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Newbie question about network streamers

bilzebubba

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Hi there,
In the deals thread a fellow member posted about refurb Cambridge components, including the CXN V2 Streamer, which matches one of my current amps, the CXA80. Right now most of my house is using Chromecast Audio, but in that room, a CC-TV is attached to one Toslink input, and an Android box to the other. So buying the CXN at 525 USD would give me 2 more optical inputs, plus has Chromecast audio built in, so there is less likely to be the kind of delay present when I group the TV unit with the other CC Audio units in the house (between which, when used by themselves, without the CCTV, there is almost never delay).

So I can see upsides to buying the CXN. But since I use Roon mostly, perhaps that is overkill, as the streaming functionality of the CXN is bypassed and it would largely be a glorified CC-Audio endpoint, albeit one with some kind of upsampling filter that supposedly helps with sound quality and a better Dac than what comes built into the CXA80.

So my question is, would I likely to hear a difference using the CXN if I bought it vs using the Chromecast (Audio or TV) optical out? Cos one workaround to only having 2 optical inputs might be to have both a CC-Audio and CC-TV sharing 1 optical cord between them, switching them back and forth to save the $525!

Thanks for your help :)
 

BDWoody

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Hi there,
In the deals thread a fellow member posted about refurb Cambridge components, including the CXN V2 Streamer, which matches one of my current amps, the CXA80. Right now most of my house is using Chromecast Audio, but in that room, a CC-TV is attached to one Toslink input, and an Android box to the other. So buying the CXN at 525 USD would give me 2 more optical inputs, plus has Chromecast audio built in, so there is less likely to be the kind of delay present when I group the TV unit with the other CC Audio units in the house (between which, when used by themselves, without the CCTV, there is almost never delay).

So I can see upsides to buying the CXN. But since I use Roon mostly, perhaps that is overkill, as the streaming functionality of the CXN is bypassed and it would largely be a glorified CC-Audio endpoint, albeit one with some kind of upsampling filter that supposedly helps with sound quality and a better Dac than what comes built into the CXA80.

So my question is, would I likely to hear a difference using the CXN if I bought it vs using the Chromecast (Audio or TV) optical out? Cos one workaround to only having 2 optical inputs might be to have both a CC-Audio and CC-TV sharing 1 optical cord between them, switching them back and forth to save the $525!

Thanks for your help :)

Do you have any analog inputs available? You could use the analog out on the CCA, instead of the optical.
 
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bilzebubba

bilzebubba

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Feb 18, 2019
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Do you have any analog inputs available? You could use the analog out on the CCA, instead of the optical.

Thanks, yes I do, good point -- I could always get another CC-Audio for 50 bucks or so on ebay, way less than 525 for the CXN v2!
(....but I guess I sorta assumed that the toslink to the Cambridge's Dac would be better (tho that is not tested anywhere I can find)?
 

BDWoody

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Thanks, yes I do, good point -- I could always get another CC-Audio for 50 bucks or so on ebay, way less than 525 for the CXN v2!
(....but I guess I sorta assumed that the toslink to the Cambridge's Dac would be better (tho that is not tested anywhere I can find)?

It may measure better, but the analog out measured quite well as I recall from the CCA review on this site.

I use them with both outputs, have zero complaints, and haven't been able to discern between them. You could try it with the one you've got and see how it works for you.
 
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