Google - Chromecast Audio - Black

I am using this for multi-room audio in a large home. I actually have 15 ChromeCast Audio (CCA) in conjunction with 6 old receivers using their 5.1 and 7.1 multi-channel inputs, feeding a total of 30 speakers. The DAC on the CCA sounds very good. You can redirect the audio from any Android device to the CCA. Or you can cast from apps that are cast-enabled on both Android and iOS . There is desktop support in the Google Chrome browser too casting from tabs. I have been using the device primarily with Tidal on Android so far, and Youtube on Android using device redirection. You can create device groups of CCA in the Google Home app - I am using Whole House, Upstairs, Downstairs, and Outdoors. I have a love-hate relationship with this device. When it works, it is really nice. There are many problems, however, some rather serious : - the networking is incompatible with most Wifi mesh systems, such as my Netgear Orbi. I also tried Linksys Velop and CCAs don't work either. The problem is that some CCAs randomly disappear from the Google home app. I could have any number of CCA between 0 and 15 show up. This made the multi-room feature completely unusable. The only way I was able to solve this was by wiring each device with Ethernet, using an interface that costs an additional $15 per Chromecast, plus ethernet cable, plus ethernet switches. This drives up the cost significantly. Because 8 of my CCA upstairs were in a room not directly wired to my router, I had to use Powerline AV1200 to make the ethernet work. I also had to buy an extra ethernet switch. - the CCA will drop off the network if internet access is lost, even if it's just for a few seconds. This is true whether CCA is connected by Wifi or ethernet. CCA will go back to Wifi setup mode. This is a security issue, as well as brain-dead, since you could be playing local content to the CCA that doesn't require internet access, but the playback will stop anyway if you stop your internet. It means you cannot use the CCA at all on a private network not connected to the internet. I have a less than 100% reliable internet connection with Comcast, and am really suffering due to this problem as my playback often stops if I lose internet, for no good technical reason at all. - the google home app needs work in terms of managing the CCA if you have more than one. You first need to open the app, go to "devices"'. Then, all the devices and groups will appear, but in random order. And you will have to scroll many screens to find the one you want. There is no sorting. This is a big usability issue. It should be possible to display the list of all the CCAs and groups on a single screen, and they should be in a sorted order. Furthermore, if you want to change the volume on only one of the CCAs in a group, you need to select that group, click the volume icon, click the mixer icon in the top right of the screen, and then finally use the slider to change volume on the one you want. This is simply far too many steps. The app is functional but not ergonomic at all. The app is constantly changing and the steps change over time also. But so far, the app seems to have changed for the worse. Ie. it requires even more screen presses now than it did a few weeks ago. Overall, I'm enjoying my CCA, but some of the design and implementation decisions in the firmware and software are terrible and need to be addressed.

I am aware there are pricier alternatives to streaming music to speakers and/or older stereo equipment, but the price and features of the Google Chromecast Audio make it stand out. You can stream various audio platforms (such as Spotify), but I've used it to stream my collection of CDs I've ripped and then uploaded to Google Music. You can use either a 1/8" mini stereo plug or mini-optical cable to connect from the Chromecast Audio to an amplified speaker, a receiver, mini-system, or a portable stereo. For older systems, a y-adapter converting the 1/8" jack to a pair of RCA connectors is a must, as well as turning on the Full Dynamic Range setting for the Chromecast Audio device. (If you don't use the Full Dynamic Range setting on a receiver or mini-stereo system, the audio output won't sound right. For an amplified speaker like those pill speakers, that setting isn't really necessary.) I'll admit that my newest stereo receiver is a 15 year old NAD that only has one optical input (located on a video input, naturally), so I used the 1/8" jack and a y-adapter without much trouble. This setup also sounds much nicer than simply running a y-adapter from a cell phone or a tablet. I presume that if you use the optical connection and rely upon a receiver's DAC capability the sound would be even better, but I'm not planning on getting a new receiver any time soon to verify this. This is my third Chromecast Audio I've purchased, as I'm pulling my 30 year old Pioneer receiver out of storage and will be setting it up in a work area of the basement. I love that I can use my cell phone, tablet, or even a PC to handle the capabilities typically reserved by a remote control, as these devices give me more control than the average included remote does. One final item of note: the Chromecast Audio relies upon WiFi to work, not Bluetooth or cellular connections. This is good for two reasons: WiFi connections are more energy efficient (so you don't have your smartphone blow through a charge in record time), and the Chromecast Audio won't chew up your cell data. Both are wins in my book.

