Raspberry Pi as a Hi-Fi system: the guide to figuring out where to start

A Raspberry Pi, a DAC, and a Hi-Fi system you already own: that's all it takes to build a serious audio source at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated streamer. What makes the difference is the software running on top — and it's also where most people get stuck, because the available options are more similar to each other than they first appear.

What you actually need

• A Raspberry Pi, model 3 or newer. The more recent models (4 and 5) give you more headroom for multiroom and large music libraries, but aren't strictly required to get started.
• A microSD card (or a USB SSD, on Pi 4/5) to install the operating system and software.
• A DAC: either a HAT board connected directly to the GPIO pins, or an external USB DAC connected to your amplifier.
• A home network: the Raspberry Pi is controlled from a browser or app, so it needs to sit on the same network as the device controlling it.

The available software families

Simplifying a bit, anyone wanting to build Hi-Fi audio around a Raspberry Pi has three routes:

1. The "legacy" open-source audio distributions (Volumio, moOde): free or nearly so, with a large community, but often requiring you to get hands-on with plugins and configuration to get all the features you're after — streaming, multiroom, library management.
2. Roon, built for people who want the most polished library management on the market, but with a subscription model (or a lifetime license in the high three figures) where the Raspberry Pi only acts as an endpoint, not the heart of the system.
3. getile audio (gtCore): a single browser-based interface that brings together your local library, high-resolution streaming, internet radio, podcasts and audiobooks, with a one-time license instead of a recurring fee. Runs on Raspberry Pi 3 and up, with native DSD support up to DSD512.

How to choose

Before looking at features, it's worth answering three questions:

• Do you want to pay a recurring fee, or once? Roon and some Volumio features require a recurring subscription; getile audio and the base open-source distributions don't.
• Do you care about staying offline-capable? If your local library and DSD playback need to keep working without an internet connection, check that the software doesn't depend on a cloud account for its core features.
• How much time do you want to spend configuring it? The more flexible open-source distributions often require manually configuring plugins and sources; an interface with sources already built in (library, streaming, radio, podcasts, audiobooks) in the same screen cuts down setup time.

Where to start without risk

The easiest way to get a feel for it is to try it, not to keep reading reviews. getile audio offers a free 30-day trial, no credit card required, for anyone who already has a Raspberry Pi at home: it installs with a single terminal command, and within a few minutes you'll hear the first sound from your DAC. If you're looking for the installation step-by-step, the "Hi-Fi in 10 minutes" guide covers the whole process.