Louder Raspberry Hat and Media Center

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What is it?

The Louder Raspberry Hat is a cost-effective, high-performance audio add-on for the Raspberry Pi. It pairs the Pi’s processing power with the Hi-Fi audio quality of TI’s TAS5805M DAC and an efficient Class-D output stage.

The Louder Raspberry Hat comes in two flavors – standard stereo Hat and 2.1 version with dual DAC topology, second DAC driving a single subwoofer channel with double effort. Built-in capabilities of the DAC allow precise configuration for every speaker set

The Hat accepts an external power supply of up to 28 V and includes an onboard step-down converter to provide 5 V to the Raspberry Pi, allowing the entire system to run from a single power source. It uses a highly capable DSP-enabled DAC, delivering clean, powerful audio suitable for driving large speakers—or pushing small ones to their limits.

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The Louder Raspberry Media Center is a cased and feature-packed version of the board that is designed specifically for Raspberry Pi Zero boards, adding onboard Ethernet, IR reader, and RGB LED indication. With a minimalistic but functional design inspired by commercial audio gear, it offers a more professional look and feel.

Plus versions (TAS5825M)

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The Louder Raspberry Hat Plus is the latest upgrade, introducing TAS5825M DAC – a more efficient and more capable DAC from the same line. Being much more efficient, it can deliver more power without thermal stress, and additional DSP capabilities are a nice bonus.

Use cases

Louder Raspberry Hats are 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 Louder Raspberry Hat 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, the Louder Raspberry Hat provides a flexible foundation for personal projects, research platforms, or commercial device development.

Features

	Louder Raspberry Hat	Louder Raspberry Hat (2.1)	Louder Raspberry Media Center	Louder Raspberry Hat Plus	Louder Raspberry Hat (2.1)
Compatible with	Every Pi	Every Pi	Raspberry Pi Zero (W), Raspberry Pi Zero2 W	Every Pi	Every Pi
DAC	Stereo I2S DAC TAS5805M with built in D-Class amp	Dual Stereo I2S DAC TAS5805M with built in D-Class amp	Stereo I2S DAC TAS5805M with built in D-Class amp	Stereo I2S DAC TAS5825M with built in D-Class amp	Dual Stereo I2S DAC TAS5825M with built in D-Class amp
Output, 8Ω, 1% THD	2x 22W	2x 22W	2x 22W	2x 32W	2x 32W
Output, 4Ω, 1% THD	2x 32W	2x 32W	2x 32W	2x 45W	2x 45W
Subwoofer output, , 1% THD	no	1x 45W	no	no	1x 53W
IR input	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
RGB LED	no	no	yes	no	no
Onboard Serial Bridge	no	no	yes	no	no
Wizznet W5500 Ethernet	no	no	yes	no	no
Mechanical dimensions (WxHxD)	65mm x 56mm x 20mm	65mm x 56mm x 20mm	88mm x 38mm x 100mm	65mm x 56mm x 20mm	65mm x 56mm x 20mm
Power requirement	up to 26V from external PSU	up to 26V from external PSU	65W USB-C PD power adapter or up to 26V from external PSU	up to 26V from external PSU	up to 26V from external PSU

⚠️Louder boards will connect to passive speakers; you can’t use headphones or an external amp
💡Need to connect an external amp? Check out the HiFi Raspberry Hat and Amped Raspberry Hat
💡Don’t need DSP capabilities? Check out Loud Raspberry Hat

How to use

TAS58xx DACs (TAS5805M/TAS5825M) are not supported by the default Raspbian distribution; therefore, some work needs to be done to enable them. The linked repo contains code and instructions on how to configure it. It will take you 5 minutes and one reboot.

