Turn a KRK Rokit 6 into a HiFi WiFi & Bluetooth Speaker

Create a high-fidelity Bluetooth and WiFi sound system for enjoying online radio and music from your PC/Mac/mobile. (L. Hogan, 2023)

Do you wish you had better high fidelity audio or do you have an unused or single KRK (or other powered loudspeaker) around? It may be combersome to setup and use on a daily basis. But, it has got to serve a higher purpose than simply sitting around gathering dust.

KRK speaker monitor are excellent speakers for music lovers. HiFi Berry can be used as an internal modification so you can enjoy high definition music streaming wirelessly from your iPhone or Android using Bluetooth.

Not only can you get extremely good quality wirelessly, you also can access a plethora of online radio stations searchable with every genre imaginable. The Raspberry Pi HiFi mod can be built and installed into the system! Use your iPhone for a fantastic listening experience with an original minimalist appeal.

Supplies

Phillips screw driver or a drill
Wire cutter and wire stripper
Electrical Tape
Hot glue gun with a gluestick
A Soldering iron with solder
1 * KRK Rokit 6 powered speaker (or an equivalent powered monitor)
1 * Apple iPhone USB Charger
1 * 1ft USB to MicroUSB Cable
1 * MicroSD Card (8GB + / equivalent)
1 * RaspberryPi Mini Computer (available at: https://www.pishop.ca/product/raspberry-pi-zero/)
1 * HiFi Berry Pi Micro Kit (built or unsoldered) (available at: https://www.pishop.ca/product/hifiberry-dac-zero/)

Step 1: Raspberry Pi Build

Build the Raspberry Pi and HiFi Berry devices and connect them together by plugging them in or soldering them together. Download the compiled HiFi Pi firmware from their website. Flash the downloaded image to a MicroSD card large enough for the image. Download and use a tool such as Etcher to write the image to the MicroSD card. Insert the SD Card into the Raspberry Pi. Test the RCA outputs of the HiFi Berry by connecting one to the speaker and setting the speaker volume to -30db. Start using the iPhone power adapter and connect the USB cable to a MicroUSB receptacle on the Raspberry Pi.

Step 2: WiFi Setup & Bluetooth Testing

On your iPhone or Android device, go to settings and search for available WiFi networks. The HiFiBerry may appear as a WiFi network. Use a web browser to locate the HiFi Berry. Navigate to the IP address reported or connect to the hosts record at http://hifiberry.local. You can make sure to add a bookmark for future reference. For more, see to Step 8.

Step 3: Opening the Speaker

Unplug the speaker and Raspberry Pi. Open the rear of the KRK speaker with the screwdrivers. *make sure to count the screw rotations as you remove the cover. You might use this measurement later to reinsert each screw.

Step 4: Power Installation

Find the main AC lines connecting to the rear plug, and through the fuse. Cut the black and red wire leads with the wire cutter. Strip the wires by ¼”. Attach the Apple iPhone charger to the leads by feeding the stripped wires through the holes. Solder the wires to the plug. Use electrical tape to secure the metal plug ends from exposure so no metal is showing. Use the hot glue gun to mount the iPhone charger to the inside of the case.

Step 5: HiFi Pi Installation & Connection

Plug in the 1ft USB cable into the iPhone charger and into the Micro USB receptacle of the Raspberry Pi. Mount the Raspberry Pi + HiFi Berry rig to the inside of the case using the hot glue gun. Use the anti-vibration paste found inside the case and on the circuit board to prevent rattling of the devices you have just installed.

Step 6: RCA Cable Routing

Split a long RCA cable to there are two sides of equal length. Wind one side up and place it on the inside of the speaker. Connect the RCA cables to the HiFi Pi or solder the wires to the board. Connect the other short end of the wound cable to the main speaker’s RCA input jack. Connect the opposing cable to another speaker / monitor if available. Set the volume on the speakers to their lowest level or it willblast sound when first connected to. Set the volume on the rear of the speaker/monitor to it’s lowest level / approximately -30db.

Step 7: KRK Rebuilding

Either cut holes or divits for each of the two RCA cables or just leave them to dangle through the bottom of the rear cover. Reattach the rear cover of the speaker. Try to remember how many turns you gave the screws but leave them not too tight if you have left the wires dangling, so as to not put too much pressure on them.

Step 8: Final Adjustments

Use Bluetooth on your phone to connect to the speaker. I think it gives best results while playing lossless music. Browse to Radio engine on your HiFi Berry website and search by genre. Change the name of your device or even setup API endpoints in settings area.

Tune the volume up about 4 notches while playing music at a reasonable volume. Listen for any audible vibrations while adjusting the volume on a bass-heavy tracks. Push inwards on the corners of the rear casing to find the location of the vibrations. Tighten or loosen the rear case screws (in 1/4 turns) either in or out until all the vibrations are gone.

Enjoy your new sound system!