Summary
Back in July 2014, Raspberry Pi announced the then new, Raspberry Pi 2 followed soon after by the announcement of HaTs (Hardware Attached on Top). There have been some incredible products developed that attach to the Raspberry Pi 2, 3 and now the Raspberry Pi Zero as well. Audio has been one of those incredible product ranges where in some cases a US$20 add on board competes with US$700 off the shelf DAC (Digital Audio Converter) supplied from some very large Audiophile brands.
If you’re looking to make a cheap but high quality audio device, be it for Audiophile purposes, Home Theatre purposes or something else, a Raspberry Pi with an Audio HAT is a great option.
Combine one of these with some audio related software for Raspberry Pi and you’re all geared up for sonic bliss on a budget. Please see our disk images page here for a list of audio software available, both free and paid for the Raspberry Pi.
This page attempts to list all the Raspberry Pi add on audio hardware from around the web.
If you notice anything obvious missing, please list it in the comments below and I will add it.
If you are the manufacturer of any of these devices and wish to make a correction, remove it from this list or otherwise, please either add a comment below, or direct message me @marshalleq on twitter.
ALLO
ALLO is an Indian manufacturer of high-quality Raspberry Pi audio HATs sold under the Sparky range, with a particular reputation for their low-jitter digital outputs and clean DACs. Their products are available directly from allo.com and through resellers such as AudioPhonics.
Cheapo – Headphone Amplifier – TPA6133A2 with Optical SPDIF
The ALLO Cheapo is a compact and inexpensive headphone amplifier and DAC for the Raspberry Pi based on the TPA6133A2 chip. It also provides an optical SPDIF output, making it useful both as a desk-side headphone solution and as a digital feed into a separate stereo amplifier.
DigiOne Signature – Digital SPDIF Interface
The ALLO DigiOne Signature is a digital-only board for the Raspberry Pi 3 and 4 that provides a low-jitter SPDIF output via the GPIO header. It is widely regarded as one of the cleanest digital outputs available for the Raspberry Pi and is a popular choice when feeding a high-quality external DAC.
BOSS DAC – PCM5122
The ALLO BOSS DAC is a master-mode DAC for the Raspberry Pi based on the TI PCM5122, in which the DAC clocks the Pi rather than the other way around – reducing jitter at the source.
BOSS2 DAC – CS43198
The ALLO BOSS2 DAC is the successor to the BOSS, built around the Cirrus Logic CS43198 chip. It uses a large array of supercapacitors to provide a stable analog power reserve and quotes around 117dB SNR.
Katana DAC – ESS Sabre
The ALLO Katana DAC is a high-fidelity ESS Sabre DAC with discrete op-amp output stages, designed as a flagship audiophile board for the Raspberry Pi.
Revolution DAC – ES9038Q2M
The ALLO Revolution DAC is a more recent design built around the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M chip, focused on objective performance metrics rather than tube-style colouration.
miniBOSS – PCM5122 – for Pi Zero
The ALLO miniBOSS is a Pi Zero sized version of the BOSS DAC, also based on the TI PCM5122, providing high-fidelity output in the smaller Zero footprint.
Piano 2.1 DAC
The ALLO Piano 2.1 DAC is a dual-DAC board that provides a true 2.1 stereo + subwoofer output, useful for active speaker setups where you want hardware-level low-pass filtering for the sub.
DigiOne – Low-Jitter S/PDIF
The ALLO DigiOne is the standard version of the DigiOne board (the DigiOne Signature listed below is the dual-power-input version). It still provides one of the cleanest S/PDIF outputs available for the Raspberry Pi.
USBridge Signature – Clean USB Output for External DACs
The ALLO USBridge Signature takes a different approach: instead of an I2S DAC HAT, it uses an isolated USB output stage that is well regarded for feeding high-end USB DACs from a Raspberry Pi (CM3+ based) source.
Argon40
Argon40 is best known for their Raspberry Pi cases (such as the Argon ONE) but also produce a small range of audio add-ons designed to integrate cleanly with their case ecosystem.
Argon BLSTR DAC – PCM5122 with Ground-Loop Isolator
The Argon BLSTR DAC is a PCM5122-based DAC with a built-in ground-loop isolator, designed as an add-on for the Argon ONE V3 case so that the analog output is routed cleanly through the case rather than over a flying lead.
Audio Injector – Discontinued
Audio Injector was a maker of Audio HATs for Raspberry Pi that featured both inputs and outputs, potentiometers and an electret microphone port – particularly useful for musicians. The site at audioinjector.net is no longer reachable (the TLS certificate has expired and the server appears unmaintained).
Zero Soundcard
The injector Zero is a Rasperry Pi Audio HAT where you guide live redesigns. Full functionality – ins, outs & mic. Small enough to fit on a Rasperry Pi Zero.
Stereo Soundcard
The Stereo Soundcard by Audio Injector provides two channels of Audio input and two channels of audio output. It provides a stackable GPIO header more in line with shield lore than that of a simple HAT. It uses crystal driven codec as a timing master and tantalium DC decoupling capacitors along with 32 bit operation. It includes input and output volume / gain knobs right out of the box. (eBay listing for the original Stereo Soundcard is no longer available.)
