A.I. Speakerbox for Xiaozhi A.I. or Home Assistant

DIY Better-Sounding Xiaozhi AI VA Box or Home Assistant VA

Note: This can also be used with ESPHome and Home Assistant!
More details, part links, and pinouts here:
https://github.com/RealDeco/xiaozhi-esphome/tree/main/devices/Breadboard

I built this box because I wanted better sound quality from my Xiaozhi AI voice assistant. Most ready-made Xiaozhi devices have tiny speakers with pretty bad sound, so I decided to make my own. Just sharing here in case anyone else wants to give it a try!

🛠️ Electronics:

The electronics are based on the official xiaozhi-esp32 project and public diagrams.
The ESP32 is loaded with the official Xiaozhi firmware.

Parts used:

• 2.4" ILI9341 display
  Screen Link
• 2" speaker
  Speaker Link
• ESP32-S3 dev board
  Board Link
• INMP441 microphone
  Mic Link
• MAX98357 amp (DAC)
  Amp Link
• 24mm arcade button
  Button Link
• Power plug & cords
  Power Plug Link

Plus, you’ll need a handful of breadboard cables to connect everything.
Minimal soldering required—mainly for header pins and a simple power splitter. Most parts fit snugly in the box (the screen and mic stay put without glue; the speaker is held with two bolts).

💡 Why DIY?

I already had these parts as leftovers, but even if you buy everything new, the cost is about the same as the cheap commercial Xiaozhi boxes/cubes/balls—but with much better sound. If you’re going to have a “person” talking to you all day, it should sound nice, right? 😄

This box is pretty universal since it’s based on ESP32-S3—you can use it for Xiaozhi AI, or flash ESPHome/Home Assistant, or even run Arduino sketches. You can also run your own Xiaozhi server, control Home Assistant, and more.

📖 More Setup & Info:

• Xiaozhi-ESP32 GitHub Project
• Xiaozhi-ESPHome Project & Pinouts
• Instructables: Build Your Own AI Voice Assistant
• Feishu Wiki: Xiaozhi-ESP32 Setup Guide (copy & paste into browser if link isn't clickable)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!