diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/meson.build b/spa/plugins/alsa/meson.build
index 058413987..12bb5b9f4 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/meson.build
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/meson.build
@@ -34,13 +34,18 @@ executable('spa-acp-tool',
   install : true,
 )
 
-
 executable('test-timer',
   [ 'test-timer.c' ],
   dependencies : [ spa_dep, alsa_dep, mathlib, epoll_shim_dep ],
   install : false,
 )
 
+executable('test-hw-params',
+  [ 'test-hw-params.c' ],
+  dependencies : [ spa_dep, alsa_dep, mathlib ],
+  install : false,
+)
+
 if libudev_dep.found()
   install_data(alsa_udevrules,
     install_dir : udevrulesdir,
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/test-hw-params.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/test-hw-params.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4db024f81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/test-hw-params.c
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/* Spa
+ *
+ * Copyright © 2022 Wim Taymans
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+ * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
+ * to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+ * the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+ * and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+ * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice (including the next
+ * paragraph) shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the
+ * Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+ * DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <math.h>
+
+#include <alsa/asoundlib.h>
+
+#include <spa/utils/defs.h>
+
+#define DEFAULT_DEVICE	"default"
+
+
+struct state {
+	const char *device;
+	snd_output_t *output;
+	snd_pcm_t *hndl;
+};
+
+#define CHECK(s,msg,...) {		\
+	int __err;			\
+	if ((__err = (s)) < 0) {	\
+		fprintf(stderr, msg ": %s\n", ##__VA_ARGS__, snd_strerror(__err));	\
+		return __err;		\
+	}				\
+}
+
+static void show_help(const char *name, bool error)
+{
+        fprintf(error ? stderr : stdout, "%s [options]\n"
+		"  -h, --help                            Show this help\n"
+		"  -D, --device                          device name (default %s)\n",
+		name, DEFAULT_DEVICE);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	struct state state = { 0, };
+	snd_pcm_hw_params_t *hparams;
+	snd_pcm_info_t *info;
+	snd_pcm_sync_id_t sync;
+	int c;
+	static const struct option long_options[] = {
+		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
+		{ "device",	required_argument,	NULL, 'D' },
+		{ NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
+	};
+	state.device = DEFAULT_DEVICE;
+
+	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hD:f:r:c:", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'h':
+			show_help(argv[0], false);
+			return 0;
+		case 'D':
+			state.device = optarg;
+			break;
+		default:
+			show_help(argv[0], true);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	CHECK(snd_output_stdio_attach(&state.output, stdout, 0), "attach failed");
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "opening device: '%s'\n", state.device);
+
+	CHECK(snd_pcm_open(&state.hndl, state.device, SND_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK, 0),
+			"open %s failed", state.device);
+
+	snd_pcm_info_alloca(&info);
+	snd_pcm_info(state.hndl, info);
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "info:\n");
+	fprintf(stdout, "  device: %u\n", snd_pcm_info_get_device(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  subdevice: %u\n", snd_pcm_info_get_subdevice(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  stream: %u\n", snd_pcm_info_get_stream(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  card: %d\n", snd_pcm_info_get_card(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  id: '%s'\n", snd_pcm_info_get_id(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  name: '%s'\n", snd_pcm_info_get_name(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  subdevice name: '%s'\n", snd_pcm_info_get_subdevice_name(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  class: %d\n", snd_pcm_info_get_class(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  subclass: %d\n", snd_pcm_info_get_subclass(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  subdevice count: %u\n", snd_pcm_info_get_subdevices_count(info));
+	fprintf(stdout, "  subdevice avail: %u\n", snd_pcm_info_get_subdevices_avail(info));
+	sync = snd_pcm_info_get_sync(info);
+	fprintf(stdout, "  sync: %08x:%08x:%08x:%08x\n",
+			sync.id32[0], sync.id32[1], sync.id32[2],sync.id32[3]);
+
+	/* hw params */
+	snd_pcm_hw_params_alloca(&hparams);
+	snd_pcm_hw_params_any(state.hndl, hparams);
+
+	snd_pcm_hw_params_dump(hparams, state.output);
+
+	snd_pcm_close(state.hndl);
+
+	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}