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Chromecast Audio for old school dummy

K

Kyocerafan

Active Member
I am a mostly two channel guy in his late fifties looking to get access to some online music sources. I'm not a computer guy beyond the basics to get online and surf. I need help from people who have managed to get their Chromecast Audio up and running and can give advice at the level I'm approaching it from. That's why I am posting
in general discussion rather than digital. What seems utterly rudimentary to tech guys is not to me. I've done a certain amount of searching online trying to address my specific issues but the forums etc. quickly veer off into discussions assuming a certain expertise this guy doesn't have. I'm using the analog RCA connection to a Denon AVR 2308ci and the max dynamic setting was on.
My primary motivation for getting a Chromecast Audio was to access my XM online subscription on my home theater rig. I have a Roku I am using on another system and is a breeze to use for this. I was not anticipating any issues using the CA. I want to eventually use it for other online music too. I'm confident they didn't design this $35 device to be user unfriendly.
My primary issues are getting to needed functions that are not showing up in the menus I see. Since XM doesn't "cast", I need to find the function for mirroring my phone's feed to the CA. Actually had that function working but don't know how it got activated. My wife was working with it at that point and she doesn't know how it got there. After that accidental success I was greeted with really low volume issues and never found the adjustment needed to fix that.
Got seriously annoyed at that point and started doing drastic amateurish fixes like rebooting and returning to factory settings and am now starting from scratch. I know these issues should be addressable but the solutions don't seem easily found.
I only have $20 invested in this device (bought new, sealed, unused on Craigslist) and am only going to put a limited amount of effort into this before I just get another Roku and go with what I know works. Shouldn't come to that. I'm missing something. Most disappointed in the written instructions that came with it (virtually nothing). I want this to work. I suspect using apps that have casting built in will be easier?
 
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Well, got some help from my 25 year old son and I'm about 90% of the way there. Stuff that's set up to cast works now. XM won't mirror yet. Know how to do it, but still not hearing it through my AVR. Worked, but at limited volume before. I'll get it figured out eventually. Progress made.
 
Listened to XM last night through the Dreamcast Audio so I guess this process has been resolved. Not something I intend to use for critical listening but acceptable for discovering new music and get togethers. Will be a useful tool and fun to play with. User interface not intuitive for this old guy but should be able to manage. Like all WI-FI stuff, seems to be happier with less household traffic going on in the house, but not really the Dreamcast's fault.
 
Glad you got this more or less sorted out. I'm not a computer interface guy either when it comes to music so I can sympathize. I've started out investigating options for digital interfacing but then I realize it's just too much futzing around with the computer and I lose interest. Id rather just put on an album, thread up a tape or tune in one of the many great independent over-the-air radio stations we are lucky to still have around here (Tune In radio on the Internet is another great resource too). If I had a satellite radio subscription I'd probably try to find another way to play it like you did to get the most out of it, I just hate all that fiddly interfacing stuff though.
 
The xm feed will be the limiting factor on your sound quality as it is highly compressed. The CCA can only work with what it is fed. It will sound very good if you give if a lossless input. Make sure you give it a clear signal path to your wifi to avoid dropouts.
 
audiojones said:
I've started out investigating options for digital interfacing but then I realize it's just too much futzing around with the computer and I lose interest.
Click to expand...
I put my unused "classic" Chromecast onto the rear of my Oppo 105 just to be able to stream background music from my tablet or phone. All of my favorite apps (Pandora, TuneIn Radio, Tidal, etc.) have the "Cast" button, so all I need to do now is tap that button, and choose which device to stream it to. That's it. (I also have a Nexus Player on the TV, so that is my other choice.) When I get a Chromecast Audio for another system or two in the house, they will simply show up as additional choices to stream to. Simple!

For any tab in my Chrome browser on the computer, in fact, I now have a "Cast..." option when I right-click on a page. At this moment I'm streaming Pandora to the Oppo via the Chromecast.

I'm OK with futzing around, but this has made it easy and reliable enough that there's no fuss or bother to stream anymore, and anyone else in the house can use them also. Win-win all the way around!
 
