# Sound from RPis

**URL:** <https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [9 August 2025 22:36 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033 "2025-08-09T22:36:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Stephen25652](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/stephen25652/32/6067_2.png) [@Stephen25652](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Stephen25652)\
**Post date:** [9 August 2025 22:36 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/1 "2025-08-09T22:36:00Z")

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Hi everyone.

I am having difficulty finding info on getting sound from my RPis.

I have a RPi 400 and a RPi 5 which I want to use in my workshop to access the internet but, of course, these have no audio jack. As I cannot lipread, it’s hard to decipher youtube videos.

I need a simple way to get sound from these sbc’s.

Would the Adafruit USB Audio Adapter do this for me?

The description makes it sound ideal but there is no current info referring to the RPi 400 or 5 versions.

Please advise, thanks heaps,

Stephen

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**Author:** ![James46717](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@James46717](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/James46717)\
**Post date:** [10 August 2025 04:44 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/2 "2025-08-10T04:44:46Z")

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From Google AI search for ‘Pi 5 sound output’. No idea if this will help.

The Raspberry Pi 5 does not have a built-in audio jack. To output audio, you’ll need to use either: 1) **HDMI output, which can carry audio to a compatible display or receiver;**  **or**

**2) USB audio devices, like a USB sound card or DAC**.

- **HDMI Output:**

- **USB Audio Devices:**

- **USB Sound Cards:**

- **DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters):**

- **Audio HATs:**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Donald23173](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/donald23173/32/12687_2.png) [@Donald23173](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Donald23173)\
**Post date:** [10 August 2025 06:52 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/3 "2025-08-10T06:52:00Z")

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The audio jack on the earlier RasPi models (\<= 4) was well known to be crappy quality; so not surprising they dropped it.

As James mentioned, if you are using an HDMI screen, check whether it has speakers (like a tv).

Yes, the [USB Audio Adapter - Works with Raspberry Pi](https://core-electronics.com.au/usb-audio-adapter-works-with-raspberry-pi.html) would be the easiest & cheapest option and provides decent sound quality. It plugs into any USB socket (such as your RasPi 400 and RasPi 5 have) and you plug your speaker or headphone into its 3.5mm stereo audio jack.

If you want higher quality (say for watching movies or a media player) there are plenty of Audio HATs which sit on top of the Raspberry Pi and provide 3.5mm jack, RCA or speaker connectors.

The cheapest option from Core looks to be the [Adafruit I2S Audio Bonnet for Raspberry Pi - UDA1334A](https://core-electronics.com.au/adafruit-i2s-audio-bonnet-for-raspberry-pi-uda1334a.html) for $20.45 also with 3.5mm jack - but you can optionally add stereo RCA sockets.  
If you want to connect stereo speakers, these start at [Adafruit I2S 3W Stereo Speaker Bonnet for Raspberry Pi - Mini Kit](https://core-electronics.com.au/adafruit-i2s-3w-stereo-speaker-bonnet-for-raspberry-pi-mini-kit.html) for $27.50. As I’m sure you can imagine, there are also boards with super high quality sound … with some matching prices 😉

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**Author:** ![ahsrab292840](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecb155/32.png) [@ahsrab292840](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/ahsrab292840)\
**Post date:** [10 August 2025 16:22 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/4 "2025-08-10T16:22:17Z")

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> [@Stephen25652](#):
>
> I am having difficulty finding info on getting sound from my RPis.
> 
> I have a RPi 400 and a RPi 5 which I want to use in my workshop to access the internet but, of course, these have no audio jack. As I cannot lipread, it’s hard to decipher youtube videos.
> 
> I need a simple way to get sound from these sbc’s.
> 
> Would the Adafruit USB Audio Adapter do this for me?
> 
> The description makes it sound ideal but there is no current info referring to the RPi 400 or 5 versions.

The Adafruit USB Audio Adapter should work with both the RPi 400 and RPi 5! It acts as an external sound card, converting USB input into audio output. You’ll just need to plug it into one of the USB ports on your Raspberry Pi and connect your speakers or headphones to the audio jack on the adapter.

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**Author:** ![Samuel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/samuel/32/11763_2.png) [@Samuel](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Samuel)\
**Post date:** [11 August 2025 01:15 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/5 "2025-08-11T01:15:16Z")

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Hi @Stephen25652 ,

Lots of great suggestions here! There are many ways to achieve this, but the simplest would be to go for the USB Audio Adapter. This will work well and is pretty simple to set up.

