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

As a matter of fact, in the Google Home app, go the menu and activate Cast Screen Audio /audio.

After having done this, ANYTHING in your phone or tablet will be heard in CCA.

So you can listen to any app such as youtube app on CCA no problem.

I just found out myself!

Cheers

You don't say, that's terrific!
 
That's not the concept behind (Chrome) casting.

With a Chromecast compatible app, the app effectively runs within the Chromecast and the mobile device or PC is simply a remote control. The mobile device does minimal work; all the streaming is done within the Chromecast itself.

When you "cast screen/audio" for a mobile device it is now doing all the streaming and then throwing it at the Chromecast to act as a video/audio output. It's running all the time and is another step in the data chain.

So, I stick with my comment that the YouTube app doesn't support casting to a Chromecast Audio, which is a real shame.

Tube cast does seem to do this, leaving the video on your mobile device, but from my limited playing it seems a bit quirky starting the video/audio working, and loses sync
 
It's hard to disagree that casting Youtube audio from the Home app is a workaround rather than a demonstration of it having native support for casting. It does work, but not as natively as you say like other apps such as DS Audio Station, my NAS' audio app.
 
It is a work around not a native app solution.

But the audio side is good. I've been casting some live recordings from KEXP and it sounds wonderful.

Video is out of sync unfortunately...
 
Prompted by this thread, I fired up my CCA to listen to a few items on BBC iPlayer Radio from recent 6music.

As detailed in my earlier post, my iPad had lost its connection to the CCA, so I had to go through the 'Add New Device' process again. It played for around 6 or 7 minutes, then lost connection again. I've been through the 'Add New Device' process once more, and playing OK now .......

I think the CCA can be quite sensitive to network dropouts : mine plays fine until our rural, not very good internet connection plays up in the evenings (about once per week). It's a well documented issue.
 
I've just bought one. If I can make it work it will be fantastic. For £20. I don't know how they manufacture this technology for so little.
 
I think £20 might be the new £15 for a CCA, what with the value of the pound falling of late. But even so, it's still an incredible bang for Buck-bargain. Hopefully, you'll find the best way to use it and have hours and hours of enjoyment :)
 
Well, it works, and it's fantastic. I have it playing a concert via 6 music iPlayer, it's bloody impressive. It plays YouTube clips, albeit the recording quality on most of them is poor. I couldn't get it running on an Amazon Fire tablet, which one would have thought it would, so that's one for later. I can't get my music library, via iTunes or WMP, playing, either.

I think it's at its best on a dedicated device, I currently have it running from the lappy and if I'm doing stuff on the net at the same time it coughs and starts a bit.

It's destined for a kitchen system, if I can get it playing my music as well as the online stuff, it will be a 100% fantastic review. If it only does the online bit, fantastic, but I can do this via a £30 Fire tablet. For £20 though, wow.
 
Fwiw, you can hardwire a CCA to your router with this ethernet>USB adaptor. I use one with mine and it's literally plug and play.

Google sell one themselves, but it's a few quid more expensive for pretty much the same thing.
 
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No use to me I'm afraid. The router is under the stairs where the wire comes in, I don't have CAT5 all over the house, and I want to use the CCA in other rooms.
 
Ah, bummer. It's a handy option if you can make it work, but it doesn't sound it's an option at present. Still, as you say it's £20 lol
 
Well, I don't need to make it work with a wire. I bought it as a wireless streamer, and it's doing the job. I susoect that the limitations are more down to me not knowing HOW to make it work than the thing itself not working. It works perfectly with YouTube, BBC, and so on. My internet radios are probably now useless.

Edit - now streaming Radio Paradise at 192k. Sounds good to me.
 
You watch your mouth. Toslink with it yourself.

Joking aside:
I have a 3.5mm to RCA cable between the CCA and the amplifier. Line in, the thing has its own DAC.
 
Ah, no probs then Steve. It's just that when I got my CCA I never realised the 3.5mm jack socket was dual function!
 
The normal Jack also will take a 3.5mm to optical lead to go in to the Dac. ie replacing the yellow one that comes with it.
 
You can get a toslink cable to provide a digital output from the same socket - so you can connect to a dac of your choice...
 
OK, hang on a sec. So the 3.5mm stereo jack is stereo out, I get that, and also I can get a toslink cable that goes in the same socket and does digi out. Is this digi out optical, in that it needs to go to an optical in socket in the DAC of my choosing, or is it a wire digi out that goes in a wired digi-in socket on the DAC?
 


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