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Review and Measurements of Chromecast Audio Digital Output

mSpot

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So in your instance you have to manually change the streaming quality when using your CCA?
When streaming to CCA, I need to set Qobuz to CD quality; otherwise I get frequent stutters.

BTW, if I set Qobuz max quality to 24/192 and also play a 24/192 album, during actual playing on CCA, Qobuz and my DAC display 24/96 resolution. Either the CCA requests 24/96 resolution from the server or it is chosen by the Qobuz server (it knows when it is connected to a CCA endpoint).

In truth, however, I only use my CCA for internet radio and podcasts. The CCA's lack of gapless support is a serious problem with some classical music albums (my primary listening). The record labels sometimes break up long continuous music into multiple tracks that will play fine when gapless is supported, but without gapless there is a brief pause at each track boundary.
 
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Buckeye Amps

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When streaming to CCA, I need to set Qobuz to CD quality; otherwise I get frequent stutters.

BTW, if I set Qobuz max quality to 24/192 and also play a 24/192 album, during actual playing on CCA, Qobuz and my DAC display 24/96 resolution. Either the CCA requests 24/96 resolution from the server or it is chosen by the Qobuz server (it knows when it is connected to a CCA endpoint).

In truth, however, I only use my CCA for internet radio and podcasts. The CCA's lack of gapless support is a serious problem with some classical music albums (my primary listening). The record labels sometimes break up long continuous music into multiple tracks that will play fine when gapless is supported, but without gapless there is a brief pause at each track boundary.
Hmm, I wonder how this will work with songs I import for offline listening then. I downloaded all my songs for offline, so not sure how to change the output of my Hi-Res ones if the CCA actually has issues at 24/96
 

Buckeye Amps

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Anyone using the CCA with Qobuz?

When I try to cast to the CCA from the Android Qobuz app, it just keeps saying "Connection to Chromecast Audio" but never plays sound. I can tell the Chromecast is receiving some sort of signal as the optical port turns on.
 

Klonatans

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Anyone using the CCA with Qobuz?

When I try to cast to the CCA from the Android Qobuz app, it just keeps saying "Connection to Chromecast Audio" but never plays sound. I can tell the Chromecast is receiving some sort of signal as the optical port turns on.
I don’t know about Android, but CCA works from iPhone with Qobuz via optical. However I have the same issue mentioned by mSpot: stuttering with hi-res content.
 

Julf

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I don’t know about Android, but CCA works from iPhone with Qobuz via optical. However I have the same issue mentioned by mSpot: stuttering with hi-res content.

The whole "hi-res" thing seems to be causing a lot of issues (for no real gain).
 

Klonatans

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The whole "hi-res" thing seems to be causing a lot of issues (for no real gain).
I’m not sure I can discern any difference in SQ between 16/44 and hi-res listening the same music, however at least I should say that 24-bit content from Qobuz is reproduced without stuttering on my other devices like Mytek, Cambridge Audio and Electrocompaniet.
 

Buckeye Amps

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I’m not sure I can discern any difference in SQ between 16/44 and hi-res listening the same music, however at least I should say that 24-bit content from Qobuz is reproduced without stuttering on my other devices like Mytek, Cambridge Audio and Electrocompaniet.
Are there other devices that work with Qobuz Connect besides the CCA without breaking the bank (under $600)?

I really want to just use Qobuz connect for simplicity sake
 

Klonatans

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Are there other devices that work with Qobuz Connect besides the CCA without breaking the bank (under $600)?
I really want to just use Qobuz connect for simplicity sake
Maybe a second hand Cambridge CXN v1 or v2 could be a solution for you if you happen to find a good deal under 600$. I once tried the v1 with Qobuz Connect from my iPhone and it worked just fine but I sold the streamer as I wanted to use Qobuz with Cambridge StreamMagic app, so I got the v2 instead.
 

Jmudrick

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Anyone using the CCA with Qobuz?

When I try to cast to the CCA from the Android Qobuz app, it just keeps saying "Connection to Chromecast Audio" but never plays sound. I can tell the Chromecast is receiving some sort of signal as the optical port turns on.
Yup no such problems here.
 

Bamyasi

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Hmm, not sure why mine is having trouble.
Mine did the same when I was was using it. On the Google support forum at the time the response from developers was that sampling rates above 96 kHz are not supported and never will be. This was right before the CCA puck has been discontinued. You can try Google USB Ethernet adapter for CC if you have wired network as an alternative (currently out of stock in the Google store but can be had elsewhere) but I do not know if it would work any better.

Personally, I am using BubbleUPnP Android app instead: excellent software and the developer provides active support and regular bugfixes with new features. It supports Qobuz playback over DLNA/UPnP. DLNA rendering is done by RPi, which is arguably the cheapest solution one can have today. No stuttering whatsoever, 100% smooth playback at any sampling rate. I also have a BubbleUPnP server software installed on the same RPi, which adds things like gapless playback and persistent playlists to standard DLNA rendering. But you have to use BubbleUPnP app instead of Qobuz native app on your phone and its GUI looks slightly less polished.
 

dweekie

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Hmm, not sure why mine is having trouble.

Edit: All pertain to Android phone experiences except for the last line

The Qobuz Android app is quite buggy with Chromecast audio. Sometimes it'll work flawlessly, other times it'll give that exact issue you mentioned, and the fun part is when it plays different songs on your phone and CCA simultaneously with the controls only affecting the CCA with no option to pause the song your phone is playing.
Youtube music does some weird things to the audio when casting to the CCA.
Apple Music and Spotify only stream lossy formats to the CCA.
Tidal fails in too many ways to consider.
That just leaves Qobuz through BubbleUPnP or UAPP if you want lossless tracks on CCA to work properly aside from a Roon endpoint or local streaming.

I personally just use Apple Music on my Android phone to CCA, and I'll hardwire a secondary iPhone/iPad to my dac if I really want high res audio (Apple Music as well).
 
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mSpot

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Hmm, not sure why mine is having trouble.
To narrow down the problem, try casting to CCA from other sources. From Android, try any other audio app such as TuneIn or YouTube Music. Also try casting from the Qobuz desktop app (PC or Mac).
 

envydd

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How do I use YouTube/AmazonHD music on my Mac -> equalize -> CCA bitstream. Basically I don't want CCA to do any jugglery - just play the pure bitstream. Today I use the bass/treble. I want to use PEQ using either Roon on my Mac or use a minidsp flex (about to order).
 

Klonatans

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Has someone experience with Nuprime Omnia Stream Mini or other Nuprime streaming devices?
 

Jimbob54

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Has someone experience with Nuprime Omnia Stream Mini or other Nuprime streaming devices?
Nuprime tend to be overpriced for what they actually deliver. Unless it has some functionality you can't find elsewhere I'd look to known quantities.
 

envydd

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I pulled the trigger on the Allo DigiOne Player w/Volumio OS. Plan to stream to it with BubbleUPnP on my Android
I have been on the fence on this. Can I direct a chromecast stream to volume io/allo?
 

envydd

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Nuprime tend to be overpriced for what they actually deliver. Unless it has some functionality you can't find elsewhere I'd look to known quantities.
Nuprime doesn’t measure well and seems expensive but their integrated offerings are ok given that they design their own A+D and upsamplers. The integrated market outside nuprime is also very overpriced!
 
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