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Chromecast Audio (Analog and Digital Outputs) $35


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I was able to spend some time with the CCA last week. I am running CCA -> EA Synchro-mesh -> DAC-2 DSDse -> preamp. I also ran it direct to the W4S, I was able to stream both Redbook and hires 24/96 including some homemade hires that I've done off my analog setup. I thought the sound was very nice. going back and forth between some of my other sources, sonos, Kodi, I noticed little if any differences. I think for $35 it is great, pair it with a good DAC and it really sounds good. Queue management is terrible, but the product is still new and for what it does right now it is a still a better value than most commercial products that cost a ton more money. YMMV

 

For music MinimServer gets my vote, especially running off a Raspberry Pi. moOde Audio Player also comes highly recommended for the Pi.

 

I will be adding Daphile to the mix over the weekend, comes highly recommended from a couple of buddies.

 

Are you saying that the pi is better than CCA?

Care to elaborate? Mainly because of the file management?

I got the CCA because its WiFi and easier setup; hadn't really considered the file management aspect.

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Hi alligatorman

 

You can't really compare a fully accessable expandable computer like the Raspberry Pi to a closed limited purpose built device like the Chromecast Audio. The Raspberry Pi has an infinite and user alterable possible number of purposes, whereas the CCA has only one purpose and you can't change it. If you are happier being provided with something that gives you more or less what you want, rather than being prepared to get more involved to try to get what you actually want, then choose the CCA over the Pi.

 

Their low prices are comparable, though realistically in terms of similar hardware for audio expect to pay at least one and half times more for the Pi than for the CCA. Incidentally, basically all the software available for audio for the Raspberry Pi is free and most of it has been carefully packaged to make it easy to install and use, such that you won't really be aware that you are actually dealing with a computer.

 

In terms of 'file management', there is no actual music file management currently built into the CCA. You've therefore got no choice but to get an external way of managing and getting your own music files to be streamed & played by the CCA, hence the methods outlined in this thread. So you really need to consider and ask about those external methods as they have got actually nothing to do with the CCA. BTW, the Raspberry Pi can be setup to use very similar if not the same external music file handling methods, eg the MinimServer UPnP media server mentioned by @master can be used externally with both the Pi and the CCA.

 

The only problem, which I don't think anyone on this thread has yet mentioned, is that the CCA currently doesn't support gapless playback between the music track files that are being streamed by it using these external methods. So this could be more of an issue, if gapless playback support is important for you. The Raspberry Pi doesn't have this problem if you use one of the recommended software setups for audio.

 

John

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Did you connect it via toslink?

 

yes the only way you can hook the CCA to an external DAC or the synchro-mesh is via toslink.

ReadyNAS Ultra/6 stored flac->GigE network->roon->Uptone JS-2->microRendu->W4S Recovery->W4S DAC-2v2 SE>W4S STP-SE STG2 Preamp->W4S ST-1000 Amplifer->Von Schweikert VR-44

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And what app did you use it for the test? Any remote app recomended?

Running LMS (7.9.0) with Orange Squeeze control (on Nexus6 phone) and Music2Touch (on Blackberry Playbook tablet) both work great for streaming services as well as for local playback. As does Plex premium.

A listening test comparing components is valid only when you are able to instantaneously switch between components which have been properly level matched and whose identities are unknown to you.

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Hi alligatorman

 

You can't really compare a fully accessable expandable computer like the Raspberry Pi to a closed limited purpose built device like the Chromecast Audio. The Raspberry Pi has an infinite and user alterable possible number of purposes, whereas the CCA has only one purpose and you can't change it. If you are happier being provided with something that gives you more or less what you want, rather than being prepared to get more involved to try to get what you actually want, then choose the CCA over the Pi.

 

Their low prices are comparable, though realistically in terms of similar hardware for audio expect to pay at least one and half times more for the Pi than for the CCA. Incidentally, basically all the software available for audio for the Raspberry Pi is free and most of it has been carefully packaged to make it easy to install and use, such that you won't really be aware that you are actually dealing with a computer.

