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

From Google:

"Full Dynamic range

Chromecast Audio supports full dynamic range output. This provides premium and professional audio equipment such as HiFi audio systems, AV receivers, and monitor style speakers with the highest quality sound output.

When connecting your Chromecast Audio to such sound systems using 3.5mm or RCA analog cable (see here for compatible cables), you can enable Chromecast Audio’s Full Dynamic Range option:

Make sure your phone or tablet are connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast Audio device. Open the Google Home app .In the upper right corner of the home screen, tapDevices to see your available Chromecast Audio devices. In the top right corner of the device you'd like to edit, tap the device card menu > Settings.Look for Full Dynamic Range, and toggle the setting On .

Note: Many common speaker systems such as desktop computer speakers, docking speakers, portable and Bluetooth speakers are not built to support such a full dynamic range, causing the volume level to be very loud and sound to be somewhat distorted. Please avoid turning this setting on in those cases.

When Chromecast Audio is connected through anoptical interface (see here for compatible cables), it will always use Full Dynamic Range. Setting Full Dynamic Range to OFF won't have an effect as it will remain ON."



To repeat: If you use an external DAC via optical it makes no difference, full dynamic range is always used.

Otherwise, using full dynamic range with a headphone jack > RCA cable means that quiet passages remain very quiet and peaks are very loud. This is the exact opposite of a loudness button, which equalises these differences somewhat. Speakers will need to be driven harder to fully appreciate the dynamics which means some loudspeakers may distort especially during peaks.
 
Alan Brown said:
From Google:

"Full Dynamic range

Chromecast Audio supports full dynamic range output. This provides premium and professional audio equipment such as HiFi audio systems, AV receivers, and monitor style speakers with the highest quality sound output.

When connecting your Chromecast Audio to such sound systems using 3.5mm or RCA analog cable (see here for compatible cables), you can enable Chromecast Audio’s Full Dynamic Range option:

Make sure your phone or tablet are connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast Audio device. Open the Google Home app .In the upper right corner of the home screen, tapDevices to see your available Chromecast Audio devices. In the top right corner of the device you'd like to edit, tap the device card menu > Settings.Look for Full Dynamic Range, and toggle the setting On .

Note: Many common speaker systems such as desktop computer speakers, docking speakers, portable and Bluetooth speakers are not built to support such a full dynamic range, causing the volume level to be very loud and sound to be somewhat distorted. Please avoid turning this setting on in those cases.

When Chromecast Audio is connected through anoptical interface (see here for compatible cables), it will always use Full Dynamic Range. Setting Full Dynamic Range to OFF won't have an effect as it will remain ON."



To repeat: If you use an external DAC via optical it makes no difference, full dynamic range is always used.

Otherwise, using full dynamic range with a headphone jack > RCA cable means that quiet passages remain very quiet and peaks are very loud. This is the exact opposite of a loudness button, which equalises these differences somewhat. Speakers will need to be driven harder to fully appreciate the dynamics which means some loudspeakers may distort especially during peaks.
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Is everybody here using Naim? Loudness is used mostly with low volume to amplify bass and highs, usually in cheap amplifiers.
Now, when enabling FDR in chromecast, it doesn't sound like audiophile sound but if high and low frequencies are shouting loud.
With that said, everything sounds adequate for the price, and maybe connecting to an external dac is even better.
 
@windhoek
I'm also streaming to a Sony UHPH1, that can play dsf files. Is possible to stream native dsd with Synology nas?
 
Sonci said:
@windhoek
I'm also streaming to a Sony UHPH1, that can play dsf files. Is possible to stream native dsd with Synology nas?
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If the decoding gadget supports DSD, DS Audio station will stream DSD accordingly. My DAC doesn't support DSD, so I have to convert DSD to PCM on the fly.
 
Ok,
This thing definitely sounds very good. I don't know why I didn't like the first time, maybe some burn in or whatever. Bass is punchy and well defined, highs are a bit rolled off which is good for bright systems. It lacks a bit compared to the Benchmark Dac, but I can live with this sound if I have too. I really prefer it to my Sony blu ray which has not enough bass and is too detailed..
I wonder how much better it would be if they used normal rca in place of the headphone plug..
 
