Quick Intro- The Chromecast Audio is a great audio streaming device intended as an affordable add-on for audio systems that don't already have the ability to stream music. I've connected mine to my Pioneer turntable and amp from the mid 1980s, and I couldn't be happier with the sound for what I paid. -Setup- This was a short and simple process. The Chromecast Audio was extremely easy to set up through the Google Home app on my Google Pixel. The app automatically found the Chromecast and set it up to work with my home WiFi. I was then given the option to name my Chromecast to keep track of it in case there are other devices nearby. After setup, the 'cast' icon will show up in supported apps such as Google Play Music and let you select the Chromecast from a list of nearby devices. Once you hear the connection jingle, you're ready to start playing music. -Connectivity- The device comes with a male-to-male 3.5mm audio jack. Which can be used on any powered speaker system that has a 3.5mm auxiliary input. Additionally, the Chromecast can also output to analog RCA stereo (the red and white cables) and optical digital out. These last two options both require the purchase of an adapter cable, and if you want to connect to a HiFi system or home theater, these are likely your only connection options. -Audio Quality- I wanted to address other reviewers' concerns with the audio quality of the Chromecast Audio. I've noticed that many of these reviewers state that when the Chromecast is connected to a HiFi system, the audio quality doesn't sound much better than the average Bluetooth speaker. Before buying the Chromecast, these statements concerned me given that the device has the hardware to handle lossless audio. I decided to still buy it since I could easily return it if I wasn't happy, and I am glad that I took the risk because while the other reviewers weren't wrong, the issue could be fixed with the flip of a switch in the Google Home app. Unfortunately, finding this switch is not easy. -How To Get The Best Audio Quality- To access the setting to fix the audio, you must first open the Google Home app and tap the 'Devices' icon in the upper-right corner. That will open the devices menu, which displays all of the home devices near you that are registered to your account and what they are currently doing. From here, find the card for your new Chromecast and tap the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of the card and click 'Settings' when the small menu pops out. This will bring you to the device settings for your Chromecast. This menu is full of useful settings that you can play with if you feel adventurous, but we're looking for a specific one in the 'Sound' subsection. This section has two options as of writing this. The first is 'Playback sounds' which I recommend having on so you know when you've successfully connected to your Chromecast and are ready to play music. The second option is the one we're looking for. Video download app for mac. This one is 'Full dynamic range', and it's what makes the difference between quiet, tinny music and big, warm, pleasant music. Just tap that switch on the right to start getting the full experience from your Chromecast. If you want to know why this is off by default, tap the 'Learn More' button below the 'Full dynamic range' setting. Cast audio from macOS to Chromecast. Contribute to andresgottlieb/soundcast development by creating an account on GitHub. Dec 30, 2015 - Windows/Mac: Most popular apps allow you to cast audio and video to your Chromecast directly from the app itself, but it's not supported. Once full dynamic range is enabled, the Chromecast Audio becomes a magical little circle of musical goodness that it has no right being at this price. -Conclusion- The Chromecast Audio is possibly the best audio streaming device you can find for $35. Setup is easy, and the audio quality is top-notch once you've enabled full dynamic range. I'd recommend it to anyone that wants to add music streaming to an older audio system. Setup much easier with the Google home app compared to other brands when using with an android phone. Still cumbersome and glitchy just like all the others. Lacks any customizing options. No ability to adjust sound output (eq,fx,etc.). Only 4 stars instead of 3 because it stands out as easier to set up and plays nicer with different systems. Sound quality is average. Really wish they would make a stand alone renderer, with it's own software, that only uses the phone/tablet/pc as a remote control. I've tried them all. The technology isn't there yet to recreate the experience of plugging something in. If you have older dock devices that you don't use (or if the phone receiver has broken), or if you want to use existing powered speakers to create a whole house system, then this is an excellent solution. We had several different speakers around our house and we wanted to build a whole house system. We have added one of these to each of the devices and we're done. Only drawback is that there isn't an easy way to have this fed directly from the TV, but if you stream from your tablet or phone, then it works to stream the TV sound to the whole house system. Waaaaay better than sound than Bluetooth, stream to as many speakers as you want simultaneously perfectly with no echo. Bluetooth will not stream more than 2 speakers at a time.
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