What is it?
Loud-ESP32 is a handy low-cost media streamer device. It is aimed to be paired with small-to-medium-sized speakers in a small room. It uses a dual MAX98357 Hi-Fi DAC that will output up to 5W per speaker. Admittedly not much, but well enough for a kid’s room or workplace. Due to the D-class amp, it barely uses power and can be paired with a standard USB wall charger.
Motivation
Over the past few years, I dedicated my time to developing various solutions using ESP devices. It all began with the ESP8266, which had limited CPU power, restricting it to basic tasks like simple sound alerts. However, with the arrival of the ESP32, everything changed. This new model brought two significantly more capable cores, simultaneously providing a powerhouse for handling communication and real-time decoding. Furthermore, the inclusion of 4MB of PSRAM proved to be crucial, enabling effective buffering for streamed content.
I developed a diverse selection of ESP32 docks that allow for rapid prototyping across the entire spectrum of ESP32 chips. These docks cater to various needs, ranging from small, compact devices resembling toys to large, full-sized speakers. The Loud-ESP32 is a high-quality DAC offering great audio quality that is extremely easy to use. It required no special power, except for a standard USB-C power adapter and a very simple software setup.
Features
| ESP Audio Duo (discontinued) | Loud-ESP32 | Loud-ESP32S3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Docks with | ESP32 Mini Module | ESP32-WROVER-N16R8 onboard | ESP32-S3-WROOM-N16R8 onboard |
| DAC | Dual I2S DAC (MAX98357) with built-in D-Class amp | Dual I2S DAC (MAX98357) with built-in D-Class amp | Dual I2S DAC (MAX98357) with built-in D-Class amp |
| Output (4Ω) | 2x 5W | 2x 5W | 2x 5W |
| Output (8Ω) | 2x 3W | 2x 3W | 2x 3W |
| PSRAM | 8MB (4MB usable) | 8MB over SPI (4MB usable) | 8MB over QSPI (all usable) |
| Connectivity | WiFi + BT4.2 + BLE Ethernet | WiFi + BT4.2 + BLE W5500 Ethernet (optional) | WiFi + BLE W5500 Ethernet (optional) |
Onboard PSRAM
Audio streaming requires proper buffering to work, even with ESP32 500K of RAM it is a challenging task. For that reason, all Louder-ESP32 board versions have 8 MB PSRAM chip onboard, connected via a high-speed interface.
Case
Loud-ESP32(S3) is mechanically compatible with Raspberry Pi 3/4 cases, tested with transparent ones.
Optional SPI Ethernet module
Every board has a header that allows soldering in the W5500 SPI Ethernet module that is very easy to find. The only downside is that with the module installed board will not fit the case unless it is cut to accommodate extra height.
Firmware samples
In the software section, two firmware examples are provided. But the editor’s favorite is the squeezelite-esp32 firmware that you can flash directly from your browser using web-installer
Documentation
Both software and hardware documentation can be found on the project’s Github. You can follow project progress at Hackaday
Where to buy
You may support our work by ordering this product at Tindie and Elecrow
- ESP Audio Dock at Tindie
- HiFi-ESP32 at Tindie
- Loud-ESP32 at Tindie
- Louder ESP32 at Tindie
- Louder ESP32 at Elecrow