I use CCAs and PCs and there are pros cons to both. All comments below are for Tidal Premium and Spotify Premium
CCA is convenient & cheap but doesn't support equalization, for example to mitigate room modes in the bass. CCA plays directly from the server.
- Some apps work around this by playing from the phone/tablet to the CAA (allowing use of the apps local EQ) but I find it hard on batteries.
- Tidal Android doesn't have a built in equalizer. Bubbleupnp has Tidal integration and can cast, but no built in equalizer.
- Spotify Android has an equalizer in the android app but it accesses the local android equalizer and doesn't work to Chromecast
Spotify cast to Chromecast uses 256kbs AAC.
Chromecast doesn’t support gapless. The application must convert individual files to one long stream, to avoid gaps. This consumes more battery IME as tablet is no longer just a control point, but all audio is routed through it.
- HiFicast can do this (if setting is enabled) for local/home server files. File access is slower IME though.
- BubbleUPnp (or Roon) supports Tidal and gapless. There is no gapless support for Spotify to Chromecast.
I've also had numerous instances where one or more CCA just disappears from visibility in my home network, then comes back later. I've read other numerous reports of this as well, but don't know how high the risk is in general.
PC on windows has all the usual inconveniences when windows insists on updating but does have advantages such as Equalizer APO (and PEACE GUI) free support for EQ along with more powerful desktop players such as Foobar200 and all the vst plug ins that it can support. You can still use a tablet as a control point for Spotify for example.
A minority of people (probably small but a risk not be completely ignored) also have trouble with interference from the PC to dac (eg ground loops) or processing on the PC causing drop outs (I was one of the lucky ones to have both on one of my 3 PC set ups).