Octo Soundcard – Cirrus Logic 42448 – 24/192
One of the most exciting audio HAT’s I’ve ever seen, The Audio Injector Octo Raspberry Pi HAT features crystal clear 8 channel audio output and 6 channel audio input. Through some apparent feats of hardware engineering, it achieves this through the I2S GPIO bus rather than USB or HDMI. It has both unbalanced RCA and ‘powered’ balanced audio output options because the system is differential. It supports customising your own breakout audio style via standard break out headers. There are more details on the original kickstarter page here.
AudioPhonics
Audiophonics isa French audio oriented supplier / manufacturer of Audio Electronics equipment, including the well regarded Audio-GD brand. Their hardware is of a high standard and their kits (including those for the Raspberry Pi) are very comprehensive including many beautiful and functional options for cases.
I-Sabre I-DAC ES9023 TCXO
The I-DAC ES9023 TCXO is a more advanced version of the AudioPhonics Sabre ES9023 which includes a temperature controlled crystal oscilator. It supports Raspberry Pi A+, B+ and is equipped with the now famous Saber ES9023 ultra low noise ‘on’ regulator and condenser. It supports GPIO B+ or A+ Raspberry Pi as well as generic I2S ports e.g via USB. There are older versions listed on their web page, but these all redirect to this version.
I-Sabre AMP DAC – Saber ES9023 / 24/192 – Class D Amp 2x30W TPA3118
The I-Sabre Amp DAC is an all in one DAC and amp based on the Saber ES9023 removing the need to connect an external amplifier. It also supports use of an Infrared remote and is compatible with the usual Raspberry Pi Audio software listed here.
AudioPhonics Digipi+ I2S – WM8804G – SPDIF / I2S / TCXO
The AudioPhonics Digipi+ I2S adds I2S LVDS output over an HDMI connector to the usual Toslink optical and coaxial SPDIF outputs of the Digipi+ family. It is based on the Wolfson WM8804G chip with a TCXO clock for jitter reduction and is aimed at users connecting to an external DAC over I2S.
AudioPhonics Digipi+ Pro – WM8804 – Digital Interface
The AudioPhonics Digipi+ Pro is a digital-only output board for the Raspberry Pi based on the Wolfson WM8804 chip, providing both I2S and SPDIF outputs. It is intended for users with an external DAC who want to use their Pi purely as a digital transport.
AudioPhonics Digipi+ AES – TOSLINK / TCXO / AES-EBU
The AudioPhonics Digipi+ AES is a more comprehensive digital interface that adds a balanced AES/EBU XLR output alongside the usual Toslink optical and coaxial SPDIF. It includes a TCXO clock for reduced jitter and is targeted at professional and audiophile use cases where AES/EBU is needed.
AudioPhonics I-Sabre DAC ES9038Q2M – PCM / DSD / USB-C
The AudioPhonics I-Sabre ES9038Q2M is a higher-end I-Sabre DAC built around the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M chip with PCM and DSD support. It accepts both I2S and SPDIF inputs and uses a USB-C input for clean external power, making it a more capable replacement for the older ES9023-based I-Sabre boards listed above.
AudioPhonics EVO-Sabre Balanced DAC – 2x ES9038Q2M / XLR / RCA / Bluetooth
The AudioPhonics EVO-Sabre is the flagship of the I-Sabre family – a fully balanced DAC using two ES9038Q2M chips, with both XLR balanced and RCA single-ended outputs. In addition to the Raspberry Pi I2S and GPIO connection it also accepts USB, SPDIF and Bluetooth inputs, making it a more standalone unit than most of the boards in this list.
RaspDAC Kit – Special Mention
One of the nicer kits available today is the Audiophonics RaspDAC network player kit. It includes the above I-Sabre I-DAC ES9023 TCXO DAC listed above.
Fe-Pi – Discontinued
Fe-Pi was the cheapest range of Raspberry Pi audio HATs available at the time. The project’s site (fe-pi.com) is no longer reachable and the GitHub organisation shows no recent activity, so the project appears no longer maintained.
G2 Labs – Discontinued
G2 Labs’ main site (g2labs.org) still loads but the dedicated shop subdomain is no longer reachable, and the BerryNOS products were already showing as out of stock at the time of writing.
BerryNOS 1543 Red
(Product link no longer available.)
BerryNOS mini
(Product link no longer available.)
HiFiBerry
HiFiBerry is a brand that makes a number of entry level priced add on hardware boards for Raspberry Pi to increase the sound quality. Don’t be fooled by it’s low price point, it has been said that the sound quality of these devices rival that of a US$700 audiophile stand alone unit. HiFiBerry currently support the Raspberry Pi 2 & 3 model B and Raspberry Pi Zero. They post an impressive array of products covering both Analog and Digital output options, plus options for dedicated power amp, separate power supply, Real Time Clock and even balanced outputs. Further, the HiFiBerry is dead simple to install in most cases requiring no soldering. They all provide access to the GPIO pins except for the Pi Zero.
HiFiBerry shipped HiFiBerryOS as an integrated audio image which combined a large number of audio sources such as Roon, AirPlay, Spotify, Squeezebox, Bluetooth and Openhome and piped them out to any of the HiFiBerry boards complete with official drivers. However, in February 2025 HiFiBerry announced that HiFiBerryOS in its current form is being discontinued in favour of a forthcoming Raspberry Pi OS-based successor.
