StarTech.com PCM5122 Audio Board (A) sound card

Raspberry Pi audio board

The StarTech.com PCM5122 Audio Board (A) is a stereo DAC sound card built around the PCM5122 chip. It connects through the Raspberry Pi 40-pin GPIO header and is compatible with Pi 5, 4B, 3B+, 3B, Zero W, Zero 2W, Pico W and Pico 2W boards. The board provides a 3.5 mm headphone jack and RCA connectors for line-level output. An onboard EEPROM enables automatic driver loading under Raspberry Pi OS.

384 kHz 32-bit headroom

The PCM5122 chip supports sampling frequencies up to 384 kHz and audio data resolution up to 32-bit. This headroom covers high-resolution music files and multi-channel streaming without resampling. The RCA line output and 3.5 mm jack deliver stereo playback to powered speakers or headphones. The I2S digital interface keeps the signal path clean from the processor to the DAC.

Upgrade from onboard audio

This board replaces the Raspberry Pi's built-in PWM or basic HDMI audio with a dedicated I2S DAC. The jump is worthwhile when you need lower noise floor, bit-perfect playback or analogue line-level output for an external amplifier. It does not add microphone input, digital optical output or hardware DSP effects. Builders who need multichannel surround or professional recording interfaces should look elsewhere.