Sonocotta's Esparagus HiFi MediaLink Puts an Espressif ESP32 to Work Upgrading Your Old Hi-Fi

Polish open hardware specialist Sonocotta has released a device designed to upgrade old audio systems to the "cutting edge" of media streaming — by hooking them in to an Espressif ESP32 microcontroller module: the Esparagus HiFi MediaLink.

"I did few audio projects in the past, some using [Espressif] ESP32, some using larger Orange Pi and Raspberry Pi devices. Each has its pros and cons, and each iteration I'm trying to focus on the details that were working best for me, while actually using them," Sonocotta's Andriy Malyshenko explains of his creation. "What I like about ESP32 is how lightweight it is. It barely draws power, so you may not care to turn it off at all. It boots in seconds and is ready for use in a snap."

It's these features which have put the Espressif ESP32 at the heart of Malyshenko's creation, the Esparagus HiFi MediaLink. "[It's] a handy low cost media device," he explains, "that will upgrade your legacy audio system with cutting-edge internet streaming capabilities and enhance your audio experience."

The device is built around the Espressif ESP32-WROVER module, giving it two 32-bit Tensilica Xtensa LX6 cores running at up to 240MHz plus 4MB of usable pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM) — used, in the case of the Esparagus, for audio buffering. This is connected to a Texas Instruments PCM5100A digital-to-analog converter (DAC), driving a 2.1 VRMS line-level audio output on a 3.5mm stereo jack.

It's this jack which interfaces the Esparagus to powered speakers, a hi-fi, or any other otherwise-disconnected audio playback device. There's a USB Type-C port for power, and a connector for an external antenna — a necessity, given the board is designed to be housed in a robust metal project box.

"Over last few years I [saw a] few amazing software products created to deliver audio on the ESP32, like squeezelite-esp32 or euphonium," Malyshenko explains. "Esparagus HiFi MediaLink is designed specifically to run these great pieces of software and bring a new life into ageing audio equipment that most of us have at home but do not use that much these days — since it is not working with Spotify and the family."

The design files and firmware for the Esparagus HiFi MediaLink are available on GitHub under the permissive Apache 2.0 license; kits are available to buy for $25 including the aluminum box and external antenna, with a $5 discount if you don't need the box, on the Sonocotta Tindie store.

And as for the device's unusual name? "ChatGPT made me call it that way," Malyshenko explains. "I only asked if there is a fruit or vegetable that is phonetically close to ESP32, which is a heart of this device."