There are four main ranges of HiFiBerry Audio Hats. The DAC (which is analog output), the DIGI (for digital output), the Amp (removing the need for a separate amplifier) and finally the DSP which comes in either an add on board format, or included in the Beocreate listed below.
Amplifiers
Amp2
The successor to the Amp+, the HifiBerry Amp2 now supplies up to 60W of class D power using a single 12-24v power supply which powers both the Amp2 and the Raspberry Pi. Sample rates from 44.1-192kHz (16-32 bit) are supported. The HifiBerry Amp2 is basically a DAC+ with an integrated power stage. You can buy the HifiBerry Amp2 here.
Beocreate 4CA
The Beocreate HAT, is a fantastic board that includes a 4 channel amplifier (2x30W + 2x60W), TOSLink digital in and out, ethernet, wifi 24 bit / 192Khz DAC specifically designed to retrofit into Bang & Olufsen Beocreate speakers. It can be run with our without a Raspberry Pi, or as some have done, retrofitted into other speaker brands as seen on YouTube. You can buy a HiFiBerry Beocreate DSP board here.
Miniamp
Marketed as when you’ve just got to have small, the HifiBerry Miniamp is their smallest amplifier board, designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero. However, it can also be used with the other raspberry pi’s. At a price of only $16.90 it’s actually a pretty nice and impressive option. Supplying 3W of power via Class D it’s not going to suit all your installations, but could be great as a kitchen radio or something for the kids. At this wattage, it’s easily powered from your existing Raspberry Pi supply which is a bonus. The HifiBerry Miniamp can be purchased here.
Analog Preamp Out Boards
DAC+ Light
The DAC+ Light A high resolution digital to analogue converter available for every Raspberry Pi model. Powered directly from the Raspberry Pi I2S port, ultra-low noise voltage regulator, available with RCA outputs. Dedicated 24/192 ESS DAC, includes all materials needed in the box. Some nice case options are available at HiFiBerry that mount the Raspberry Pi and the Dac+ Light in a single box of plastic or aluminium. You can buy a HiFiBerry DAC+ light here.
DAC+ Standard
The HiFiBerry DAC+ Standard is the same as the HiFiBerry DAC+ Light, however it adds a higher quality Burr-Brown DAC, 3.5mm output option, Integrated Volume Control and an Integrated EEPROM. You can buy a HiFiBerry DAC+ Standard here.
DAC+ Pro
The HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro is the same as the HiFiBerry DAC+ Standard, however it adds Gold Plater RCA outputs or Balanced XLR, a dual domain clock circuit to lower jitter and allows modification to provide an external power supply for the analog part of the board and provides capability to connect external I2S DAC’s. The original DAC+ Pro has been retired and superseded by the HiFiBerry DAC2 Pro listed below.
DAC+ RTC – PCM5122 with Real-Time Clock
The HiFiBerry DAC+ RTC is a DAC+ Standard board with an integrated battery-backed real-time clock, useful for headless audio appliances that need to keep time without an internet connection (such as alarm clocks or timed playback boxes).
DAC + Zero
Similar to the DAC+ Light, the HiFiBerry DAC+ Zero it designed for a Raspberry Pi Zero. It does not have the advanced features such as volume control, EEPROM, ultra-low noise regulators, but still offers good sound quality and 24/192KHz playback. It is the exception in that it is not an all inclusive kit, requiring separate purchase of spacers and a male header. You can buy one here.
Dac2 HD
The HifiBerry Dac2 HD is a new offering only announced 17 August 2020. Designed to be just the best sound money can buy, with a completely redesigned power supply for just that very reason it comes in at one of the highest prices I’ve seen for one of these boards. Available also is the HifiBerry DSP add-on for digital signal processing and the HifiBerry Aamp60 for 60 Watts of class D power.
DAC2 Pro
The successor to the HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro above, the HiFiBerry DAC2 Pro adds dual-domain low jitter clock and gold plated RCA connectors, on board headphone amplifier and DSP add on card support. You can buy the HiFiBerry DAC2 Pro here.
DAC2 Pro XLR
Identical to the DAC2 Pro with one obvious exception, the DAC2 Pro XLR adds two balanced XLR jacks for fully balanced, audio output. You can buy the DAC2 Pro XLR here.
Digital Out Boards
Digi+ Standard
The HiFiBerry Digi+ standard contains high-quality S/PDIF output boards with a dedicated 24/196 chip. They include both Optical (Toslink) and electrical outputs, are bit-perfect, require no additional cables and again are powered directly from the Rasperry Pi. They have an integrated EEPROM and include all components required to mount it to the Raspberry Pi. You can buy a HiFiBerry Digi+ standard here.
Digi+ Transformer
The HiFiBerry Digi+ Transformer is the same as the Digi+ Standard, but with galvanic isolation via a special output transformer. This is generally only an advantage for audiophiles not using an optical output. The original Digi+ Transformer has been retired – the current digital output board in the HiFiBerry range is the Digi2 Pro.
Digi+ Pro
The HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro is the same as the HiFiBerry Digi+ Transformer, however it includes a low-noise power regulator and a dual domain clock generator. This is the model for the audio enthusiast. You can buy a HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro here.
