse 

      - delay: 2s

      - light.turn_off:

          id: led_ww

      - light.turn_on:

          id: led_ww           

          red: 100%

          green: 0%

          blue: 0%

          brightness: 30%

    on_turn_off:

      - micro_wake_word.start:

      - light.turn_on:

          id: led_ww           

          red: 0%

          green: 100%

          blue: 0%

          brightness: 60%

          effect: fast pulse 

      - delay: 2s

      - light.turn_off:

          id: led_ww 

light:

  - platform: esp32_rmt_led_strip

    id: led_ww

    rgb_order: GRB

    pin: GPIO16

    num_leds: 1

    rmt_channel: 0

    chipset: ws2812

    name: "on board light"

    effects:

      - pulse:

      - pulse:

          name: "Fast Pulse"

          transition_length: 0.5s

          update_interval: 0.5s

          min_brightness: 0%

          max_brightness: 100%

 # Audio and Voice Assistant Config          

i2s_audio:

  - id: i2s_in

    i2s_lrclk_pin: GPIO3  #WS 

    i2s_bclk_pin: GPIO2 #SCK

  - id: i2s_speaker

    i2s_lrclk_pin: GPIO6  #LRC 

    i2s_bclk_pin: GPIO7 #BLCK

microphone:

  - platform: i2s_audio

    id: va_mic

    adc_type: external

    i2s_din_pin: GPIO4 #SD pin on the INMP441

    channel: left

    pdm: false

    i2s_audio_id: i2s_in

    bits_per_sample: 32 bit

speaker:

    platform: i2s_audio

    id: va_speaker

    i2s_audio_id: i2s_speaker

    dac_type: external

    i2s_dout_pin: GPIO8   #  DIN Pin of the MAX98357A Audio Amplifier

    channel: mono

micro_wake_word:

  on_wake_word_detected:

    # then:

    - voice_assistant.start:

        wake_word: !lambda return wake_word;

    - light.turn_on:

        id: led_ww           

        red: 30%

        green: 30%

        blue: 70%

        brightness: 60%

        effect: fast pulse 

  models:

    - model: hey_jarvis

voice_assistant:

  id: va

  microphone: va_mic

  noise_suppression_level: 2.0

  volume_multiplier: 4.0

  speaker: va_speaker

  on_stt_end:

       then: 

         - light.turn_off: led_ww

  on_error:

          - micro_wake_word.start:  

  on_end:

        then:

          - light.turn_off: led_ww

          - wait_until:

              not:

                voice_assistant.is_running:

          - micro_wake_word.start:

Note: replace wifi router's ssid and password by yourself.
yaml file download from: https://www.kincony.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6890
now connect AS to your Server16's USB port (raspberry pi or your own server)

  AS-USB-Server16.jpg (Size: 176.96 KB / Downloads: 2688)
click right top windows "install" button, then will show you install way, chose "Plug into the computer running ESPHome Dashboard" item

  esphome-download-firmware-1.png (Size: 130.1 KB / Downloads: 2730)
click "USB=JTAG" option that detected.

  esphome-download-firmware-2.png (Size: 112.53 KB / Downloads: 2722)
ESPHome begin compile and download firmware:

  esphome-download-firmware-3.png (Size: 127.27 KB / Downloads: 2716)
now you will find the AS device discovered on "setting" - "device webpage". Just click "CONFIGURE" button, assign a room to the device.

  voice-assistant-ready.png (Size: 153.65 KB / Downloads: 2710)
AS is ready.

  voice-assistant-listen.png (Size: 66.69 KB / Downloads: 2590)
if you speak "hey jarvis" command, voice assistant will show "listening", then you can say, such as "turn on light", "turn off light". just say the name of your device.