1X Hat/Media Center (TAS5805M): Use the single DAC overlay:

dtoverlay=tas58xx,i2creg=0x2d

Plus Hat (TAS5825M): The driver automatically detects TAS5825M based on I2C address:

dtoverlay=tas58xx,i2creg=0x4c

2X Louder Hat (2.1 Audio): The driver includes full dual DAC support for 2.1 speaker configurations with crossover filters. Use the dual overlay:

dtoverlay=tas58xx-dual

This configuration provides:

• Primary DAC (0x2d): Stereo satellite speakers with HF crossover (high-pass filter, 60-150Hz adjustable)
• Secondary DAC (0x2e): Mono subwoofer in bridge mode with LF crossover (low-pass filter, 60-150Hz adjustable)
• Synchronized initialization via global device list
• Individual EQ mode control per DAC
• Linkwitz-Riley 4th order crossover filters
• Runtime parameter overrides (eq_mode, mixer_mode, bridge_mode)

Advanced Configuration: The driver supports runtime overrides via device tree parameters:

# Single DAC with custom settings
dtoverlay=tas58xx,i2creg=0x4c,eq_mode=2,bridge_mode=1,mixer_mode=1

# Dual DAC with individual settings
dtoverlay=tas58xx-dual,eq_mode_primary=3,eq_mode_secondary=2,bridge_mode_secondary=1

See the driver README for detailed configuration options.

In terms of the optional peripheral, it is supported by most distributions, and can be enabled as simply as a few lines in the /boot/formware/config.txt

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

TAS58xx DSP Capabilities

Both TAS5805M and TAS5825M DACs feature sophisticated DSPs inside. The unified driver automatically detects which chip is connected based on I2C address and provides extensive control over DSP features through ALSA, eliminating the need for the $250+ evaluation board for most use cases.

Chip Detection:

• TAS5805M: I2C addresses 0x2c – 0x2f (automatically detected)
• TAS5825M: I2C addresses 0x4c – 0x4f (automatically detected)

Currently Implemented:

• EQ Modes: 4 modes selectable via device tree (ti,eq-mode)
  • OFF (0): No equalization
  • 15-band parametric EQ (1): Full frequency control with adjustable Q and gain
  • LF Crossover (2): Low-pass filter for subwoofers (60-150Hz, Linkwitz-Riley 4th order)
  • HF Crossover (3): High-pass filter for satellite speakers (60-150Hz, Linkwitz-Riley 4th order)
• Speaker Configurations: 2.0 stereo, 2.1 (with dual DAC), bridge/PBTL mono
• Mixer Controls: Flexible channel routing (Stereo, Mono, Left only, Right only)
• Analog Gain: 32 steps (0 to -15.5dB) for output level optimization
• Modulation Schemes: BD, 1SPW, Hybrid (efficiency vs. quality tradeoffs)
• Switching Frequency: 384kHz, 480kHz, 576kHz, 768kHz
• Bridge Mode: PBTL for maximum mono power output
• Fault Monitoring: Read-only ALSA controls for real-time hardware health monitoring
  • Channel faults (overcurrent, DC fault)
  • Power supply faults (PVDD under/overvoltage)
  • Thermal warnings (4 levels: 112°C, 122°C, 134°C, 146°C)
  • Clock and Digital Signal Processing faults
  • Overcurrent warnings and shutdown detection

Firmware

Works with Volumio, HiFiBerryOS, Moode, Moopibox, or bare Raspbian OS. PiCorePlayer is not supported, as there is no published code allowing for the building of custom modules into the system.

The project repository provides a few examples with build instructions, including Volumio setup instructions, among others.

Documentation

Both software and hardware are fully open-sourced and can be found on the project’s GitHub. You can follow the project updates at Hackaday

Where to buy

You may support our work by ordering this product at Tindie and Elecrow

• Louder Raspberry Hat at Tindie and Elecrow ($20 MRSP, $17 at volume)
• Louder Raspberry Hat (2X) at Tindie ($25 MRSP, $22 at volume)
• Louder Raspberry Media Center at Tindie ($49 MRSP, $45 at volume)
• Louder Raspberry Hat at Tindie ($25 MRSP, $22 at volume)
• Louder Raspberry Hat (2X) at Tindie ($30 MRSP, $27 at volume)

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.

In the press

HiFi-Amped is a Raspberry Pi Audio HAT with dual DACs and class-D amplifiers – CNX Software

Turn Your Raspberry Pi into a Serious Media Center with This $25 Amp – Hackster.io

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