Digi2 Pro – WM8804 – S/PDIF Optical/Coax
The HiFiBerry Digi2 Pro is the current flagship digital output board, replacing the older Digi+ Pro and Digi+ Transformer. It uses the WM8804 transceiver with low-jitter dual-domain clocks and an output transformer for galvanic isolation on the coaxial output.
Digi+ I/O – Digital Input and Output
The HiFiBerry Digi+ I/O adds an S/PDIF input alongside the usual outputs, useful for digital recording or processing where the Pi acts as both a source and a sink.
Bundles
A number of HifiBerry HAT’s bundled with Raspberry Pi’s, power supplies etc can be purchased here.
Recording Boards (ADC)
DAC+ ADC – RCA Analog In
The HiFiBerry DAC+ ADC is a combined DAC and analog-to-digital converter, providing both stereo line-out and stereo line-in over RCA at 24/192.
DAC+ ADC Pro – Balanced Analog In
The HiFiBerry DAC+ ADC Pro is the higher-end version with balanced analog inputs and improved input stage for dynamic microphone or line-level studio equipment.
DAC2 ADC Pro – Advanced Recording
The HiFiBerry DAC2 ADC Pro is the next generation of the DAC+ ADC Pro, with the same dual-domain clock approach as the DAC2 Pro family for cleaner recording at 24/192.
Studio ADC – XLR / Combo Jacks
The HiFiBerry Studio ADC is a recording-only board with two combo XLR/jack inputs. It does not provide 48v phantom power (so it is not suitable for condenser microphones), but its low-noise pre-amplification stage works well with dynamic microphones and line-level studio sources.
Studio DAC/ADC XLR – Full Studio I/O
The HiFiBerry Studio DAC/ADC XLR is a fully balanced XLR I/O board, combining the Studio ADC inputs with balanced XLR DAC outputs in a single unit aimed at semi-professional studio use.
ADC8X Add-on – 8-Channel Input Expansion
The HiFiBerry ADC8X Add-on is an 8-channel ADC daughterboard intended to pair with HiFiBerry’s multi-channel boards, useful for professional surround-sound recording on the Raspberry Pi.
Multi-Channel Boards
DAC8X – 8-Channel Output
The HiFiBerry DAC8X is an 8-channel DAC for surround sound, multi-zone audio or active loudspeaker projects that need more than two channels of output from the Raspberry Pi.
DSP Boards
DAC+ DSP – Onboard Digital Signal Processor
The HiFiBerry DAC+ DSP is a unique board that combines a DAC with an onboard Digital Signal Processor, allowing complex equalisation, crossovers and room correction to be implemented in hardware – freeing up the Raspberry Pi’s CPU for other tasks.
Amplifier Boards (additional)
Amp4 – 60W Class-D with Integrated DAC
The HiFiBerry Amp4 is a 60W Class-D amplifier with an integrated DAC, intended as a step up from the Amp2 for more demanding speakers.
Amp4 Pro – High-Performance, Thermal Optimised
The HiFiBerry Amp4 Pro is the higher-performance variant of the Amp4, with improved thermal design for sustained high-power output.
Amp100 – 100W Total Power
The HiFiBerry Amp100 is the most powerful HiFiBerry amplifier, providing up to 100W total power for full-range loudspeakers and aimed at professional installations.
AAmp60 – 60W Analog Amp Add-on
The HiFiBerry AAmp60 is a pure analog amplifier add-on intended to be paired with one of the DAC boards above when you want to keep the DAC and amp stages separate.
Ian Canada
Ian Canada produce a modular system of shields, re-clockers and DACs that address jitter and electromagnetic interference at a very fundamental level. Their boards are aimed at the most demanding audiophiles – users typically stack a re-clocker, a DAC and one or more EMI shields on top of a Raspberry Pi to build a reference-grade source. All boards are available from iancanada.ca; product documentation is published on their GitHub.
FifoPi Q7III – FIFO Re-clocker
The FifoPi Q7III uses a 64Mb FIFO engine to decouple the incoming I2S data from the Pi’s jittery clock, then outputs it using high-precision local oscillators. It supports I2S/DSD input up to 768kHz and is compatible with the highest resolution audio formats available today.
FifoPiMa V1.5 – Master-Mode Re-clocker
The FifoPiMa V1.5 is a smaller master-mode reclocker which configures the Pi as the I2S slave – the local oscillators on the FifoPiMa become the audio system clock.
TransportPi AES II – Flagship AES/SPDIF Transport
The TransportPi AES II is the flagship digital transport in the range, with low-jitter clocks and outputs for both balanced AES/EBU and S/PDIF.
HdmiPi Pro II – HDMI I2S Transport
The HdmiPi Pro II is an HDMI-based I2S transport interface for feeding external DACs that accept I2S over HDMI.
TransportPi Digi/II – Master-Mode Digital Transport
The TransportPi Digi/II is a master-mode S/PDIF transport, providing low-jitter optical and coaxial digital outputs.
ES9038Q2M Dual Mono II – Dual Mono DAC
The ES9038Q2M Dual Mono II is a Dual Mono DAC built around the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M chip, with separate left and right channel power and clocking for maximum channel separation.