> **[USB Audio Adapter - Works with Raspberry Pi](https://core-electronics.com.au/usb-audio-adapter-works-with-raspberry-pi.html)**
>
> The Raspberry Pi has an on-board audio jack, which is super handy for all kinds of sound effects and speech, just plug and go! However, for when you want better...

Otherwise, maybe the YouTube subtitles could help you out as you learn to lipread? 😉

Hope this helps!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stephen25652](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/stephen25652/32/6067_2.png) [@Stephen25652](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Stephen25652)\
**Post date:** [11 August 2025 10:57 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/6 "2025-08-11T10:57:51Z")

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Yep Done It!

I’ve ordered two USB Audio Adapters for my two silent Pis and also an Adafruit I2S 3W Stereo Speaker Bonnet to play around with.

I would have liked the Adafruit I2S Audio Bonnet but it appears it’s not made any more.

If the sound turns out awful I might look at a HDMI Audio Extractor, hope I don’t have to.

re. connecting the Bonnet to the Pi5 and 400, I already have a fan mounted on the Pi5 it so I thought I might use one of those wide ribbon cables from old computers and mount the Bonnet nearby. I’ll have to do something similar for the 400 due to It’s pin location.

Thank you all for your very helpful advice.

Kind regards,

Stephen

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![James46717](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@James46717](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/James46717)\
**Post date:** [12 August 2025 04:24 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/7 "2025-08-12T04:24:37Z")

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> [@Stephen25652](#):
>
> re. connecting the Bonnet to the Pi5 and 400, I already have a fan mounted on the Pi5 it so I thought I might use one of those wide ribbon cables from old computers and mount the Bonnet nearby. I’ll have to do something similar for the 400 due to It’s pin location.

This I have found to be very useful for breaking out the Pi GPIO, but might not work for your setup.

> **[40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO Breakout](https://core-electronics.com.au/40-pin-raspberry-pi-gpio-breakout.html)**
>
> If you're after a quick and easy to way to connect external circuitry up to your Raspberry Pi, then look no further! This breakout board has a form factor perfect for connecting to breadboards using the included 40-pin ribbon cable.

Pretty cheap cable.

> **[Raspberry Pi GPIO 40-Pin Ribbon Cable](https://core-electronics.com.au/raspberry-pi-400-ribbon-cable.html)**
>
> Extend your Raspberry Pi's functionality with this rainbow ribbon cable!

Adaptor fro Pi 400, no idea how useful as I dont have a Pi 400.

> **[Monk Makes GPIO Adapter for PI 400](https://core-electronics.com.au/monk-makes-gpio-adapter-for-pi-400.html)**
>
> The MonkMakes GPIO Adaptor for Pi 400 makes it easy to use existing Raspberry Pi accessories with the new Raspberry Pi 400.

Even this may do what you want.

> **[Raspberry Pi Dual-Access GPIO Extension Board](https://core-electronics.com.au/raspberry-pi-dual-access-gpio-extension-board.html)**
>
> Enhance your Raspberry Pi projects with this dual-access GPIO extension board, featuring both vertical and horizontal pin headers for flexible GPIO access on all 40-pin Raspberry Pi models including Pi 5, 4, and Zero.

Cheers

Jim

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stephen25652](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/stephen25652/32/6067_2.png) [@Stephen25652](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Stephen25652)\
**Post date:** [12 August 2025 07:06 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/8 "2025-08-12T07:06:04Z")

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Nice bits of gear James, well priced too.

I’ll keep them in mind with my next order.

Thanks heaps,

Stephen

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gnnoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ea924/32.png) [@gnnoob](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/gnnoob)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2025 00:07 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/9 "2025-08-16T00:07:42Z")

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Do you have Bluetooth speaker in a box somewhere?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Donald23173](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/donald23173/32/12687_2.png) [@Donald23173](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Donald23173)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2025 04:45 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/10 "2025-08-16T04:45:58Z")

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> [@Stephen25652](#):
>
> re. connecting the Bonnet to the Pi5 and 400,

The Raspberry Pi was designed to allow HATs to be stacked - but you have to be careful that two boards aren’t using the same GPIO pin for different things.