Back in the 1990s I bought an excellent stereo receiver and a pair of studio reference monitor speakers. It has been set up in the living room for years gathering dust. All my music is on some computer somewhere and not connected to my old fashioned HiFi. I tried a Bluetooth receiver device but the sound was only so-so. Chromecast Audio is amazing. I can now stream music from music services and from my home DLNA/UPnP high resolution music server, all controlled by my phone! I now have access to all my music on my really good stereo. I use the Android app HiFiCast to cast my music to the Chromecast and I use Foobar2000 on my PC to serve the music. Normally I listen to my music on my phone with Foobar2000 but it does not have Chromecast support, hence the need for HiFiCast. My MP3s are all on Amazon Music which has Chromecast support built in – just touch the cast icon. Setup was a snap. Once it is plugged into your music system and powered on just go to chromecast.com/setup and follow the prompts. It takes a few minutes to download an update but you are all set once you see a solid white LED on the Chromecast device. Chromecast audio proved to be a really inexpensive way to bring an old but good stereo into the modern age. I am enjoying it immensely.

The audio Chromecast is in a class by itself. I would give it 5 stars except for the fact it constantly consumes power if you don't go to the trouble to turn it off when not in use. One option--useful for some people but not all--is to plug the CC's USB power cable into a nearby device with a USB port that you can turn on when you want to use your CC. This is awkward at best. Otherwise you can plug it into a power strip with an on-off switch and use the switch. This is also a non-solution for many people. I'd guess that 99% of users leave their CC plugged in and consuming power most of the time. On the other hand there's a lot of good things I can say about the Google audio Chromecast: I have not yet used all the functions but what I have used has been without problems or need for a call to customer service. Works right out of the box, does what it says and does it well. Simple but useful for those who want their music portable and easily played through wifi. No wires to worry over (trip over). Especially for non-Bluetooth speakers this is a valuable tool. Using wifi, it makes BT unnecessary for making your audio truly portable around the house. With a bluetooth portable speaker you get much of the same functionality, but the big difference is that BT drains your phone/tablet battery faster than projecting the sound through your wifi network. Also there are no distance limits between source and receiver over wifi as there are with BT. You can be on the other end of the house in another room and control the Chromecast as easily as a BT which can only reach a little over 30 ft. Stereo is readily casted with CC but most BT speakers are strictly monaural. There are no doubt other advantages that audio CC offer but the above reasons are enough for me. These babies go on sale fairly often so wait until you can pick one up for $25, or if you're in a hurry the most you'll have to fork over is $35.

Epic idea from Google and my favorite so far. Originally I thought these were bluetooth like all the other adapters out there and upon reviewing and seething that they were wifi, i bought 6 of them for $150 with the Black Friday Deal. I want to make this completely evident and clear for those of you out there who havent messed with wireless audio before, bluetooth audio aPTX or not, compresses and kills audio quality, There is no way around it 99% of the time and within reasonable budgets. Wifi speakers have essentially unlimited bandwidth and will not cut off your highs and lows. These little guys sound great and will stream all day without intervention from you. At the time I bought them they didnt have multiroom support, but that was fixed around Dec 15th. Setup/grouping of the speakers is incredibly easy, and it lets you adjust the audio delay of the individual CCAudios in the group to sync the music. Pros: 3.5mm or Optical Multiroom Price Saving old hifi recievers or speakers Stream from mobile/pc Doesnt kill your phones battery, your phone controls it, but after you start playing something you can turn your phone completely off to show it isnt using your phone (you dont have to). Wont blast your ringtone/text message tone over your speakers even if you don't have speakers already, you can get nice speakers for less than the price of a sonos play 1 or goto the thrift store and get some JBL/Altec Landsing speakers and pay 1/5 less overall! Guest mode to let people queue up music without you having to give your wifi password to everyone Cons: Doesnt like playing music stored on your phone, but can be fixed with a 3rd party app or by uploading your music to your google play library. up to 50,000 songs. No surround sound support yet (I wouldn't be surprised to see these pairing with your chromecasts in the future for wireless surround sound.)

