Pimoroni Pirate Audio Headphone Amp: headphone amplifier for Raspberry Pi
26,88 € INCL. VAT
- PCM5100A DAC and PAM8908 headphone amp
- 240 x 240 IPS display and 4 buttons
- Pimoroni software: Mopidy, album art and button controls
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- Description
Description
The Pimoroni Pirate Audio: Headphone Amp (ref. PIM482) is a mini HAT format add-on board that turns a Raspberry Pi into a standalone network audio player for headphones. On a footprint barely larger than a Raspberry Pi Zero, it brings together a digital-to-analog converter, a headphone amplifier, a small color display and four control buttons.
The Raspberry Pi sends the sound digitally over the I2S bus to the board's DAC, at 24-bit / 192 kHz. According to Pimoroni, the quality is significantly better than that of the Raspberry Pi's 3.5 mm jack, which uses PWM audio. The display shows the album art and playback information, and the buttons control the music without a keyboard or smartphone.
Pimoroni provides an installation script that sets up Mopidy, an extensible music server, with extensions dedicated to the display and buttons. You get a desktop music player or a compact streaming receiver, which can also be controlled from any browser on the network.
Highlights
- PCM5100A DAC: high-quality audio conversion at 24-bit / 192 kHz via I2S.
- PAM8908 headphone amplifier: 3.5 mm stereo jack output, with gain switch (high gain adds 12 dB, low gain is recommended by Pimoroni for most uses).
- 1.3-inch color IPS display: 240 x 240 pixels, ideal for showing the album art of the current track.
- Four tactile buttons: play, pause, next track and volume, reassignable in the configuration.
- Mini HAT format: pre-soldered 2 x 20-pin female header, the board plugs directly onto the GPIO port.
- Fully assembled: no soldering required on the board itself.
Technical specifications
- Manufacturer reference: PIM482
- DAC: Texas Instruments PCM5100A, 24-bit / 192 kHz, I2S interface
- Headphone amplifier: PAM8908, low gain / high gain switch (+12 dB)
- Audio output : 3.5 mm stereo jack
- Screen : 1.3-inch color IPS LCD, 240 x 240 pixels, ST7789 controller (SPI bus)
- Buttons: 4 tactile buttons connected to BCM GPIO 5, 6, 16 and 24
- Form factor: mini HAT, pre-soldered 40-pin female header
- Dimensions : 65 x 30.5 x 9.5 mm
- Compatibility : all Raspberry Pi models with a 40-pin header
Supported software
Pimoroni's official repository documents several software options:
- Mopidy with the Pirate Audio extensions: album art display, playback and volume controls via the buttons. The Iris web interface, available on port 6680, lets you browse and control your music remotely from the browser of a computer or tablet.
- Spotify with a Premium subscription: the mopidy-spotify extension is no longer set up by the script and must be installed manually, because Spotify withdrew its old API in 2022. A Spotify Connect receiver is also possible with Raspotify, in beta according to Pimoroni: the album art and information are displayed, but the buttons do not control Spotify.
- AirPlay with Shairport Sync, to stream from an Apple device: beta support, to be configured manually.
- Python library for the ST7789 display and buttons, if you prefer to develop your own application.
On the system side, the DAC is configured by adding to the config.txt file the line dtoverlay=hifiberry-dac and the line gpio=25=op,dh. Pimoroni's installation script takes care of this automatically.
Use cases
- Desktop music player: a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and the Pirate Audio make a tiny setup connected to your headphones.
- Streaming player: your online music on headphones, without tying up your computer.
- Pocket player: your local MP3 or FLAC files, the display shows the album art and the buttons are enough for everyday controls.
- Learning project: I2S, SPI, GPIO and Python together on a single, well-documented board.
Compatibility and what you need to know
The Pirate Audio works with any Raspberry Pi fitted with the 40-pin GPIO header, including the Raspberry Pi 5 and the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. On a Pi Zero or Zero 2 sold without a header, you need to solder a 2 x 20-pin male header or choose a version with a pre-soldered header.
Pimoroni recommends starting from a fresh installation of Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm. Recent versions of the system require Python packages to be installed in a virtual environment, which the script does: follow the up-to-date instructions in Pimoroni's repository rather than older tutorials.
The board is designed for wired headphones, not included. For powered speakers or an amplifier, the Line-out version of the Pirate Audio range is better suited. You will also need a microSD card, a power supply suited to your Raspberry Pi and a Wi-Fi or Ethernet network connection for streaming. With a Pibow Coupé case, Pimoroni states that you need to add a booster header.
Box contents
- 1 Pimoroni Pirate Audio: Headphone Amp board, fully assembled
Frequently asked questions
Is the Raspberry Pi included?
No, the board plugs onto a Raspberry Pi you already own, via its 40-pin GPIO header.
Can I use Spotify?
Yes, with a Premium account, but it requires a manual installation: the mopidy-spotify extension is no longer included in Pimoroni's script. The Spotify Connect receiver with Raspotify is still in beta and the buttons do not control Spotify.
What is the gain switch for?
At high gain, it adds 12 dB of amplification. Pimoroni recommends low gain for most uses and advises adapting the setting to your headphones.
Can I program my own functions?
Yes. The display and buttons can be controlled in Python using the libraries provided by Pimoroni, and button assignments under Mopidy can be changed in the configuration file.
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