ShieldPi Pro MkIII – EMI Shield and Power Filter
The ShieldPi Pro MkIII is an EMI shield that covers the entire Raspberry Pi PCB to minimise radio-frequency interference from the Pi’s components – an important component in high-end builds.
MonitorPi Pro – Signal Analyser and Display
The MonitorPi Pro is a signal-analysis board with an on-board display, useful for diagnosing and visualising the audio stream within an Ian Canada stack.
InnoMaker
InnoMaker produce a value-oriented range of Raspberry Pi audio HATs covering DAC, headphone amp and Class-D amplifier options, with a particular emphasis on a good price-to-quality ratio.
HiFi DAC Pro – ES9038Q2M, Balanced Output
The InnoMaker HiFi DAC Pro is the flagship DAC in the InnoMaker range – an ES9038Q2M-based board with dual oscillators and three SoundPlus Hi-Fi op-amps, capable of bit-perfect 384kHz / 32-bit and DSD512 playback.
HiFi DAC Hat – PCM5122
The InnoMaker HiFi DAC Hat is a more affordable PCM5122-based DAC with both RCA and 3.5mm outputs.
HiFi DAC Mini – for Pi Zero
The InnoMaker HiFi DAC Mini is a Pi Zero sized DAC for compact builds.
AMP Pro – 2x 80W Peak Output
The InnoMaker AMP Pro is a Class-D amplifier with up to 2x 80W peak output, intended for driving full-range bookshelf speakers.
HiFi AMP Hat – TAS5713 – 25W Class-D
The InnoMaker HiFi AMP Hat is the smaller TAS5713-based Class-D amplifier, providing 25W per channel for more modest installations.
IQaudIO
IQaudIO was acquired by Raspberry Pi Ltd in 2020 – the original iqaudio.co.uk site is offline and the product line is now sold under the Raspberry Pi brand. Four of the original products are still available (DAC+, DAC Pro, DigiAMP+ and the new Codec Zero) directly from the Raspberry Pi products page; the remaining IQaudIO products listed below were retired during the transition.
Pi-DAC+ – TI PCM5122 – 24/192
The IQaudIO Pi-DAC+ (now sold as Raspberry Pi DAC+) can be plugged straight into your Raspberry Pi requiring no soldering to install. It features an integrated hardware volume control, a built in high quality headphone amplifier and advanced ESD protection. It is powered directly from the Raspberry Pi has standard Phono / RCA connectors and can take an optional infrared receiver for remote control.
Pi-AMP+ for Pi-DAC+
The IQaudIO Pi-AMP+ for PiDAC+ is a 2x35w add on Stereo Class D amplifier for the above Pi-DAC+. It is a solderless design and requires an external power supply, which provides power to both the raspberry Pi and the PiDAC+. (Product no longer available – retired during the Raspberry Pi acquisition; the integrated DigiAMP+ is the closest current equivalent.)
Pi-DACZero – TI PCM5122 – 24/192
The pi-DACZero is designed exclusively for the Raspberry Pi Zero. It features integrated hardware volume, Audiophile Burr Brown DAC, Advanced ESD protection, no additional power needed, standard Phono / RCA connectors, support for a headphone board, rotary encoder and as such is one of the more fully featured audio HATs for the Raspberry Pi Zero. (Pi-DACZero is no longer available – the closest current equivalent is the new Raspberry Pi Codec Zero.)
Pi-DACZeroHP
The IQaudIO Pi-DACZeroHP is an audiophile headphone daughter card for the above IQaudIO Pi-DACZero. It features a 3.5mm stereo headphone output, 24/192 playback and requires no additional power connection. (Pi-DACZeroHP is no longer available – retired during the Raspberry Pi acquisition.)
Pi-Digi+ – Wolfson WM8804 – 24/192
The IQaudIO Pi-Digi+ is utilises the popular WM8804 digital output card for Raspberry Pi. It includes both optical and electrical outputs, a galvanic isloation transformer as standard on the electical output, Wolfson WM8804 chip, Advanced ESD protection and is powered via the standard Raspberry Pi I2S pins. (Pi-Digi+ is no longer available – retired during the Raspberry Pi acquisition.)
Pi-DAC Pro – PCM5242 – 24/192
The IQaudIO Pi-DAC Pro is an audiophile grade DAC for the Raspberry Pi featuring Phono / RCA outputs, 3.5mm Headphone outputs and includes supplied (but not fitted) headers for balanced XLR outputs. It’s another solderless board requiring little installation unless you desire XLR. It has an audiophile Burr Brown DAC, Advanced ESD protection and the usual DAC features from IQaudIO. It is very well rated in reviews, outclassing many other expensive name brand solutions. You can buy the Pi-DAC Pro (now sold as Raspberry Pi DAC Pro) here.
Pi-DigiAMP+ – TI TAS5756m – 24/192
The IQaudIO Pi-DigiAMP+ is a combined DAC and AMP solution in one board. It is one of the more powerful Raspberry Pi Amp’s rated at 2x35w. It supports IR sensors, rotary encoder, or i2c devices such as OLED screens. It includes EEPROM, 24/192kHz playback, solderless design, hardware volume control and powers the Raspberry Pi via it’s own power supply. It even has design support for the official 7″ Raspberry Pi Screen. You can buy the Pi-DigiAMP+ (now sold as Raspberry Pi DigiAMP+) here.
