|
Post by speedysteve on Nov 10, 2018 18:10:20 GMT
Got one of these.. We already have 2 Chromecasts I use for casting TennisTV and WTATV, SVTplay and anything else we fancy from my phone app to main TV and den TV where I workout.. So an audio cast device had to be tried. Easy to set up. Spotify finds it and can play over it, just as with the other Chrome casts. Output is via a stereo 3.5mm jack that I've currently got plugged into a battery powered headphone amp that drives my AKG K701 phones nicely. Once I changed to setting in the Chromecast app to full range dynamic, it actually sounds quite okay. I'm waiting for a 3.5mm optical to optical cable to arrive before I can play it into my main system. Explanation of how it works www.t3.com/reviews/chromecast-audio-review-audiophile-streaming-for-your-dimwitted-hifiwww.whathifi.com/google/chromecast-audio/reviewSpotify just offered this 2018 mix so I'm playing it Nice video clips of them served up as you listen. Update.. Don't you love Amazon prime. 3.5mm optical to normal optical cable arrived this evening. Chromecast audio now plugged in optically to my excellent sounding DPA Enlightenment DAC, feeding the headphone amp. The sound is on another level again..
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Nov 12, 2018 20:38:45 GMT
I've been pleased with mine but it annoys me that things like YouTube don't work with it.
|
|
|
Post by Stratmangler on Nov 13, 2018 14:01:22 GMT
Last time I looked Youtube hosted video content. There is a Chromecast device that permits you to stream video content to your TV.
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Nov 13, 2018 14:41:25 GMT
Pretty sure my Chromecast audio offered Youtube amongst other services in the Google app. I was only interested in seeing it as a device and playing on in Spotify though
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Nov 18, 2018 19:30:22 GMT
Yeah they do but if you're not watching tv they don't
|
|
|
Post by tony on Nov 19, 2018 15:15:53 GMT
Ive been looking at one of these for spotify duties, my amp has a 3.5mm input for mp3.
i could add a optical dac(seg with dorado and firmware) if it improves things.
how does it fare against a cheapo lap top sonically?
|
|
|
Post by Slinger on Nov 19, 2018 16:12:10 GMT
Ive been looking at one of these for spotify duties, my amp has a 3.5mm input for mp3. i could add a optical dac(seg with dorado and firmware) if it improves things. how does it fare against a cheapo lap top sonically? i.i.r.c. the 3.5mm output on the Chromecast doubles as an optical out and takes a mini-toslink plug.
|
|
|
Post by John on Nov 19, 2018 16:50:21 GMT
Chromecast can work as a Roon endpoint
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Nov 19, 2018 17:45:05 GMT
I got around to connecting the Chromecast Audio (CA) up to my main rig. I got a decent 3.5mm optical to toslink cable or glass fibre or whatever it is in there After some extensive listening I can honestly say in my system it is 'good enough'. There are some slight tonal balance differences between CA and Laptop/Jriver/WaveIO Flac streaming. Vocals are everso, everso slightly smoother or silkier on certain tracks. It has a very slightly more pronounced lower midrange. Bass response and control is admirable. Better to my ears than the laptop in someways. It just sounds pleasing. These differences could to some extent be Spotify lossy Vs Flac. Or CA / Google engineers fiddling. BTW as well discussed on this forum Spotify on a Laptop streamed for some reason sounds absolutely dire. I honestly expected CA to be the same, but it isn't.. CA will also work with Tidal. Not sure what the control interface is then? Roon perhaps? Is that what you meant John? I heard similar things if not exactly the same when Martin was here playing his Spotify RPi streamer Vs my Laptop.. I had less time to compare then. I want to put a decent power supply on it now The phone charger wall wart can't be ideal. Anyone know which usb pins are for 5V? I can try the Linear supply that powers WaveIO on it then.. Won't have to lug to Laptop up to the music loft now and have the whole of Spotify catalogue and suggestions to listen to.. Annoying that somethings like, and I kid you not, My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges album, are missing. So no Touch me I'm going to scream on the spotted one.. Oh, and make sure you turn off the Playback sounds setting in the Chrome app or CA will dump full a volume start up noise into your system if you don't. For £30 it's a steal! Added a pic of usb power config. Fingers are itching. I'll measure a power output first to confirm.. Better still cut an old phone charger usb and wire direct Red color indicates the positive wire with 5 volts of DC power. Black has always been the ground wire in almost all electronic devices. White is the data as a "positive" wire, while Green is also for the data , but as the negative wire.
|
|
|
Post by tony on Nov 23, 2018 10:27:37 GMT
purchased the chromecast audio...had a hell of a time getting it to work with my amazon fire tablet-you tube came to the rescue!
when my son finally got it working i initially tried it with the supplied cable into my amp with spotify premium...it was ok but not great.
next step was plumbing in my seg and utilising the optical....it outperforms my cheap acer laptop.
as Steve said its a proper hi fi bargain....and yes i do mean hi fi
will buy a half decent optical and try to figure out how to change the sound settings as per Steve's recommendation
|
|
|
Post by John on Nov 23, 2018 11:27:44 GMT
Yes you have to use Room to link in Tidal
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Nov 23, 2018 11:45:34 GMT
Better still cut an old phone charger usb and wire direct That's what I've done in the past, way easier than soldering a USB plug.
