Review and Measurements of Chromecast Audio Digital Output

[capslock]

Has anyone ever gotten around measuring CCA with the audio test cd that is part of Tidal playing through the browser or the Tidal Windows 10 app?

I have newly subscribed to Tidal and have been playing a bit. The setup I tried it on is nothing special: CCA, Onkyo TX-NR 3008, KEF LS50. Playing from a Windows tablet through Chrome or the Tidal app was underwhelming. Playing through the Tidal app on an Android phone was a revelation.

Doing a direct comparison was difficult because both apps fight for control of the chromecast, so switching wasn't always easy. I succeded a couple of time, listening to Gianmaria Testa - Prezioso. I know I am beginning to sound like and audiophool magazine, but it was really muddy, flat and uninvolved through the tablet (both browser and app) and like a veil was pulled away with the android app.

 

[Julf]

Has anyone ever gotten around measuring CCA with the audio test cd that is part of Tidal playing through the browser or the Tidal Windows 10 app?

I have newly subscribed to Tidal and have been playing a bit. The setup I tried it on is nothing special: CCA, Onkyo TX-NR 3008, KEF LS50. Playing from a Windows tablet through Chrome or the Tidal app was underwhelming. Playing through the Tidal app on an Android phone was a revelation.

Doing a direct comparison was difficult because both apps fight for control of the chromecast, so switching wasn't always easy. I succeded a couple of time, listening to Gianmaria Testa - Prezioso. I know I am beginning to sound like and audiophool magazine, but it was really muddy, flat and uninvolved through the tablet (both browser and app) and like a veil was pulled away with the android app.

Did you check if the output levels were the same?

 

[Willem]

Playing from a Chrome browser is very much worse, and has been shown in a number of measurements. The only proper way is to cast from an App.

 

[Julf]

Playing from a Chrome browser is very much worse, and has been shown in a number of measurements. The only proper way is to cast from an App.

Any idea why that is?

 

[Willem]

When you use the Chrome browser you are not casting from the router but are streaming from the browser and apparently the implementaion is sub standard (and you cannot turn it off). Archimago did some tests, but Amir's measurements show the same suboptimal output when streaming from the Chrome browser.

 

[Julf]

When you use the Chrome browser you are not casting from the router but are streaming from the browser and apparently the implementaion is sub standard (and you cannot turn it off). Archimago did some tests, but Amir's measurements show the same suboptimal output when streaming from the Chrome browser.

OK, just wondering what they screwed up in the implementation.

 

[capslock]

Well, to me, it sounded pretty much the same through the Windows app and Chrome, but I didn't compare these two against each other a whole lot. Most of my testing was Tidal Windows app vs. Tidal android app.

I knew the implementation of cast in Chrome sucks but wasn't aware it is probably as bad in the Windows app. I am also surprised they never bothered to fix it.

Volume was set to max in both. Subjectively, the Windows output may have been a dB down, barely weaker if at all.

 

[Booker]

In regards to my post about the difference between the native TIDAL app on iOS and mconnect Player.

Can anyone explain the audible differences when using the native TIDAL app and mconnect Player on an iOS device?
I see that the TIDAL app serves only as remote giving orders to CCA and mconnect Player is streaming content from TIDAL and further thru Wi-Fi to CCA. The sound from mconnect Player sounds louder.

There is a free version of mconnect Player as well - mconnect Player Lite.

I measured (for the first time) by DIGICheck of RME, all apps - iOS TIDAL, mconnect Player, roon, and W10 TIDAL with the same results of 0dB to -0.1dB by using the testing file 1 Khz 0 Db available on TIDAL via the optical output of Chromecast Audio.

So, I can only suspect the iOS TIDAL app, that the initial setting of volume could be lower than the possible maximum and I didn't notice that. And later on, I heard "day and night" in comparison with mconnect Player. To be sure, it would be interesting to see any confirmation of bit-perfect of the TIDAL app embedded in Chromecast Audio.

 

[Julf]

Volume was set to max in both. Subjectively, the Windows output may have been a dB down, barely weaker if at all.

