• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Closed Thread

OP
D700

D700

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2018
Messages
311
Likes
370
Sonos is a stand alone unit, has physical controls. Its mainly controlled through an app that offers up the music services above all in 1 interface. A casting device is akin to a bluetooth speaker, you just send output to it from whatever app you're using. Lots of ways to play music, no right way or wrong way, just talking about stand alone streamers here in this thread.
 
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
70
Likes
79
That is not quite true. The CCA streams directly from the router. The smartphone or tablet is little more than a remote control. One the program material is selected on the phone or tablet and the connecton is handed over to the CCA, you can turn off the phone.
This is correct; CCA works similarly to DLNA/UPnP when streaming music files. For example, if you are using a NAS drive to store/serve your music files:
  • The NAS drive is the source (i.e. UPnP server) for both CCA streaming and UPnP streaming
  • The CCA (or CCA+DAC if using the CCA's toslink output to feed a DAC) is the equivalent of a UPnP renderer
  • Your smartphone or computer (running an app that supports Google Cast) is the equivalent of a UPnP Control Point
When you use your preferred app (that supports Google Cast) to choose a song/music file from your NAS to stream to the CCA, you (generally) can close the app after playing the song, as the CCA streams directly from the NAS source, not through your app (unless your source music files are stored on the same device that also runs your app).

If you've closed the app after playing your selected song, you will have to reopen the app in order to choose and play another song.

What makes CCA more versatile than DLNA/UPnP is that it is supported by music streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, etc. When using CCA to stream from a music streaming service, it's the same idea as streaming from a file source; the CCA streams directly from the music streaming service; you use the music streaming service's app to select the desired music stream and also the CCA endpoint. The app merely acts as a "traffic controller" to feed the selected music stream from the streaming service to the CCA.

I agree that the CCA is not a standalone streamer, and so should not be included in the chart above
 
Last edited:

BillG

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
1,699
Likes
2,266
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Sonos Connect's physical controls are minimal (simple play/pause and volume) and given its function and usage case, unlikely to be used in most circumstances. While CCA has no physical controls of its own, it would most certainly be considered a remote controled streaming digital media player, and it's referred as such by numerous technical publications.

Why anyone would want to exclude it from the list is puzzling to me. Perhaps it's not expensive enough? :rolleyes:
 

captain paranoia

Active Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2018
Messages
293
Likes
218
Ok, just reading up, the Chromecast requires a casting device (phone, PC, tablet), it can't control the stream directly

"Easily control the DNP-800NE with Amazon Alexa voice compatibility or with the free HEOS App."

Needs a smartphone, too, then*. As Willem points out, once the stream is set up, the phone is out of the loop.

* Even it could establish a streaming source via its own remote and UI, it would be a lot more painful to use. I know; I've got a Denon DRA-N5 streaming receiver, that can access internet radio and a DLNA server via its own UI. I don't, though; I use my smartphone to control it.
 
OP
D700

D700

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2018
Messages
311
Likes
370
Sonos Connect's physical controls are minimal (simple play/pause and volume) and given its function and usage case, unlikely to be used in most circumstances. While CCA has no physical controls of its own, it would most certainly be considered a remote controled streaming digital media player, and it's referred as such by numerous technical publications.

Why anyone would want to exclude it from the list is puzzling to me. Perhaps it's not expensive enough? :rolleyes:
I fixed the title of the thread and the first post to address your concerns.
 

GGroch

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 7, 2018
Messages
1,059
Likes
2,049
Location
Denver, Colorado
Here's another that does reach to specified price point.....

Yes but that is a Chromecast device, so perhaps excluded.

There is also the Arcam rPlay at $4-600, which is a Play-Fi device.
The Martin Logan Forte Amp, at $600 another Play-Fi device, similar to the Paradigm PW/Amp
The Acrylic UptoStream A50 , normally $400 but on sale, which is a Link-Play device
And the recently reviewed here Echo Link Amp, which I suppose is a Firestick device.
So excluded.
 

GGroch

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 7, 2018
Messages
1,059
Likes
2,049
Location
Denver, Colorado
Nah! I think I'd rather exclude you for stalking me... :p
Hah! Yes I have been clearing up a lot of your misconceptions recently haven't I.;)

In this case I was actually stalking the O.P. I have held back because D700 certainly has the right to make this thread about whatever streamers he chooses, and it seems it is about sophisticated component type devices from legacy manufacturers who have proprietary ecosystems.

Other legacy manufacturers from McIntosh to Pioneer to DefTech who use more widely available systems are not considered. A comparison of the features of the specified proprietary systems could be insightful. but it does not seem to be the way the market is going. Whether the processing takes place in the box or in the cloud also seems besides the point to most users. I think CCA really redfined the category when they offered a $35 dongle with similar functions as a $300 Sonos box. That was a very good thing.
 
Last edited:

Willem

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
3,654
Likes
5,275
The CCA added sonically transparent streaming capability to any legacy system, of whatever elevated quality level (I use mine with a system based on Quad electrostats). And it did so with a multitude of service applications, since unlike with proprietary systems by niche manufacturers no streaming service provider such as TuneIn or Spotify could afford not to have an app for it.
 
Last edited:
OP
D700

D700

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2018
Messages
311
Likes
370
In this case I was actually stalking the O.P. I have held back because D700 certainly has the right to make this thread about whatever streamers he chooses, and it seems it is about sophisticated component type devices from legacy manufacturers who have proprietary ecosystems.
I was just trying to collect info on nicely constructed, fully featured streaming devices. "Casting Devices" seem like they warrant their own thread, why don't you 2 start your own?

I'm abandoning this thread, won't be updating any more as devices and features are changing rapidly.
 
Top Bottom