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Nov 23, 2018 21:41:56 GMT
purchased the chromecast audio...had a hell of a time getting it to work with my amazon fire tablet-you tube came to the rescue! when my son finally got it working i initially tried it with the supplied cable into my amp with spotify premium...it was ok but not great. next step was plumbing in my seg and utilising the optical....it outperforms my cheap acer laptop. as Steve said its a proper hi fi bargain....and yes i do mean hi fi will buy a half decent optical and try to figure out how to change the sound settings as per Steve's recommendation Oh if you haven't changed to Dynamic in the Google home app settings for CA yet you are in for an ear opener! It goes from crappy radio to high fidelity at the toggle of a finger swipe The one above Full dynamic range should definitely be off. Have a play with the bass and treble too. Can turn my bass light AKG 701 headphones into Skullcandy alikes. The tone controls (how un-hifi) don't mess with the high fidelity sound at all to my ears..
|
|
|
Post by tony on Nov 24, 2018 9:45:00 GMT
Changed the audio setting last night and had a good listen....really surprised at its audio quality with spotify.
its better than my laptop/usb/dac-noticeably better sound stage, improved detail retrieval and a pleasantly neutral sonic signature.
my file based system outperforms it with dynamics but not by much.
may well invest in another for my other system
many thanks Steve...
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Nov 24, 2018 10:09:19 GMT
Changed the audio setting last night and had a good listen....really surprised at its audio quality with spotify. its better than my laptop/usb/dac-noticeably better sound stage, improved detail retrieval and a pleasantly neutral sonic signature. my file based system outperforms it with dynamics but not by much. may well invest in another for my other system many thanks Steve... Cool! It's not bad for £30 plug and play is it! Have you tried a decent power supply yet?
|
|
|
Post by puffin on Nov 24, 2018 10:11:50 GMT
I have been using a CA for about a year and have been very impressed for the £20 it cost me. I am not sure if it has been set to Dynamic cos my mate set it for me. In order to get into the menu shown above do I just connect to my laptop? Yes I am a greenhorn where this sort of stuff is concerned.
|
|
|
Post by tony on Nov 24, 2018 11:06:24 GMT
Changed the audio setting last night and had a good listen....really surprised at its audio quality with spotify. its better than my laptop/usb/dac-noticeably better sound stage, improved detail retrieval and a pleasantly neutral sonic signature. my file based system outperforms it with dynamics but not by much. may well invest in another for my other system many thanks Steve... Cool! It's not bad for £30 plug and play is it! Have you tried a decent power supply yet? Not yet, will wait until Colin Wonfor has built some 5v and 12v PSUs then get one for my Innous zen mini mks and one for the CA. Best £30 ive spent in a while. ordered an opto coupler yesterday to let me try some half decent opticals
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Nov 24, 2018 13:27:55 GMT
I have been using a CA for about a year and have been very impressed for the £20 it cost me. I am not sure if it has been set to Dynamic cos my mate set it for me. In order to get into the menu shown above do I just connect to my laptop? Yes I am a greenhorn where this sort of stuff is concerned. As default it's in low-fi mode. If you have an Android or IOS phone / tablet or can borrow one (where's that mate?) etc download the Google home app. It's not available on any Windows devices full stop, as far as I can see! You can't connect it via USB, that socket is purely for powering the CA. Open the app, menu at top left, select devices and it will connect up via WiFi and show all active Google devices, Chromecasts, Chromecast Audio etc that are available. Select the CA and then the settings. Toggle away
|
|
|
Post by puffin on Nov 24, 2018 14:29:28 GMT
Brilliant, thanks Steve.
EDIT: All good, was set to Full Dynamic Range. I would have been surprised if my mate who is pernickety to the point of distraction had not done it.
|
|
|
Post by speedysteve on Nov 24, 2018 15:25:50 GMT
Brilliant, thanks Steve. EDIT: All good, was set to Full Dynamic Range. I would have been surprised if my mate who is pernickety to the point of distraction had not done it. Ah that's good then..
|
|