Review and Measurements of Chromecast Audio Digital Output

[MrOtto]

Anyone using CCA and bubbleUPnP for streaming of local media? How do you set up bubbleUPnP for best sound quality? I have CCA as DLNA renderer, and no transcode or conversion in settings pages. Using foobar2000 UPnP DLNA output.

 

[Standing in the rain]

Would a Cambridge audio cxn into an external dac sound better than a chromecast audio into the same dac ?

 

[Jimbob54]

Would a Cambridge audio cxn into an external dac sound better than a chromecast audio into the same dac ?

I doubt it. I actually have one and it's a great box. I also have a CCA. If the dac in question had terrible jitter issues on the optical input but not the coax, then maybe.

But if all you are going to use the cxn for is to cast from phone app to it then on to the dac, just get the CCA.

 

[Standing in the rain]

I was thinking of getting the cxn for streaming qobuz. I have a Chromecast audio with the topping E30. I also have a iPad which I connect using usb. It was just to find information about if I would notice a big difference. Thanks for the help.

 

[Feesh]

Hi everyone,

I am running a smsl SA300 amp and sanskrit 10th mk2 DAC.

I was thinking of getting a CCA and connecting it to my DAC for streaming.

The problem is the digital input of my DAC is already occupied by my TV.

Is there a way of connecting CCA to the DAC using USB or coaxial?

 

[MrOtto]

You will need an optical to coax adapter.

 

[Feesh]

You will need an optical to coax adapter.

So something like this would be the only way:

https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Conv...o+coaxial&qid=1613578249&s=electronics&sr=1-3

Guessing it could also potentially be a weak link in the chain?

 

[MrOtto]

Something like that, yeas. I use a Tendak optical to coax from my TV since my speakers use the optical for the CCA. I suspect it to have latency, lip sync issues, not confirmed it yet.

 

[Wavez]

Is anyone able to confirm:

Is casting using the Plex app on an android device to CCA bit perfect or compressed?

 

[Bamyasi]

Is anyone able to confirm:

Is casting using the Plex app on an android device to CCA bit perfect or compressed?

It is bitperfect, unless you configure your PMS to transcode. It does not do transcoding for audio streams on local network by default.

 

[BillG]

Is anyone able to confirm:

Is casting using the Plex app on an android device to CCA bit perfect or compressed?

All the Android apps that access a Chromecast will stream to it bit perfectly unless one has their server(s) set up to transcode for network bandwidth conservation/incompatible formats.

 

[MrOtto]

Anyone using BubbleUPnP with CCA? How do you set it up for bit perfect? Choose "do not transcode" in settings? Use as DLNA or Openhome media rendering device?

 

[deafenears]

Hi everyone,

I am running a smsl SA300 amp and sanskrit 10th mk2 DAC.

I was thinking of getting a CCA and connecting it to my DAC for streaming.

The problem is the digital input of my DAC is already occupied by my TV.

Is there a way of connecting CCA to the DAC using USB or coaxial?

Get an optical switcher? Something like https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Toslink-Splitter-Cable-Black-Video-Game/dp/B06ZZ2BC9X/

Or this, which will automatically switch - https://www.tindie.com/products/Beni_Skate/automatic-spdif-opticalrca-audio-switch/

 

[vhild§]

Qobuz app streams via CCA the resolution that’s correct. At least my Yamaha receiver showed the same bitrate as the casting Qobuz app.

 

[aleksa.angelov]

I have a Cambridge A. AXA35 amplifier paired with speakers ELAC DBR62, a CCA and I'm planning to get a DAC (Topping E30 od Schiit modi 3). The CCA shall be connected to DAC using toslink, and then the DAC shall be connected to the amp, obviously. I'm listening to Tidal and Spotify. So my question is, my dilemma actually, will I improve the sound quality significantly? Does it make sense to purchase a 150$ DAC with this setup?

 

[Julf]

Not really. The $150 would be to be able to show off and feel comfortable that you are above average.

 

[aleksa.angelov]

Not really. The $150 would be to be able to show off and feel comfortable that you are above average.

Show off was never the idea. I've spend ~1000 US$ for the setup so far, so I really wanted to know if spending 150US$ makes sense. Thank you for the reply.

 

[JAudio2015]

I am very satisfied with my CCA used as a streamer between Roon and Hugo 2, it blows the USB connection from my desktop away.

 

[Julf]

I am very satisfied with my CCA used as a streamer between Roon and Hugo 2, it blows the USB connection from my desktop away.

In what way does it "blow away" the USB connection on your desktop? What OS are you running? What music playing application?

 

[JAudio2015]

In what way does it "blow away" the USB connection on your desktop? What OS are you running? What music playing application?

Everything (not almost), if I didn't try the optical connection via CCA, I will never know how good the HUGO 2 is. I think it has lots to do with the USB port/cable/and my desktop (it's my main working computer running Windows 10 OS). The sound via USB connection from my desktop was fine, not bad at all if compare to other DAC/HA (from Fiio Q5s, Monolith DAC/HA, to Naim DAC V1, kind of the similar quality/level to my ears but different taste), and I am not complaining, but it didn't WOW me. I am so pleased how good the optical via CCA sound like right now, to the point that I can tell myself, that's it! I don't need no more, although the max sample rate I can get is 88Khz via CCA. I play Tital and Qobuz in Roon from my desktop, and I use the toslink cable came with Hugo 2. In fact, I am still keeping the USB connection so I can do A/B compare once a while, but every time I rush back to the optical input from CCA