Alan Brown said:
... using full dynamic range with a headphone jack > RCA cable means that quiet passages remain very quiet and peaks are very loud. This is the exact opposite of a loudness button, which equalises these differences somewhat. Speakers will need to be driven harder to fully appreciate the dynamics which means some loudspeakers may distort especially during peaks.
Click to expand...

That's a much better way of putting it. Thanks Alan.
 
Rana said:
Interesting. I bought a CCA and recently got around to trying it. First impressions were of a quite laid back and 2-dimensional sound using Spotify Premium into my DAC via optical compared to my usual Apple Express. On Friday I ordered a Neet Airstream from Amazon for £20-odd quid (which also has its own wifi direct capability - I have an occasional problem of wi-fi steaming cut outs). The on-board DAC on the Neet seems quite capable but feeding my regular DAC, the music was quite "in-yer-face" compared to the Apple. Have not done back to back with the CCA, or exact level matching with the Apple Express so real fun to be had when I get some free time - didn't realise that digital streamers could sound so different into the same DAC.
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I need to eat my words about the CCA. I have now powered it off a USB port from my Anker battery pack that also powers my Beresford Caiman 2 DAC that the CCA is optically connected to. I'm gobsmacked at this arrangement. Folks, if you have a CCA, try feeding it off a suitable USB battery pack.
 
Rana said:
I need to eat my words about the CCA. I have now powered it off a USB port from my Anker battery pack that also powers my Beresford Caiman 2 DAC that the CCA is optically connected to. I'm gobsmacked at this arrangement. Folks, if you have a CCA, try feeding it off a suitable USB battery pack.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that tip Rana. Spotify say, at

https://support.spotify.com/uk/using_spotify/features/high-quality-streaming/

that the compression rate you are listening to is 256kbps. That's a bit crap for anyone hoping for the rich and detailed audio that some recordings are capable of. How about trying a one-month free Tidal subscription, listening to some of their recordings (uncompressed) over Chromecast Audio battery-powered, and let us know how that sounds?
 
Mark Dirac said:
that the compression rate you are listening to is 256kbps. That's a bit crap for anyone hoping for the rich and detailed audio that some recordings are capable of. How about trying a one-month free Tidal subscription, listening to some of their recordings (uncompressed) over Chromecast Audio battery-powered, and let us know how that sounds?
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AAC at 256 kbps is way better than most of the stuff we call "hifi"... Have you actually compared it to lossless in ABX?
 
Mark Dirac said:
Yes. Actually.
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And with what accuracy could you pick out the right one? What source material did you use? Honestly interested, because successfully telling 256k AAC from lossless is pretty rare except with a few pathological tracks. There are supposedly some people who do have reduced hearing at some frequencies that does prevent the perceptual masking from working, but that seems pretty rare.
 
Smart audio ?

Step 3: Make sure the Chromecast device is using the 2.4 GHz band
It is compatible with both 2.4 GHz WiFi 802.11 b/g/n WiFi networks and 5 GHz networks, so you will see both when setting up the device. If you have a dual band router, you must disable AP isolation. Other devices such as your laptop/computer can use the 5 GHz band; the 5 GHz band will maximize performance when casting a tab.
Click to expand...
 
Mark Dirac said:
Thanks for that tip Rana. Spotify say, at

https://support.spotify.com/uk/using_spotify/features/high-quality-streaming/

that the compression rate you are listening to is 256kbps. That's a bit crap for anyone hoping for the rich and detailed audio that some recordings are capable of. How about trying a one-month free Tidal subscription, listening to some of their recordings (uncompressed) over Chromecast Audio battery-powered, and let us know how that sounds?
Click to expand...

Hi Mark

I'm using a Samsung's Tab A and also have a NAS with FLAC files. I did some back to back tests a while ago and 320kbps is where I start struggling to hear differences with FLAC. I will have a go with TIDAL.

Cheers

Rana
 
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