PiPlayer – DIY WiFi Music Player (Raspberry Pi 5, piCorePlayer)

PiPlayer is a compact stereo network music player I designed in FreeCAD and printed on my Prusa MK3S. It works anywhere you have a power outlet and WiFi.

Why it doesn't sound like plastic: the speaker chambers are printed heavy and stiff – 7 perimeters and 40 % gyroid infill (about 700 g per chamber) – and their volume and bass reflex port are matched to the Visaton FRS 8 full-range drivers. The result is a full, clean sound instead of the typical rattly "printed speaker" sound.

Software: the Pi runs piCorePlayer. It can work as a WiFi player for an existing Lyrion Music Server (Squeezebox ecosystem, multiroom sync), or completely standalone as music server and player in one box. Internet radio, your own music library, Spotify (optional) and streaming from your phone.

⚠ Safety notice – mains voltage

This build contains 230 V mains wiring (main switch, Mean Well power supply). Mains connections must only be made by a qualified person. Build at your own risk. If you are not qualified, use an external 24 V power brick instead of the built-in supply.

Tip from the build: power the Pi from the 24 V rail through an isolated DC/DC converter (Mean Well SD-15B-5). A simple non-isolated buck converter caused an audible ground-loop hum in my first version.

Electronics

• 2× Visaton FRS 8 full-range speaker (8 cm)

• 1× Raspberry Pi 5

• 1× DAC HAT / sound card for the Pi

• 1× TPA3116D2 stereo amplifier board (with volume pot)

• 1× Mean Well HDR-100-24N power supply (24 V)

• 1× Mean Well SD-15B-5 isolated DC/DC converter (24 V → 5 V)

• 1× 4700 µF electrolytic capacitor (buffer)

• 1× 230 V main switch

• 1× push button + LED (front)

• Wiring, mains cable

Hardware

• 11× heat-set insert M3 × 4 (OD 5 mm) – 4× each speaker chamber, 3× center bay

• 16× heat-set insert M3 × 6 (OD 5 mm) – 14× center bay, 2× PSU carrier

• M3 screws – chambers ↔ center bay, back cover, PSU carrier

Print settings (0.6 mm nozzle, Prusa MK3S, PrusaSlicer)

• 01/02 Speaker chambers: PLA (Extrudr PLA NX2), 0.30 mm, 7 perimeters, 40 % gyroid, no supports, brim 5 mm – approx. 23 h each

• 03 Center electronics bay: PLA (Extrudr PLA NX2), 0.20 mm, 4 perimeters, 15 % gyroid, supports auto

• 04 Back cover: PLA (Extrudr PLA NX2), 0.20 mm, 3 perimeters, 15 % gyroid, supports auto

• 05 PSU carrier: PLA (Extrudr PLA NX2), 0.20 mm, 4 perimeters, 15 % gyroid, supports auto

• 06/07 Grilles: wood PLA (Geeetech Black Walnut), 200 °C, 0.30 mm, 4 perimeters, 15 % gyroid, no supports

• 08–13 Wood shells, fronts, top plate: wood PLA, 200 °C, 0.30 mm, 4 perimeters, 15 % gyroid, no supports

• 14 Volume knob: wood PLA, 0.15 mm, 3 perimeters, supports auto

• 15 Port plug: PLA or wood PLA, 0.20 mm

Total print time roughly 70 h.

Files

01 speaker chamber left · 02 speaker chamber right · 03 center electronics bay · 04 back cover · 05 PSU carrier · 06/07 grilles (snap-in, pegs Ø 5 mm) · 08/09 wood shells · 10–12 wood fronts · 13 wood top plate · 14 volume knob · 15 port plug

More

Full project page with CAD images and a sound sample: repandcreate-mueller.ch/?page_id=484

Designed by Repair and Create, Solothurn, Switzerland.

Music in the sound sample: "Night Jazz" by Ketsa – Free Music Archive – CC BY 4.0

Deutsch

Der PiPlayer ist ein kompakter Stereo-Netzwerk-Musikplayer, konstruiert in FreeCAD und gedruckt auf einem Prusa MK3S. Die Lautsprecherkammern sind schwer und steif gedruckt (7 Perimeter, 40 % Gyroid, ca. 700 g) und auf die Visaton FRS 8 abgestimmt – darum klingt er nicht nach Plastik. Software: piCorePlayer, als WLAN-Player an einem Lyrion Music Server oder eigenständig als Server und Player in einem.

⚠ Im Gerät ist 230 V verbaut. Der Netzanschluss darf nur von einer Fachperson ausgeführt werden. Nachbau auf eigene Verantwortung. Tipp: den Pi über einen galvanisch getrennten DC/DC-Wandler versorgen, sonst droht Brummen durch eine Masseschleife.

Stückliste, Einsätze und Druckeinstellungen: siehe oben.