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Three ways to build

The hardware

Whether you want to get going fast or aim for a polished version, three paths lead to your own MusicBox.

Choose your path

AvailableDifficulty Hard

DIY / hand-wired

Assemble the parts on a breadboard with Dupont wires. No electronic board fabrication required.

What you need
Off-the-shelf parts, a breadboard, Dupont wires and a hand-made enclosure.
Enclosure
Build the enclosure yourself
  • Off-the-shelf parts, easy to source
  • Full wiring tutorial
  • Build it yourself from the components in the BOM
See the DIY BOM

To join the project right now.

AvailableDifficulty Medium

Prototype V4

An all-in-one dedicated board by HermitX. Ships with the NFC antenna, a 3 W speaker and an NTAG215 card.

What you need
A soldering iron, a few easy-to-find parts and a 3D printer.
Enclosure
3D enclosure to print
  • ESP32-S3 N8R8 (8 MB PSRAM onboard, required by the firmware)
  • PN532 NFC reader + external antenna included
  • MAX98357 I2S amp + 3 W speaker included
  • 8× WS2812B LEDs + microSD reader (up to 32 GB)

Disclaimer: the HermitX board is a prototype product intended for prototyping and makers. It carries no regulatory certification.

See the Prototype V4 BOM

For a clean, reproducible version.

SoonDifficulty Easy

The Open Music Box player

Our ready-to-use version, currently in development.

What you need
Nothing to solder or print: it arrives ready to use.
  • The same firmware and the same app as the other two paths.
Coming soon

For the most polished version.

Start on a breadboard to validate the build, or jump straight to the Prototype V4, available now.

Newsletter

A letter every two weeks

The project told straight, one Thursday morning out of two. What I build, what ships, and the mistakes along the way.