A character's voice belongs where the character lives. If you're building AIPI Lite into a prop, sculpture, or custom enclosure, moving its original speaker can help you place that voice where you want it.
This photo guide follows community maker McFluffyBunny as they replace the short onboard speaker leads with longer wires. It covers the physical modification—not a plug-and-play amplifier or Bluetooth upgrade.
Tutorial and photos by McFluffyBunny. Adapted by AIPI for clarity and safety. AIPI offered the creator a thank-you fee for this contribution.
Before you open it
This is a hardware modification for people with small-electronics soldering experience. Pads, speaker wires, and the display ribbon are fragile; a mistake can permanently damage the device. If you're new to soldering, practice on a spare board or ask an experienced maker to help.
- Switch the device off, disconnect USB, and remove the battery module before opening it or soldering.
- Work on an ESD-safe surface with ventilation, eye protection, and a secure soldering-iron stand. Keep tools and solder away from children; wash your hands after handling leaded solder.
- Photograph your own board before removing anything. Board revisions can differ—follow the original speaker's two connections, not a guessed pinout.
- Neither speaker lead should be treated as ground or as a power supply. Do not connect these leads directly to a 3.5 mm/RCA input, an amplifier input, or a Bluetooth transmitter. Those applications need an electrically compatible interface verified for the board.
What you'll need
- AIPI Lite and its original speaker
- A small Phillips screwdriver that fits the screws (#0 or #1)
- A plastic opening tool; a hobby knife only if needed to release speaker adhesive
- A fine-tip, temperature-controlled soldering iron, electronics solder, and electronics-safe flux
- Fine insulated hookup wire—the creator used 28 AWG Kynar-insulated wire
- Wire strippers, tweezers or helping hands, magnification, and a multimeter
- Insulation and suitable strain relief for the finished wiring
1. Open the housing gently
With all power disconnected, remove the four screws holding the PCB to the front cover and set them aside. Separate the board and cover slowly. Don't pull them apart: the speaker wires and display connection are still attached.
2. Release the original speaker
Carefully loosen the adhesive holding the speaker in the cover. Lift the speaker by its body, not its wires, and keep any tool clear of the display ribbon and PCB. Set the cover aside.
3. Record the wiring before removing it
Take a close-up photo of where each original speaker wire lands. Label the wires and their matching connections so you can preserve the same pairing at both ends. The component labels visible in these photos are not a universal wiring diagram.
The creator chose to replace the short leads rather than splice extensions into them. Plan a short, protected route that will not pinch the wires, obstruct buttons or screws, or pull on the solder joints. Keep wiring clear of the antenna area.
4. Remove the short leads
Secure the board without crushing components and apply a small amount of electronics-safe flux to the speaker wire joints. Clean and lightly tin the iron's tip. Use the temperature recommended for your solder and equipment; the original guide suggests roughly 335–350°C for 60/40 solder.
Heat one joint briefly, then lift the wire only after the solder melts. Let the board cool between attempts. Do not tug on a solid joint, scrape the pad, or keep heating if the wire will not release.
5. Attach the longer wires
Cut two leads to the length your build needs. Strip only enough insulation for the joint—the creator used about 1.5 mm—and tin the exposed ends.
Solder each new lead to its matching original connection, holding it still while the solder cools. Inspect under magnification for loose strands, solder bridges, or lifted pads. Insulate any exposed connections and add strain relief without covering connectors, buttons, or the antenna.
6. Reconnect, check, and reassemble
Connect the original speaker to the new leads, preserving the pairing you recorded. With power still disconnected, inspect the full route for shorts, exposed conductors, and pinched wiring. Check that the speaker is secured and the wiring cannot move into other contacts.
Once the connections are insulated and the board is safely supported, briefly test at low volume. Disconnect power again before adjusting anything. Stop immediately if you notice unusual heat, smell, distortion, or intermittent sound. Refit the cover and screws gently, making sure nothing is trapped underneath.
What about a bigger speaker or Bluetooth?
The creator also explored external speakers, exciters, amplifier modules, and Bluetooth audio hardware. Those are separate projects—not a list of parts that can safely connect straight to these two wires. Speaker impedance, amplifier output type, signal level, grounding, and power all need to be checked first. A speaker's wattage rating alone does not establish compatibility.
ESP32-S3 supports Bluetooth LE, but not Bluetooth Classic. That does not make AIPI Lite a standard Bluetooth audio transmitter. See Espressif's Bluetooth documentation. For the grounding issue, Analog Devices' explanation of bridge-tied speaker outputs shows why a speaker's negative terminal must not automatically be treated as ground; it is not a pinout for AIPI Lite.
For this guide, keep the project focused: relocate the original speaker, preserve its electrical connections, and give your character's voice a new home.