I'm pretty familiar with the Chromecast. I've been using them for a couple of years via the standalone stick you plug into your TV as well as through Android TV set top boxes. I was initially dismissive of the Chromecast Audio. I figured it would just be a cash grab, and honestly couldn't really think of an application where this would be useful. I then watched a video on YouTube where someone used a couple of them to set up a "whole house" audio system. My interest was piqued. I received a $25 Best Buy gift card for Christmas, and the Chromecast Audio happened to be on sale for $25, so I decided to take the plunge. My daughter got an android tablet for Christmas, and she has an older (read: used to be mine) bookshelf stereo unit in her room, so I thought that would be a neat way for her to interact with her music. I hooked everything up (I already had a 3.5 mm jack to RCA adapter on hand, but if you don't you'll need that if your stereo unit doesn't have a 3.5 mm input) and with minimal effort downloaded the Google Home app onto her tablet and set it up as her bedroom stereo. I proceeded to show her how to cast music to it from her tablet and she was so excited! I even pulled a stunt while she and her mother were upstairs in her bedroom and I cast a song to her unit just to mess with them. It was pretty funny sitting downstairs casting and stopping and resuming the music. I have since bought another CCA and put it into another "system" consisting of a $10 mp3 amp I bought off of Amazon and some OLD Radio Shack speakers. Sounds great, and the "whole house" audio aspect works well. Music seems to be 100% in sync. I am thinking of buying three or four more to make a truly whole house system going out into our back yard and pool area.

The Chromecast Audio is good for its intended purpose, but it is good to know its limitations. The Audio is made for casting music or any audio to your speakers at home. This is different than using bluetooth or plugging a streaming device to your speaker, as it will allow one to stream your audio from Spotify, Google Play Music, Youtube, all directly from your internet. In my experience, I've gotten pretty good audio quality, A limitation, however, is that it requires an internet source to stream the audio. While it is not for everyone, I do use it for a single purpose: casting my music to multiple devices in my home. If you own a few of Google's devices that are able to cast (Google Home, Chromecast, Chromecast Audio, etc.) you will be able to set up a "group" using the Google Home app on your phone, which will allow audio to play from multiple devices. This allows one to cast their music to multiple rooms or multiple speakers, which is great for parties or if you are moving around. While there are obviously other ways to use the Chromecast Audio (if you have a device without bluetooth, for example), it definitely works for my intended use.

I'm using the Chromecast Audio with an Apple setup... mainly playing music from my iPhone 7 or my (newest model) iPad. I uploaded my iTunes library to Google Play, and use the Google Play app to connect with the Chromecast Audio. The upload of the iTunes library to Google Play took about a day, but it was a lot of data, so that was ok. Then I fired it all up with the Google Play app on my iPhone, connected to the Chromecast Audio, and it sounded pretty good. The problem is, the music keeps stopping. It's not consistent.... it generally kicks out after 20 minutes, but a few times it's gone as long as 2 hours. I went online to find ways to fix this, and made a few changes to my router, but it still cuts out. I tried frequently restarting everything , but I haven't noticed whether that helped. Sometimes it seems like the Google Play app is the problem (hitting the "next track" icon will often start up the music), and sometimes I have to restart the Chromecast Audio. So I've spent many hours fiddling with this thing to get it to the point where, it'll play some music for... a while. When it works, it's pretty good. Not sure that it's any better than bluetooth though. I got this thinking that a wifi connection would get me better sound, but a cheap DAC just pulls down the quality. And the BestBuy return window is super, super short, so I'm stuck with it. My plan is to save up for a high end Sonos or Bose and just go with bluetooth. Or, double-down and get a Google Home to see if that connects any better.