Unfortunately I found that many HAT makers assume that theirs will be the only board, or the board on top 😠. Fortunately there are several accessories which can be useful individually or in combination to allow multiple HATs (or the smaller bonnets or shims) and/or to change their orientation to make them more accessible (particularly for the RasPi 400).

If you buy a HAT which requires you to solder the header onto the HAT, you might like to swap the standard header for an [extra-tall](https://core-electronics.com.au/stacking-header-for-raspberry-pi-b-2x20-extra-tall-header.html) or [extra-long](https://core-electronics.com.au/stacking-2x20.html) Stacking Header to give extra space between boards (eg to allow space for airflow around your Pi5’s fan). You can also add a standard 2x20 header just as a spacer (like stacking lego bricks 😉).

The 40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO Breakout is excellent for doing your own wiring on a breadboard … I find mine particularly useful - but not as a way to connect another HAT.

The Dual-Access board does split your GPIO into two, allowing 2 HATs to be connected simultaneously - which I think is what you might be after. Personally I bought a [HAT Hacker HAT](https://core-electronics.com.au/hat-hacker-hat.html) so I can add a HAT to my RasPi4 at the same time using my GPIO breakout. The [Pimoroni Flat HAT Hacker](https://core-electronics.com.au/pimoroni-flat-hat-hacker.html) is marketed more for RasPi 400, and they also produce a smaller version for the RasPi Pico (does pico use the same GPIO pin layout ?) and a larger [Pimoroni Mini Black HAT Hack3r](https://core-electronics.com.au/pimoroni-mini-black-hat-hack3r.html)

I am not suggesting you need any of these … but it’s always useful to know the variety of options available … and there are so many boards and accessories available for the Raspberry Pi, you should find several options for anything you are wanting to do with it. I will comment however that Core Electronics often have the same (or very similar) product from different suppliers at different prices. It was quite annoying to find that I waited 10 days for an Adafruit product, to then find Core’s own-brand version was in stock at substantially cheaper price 😥 but I can only blame myself for not checking.

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**Author:** ![Stephen25652](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/stephen25652/32/6067_2.png) [@Stephen25652](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Stephen25652)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2025 05:48 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/11 "2025-08-16T05:48:09Z")

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As a matter of fact I do !!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stephen25652](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/stephen25652/32/6067_2.png) [@Stephen25652](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Stephen25652)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2025 05:56 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/12 "2025-08-16T05:56:01Z")

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I will have to make a male to male 2x20 pin header as the old pc cable has female both ends.

That’s for experimenting then later I will put the Adafruit Speaker Bonnet in some kind of pretty enclosure.

You’ve mentioned sooo many hats and hacks I didn’t know about - thanks heaps, I will check them all out. It’s good to have an idea what is available.

I’ve been making all sorts of connectors for years, now the seem to be appearing on AliExpress for pocket money and seemingly well made to.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stephen25652](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/stephen25652/32/6067_2.png) [@Stephen25652](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Stephen25652)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2025 10:21 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/13 "2025-08-18T10:21:33Z")

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Hi gnnoob.

I’ve connected RPi5 to a UEBoom via BlueTooth - works OK but I believe it plays only MP3.

I was hoping to get some better quality sound but I don’t really know what I’m hearing - I’m 72 you know!

Stephen.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gnnoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ea924/32.png) [@gnnoob](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/gnnoob)\
**Post date:** [14 October 2025 13:25 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/14 "2025-10-14T13:25:41Z")

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I don’t use sound on my pi. Should be ok from Debian os though

From chat GPT

All models with built-in Bluetooth (Pi 3, 4, 5, and Zero 2 W) can do this directly.

Older Pis (e.g. Pi 2 or Zero W) need a USB Bluetooth dongle.

**⚙**

**Setup Overview (Raspberry Pi OS)**

1. Open Bluetooth Settings  
In the top-right Bluetooth menu → Add Device → pair with your speaker.

2. Trust and Connect  
Once paired, right-click the device → Connect to Audio Sink (sometimes called “Connect to Speaker”).

3. Select as Audio Output

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stephen25652](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/forum.core-electronics.com.au/stephen25652/32/6067_2.png) [@Stephen25652](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/u/Stephen25652)\
**Post date:** [15 October 2025 23:13 UTC](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/t/sound-from-rpis/23033/15 "2025-10-15T23:13:41Z")

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Thanks for those tips, I appreciate them.

Stephen