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Google Chromecast Audio...bringing smart audio to dumb hifi

windhoek

windhoek

The Phoolosopher
I just noticed an article @ BBC about Goggle and their Chromecast Audio gadget, which for £30, will stream music (using apps etc) over wifi to your old hifi via 3.5mm jack or RCA connectors. It looks like it's a cheap alternative to Sonos and such like and if it comes with a digital output, a very handy gadget indeed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34391038

EDIT: It has Optical out :)
 
Here's a link to the product @ Google
https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_audio

_85804679_c5ce4a41-47d5-4ac0-85ff-e34baa25dac8.jpg
 
Looks like it has optical output according to the BBC article:

Chromecast Audio can be connected to existing stereo equipment via standard 3.5mm audio jack, RCA or optical cables.
Click to expand...

Interesting....

Lefty
 
Yes it has 24/96 via optical output on 802.11 ac and Roon seem to have already shown an interest. For £30 what's not to like ????
 
Surely you but any number of streamers that will plug into an old hifi. A suggestion of making up the problem so that you can flog something to overcome it.
 
I have a chromecast on my tv. Using various apps I can access my music on my qnap NAS which streams through the tv, via optical output into the DAC and hifi.

Don't Spotify already allow for streaming via a chromecast (like YouTube)? if they don't, they should. I can't really see why another device is necessary.
 
peperoni said:
For £30 what's not to like ????
Click to expand...

It's not Bluetooth.

Look at the images used in the adverts: 20-30 somethings sitting round a table with a portable battery powered boombox that is incapable of picking up music from their iDevices without being connected to a wi-fi network via a (mains?) USB
powered dongle. Really?
 
ultrawomble said:
It's not Bluetooth.

Look at the images used in the adverts: 20-30 somethings sitting round a table with a portable battery powered boombox that is incapable of picking up music from their iDevices without being connected to a wi-fi network via a (mains?) USB
powered dongle. Really?
Click to expand...

As I use Devialet AIR for my music transfer - which is also not Bluetooth - and possibly a little bit better than a boombox and the quality is pretty damn good to my poor old ears. Why would I want Bluetooth, which on most of the PC's I look after fails for a pastime anyway.
 
Until it's released later next month, there's bound to be a bit of speculation and criticism over what it looks like it can and can't do, but it sure seems like a cheap way of adding smart music to dumb hifi and as it has an Optical Out, it might sound very good through your preferred DAC...even though it's only £30.

I'd like to see BBC radio/catchup radio, a range of streaming options such as Spotify etc and the ability to stream local content. If it does all that for £30, it looks like it might be a winner.

If it doesn't, well even though it's only £30, I probably won't buy one.
 
hi All,

just dropped one of these into my System. I take the Optical feed into my Deviate and stream Spotify to it. It works really well and will replace the Apple TV solution I was using previously.
The benefit it brings over the Apple TV (or the way I was using Apple TV) is that once you start the casting of music using the tablet or phone, the device simply streams the music directly and does not take the signal from the aforementioned tablet / phone. I think this is really neat solution, but probably scratches an itch a number of people don't have ......

I suspect it might be able to use it to stream music from the NAS drive, so depending on the quality, it would be a considerably cheap solution to compete with the digital streaming world!

Neil
 
neilm said:
hi All,

just dropped one of these into my System. I take the Optical feed into my Deviate and stream Spotify to it. It works really well and will replace the Apple TV solution I was using previously.
The benefit it brings over the Apple TV (or the way I was using Apple TV) is that once you start the casting of music using the tablet or phone, the device simply streams the music directly and does not take the signal from the aforementioned tablet / phone. I think this is really neat solution, but probably scratches an itch a number of people don't have ......

I suspect it might be able to use it to stream music from the NAS drive, so depending on the quality, it would be a considerably cheap solution to compete with the digital streaming world!

Neil
Click to expand...

I haven't yet found a good iOS app that lets Chromecast stream from a NAS. I have found a couple of bad ones that don't work well. I have a feeling that situation may be better on Android.
 
I'd rather not need specific app support. I want a device that just streams all (computer) system sounds losslessly, wirelessly and without significant delay.
 
neilm said:
hi All,

just dropped one of these into my System. I take the Optical feed into my Deviate and stream Spotify to it. It works really well and will replace the Apple TV solution I was using previously.
The benefit it brings over the Apple TV (or the way I was using Apple TV) is that once you start the casting of music using the tablet or phone, the device simply streams the music directly and does not take the signal from the aforementioned tablet / phone. I think this is really neat solution, but probably scratches an itch a number of people don't have ......

I suspect it might be able to use it to stream music from the NAS drive, so depending on the quality, it would be a considerably cheap solution to compete with the digital streaming world!

Neil
Click to expand...
How are you getting on with your chromecast audio Neil? I would like to buy one to stream (lossless) Tidal from my tablet or my PC over optical to my MDAC. But I cannot find out if the connection from the tablet/PC to the chromecast is lossless or not.

When (if) Tidal incorporate chromecasting, then I expect/hope that the streaming will be lossless, but in the meanwhile, when using "cast screen" - anyone know if the casting is lossless or compressed somehow?

P.S. Here's an interesting development:

http://www.whathifi.com/news/chrome...15)::article_46_read_more&utm_source=20151211

,although not really relevant to my query since hi res from the Internet and out the chromecast's DAC in no way relates to lossless transmission from tablet/PC to chromecast via "cast screen".
 
Just ordered one from the Play-Store for £25. This will be superb for streaming from my phone or tablet to my work hifi system. Gosh, things get cheaper in a rush when you stop buying apple gear. My Android phone was £170 and now I'm streaming from it for another £25........
 
Really pleased with mine. Provided you set it to high quality in the settings it even sounds decent using its in built DAC.

Jason
 
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