I guess it's time to try Spotify!

gvl said:
Well, this is exactly the confusing part. I'm fairly familiar with the technical side of things, how did you determine it bypasses your mobile device? Not saying that it doesn't, just curious. Does CCA continue playing if you shut down your phone/tablet? Second the bitrates, it doesn't say anything about changing the bitrate on CCA, and the fact you can change it on your mobile device doesn't mean it affects CCA, it certainly doesn't affect when you're controlling one computer from another via Spotify connect.
Click to expand...

You can shut down the Spotify app and the stream keeps going.

I do it all the time. between a laptop and a phone and a tablet. No need to have the app open for the stream to continue.

Eric
 
E.Auer said:
You can shut down the Spotify app and the stream keeps going.

I do it all the time. between a laptop and a phone and a tablet. No need to have the app open for the stream to continue.

Eric
Click to expand...

Ok, assuming this is with CCA, can you control the streaming quality from your laptop/phone/tablet when playing through CCA?
 
gvl said:
Second the bitrates, it doesn't say anything about changing the bitrate on the CCA, and the fact you can change it on your mobile device doesn't mean it affects CCA playback if the stream doesn't flow through your mobile device, it certainly doesn't work this way when you're controlling one computer from another via Spotify connect and the streaming quality must be set on the computer that's actually streaming (not the one you're controlling it from).
Click to expand...

Once the app has sent the request for a stream it stays at whatever quality you have set in the app. No reason for the source to change stream quality unless asked to do so.

Eric
 
E.Auer said:
Once the app has sent the request for a stream it stays at whatever quality you have set in the app. No reason for the source to change stream quality unless asked to do so.

Eric
Click to expand...

Is this an assumption or you actually compared and verified the quality differs when changing the bitrate prior to starting the playback?
 
gvl said:
Ok, assuming this is with CCA, can you control the streaming quality from your laptop/phone/tablet when playing through CCA?
Click to expand...

It always plays thru the CCA. But you can only change the sound quality from the app that started the stream. Until you shut that down and start a new on form another device.

Eric
 
E.Auer said:
It always plays thru the CCA. But you can only change the sound quality from the app that started the stream. Until you shut that down and start a new on form another device.

Eric
Click to expand...

One remaining question I have if changing the streaming quality on your mobile device actually affects what you hear through CCA.
 
Last edited:
I'm pretty sure that when you select full dynamic range for the CCA device, you're getting the highest Spotify bit rate available. From CCA website, https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/6290498?hl=en (red font is mine):

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:

  1. Make sure your phone or tablet are connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast Audio device.
  2. Open the Google Home app
    9MpaXj2oIHIZU4JiCl6Nos9Ac3VRocyuFxWcvgwnb7FRVsPTcLXGUdvWP8W8LqReE40=w18
    .
  3. In the upper right corner of the home screen, tap Devices
    Al8eH5JoAdGV5TOELoXUXnhTSUeI30mPqgBbmpDs8WyRz0X8TzKNw5ecwbOBA5CH8OQ=w18
    to see your available Chromecast Audio devices.
  4. In the top right corner of the device you'd like to edit, tap the device card menu
    26mhJ5a4GZBN-E_FbnzGdognXTY-R8V0Y0pTylGK8sYOLNRBZzJUXmHJ-Sb2XMWvpg=w18
    > Settings.
  5. Look for Full Dynamic Range, and toggle the setting On
    dZHD4vjvoCxtQg3ir5Z7Jp81vCqOIrVk7VfP
    .
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 an optical 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.
 
PAGS said:
I'm pretty sure that when you select full dynamic range for the CCA device, you're getting the highest Spotify bit rate available.
Click to expand...

I would certainly wish there were more explicit wrt Spotify. My interpretation of the HDR it affects processing of the signal after the stream has already been received and decompressed.
 
gvl said:
One remaining question I have if changing the streaming quality on your mobile device actually affects what you hear through CCA.
Click to expand...

Dunno, I have had no reason to lower the SQ.

Probably could do that one day if I sat down for critical listening with headphones.

Eric
 
gvl said:
Well, this is exactly the confusing part. I'm fairly familiar with the technical side of things, how did you determine it bypasses your mobile device? Not saying that it doesn't, just curious. Do you have to be on the same Wi-Fi as your CCA to be able to control the playback? Does CCA continue playing if you shut down your phone/tablet? Second the bitrates, it doesn't say anything about changing the bitrate on the CCA, and the fact you can change it on your mobile device doesn't mean it affects CCA playback if the stream doesn't flow through your mobile device, it certainly doesn't work this way when you're controlling one computer from another via Spotify connect and the streaming quality must be set on the computer that's actually streaming (not the one you're controlling it from).
Click to expand...

IIRC the set up documentation tells us this. Chromecast Audio connects / streams direct from wifi but is controlled through the Google Home app on your phone.
 
E.Auer said:
Dunno, I have had no reason to lower the SQ.

Probably could do that one day if I sat down for critical listening with headphones.

Eric
Click to expand...

My hunch is the bitrate isn't a part of hand-off and is hard-coded on the CCA. I have no reason to believe it is anything less than 320kbps for premium but it would surely be nice our friends at Google or Spotify could clearly state it.
 
The DAC does make a difference for sure.

My son and I were just comparing the Chromecast dac vs the FiiO K1 and we thought that the K1 has the better sound.

Getting started with the Chromecast dac is certainly a good choice for the money and you can upgrade later.
 
gvl said:
We are going in circles, this doesn't say anything about the bitrate CCA selects and we weren't able to establish if the bitrate selection in the app has any effect on the bitrate/audio quality when playing through CCA.
Click to expand...

Maybe someone with the proper way of measuring this could check it out, I know I don't have the gear for that.

Eric
 
gvl said:
This controls the bitrate when playing through your mobile device, what I'm trying to confirm if it also controls when playing through CCA, and if not what bitrate CCA is actually using.
Click to expand...

My understanding that is the bitrate through the CCA.
 
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