A Kickstarter project has already raised USD $40,000+ to create a Raspberry Pi powered Hybrid Vacuum Tube Amp 503HT. It can drive headphones from 32 – 300 ohm with ease and fidelity, and it looks pretty amazing too!
Here’s a little blurb from the creators, Smithfield, RI …
“We’ve been designing and manufacturing embedded hardware since 1992. This will be our first foray into the Raspberry Pi community and we’re hoping to make a splash with a full product line of Raspberry Pi based add-ons and shields.”
“The Raspberry Pi is one of the most versatile little computers ever created, and it can do all kinds of things — like powering robots, arcade machines, and now, expensive headphones. Pi 2 Design has created a hybrid vacuum tube amp called the 503HTA that towers atop the Raspberry Pi 3 or Pi 3, allowing the Pi to drive stereo headphones between 32-300 ohms. It also happens to be one of the neatest-looking mods for the Raspberry Pi we’ve seen.
The 503HTA has already doubled its goal of $20,000 on Kickstarter and was fully funded in just 3 days. The creators are still iterating with prototypes, but expect to deliver the amps to backers between July and September of this year with several tube options available. Prices begin at $99, but as usual, early adopters pay at their own risk.”
Source: Kickstarter via TheVerge
