The Raspberry Pi is one of the most versatile little computers ever created, and it can do all kinds of things — like power 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.
Raspberry Pi tube amp lets you use $1,300 headphones with your $35 computer
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The 503HTA has already doubled its goal of $20,000 on Kickstarter and was fully funded in just three 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.
Raspberry Pi 3 hands-on
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