What is it?

The Raspberry Pi Home Media Center is a compact and neatly designed hardware project that combines the power of the Raspberry Pi Zero board and the Hi-Fi audio capabilities of the TI’s PCM5100 32-bit DAC. This versatile media center provides a customizable and fully open-source hardware platform for home entertainment.

With a minimalistic but functional design inspired by commercial audio gear, it offers a seamless user experience. It aimed to support Volumio, Mopidy, or any custom firmware you may come up with.

Why did I build it

I did a few audio projects in the past, some using ESP32, some using larger Orange Pi and Raspberry Pi devices. Each has its pros and cons, and in each iteration, I'm trying to focus on the details that were working best for me while actually using them.

What is special about the Raspberry ecosystem is, of course, its community support. Being a not-so-strong software developer, I often have to rely on the work that other people did and baked into the base Raspbian image. Attaching a DAC, Ethernet, and IR reader is as simple as adding 3 lines into config.txt file. All the device tree definitions, kernel drivers, and dependency packages are already in place, believe it or not.

Sure, compared to the ESP32 platform, it is not as lightweight. It requires more power, it takes some time to boot. But when it comes to rapid development, there is nothing like the Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi HiFi is a first-in-line product that uses the legendary PCM5100 series DAC with supreme audio quality. It exposes line-level output that you can plug into a stereo amplifier. Spend as much as you need on the external amp to deliver the sound you like (personally, I prefer late '80s audio gear).

Use cases

HiFi Raspberry Media Center is a flexible, open-source audio platform designed to fit into both smart homes and custom audio projects.

• Smart Home Audio, TTS & Automation Node Integrates with Home Assistant and Music Assistant for high-quality playback, text-to-speech, and event-driven announcements. Functions as both an audio endpoint and a networked automation node for sensors, triggers, and smart home workflows.
• Multi-Room Audio Infrastructure Use HiFi Raspberry Media Center as a Snapclient server and endpoint for perfectly synchronized distributed audio. Ideal for open, vendor-neutral whole-home or commercial audio systems.
• Standalone Network Player & Streaming Hub Run LMS/Squeezelite for a self-contained streaming device supporting Spotify Connect, AirPlay, and Logitech Media Server — no external computer required.
• Embedded Audio Processing & DSP Platform Execute real-time digital signal processing, filtering, effects, or audio analysis directly on-device. Suitable for smart speakers, alert systems, acoustic sensing, and custom audio interfaces.
• Networked Sensor & Interface Controller Combine audio output with GPIO control, sensors, buttons, displays, or actuators. Ideal for interactive installations, smart appliances, voice feedback devices, or industrial status systems.
• Educational Platform for Systems & Networking A practical teaching platform for embedded Linux-style workflows without full SBC overhead — covering networking, streaming protocols, real-time processing, IoT architectures, and open-source audio systems.
• Rapid Prototyping for Connected Products Designed for fast iteration of networked hardware products — from smart audio devices and notification systems to interactive kiosks and connected consumer electronics.
• Open Platform for Custom Products & DIY Builds With fully open firmware and tooling, HiFi Raspberry Media Center provides a flexible foundation for personal projects, research platforms, or commercial device development.

Features

	HiFi Raspberry Hat	HiFi Raspberry Hat 2X	HiFi Raspberry Media Center
Image
Compatible with	Every Pi	Raspberry Pi 5	Raspberry Pi Zero (W), Raspberry Pi Zero2 W
DAC	PCM5100A 32-bit Stereo DAC	Dual PCM5100A 32-bit Stereo DAC	PCM5100A 32-bit Stereo DAC
Output	2.1 VRMS Line level output -100 dB typical noise level	2.1 VRMS Line level output -100 dB typical noise level	2.1 VRMS Line level output -100 dB typical noise level
IR input	✅	✅	✅
RGB LED	❌	❌	✅
Onboard Serial Bridge	❌	❌	✅
Wizznet W5500 Ethernet	❌	❌	✅
Mechanical dimensions (WxHxD)	65mm x 30mm x 15mm	65mm x 30mm x 15mm	88mm x 38mm x 100mm
Power requirement	5V from the host Pi	5V from the host Pi	5V USB-C power adapter (up to 1A)

⚠️ HiFi boards require an external amplifier or active speakers; you can't connect passive speakers to it.

💡 Need to connect speakers as well? Check out Amped Raspberry Hat and Amped Raspberry Media Center

💡 Need only speakers output? Check out Loud Raspberry Hat and Loud Raspberry Media Center

💡 Need more powerful DSP? Check out Louder Raspberry Hat, Louder Raspberry Hat Plus and Louder Raspberry Media Center

Board Pinout

Audio

Peripheral

How to use

You need nothing more than an SD card with a Raspbian image and a USB-C power brick. You can use any distribution you like. The only change you need to make to enable hardware is to add 3 lines to the /boot/config.txt

dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=23 dtoverlay=w5500 dtoverlay=hifiberry-dac

Hardware

Front	Back	PCB

Please visit the hardware section of the project repo for board schematics and PCB designs. Note that PCBs are shared as multi-layer PDFs as well as Gerber archives.

USA shipping Update

Due to the new tariffs introduced by the Trump administration, standard shipments are temporarily on hold. However, shipping to the US has now resumed via UPS, though rates are currently quite high. I’ll fully resume regular shipping as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

Sponsorship & Community Support

If you’re working on an open-source project, an educational initiative, or any pro-bono/volunteer effort, feel free to reach out for sponsorship details. I’ll do my best to provide discounts or even free boards.

Custom Design & Consultation

If you’re interested in a custom design based on, or inspired by, my boards, I also offer contract design work and consultation when needed.

Most orders are shipped the next business day morning. All shipments are tracked. Delivery time in the EU is 3-7 days, outside 2-3 weeks, depending on the distance. After 30 days, the package is considered lost - reach out for a refund or replacement.