Raspberry Pi enthusiasts might be interested in a new add-on which has been created by Pi 2 Design and takes the form of a Raspberry Pi Hybrid Tube Amp that is equipped with a Pi HAT Compliant Size w/40-Pin mating connector.
The Raspberry Pi amp is capable of providing 24-Bit DAC using a 112db THD PCM5102 that is used to convert the I2S Stream to drive the Single Triode Tube Stage at 24-Bit up to 192Khz Frame Rate, explain its designers.
The 503HTA Raspberry Pi amp supports both 12AU7( ECC82) or 6922/6DJ8 (ECC88) type tubes and is equipped with a 3.5mm Jack plus selectable output resistance between 1.5, 32 and 100 ohms. The creators of the Raspberry Pi 503HTA Hybrid Tube Amp explain a little more about its features and functionality :
Pi 2 Design is excited to introduce the first Tube Amp specifically designed for any of the 40-pin versions of the Raspberry Pi SBC Family. The 503HTA Hybrid Tube Amp HAT, designed and manufactured by Pi2Media (a division of PI 2 Design), is a High Quality I/O Shield designed to bring “Sweet Tube Sound” to the Raspberry PI ® family of Single Board Computers. This HAT allows the Raspberry Pi ® SBC to drive Headphones from 32 – 300 ohm with ease and fidelity.
Based on the popular Bravo V2 design with all recommended Mods, the On-Board PCM5102A DAC drives the single stage 12AU7 (or 6922) tube. The Class-A Output Stage is comprised of the IRL510 and LM317A. The dedicated heater supply insures zero crosstalk.
We just finished testing the prototypes of our 503HTA. a small Hat size add-on. It connects to the PI I2S port. A PCM5102A DAC drives single 12AU7 tube gain stage with solid state Class-A output. It is designed to drive headphones from 32 to 300 ohm quite easily. Individual Anode Bias Adjustments plus selectable Series/Parallel Heater Drive insure the perfect setup for virtually any tube!
The design is derived from the popular Bravo V2 architecture with all the modifications recommended such as: IRL510 Output Mosfet; Regulated Heater Voltage to reduce cross-talk; Adjustable Plate Bias for Tube Rollers; Nichicon MUSE Output Capacitors; and Jumper-able output impedance of 1.5, 32 and 100 ohm and switchable gain selection to match your headphones exactly.
For more information on the new Raspberry Pi amp jump over to the Kickstarter website for details and to make a pledge from $99 following the link below. If you found this article interesting you might also be interested in this list of awesome Raspberry Pi Zero projects we have put together, or Raspberry Pi displays.
Source: Kickstarter
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