I am somewhat sceptical about being about to tell a 1 dB difference subjectively.

 

[capslock]

What I was trying to say was that volume appeared to be the same, maybe a tiny bit less when playing through the windows app.

 

[ClosDeLaRoche]

How is the Chromecast's performance with the Google Home app? I like to connect to my Chromecast Audio with Google Home then play music with the USB Audio Player Pro app.

 

[mSpot]

How is the Chromecast's performance with the Google Home app?

Google Home works like a remote control for the Chromecast. The Google Home app isn't directly involved with handling the data stream and doesn't affect the Chromecast performance.

 

[ClosDeLaRoche]

Google Home works like a remote control for the Chromecast. The Google Home app isn't directly involved with handling the data stream and doesn't affect the Chromecast performance.

Ok great. Home allows me to "mirror" my phones audio, I was always a little concerned that it may be compressing or resampling or something.

 

[M00ndancer]

Ok great. Home allows me to "mirror" my phones audio, I was always a little concerned that it may be compressing or resampling or something.

No. You can even do some fun experiments. I have a Nest Home and a 10" sub connected to a CCA as a group. Great of filling in the thin sound from the Nest. If you want, you can even get those new Nest Audio speakers for stereo and group them with a sub for even more fun.

 

[tades]

How is the Chromecast's performance with the Google Home app? I like to connect to my Chromecast Audio with Google Home then play music with the USB Audio Player Pro app.

I don't know, I use it with HiFi Cast which is a great apps. (possibility of casting from Internet Radio and a local server in my case)

 

[Bigfoot]

Hi, sorry to reply to a bit of an old thread. Did anyone ever test the performance of the Tidal OSX desktop or IOS apps to Chromecast Audio into a DAC via toslink? Tidal have some content on achieving bit perfect performance. https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005773698-Optimizing-HiFi

Many thanks, Andrew.

 

[mSpot]

Did anyone ever test the performance of the Tidal OSX desktop or IOS apps to Chromecast Audio into a DAC via toslink?

When the Tidal app (Mac, Windows, iOS or Android) casts to Chromecast Audio, the Chromecast Audio will pull the stream directly from the Tidal server (the stream is not sent to the Tidal app). Chromecast Audio will transfer bit-perfect to toslink whatever it receives from the server.

 

[Bigfoot]

When the Tidal app (Mac, Windows, iOS or Android) casts to Chromecast Audio, the Chromecast Audio will pull the stream directly from the Tidal server (the stream is not sent to the Tidal app). Chromecast Audio will transfer bit-perfect to toslink whatever it receives from the server.

Thanks for this, I am a bit of a novice so appreciate the advice.

 

[Booker]

When the Tidal app (Mac, Windows, iOS or Android) casts to Chromecast Audio, the Chromecast Audio will pull the stream directly from the Tidal server (the stream is not sent to the Tidal app). Chromecast Audio will transfer bit-perfect to toslink whatever it receives from the server.

Is there any evidence to support the statement that directly cast TIDAL is bit-perfect? I checked before bit-perfect in other apps.

 

[mSpot]

Thanks for this, I am a bit of a novice so appreciate the advice.

Here's a demonstration that Chromecast Audio gets the stream directly from the server.

1. In the Tidal app, begin playing an album or playlist and cast it to Chromecast Audio​

2. Quit the Tidal app (or even power off the phone or computer)​

3. Chromecast continues to play the complete album or playlist without the Tidal app running​

Is there any evidence to support the statement that directly cast TIDAL is bit-perfect? I checked before bit-perfect in other apps.

I'm going on the assumption that Chromecast Audio only knows the source as an IP address and handles all sources indiscriminately. If it has been demonstrated that a FLAC source plays bit perfect, there is a good chance that it will also be the case for a Tidal stream. However, we can't assume that the Tidal server sends the same stream to a Chromecast target as it does for the Tidal app. In the case of Spotify, the server sends a 320 OGG Vorbis stream to the Spotify app but sends a 256 AAC stream to Chromecast endpoints.