# Connecting dayton audio DAEX25X4-4 speaker as output for a raspberry pi **URL:** \ **Category:** Raspberry Pi\ **Created:** [October 20, 2021, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081 "2021-10-20T10:23:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/1 "2021-10-20T10:23:44Z")
I have a Dayton Audio exciter speaker [Dayton Audio - DAEX25X4-4 Bullfrog Vented Disc Spider 25 mm x 4 Exciter 320 mm Cable and Connectors 40W 8 Ohm](https://www.daytonaudio.com/product/1230/daex25x4-4-bullfrog-vented-disc-spider-25-mm-x-4-exciter-320-mm-cable-and-connectors-40w-8-ohm) and I want to use this as output for a raspberry pi zero. What components do I need i.e. amplifier/cables/connections etc and how do I make it happen? ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 10:55am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/2 "2021-10-20T10:55:29Z")
Is it a single channel mono Speaker? What’s on the end of the audio cable? This will likely work. [Audio Amp SHIM (3W Mono Amp) – Pimoroni](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/audio-amp-shim-3w-mono-amp) Or this [Pirate Audio: 3W Stereo Amp for Raspberry Pi – Pimoroni](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/pirate-audio-3w-stereo-amp) ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 11:31am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/3 "2021-10-20T11:31:02Z")
Single channel (I assumed that I could mix to mono on the pi application software) The ends are just bare wires, black and red. ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 11:35am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/4 "2021-10-20T11:35:03Z")
the fact that the amp is 3w and the speaker is 8w, would this mean the speaker volume will be much lower using this device? ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 11:50am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/5 "2021-10-20T11:50:00Z")
Not necessarily lower, you just won’t be able to make them as loud as they are designed for. I have a pHat Beat which is 3W per channel, I have never come close to turning it up to full volume. My speakers are 6 or 8 Watt rated, something like that. I know they are rated for more than 3 Watt, as I checked it when I built it years ago. ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 12:01pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/6 "2021-10-20T12:01:55Z")
Thanks for the advice. I’ll buy the product ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 7:24am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/7 "2021-10-23T07:24:23Z")
How do I connect the speaker wires to the connector block? ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 8:10am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/8 "2021-10-23T08:10:09Z")
If they aren’t already, strip the ends bare, a quarter inch or so of bare wire should be enough. If you have a soldering iron I’d tin them with a little solder. If you can’t tin them twist the ends so they stay together. You can carefully just push them in and they will lock in place. What I do is put a little pressure on the locking tabs with a screwdriver so the wires slide in easier. Don’t push too hard with the screwdriver though or you may break the tab. ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/9 "2021-10-31T20:58:34Z")
Obvious when you know how lol So all working…eventually…how do I adjust the sound levels? seem very low on playback ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/10 "2021-11-01T15:11:00Z")
I do believe you do that through Puse Audio / alsa mixer? One quick and dirty way to do it is to click the speaker icon in the tray. If there isn’t any adjustment option, swith it to HDMI, Then move the slider up to increase the volume level. Then change it back to your DAC and see if its louder, ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 9:39pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/11 "2021-11-10T21:39:40Z")
![1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/pimoroni/original/2X/3/3c4442d4018cab530c58087e6ae36ec6226b0446.png) ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 9:40pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/12 "2021-11-10T21:40:17Z")
change device ![2](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/pimoroni/original/2X/e/e82e1aa34c7954cc634c2d4c9808f460a9e659a6.png) ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 9:40pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/13 "2021-11-10T21:40:58Z")
then selected device gives this message ![4](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/pimoroni/original/2X/0/00e8a213ec788b9dadd91820f4cee71e3f2ba11d.png) ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 8:54am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/14 "2021-11-11T08:54:47Z")
What do you get if you select hifiberry\_dac? ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 9:44am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/15 "2021-11-11T09:44:55Z")
that was the message when selecting the hifiberry. I can adjust volume in alsa default device (pulseaudio) only ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 11:14am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/16 "2021-11-11T11:14:36Z")
Switch it to default device, adjust it to max, then switch back to hifiberry. Cross your fingers and see if it stuck. ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/17 "2021-11-11T17:58:56Z")
should have mentioned this. When I select the hifiberry (and it tells me I can’t control the sound) it then defaults back to pulseaudio. So its always on default with low sound (but maxed out on the interface) I did try using the pi as a pass through bluetooth connection to the speaker using VLC. Having adjusted the volume in VLC, it sounded like the volume was maxed out (terrible) …but on a low volume…if that makes sense ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/18 "2021-11-11T18:48:24Z")
Ok, I’m out of ideas? I built the itty bity beat box, Pi Zero, drum hat, piano hat and a Pirate Audio Speaker. I had no volume up down via the buttons on the Pirate Audio as I only did what was needed to get the DAC part of it working. And I got that same this device does not have any controls message when I clicked on the sound icon in the tray. Pi OS with desktop. I was able to switch to HDMI, adjust the volume up, and go back to DAC. It was then nice and loud. ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/19 "2021-11-11T19:26:33Z")
I’ve added just about everything to it, VLC, KODI, Mopidy, Pirate audio. All work as they should but the sound is low. Just to make sure, I attached the ceiling speaker cable to an old hifi unit and I can get very loud output so I know its not the speaker. I’ll try the HDMI route. So you simply switched audio output to HDMI, used the desktop icon to increase sound and that was it?. Worth a try. I’ll do it now ---
**Author:** ![bluemore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@bluemore](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/bluemore)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/connecting-dayton-audio-daex25x4-4-speaker-as-output-for-a-raspberry-pi/18081/20 "2021-11-11T19:27:13Z")
i’m using the latest pi zero w 2…could that be making a difference?