JustBoom – Discontinued
JustBoom offered a range of Raspberry Pi audio products covering analogue, digital and amp options, including for the Pi Zero, plus a physical IR remote control – a nice touch at the time. As of 2025/2026 the justboom.co domain is unreachable (Cloudflare 523 / origin offline), so the products are listed here for historical reference only.
Dac Zero 32/192 – TI PCM5121
The Justboom Dac Zero for Raspberry Pi by Justboom is a plug and play, high resolution, digital to analog converter for the Raspberry Pi Zero and Pi Zero W. It is a no solder solution and includes all mounting hardware. It includes an optional IR receiving for remote control. It is sold as supporting 32 bit / 384kHz audio, but like others in it’s class is limited by the driver restrictions to 192kHz which is later noted in the description. It does still state that it supports 32bit though, which is the only brand I’ve noted to do so. It includes a headphone amplifier and does not include RCA outputs, this instead requires a cable to convert from the standard (but seperate) 3.5mm connection.
Amp Zero 32/192
The JustBoom amp zero is a TAS5756 class D amplifier designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi Zero. It provides 32/192kHz output, at an impressive 30W RMS / 55W peak. It includes a headphone amplifier and the usual ESD protection. Although noted as having RCA outputs, this appears to refer to the voltage rather than the connector. It does not have RCA outputs, rather screw down connectors for speaker wire. This does lead to some small doubt over their specifications as this is the second time this has been contradictory to their own product imaging. Still, a solid sounding performer at an incredible price point.
Digi Zero – 24/192
The Justboom Digi Zero is the same as the DAC zero but with digital outputs instead of analogue outputs. It is simple and easy to install and use, with no soldering required. The mounting hardware is included and again it includes the ‘optional’ but included IR port which you can solder on yourself if desired. It supports both optical and electrical connectors, low jitter, bit perfect output. It has galvanic isolation for the electrical output and sports a software based volume control.
Digi HAT – 24 /192
The JustBoom Digi HAT is a high resolution audio output add on board for the Raspberry Pi. It supports the Raspberry Pi A+, B+, 2B or the new 3B and Raspberry Pi Zero (though the above Digi Zero is a better fit for that). It produces unmodified high quality digital audio data stream for bit perfect transmission. It supports both optical and electrical connectors, low jitter, bit perfect output. It has galvanic isolation for the electrical output and sports a software based volume control.
DAC HAT – 32/192
The JustBoom DAC HAT is a plug and play, high resolution, digital to analogue converter for the Raspberry Pi. Simply stack the plug-and-play add on board (HAT) onto your Raspberry Pi A+, B+, 2B or the new 3B and it will be ready to use immediately. It has both line level RCA connectors and a headphone amplifier, requires no soldering, supports both hardware and software volume control and includes all mounting hardware. It also includes the ‘optional’ but included IR receiver in the package. You can add the JustBoom AMP, on top of this DAC HAT to add further outputs to your sound. This can ‘backpower’ the DAC HAT and the connected Raspberry Pi.
Amp HAT – 32 /192
The JustBoom AMP HAT (Not to be confused with the different but similar JustBoom AMP), is a high qualtity Class D audio amplifier with included DAC. It requires no soldering and includes all the mounting hardware including the optional IR port. It will power 4 or 8 Ohm speakers and is rated at an impressive 2x30W RMS (or 2×55 Watt Peak). It backpowers the connected Raspberry Pi and supports the Raspberry Pi A+, B+, 2B and the new 3B. It does support the Raspberry Pi Zero, but obviously there is a dedicated option for that above.
Collybia – Discontinued
Mamboberry
The Mamboberry by Collybia was a high quality Raspberry Pi DAC that supported Pi A+/B+, 2B/Zero/3. As of 2026 the Collybia site has been displaying a “Site is under construction” placeholder since 2022 with no updates, and the project appears no longer maintained.
moOde Audio
moOde Audio is best known as the moOde audio player operating system (already covered in our Raspberry Pi disk images list), but the project also designs and publishes a DIY-friendly DAC HAT that pairs particularly well with the moOde player software.
ProtoDAC TDA1387 X8 – DIY Non-Oversampling DAC
The ProtoDAC is an easy-to-build non-oversampling (NOS) DAC HAT featuring eight Philips TDA1387 chips wired in parallel. Many audiophiles prefer NOS multi-bit designs like this for their warmer, more “analogue” sound compared with modern oversampling Sigma-Delta DACs. It is published as a DIY project – the PCB Gerber files and a complete builder’s guide are on the project’s GitHub, and pre-built kits are available periodically from a community eBay seller. As you might expect, it pairs particularly well with the moOde Audio Player image.
Nanomesher
Nanomesher produce the NanoSound range of Raspberry Pi audio HATs, with an emphasis on small embedded streamers that include local controls.
NanoSound DAC 2s Pro – PCM5122 with OLED and IR Remote
The NanoSound DAC 2s Pro is a PCM5122-based DAC HAT with an integrated OLED display, remote control receiver and physical buttons – a one-board solution for building a self-contained Pi-based music streamer.
Orchard Audio
PecanPi Streamer / DAC
The PecanPi DAC made by Orchard Audio is an ultra-high fidelity, plug and play, ready to go wireless high resolution music streamer. It has XLR and RCA connectors a headphone amplifier and supports 24 bit sampling rates up to 192kHz. The full specs of the Orchard Audio PecanPi DAC can be viewed here.