 

In terms of 'file management', there is no actual music file management currently built into the CCA. You've therefore got no choice but to get an external way of managing and getting your own music files to be streamed & played by the CCA, hence the methods outlined in this thread. So you really need to consider and ask about those external methods as they have got actually nothing to do with the CCA. BTW, the Raspberry Pi can be setup to use very similar if not the same external music file handling methods, eg the MinimServer UPnP media server mentioned by @master can be used externally with both the Pi and the CCA.

 

The only problem, which I don't think anyone on this thread has yet mentioned, is that the CCA currently doesn't support gapless playback between the music track files that are being streamed by it using these external methods. So this could be more of an issue, if gapless playback support is important for you. The Raspberry Pi doesn't have this problem if you use one of the recommended software setups for audio.

 

John

 

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the info. I recently watched thehbproject video on the Pi2&Hifiberry digi+ combo that would seem to offer more for the enthusiast than the CCA. However, he mentioned that a LPS was necessary to get great sound out of it which puts the price into another league compared to the CCA. I may still end up with the Pi/Berry but wanted to try the CCA first since it's so cheap. Also, I wasnt sure if the Pi has the ability for remote control music playback on a tablet?

 

For the CCA, I ordered a couple toslink cables; the Lifatec and Sysconcepts and will do a review on those in a couple weeks.

 

I will be using the CCA with a Qnap TS-212 NAS and hopefully Tidal in the future. Is there a recommended app for my Qnap to act as a music server?

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All the decent Raspberry Pi distros that run MPD as its audio player should be at least running a webserver application allowing you to control it from another device on the network via a web browser. If it's also running a UPnP/DLNA renderer front end for MPD, then you should also be able to control it using any UPnP/DLNA controller on a network device, eg the BubbleUPnP Android app mentioned previously. Raspberry Pi audio distros which use MPD and have a UPnP renderer include MoOde, RuneAudio and Volumio. MoOde have their own thread on this forum:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/moode-audio-player-raspberry-pi-23858/index16.html

 

As far as a recommended music file UPnP media server to use with the CCA (using the BubbleUPnP Android app method for control, presumably) is concerned, you can't really go wrong with MinimServer (also mentioned before):

MinimServer features

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Well colour me impressed. I got one a few days ago and the sound quality (through my DAC) is a good as I've ever had from my system, at least to my ears. Plus - no more PC necessary. Put Plex server on the NAS, control it from my phone and let it stream straight to the CCA for transcoding. I have 5,300 uncompressed WMA files that I ripped about 10 years ago and which the CCA doesn't handle but that's no biggy. I put JRiver to work converting them yesterday and it's already about a third of the way through them. It should be all done in another couple of days. I've had no problem playing FLACs that were either ripped using XLD or converted using JRiver. This is a real game changer.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

- Einstein

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Did you use the included analog cable or an aftermarket toslink?

 

Did you connect it via toslink?

 

Are you saying that the pi is better than CCA?

Care to elaborate? Mainly because of the file management?

I got the CCA because its WiFi and easier setup; hadn't really considered the file management aspect.

 

Yes, using Toslink to DAC. I've tried Blue Jeans Cable and AmazonBasics with no difference. Going to try more "audiophile" grade like Lifatec, Siltech, etc. but seeing its optical I'm not expecting much if any difference. Don't see myself spending more on a $35 device anyways... and more importantly the sound is excellent going to my Schiit. Haven't heard anything differnet since switching to the CCA and switching the source/transport to the Pi has made things even better.

 

Coming to the "Pi is better than the CCA", not really because both do entirely different things. I am using the Pi as a source/transport along with a NAS, the Chromecast Audio is entirely for portability, multiroom audio, and to keep the NAS and Pi in a separate room. My context was in regards to using MinimServer instead of Plex. I've used Plex in the past, and was not happy with the fact that it transcoded pretty much everything. MinimServer is excellent, especially if its only audio you are looking to stream. The fact that it can be installed on both the NAS as well as the Raspberry Pi is a huge bonus.

Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world - Martin Luther

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I've used Plex in the past, and was not happy with the fact that it transcoded pretty much everything. MinimServer is excellent, especially if its only audio you are looking to stream. The fact that it can be installed on both the NAS as well as the Raspberry Pi is a huge bonus.

 

I was keen to try MinimServer, based on your recommendation. Unfortunately, MinimServer does not have an installation package for my model NAS (ReadyNAS RN102). On the bright side, transcoding is not supported on my NAS, so I don't have that problem with Plex.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

- Einstein

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I've encountered two albums which are making the CCA choke. They are both downloads from HDTracks: Amber Rubath, Sessions From The 17th Ward (24/96) and Ry Cooder/V.M. Bhatt, A Meeting By The River (24/88.2). In both cases only Track 1 will play, no matter in which order the tracks are presented. They both play fine to a HDMI Chromecast and in both cases, the problem was fixed by getting JRiver to re-compress the offending tracks. I've tried a few other HDTracks albums with no problems.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

- Einstein

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This is a real game changer.
Presumably the CCA's lack of gapless playback support is ok for you? Certainly made my CCA 'choke'. May be I should start listening to mixed playlists, rather than going through those old concept albums!

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Presumably the CCA's lack of gapless playback support is ok for you? Certainly made my CCA 'choke'. May be I should start listening to mixed playlists, rather than going through those old concept albums!

Depends on the type of music. I don't find the gaps excessive between separate tracks on most albums or between movements in classical performances - they are actually closer to what happens at live performances. On the other hand, not so great for opera, where the songs and recitatives are usually meant to run into each other. I prefer to use Blu-Ray for opera anyway, rather than listen to disembodied performances. I guess by "old concept albums" you mean something like Dark Side of the Moon and I can see your point there. I suppose I'll have to resort to using my laptop for such occasions.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

- Einstein

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Presumably the CCA's lack of gapless playback support is ok for you? Certainly made my CCA 'choke'. May be I should start listening to mixed playlists, rather than going through those old concept albums!

 

I am ok with it for now. I have been doing streaming with digital audio since 99, when all I had was winamp from a 1.5mb wireless card into a preamp. The CCA right now definitely has some bugs in it, as not all my hires files play. But gapless doesn't bother me too much right now, I don't listen many live albums or concept albums from the 70's. Queue management is the biggest issue for me. With streaming audio I rarely listen to a whole album at a time, most always it is from a playlist or songs that I add to the queue from various places during my listening session.

ReadyNAS Ultra/6 stored flac->GigE network->roon->Uptone JS-2->microRendu->W4S Recovery->W4S DAC-2v2 SE>W4S STP-SE STG2 Preamp->W4S ST-1000 Amplifer->Von Schweikert VR-44

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I've encountered two albums which are making the CCA choke. They are both downloads from HDTracks: Amber Rubath, Sessions From The 17th Ward (24/96) and Ry Cooder/V.M. Bhatt, A Meeting By The River (24/88.2). In both cases only Track 1 will play, no matter in which order the tracks are presented. They both play fine to a HDMI Chromecast and in both cases, the problem was fixed by getting JRiver to re-compress the offending tracks. I've tried a few other HDTracks albums with no problems.

 

Issue has been reported to Google here:

 

https://code.google.com/p/google-cast-sdk/issues/detail?id=708

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Issue has been reported to Google here:

 

https://code.google.com/p/google-cast-sdk/issues/detail?id=708

Interestingly, going by the reporter's partial email address & the contents of the posts, the FLAC issue appears to have been first reported by BubbleSoft's Michael Pujos, aka Bubbleguuum, developer of BubbleUPnP.

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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The CCA right now definitely has some bugs in it, as not all my hires files play. But gapless doesn't bother me too much right now, I don't listen many live albums or concept albums from the 70's. Queue management is the biggest issue for me.
Since the CCA doesn't currently do any music file queue management as such, your issue is actually with the external controllers you are using with it.

