diff --git a/config/mipi-generator/archr-dtbo.py b/config/mipi-generator/archr-dtbo.py
index 40a73a3250..e4f48a435d 100644
--- a/config/mipi-generator/archr-dtbo.py
+++ b/config/mipi-generator/archr-dtbo.py
@@ -818,10 +818,27 @@ def make_dtbo(dtb_data, args):
         elif force_simple_audio_routing:
             rk817_path = hpdet_ovl.path+'/__overlay__/rk817-sound-simple'
             args['logger'].info("audio: simple variant (SRs flag: external amp on regulator)")
+        elif 'SDCLONE' in args['flags']:
+            # Clone subdevice (rk3326-gameconsole-eeclone.dts) does NOT
+            # include r3xs.dtsi, so there is no default `rk817-sound`
+            # node already active in the base DTS — both `amplified`
+            # and `simple` variants ship status="disabled". When the
+            # vendor DTB doesn't expose an amp GPIO we have to enable
+            # SOMETHING explicitly or `aplay -l` reports "no
+            # soundcards" (issue #35). Amplified is the safe default:
+            # the vast majority of R36S clones (V20 2024-05 onward)
+            # carry an external amp gated by a GPIO line that just
+            # isn't surfaced in the partial vendor DTB. Users on the
+            # rare amp-less clones can pick a _SRs (simple) overlay
+            # variant from the flasher.
+            rk817_path = hpdet_ovl.path+'/__overlay__/rk817-sound-amplified'
+            args['logger'].info("audio: amplified fallback (SDCLONE without detectable amp gpio — eeclone base has no default rk817-sound)")
         else:
-            # No amp GPIO detected, no SRs flag, no NAm flag. Keep the
-            # default rk817-sound (amp routing) active. This preserves
-            # R36S original/clone behaviour that worked under RC-3.
+            # No amp GPIO detected, no SRs flag, no NAm flag, and the
+            # subdevice has a default rk817-sound active in its base
+            # DTS (original / soysauce — via r3xs.dtsi). Keep that
+            # default; previous behaviour preserved for everything
+            # that already worked under RC-3.
             rk817_path = None
             args['logger'].info("audio: keeping default rk817-sound (amp routing from base DTS)")
 
diff --git a/config/mipi-generator/generator.sh b/config/mipi-generator/generator.sh
index 1c12748c43..684bc89dea 100755
--- a/config/mipi-generator/generator.sh
+++ b/config/mipi-generator/generator.sh
@@ -143,9 +143,19 @@ process_subdevice() {
     # boards; several clone vendor DTBs are mislabeled with `odroidgo3`
     # compatible and previously slipped through the short-circuit, leaving
     # the overlay without GPIO fixes (= "backlight on, no image").
+    #
+    # SDCLONE: lets archr-dtbo.py know that the base DTS for this
+    # subdevice (rk3326-gameconsole-eeclone.dts) does NOT include the
+    # r3xs.dtsi `rk817-sound` default — both sound card variants ship
+    # with status="disabled". Without an explicit overlay to enable
+    # one, `aplay -l` finds no soundcards on those clones (issue #35).
+    # The audio block in archr-dtbo.py uses this flag to pick the
+    # `amplified` fallback when the vendor DTB doesn't expose enough
+    # to auto-classify between amplified / simple / spko-direct.
     local sd_prefix=""
     case "$sd" in
         original|soysauce) sd_prefix="SDORIG" ;;
+        clone)             sd_prefix="SDCLONE" ;;
     esac
 
     # Soysauce (Y3506) boards have NO external speaker amplifier on