DIY DAC project, I need some help.

[Terryv]

I have a spare RPI 3 laying around and thought of making a DAC amp combo. The problem is finding a proper pi hat. All the ones I've seen do not accept external input, but instead use the pi itself as the audio source.

 

Does anyone know of a pi hat that can accept external signal (usb or optical) and output to a headphone jack?

[manikyath]

i fail to understand why you need a raspberry pi for a DAC...

[Terryv]

3 minutes ago, manikyath said:

i fail to understand why you need a raspberry pi for a DAC...

Just want to put it to use and have some fun putting it together.

[Majestic]

So get a Objective O2 kit and build it yourself. 

[manikyath]

Just now, Terryv said:

Just want to put it to use and have some fun putting it together.

but.. thats like saying you have a food blender laying around, and want to put it to use as a kettle.

[Max_Settings]

I don’t think you can use the PI to make a DAC. It doesn’t work that way. You should buy an O2 ODAC kit and build that yourself.

[manikyath]

4 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

I don’t think you can use the PI to make a DAC. It doesn’t work that way. You should buy an O2 ODAC kit and build that yourself.

you can, but it would be endlessly more complicated and less functional than just buying a DAC, which you can buy from china for pennies at this point.

[spwath]

4 hours ago, Terryv said:

I have a spare RPI 3 laying around and thought of making a DAC amp combo. The problem is finding a proper pi hat. All the ones I've seen do not accept external input, but instead use the pi itself as the audio source.

 

Does anyone know of a pi hat that can accept external signal (usb or optical) and output to a headphone jack?

No, because that wouldent use the pi. The pi hats that have a dac amp just take the digital out from the pi, they are a separate amp/dac. So if they didn't take the digital from the pi, it would just be a dac/amp that sits on top of the pi.