 

Have you tried casting to the CCA with the the excellent BubbleUPnP Android controller app? Also, by using the BubbleUPnP app, you've no choice but to use a UPnP media server to provide the music files for streaming. This may actually help your hires file issue as the better UPnP servers have functions for file transcoding (convert on the fly while streaming, without affecting the original stored file) - eg MinimServer with its optional MinimStreamer transcoding component. So you may be able to transcode those files into a format that the CCA can actually play, eg FLAC to WAV:

http://minimstreamer.com/

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Since the CCA doesn't currently do any music file queue management as such, your issue is actually with the external controllers you are using with it.

 

Have you tried casting to the CCA with the the excellent BubbleUPnP Android controller app? Also, by using the BubbleUPnP app, you've no choice but to use a UPnP media server to provide the music files for streaming. This may actually help your hires file issue as the better UPnP servers have functions for file transcoding (convert on the fly while streaming, without affecting the original stored file) - eg MinimServer with its optional MinimStreamer transcoding component. So you may be able to transcode those files into a format that the CCA can actually play, eg FLAC to WAV:

MinimStreamer

 

You are correct. I used Plex which works sometimes for queue management. Many times Plex give me an error when I press play, the songs play on the CCA but I can not edit the queue at all. This is something I think will get sorted out in the near future. CCA is still new and seems to be updating their firmware to work out bugs, so I am fine to wait.

 

I have a lot of streamers, PCs and devices that I can and do hook into the setup, so for now the CCA is just one of many devices that I have just to play with.

 

When it comes to queue management the real king IMO is sonos, I can make a queue that includes local files, files from streaming services like amazon, rhapsody, spotify, concert vault etc, the sonos will play them all without any issues, even crossfading songs from different services.

 

But for $35 the CCA is certainly a great little device already.

ReadyNAS Ultra/6 stored flac->GigE network->roon->Uptone JS-2->microRendu->W4S Recovery->W4S DAC-2v2 SE>W4S STP-SE STG2 Preamp->W4S ST-1000 Amplifer->Von Schweikert VR-44

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Issue has been reported to Google here:

 

https://code.google.com/p/google-cast-sdk/issues/detail?id=708

Interestingly, going by the reporter's partial email address & the contents of the posts, the FLAC issue appears to have been first reported by BubbleSoft's Michael Pujos, aka Bubbleguuum, developer of BubbleUPnP.
Oops looks like Bubbleguuum himself was the first to bring it to our notice here earlier, in this very thread:
See this issue about not all FLAC playing. Looks like the CCA has a problem with highres FLAC not encoded with --fast:

 

https://code.google.com/p/google-cast-sdk/issues/detail?id=708

I should really get into the habbit of at least doing a thread search before posting!

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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The BubbleUPnP Android controller does indeed provide better queue management than the Plex app (thanks Cebolla). It plays happily with the Plex server on my ReadyNAS. As far as I can tell so far, you can add and remove items to/from the queue and shuffle the queue, but not move items up and down the queue.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

- Einstein

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Make sure you're in the Tracks view as opposed to Albums view on the BubbleUPnP's Playlist screen. You should now be able to move a track up and down the list by touching & then sliding its image thumbnail up or down. Don't touch the thumbnail for longer than ~1s before initially moving it, otherwise you'll go into track selection mode, so lose the ability to move the track up and down.

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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I was able to get Plex to work without issues on the CCA. Turn off force secure connection at the plex server. I was then able to view, add, and remove tracks without any issues. I just realized I forgot to try shuffle though. CCA still had some problems playing a few hires files but all redbook flac files played flawlessly, and I was able to work within the queue via Plex.

ReadyNAS Ultra/6 stored flac->GigE network->roon->Uptone JS-2->microRendu->W4S Recovery->W4S DAC-2v2 SE>W4S STP-SE STG2 Preamp->W4S ST-1000 Amplifer->Von Schweikert VR-44

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