52Pi NVdigi: New expansion board for the Raspberry Pi with HiFi qualities and M.2 port

The NVDigi is an expansion board for the Raspberry Pi 5, with which 52Pi not only aims to provide a solution for hi-fi playback, but also further expansion of the single-board computer, allowing extensive projects to be implemented.

The expansion board comes with HiFiBerry Digi+, which should enable high-quality audio output. The board uses the I2S port of the Raspberry Pi 5 directly; according to the manufacturer, a direct connection to the CPU, bypassing a detour via the USB port,  ensures particularly high playback quality. A sampling rate of up to 192 kHz at 24 bit is supported. Audio content can then be output via RCA or optically via TOSLink, making it easy to connect receivers, for example.

The board also supports the use of an M.2 SSD. The extremely popular M.2 2280 format is not supported, but M.2 2242 and M.2 2230 models can be used via the NVMe protocol. This makes memory expansion particularly easy, allowing larger audio files to be stored without issue. Lastly, the NVDigi expansion board also allows the use of additional sensors and actuators. The corresponding GPIO pins are looped through and are still available on the top side in the form of a typical pin header.

The NVDigi is now available for preorder directly from the manufacturer at a price of just under $40. Interested parties are advised to themselves about shipping costs and possible import taxes.