PecanPi DAC Rev 3.0 – Discontinued, replaced by PecanPi+ DAC
The original PecanPi DAC, last sold as the Rev 3.0 with two TI PCM1794A chips in a reference-grade configuration with XLR balanced and RCA single-ended outputs, has been discontinued by Orchard Audio. It has been superseded by the PecanPi+ DAC listed below, which uses the newer AKM AK4499EXEQ chipset.
PecanPi+ DAC – AK4499EXEQ
The PecanPi+ DAC moves to the AKM AK4499EXEQ switched-resistor DAC chip with VELVETSOUND architecture. It is one of the highest-fidelity DAC chips ever produced and gives the PecanPi+ a level of transparency that is rare in the HAT form factor.
PecanPi+ Streamer Premium
The PecanPi+ Streamer Premium is a complete pre-built network streamer based on the PecanPi+ DAC, with a Raspberry Pi inside, an integrated linear power supply and a finished case. It is a high-end alternative to building your own Pi-based streamer from parts.
Pi 2 Design
Just to confuse you Pi 2 Design make their add on hardware and call them shields instead of HAT’s. A shield in the traditional sense is stackable (that is, other hardware can be added on top) whereas a HAT by design does not. Officially Raspberry Pi don’t support stackable hardware, however that doesn’t mean it won’t work, so this solves one of the problems associated with having two needs on a single board.
PI2AES 2.0 – Pro Audio Shield (formerly 502DAC and PI2AES)
The PI2AES 2.0 is a professional I/O audio shield designed to bring audiophile quality to the Raspberry Pi. It converts the Raspberry Pi I2S port to high-resolution pro-audio analog and digital outputs simultaneously, including a balanced AES/EBU XLR output. This is the latest revision in a lineage that started with the 502DAC and was followed by the original PI2AES (now discontinued) and PI2AES-LITE (also discontinued). You can find the current PI2AES 2.0 product page here.
503HTA Hybrid Tube Amp – 24/192 – TI PCM5102A
The 503HTA is one of the more exciting audio card options out there given that it includes a real tube for that ‘sweet tube sound’ that some of us like. It’s a high quality HAT that even drives a headphone port. It has a class A output buffer and Audiophile grade IRL510 MOSFET and LM317A constant current source. It supports Tube Rolling and has it’s own volume and gain potentiometers. It is also one of the more expensive and required a separate 48W 24v/2Apower supply. You can get further details and purchase the 503HTA Hybrid Tube Amp here. However, it has now been cancelled due to availability of parts.
Pi2Media
The Pi2Media is a profressional I/O sheild designed to extract the 7.1 surround sound audio data from the RPi 2 HDMI output while passing the original HDMI and audio to a downstream device. At time of writing there doesn’t seem to be a purchase option or further specification, however information can be found here.
PiFi – Discontinued
PiFi was a Chinese-manufactured clone of the HiFiBerry DAC sold via dx.com. The original product listing has long since been removed and similar generic clones change SKUs and seller names frequently – common labels you may see include “PiFi DAC+”, “PiFi Digi+”, “PiFi Mini”, “HIFI DiGi+ Digital Sound Card” and any number of generic “Raspberry Pi I2S DAC HAT” listings. These generally appear on AliExpress, Banggood and similar marketplaces, often built around the same TI PCM5102 or PCM5122 chips as the boards they clone. Linking to specific listings is not really useful as they tend to rotate or disappear within months – searching for the chip name (such as “PCM5122 Raspberry Pi DAC HAT”) on those sites usually returns the current crop. Quality varies dramatically by seller, so be cautious. (Note: this is unrelated to the modern PiFi VPN router project listed in the disk images post.)
Pisound
Blokas design the Pisound range specifically for low-latency audio processing and MIDI connectivity, targeting electronic musicians and software-synthesis enthusiasts.
Pisound
One of the few cards available that offers audio ‘in’, not to mention volume and gain controls, standard 1/4 jack connectors plus a programmable button to trigger up to four different scripts depending on how you press it. Powered by Burr-Brown chips and equipped with professional DIN-5 MIDI ports, the Pisound has a class-leading loopback latency of around 2.1ms – low enough for real-time performance. You can buy the Pisound here.
Pisound Micro – ADAU1961
The Pisound Micro is a smaller, more flexible all-in-one HAT built around the Analog Devices ADAU1961 codec. It exposes 37 extra GPIOs alongside its audio I/O and is designed for embedded audio hardware projects rather than as a finished musician’s instrument.
Pimoroni
Pimoroni are a UK-based maker store with a particular focus on small, interactive HATs that combine audio with displays, buttons or microphones. Their Pirate Audio range is especially useful for building standalone music streamers where local album art display and physical control are desired.
pHAT DAC – 24/192 – TI PCM5102A
The Pimoroni pHAT DAC is one of the cheapest audio cards available today, providing super affordable high quality audio for the Raspberry Pi in a Raspberry Pi Zero format. It supports also Raspberry Pi 2/B+/A+. It’s based on the Texas Instruments PCM5102A DAC chip and supports 24 bit audio up to 192KHz. It comes with a standard 3.5mm line out jack and has optional an landing for dual RCA connectors at only $2 extra.