Wildcat said:
I put my unused "classic" Chromecast onto the rear of my Oppo 105 just to be able to stream background music from my tablet or phone. All of my favorite apps (Pandora, TuneIn Radio, Tidal, etc.) have the "Cast" button, so all I need to do now is tap that button, and choose which device to stream it to. That's it. (I also have a Nexus Player on the TV, so that is my other choice.) When I get a Chromecast Audio for another system or two in the house, they will simply show up as additional choices to stream to. Simple!

For any tab in my Chrome browser on the computer, in fact, I now have a "Cast..." option when I right-click on a page. At this moment I'm streaming Pandora to the Oppo via the Chromecast.

I'm OK with futzing around, but this has made it easy and reliable enough that there's no fuss or bother to stream anymore, and anyone else in the house can use them also. Win-win all the way around!
Click to expand...

Cool! I never even thought about the iPad for this stuff, I was thinking about my old (mostly) unused desktop 'puter. I live on my iPad these days, figures there'd be a super easy way to do this stuff with it.
 
You would have to see if it supports Google's "Cast" feature. I'm not familiar with the platform but I'm sure others here would be able to help out.
 
Another "old school dummy" here looking to go to Chromecast. I've just discovered the convenience of bluetooth wireless from my smartphone to my main rig. Yes it's convenient but sound quality isn't all that good. Will Chromecast be a sound upgrade over bt when using Pandora One?
 
motorstereo said:
Another "old school dummy" here looking to go to Chromecast. I've just discovered the convenience of bluetooth wireless from my smartphone to my main rig. Yes it's convenient but sound quality isn't all that good. Will Chromecast be a sound upgrade over bt when using Pandora One?
Click to expand...
Standard Bluetooth is highly compressed and fairly awful, though it's better if your Bluetooth devices support A2DP.

You should find the Chromecast Audio sounds considerably better, because it connects to the Internet via WiFi to access audio streams and uses its internal DAC to pipe audio to your amplifier via a standard line-level analog connection. There's no poor-quality Bluetooth involved.
 
audiojones said:
Cool! I never even thought about the iPad for this stuff, I was thinking about my old (mostly) unused desktop 'puter. I live on my iPad these days, figures there'd be a super easy way to do this stuff with it.
Click to expand...

Yes the iPad will work with the CCA even old ones like my iPad2. You need to download the google home app. I found it unpossible to set up the CCA using the iPad when I first plugged in the CCA, so I set it up with my Android phone. Once that was working I put the app on my iPad then the CCA showed up as an option to be casted to. Not so bad. I am no tech wizard either.

You might want to consider an Airport Express too. It works well, maybe better, since you are already in the Apple ecosystem.
 
Hi all! Been away for awhile. I'm glad this discussion has continued. I think I've mostly got this device figured out and it seems to work as advertised. A useful addition. I want to trying grouping multiple C-A's together and try using an optical connection. Inexpensive fun.
 
Similar profiles; 60 YO with very limited pc knowledge. Added the CCA last spring to my home theatre and was very impressed. Added another to my 2 channel several months later. While it's the weakest link IMS it does everything I need and is the best bang for buck purchase I've made. As long as you cast with an app vs mirror and use redbook files you're good to go.

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Waiting for another $25 sale on the CCA, as I may buy two of them. (Missed the sale over the hoildays.) My kitchen system is begging for one. ;)
 
The CCA's can be a little bit bumpy to set up... but once you do, seems to be pretty good. Yeah, I need to reset stuff once in awhile, but I never know for sure if it's the CCA or my net connection or whothefuckknows. Great device... an the DAC in there is a good one... don't let anyone tell you it's not.
 
If you've got a ton of real music systems around the house, like I do, with an available input, why not? Sonos style functionality on the cheap.
 
I really enjoy the CCA and have two feeding my best systems. Using a mini optical cable into a stand alone DAC and by-passing the CCA's internal DAC yields a huge sonic improvement.

If you're using the 3.5mm output ( a mini optical cable fits the same opening ) you're missing out. Even a $20 Fiio D3 DAC trounces the CCA's internal DAC.
 
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