This YouTuber Converted a Vintage Tube Radio into a Modern Music Streamer with a LattePanda

There is no denying the fact that modern music streaming services and stereos are better than vintage radios in almost every way. There are a virtually infinite number of music and podcast options out there that can be played at very high quality, and they’re all cheap (or even free) and easy to use. But, there is one thing they lack: the retro appeal of vintage tube radio aesthetics.

Luckily, as YouTuber PC DOODLE proves, there is no reason to sacrifice that aesthetic just to have the modern luxuries we’ve grown accustomed to. Both can be had by retrofitting a vintage radio with modern components. In PC DOODLE’s case, that was an old Claratone tube radio upgraded with a LattePanda and Arduino.

The Claratone radio is a beautiful wood tube radio that just oozes sophistication, and it would be suitable even just as decor. But, of course, PC DOODLE wanted to make it functional. The Claratone’s original dials are connected to the Arduino, and are used to select a music source or podcast on the LattePanda. Turning the dials switches to a new “station,” and the audio is then ouput to a pair of bookshelf speakers through a SX400 amplifier. The original tubes even light up with LEDs along with the music!