Pirate Audio Line-out – PCM5100A with LCD and Buttons
The Pirate Audio Line-out is a small DAC HAT with a 240×240 colour LCD and four playback buttons, designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero (also works on full-size Pis). It is the line-output member of the Pirate Audio family, intended to feed an external amplifier.
Pirate Audio Headphone Amp
The Pirate Audio Headphone Amp is the same form factor as the Line-out version but with a built-in headphone amplifier, also with the LCD and buttons. It is well suited to a pocket-sized Pi-based music player.
Pirate Audio 3W Stereo Amp
The Pirate Audio 3W Stereo Amp is a Class-D amplifier version that drives two passive 3W speakers directly. Like the rest of the Pirate Audio family it has the LCD and buttons.
Pirate Audio Speaker
The Pirate Audio Speaker goes one step further and includes an integrated mono speaker on the HAT itself, making for a tiny self-contained audio appliance for the Pi Zero.
Pirate Audio Dual Mic
The Pirate Audio Dual Mic is the input-side member of the Pirate Audio family, with two on-board microphones and the same display and buttons – useful for voice-controlled projects or simple recording.
Audio DAC SHIM (Line-Out)
The Pimoroni Audio DAC SHIM is an ultra-slim 24/192 DAC SHIM (sits flat against the GPIO header rather than as a full HAT) for projects where height is at a premium.
Raspiaudio
Raspiaudio produce a small range of well-priced audio HATs for the Raspberry Pi, ranging from straightforward DACs to a Pi 5 specific NVMe + audio combination shield.
Audio+ v3
The Raspiaudio Audio+ v3 is a value-oriented stereo DAC HAT with line-out, headphone output and a small built-in microphone, intended as a do-everything Pi audio board.
Pi5 Audio Drive – M.2 NVMe + 24-bit/96kHz DAC
The Raspiaudio Pi5 Audio Drive is one of the more interesting Pi 5 specific HATs – it combines an M.2 NVMe slot with a 24-bit/96kHz DAC, allowing the Raspberry Pi 5 to function as a high-speed media server and player from a single integrated shield.
Raspyplay3
ReSpeaker
ReSpeaker by Seeed Studio specialise in microphone array HATs aimed at voice-control, conference and bioacoustic applications. (Note: the old respeaker.io domain has been parked and now redirects to advertising pages – the actual products live at seeedstudio.com and the documentation at wiki.seeedstudio.com.)
ReSpeaker 2-Mics pHAT – Dual Mic Array, I2S
The ReSpeaker 2-Mics pHAT is a dual-microphone HAT for voice control projects, with three on-board user buttons, an RGB LED ring and an audio output jack.
Suptronics
Suptronics produce an unusual range of multi-output expansion boards that combine a DAC, an amplifier and a headphone output on the same HAT.
X400 v3.0 – DAC + 30W Amp + Headphone
The Suptronics X400 v3.0 is a multi-output board that combines a 24-bit DAC, a 30W Class-D speaker amplifier and a headphone amplifier on a single HAT – useful when you want analogue, headphone and amplified outputs from one Pi without stacking multiple boards.
Waveshare are a major Chinese manufacturer of Raspberry Pi accessories with a deep range of audio HATs at a wide spread of price points.
WM8960 Hi-Fi Sound Card
The Waveshare WM8960 Hi-Fi Sound Card is a low-cost stereo DAC and amp HAT with on-board microphones, frequently recommended as a budget option for both playback and recording. Compatibility note: works well on Pi Zero through Pi 3B+, but encounters issues with the Pi 4 and Pi 5 due to I2S signal routing changes on those models.
Other
The branding of the below cards are either generic or unclear. Please advise if you are aware of any further information.
Cirrus Logic Audio Card
Supporting Pi 3, Pi 2, B+ and A+, Cirrus Logic are one of the less common brands to get in on the Raspberry Pi Audio market, while their roots are from a long standing PC audio card market which died out with the integration of most audio into motherboards back in the 2000’s, it’s good to see them back in the add on board market. Also, they have just purchased Wolfson Audio, which put’s them toward the higher end of the super portable audio market. (The original element14 product listing for the Cirrus Logic Audio Card has been removed and the card has been discontinued for some time.)
Wolfson Audio Card – 24/192
The Wolfson Audio Card, extends and enhances the Raspberry Pi® audio features beyond its native HDMI output with onboard HD Audio, at 24-bit, 192KHz. It offers similar flexibility to a PC soundcard to capture audio alongside their camera, and experiment with stereo digital capture and playback. It is one of the few that has a wider array of audio connectivity options covering both playback and recording, including two in-built microphones. It has a 3.5mm 4-pole jack for a headset/boom mic combination for gaming or VoIP applications, Two DMIC microphones onboard for stereo recording, 3.5 mm jack Stereo Line Output for connection to devices such as external stereo amplifiers or powered speakers and 3.5mm jack for Stereo Line Input for high quality audio recording or capture.
Summary
So that’s the first run of audio cards for the Raspbery Pi I can find. If you find any I’ve missed, please let me know in the comments so I can add them! Also, let me know if you purchase one and what your experiences are. Enjoy your new sonic bliss!
Marshalleq.
