Chromecast audio

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
Not wanting to spoil the CCA thread but I came here having being disheartened with Rpi with Volumio. Spent a testing afternoon today loading Moode and it seems to work, albeit I keep getting a crackly static noise.

But after all the effort....not sure it's good enough to warrant over a CCA.

Full disclosure.....CCA into a stock Cambridge DAC magic.....Rpi with a berry dac+ pro

I am still a CCA proponent!
Berry DAC+ pro is what's holding you back there I think.
Need a Allo Digione or Signature to step up a level.
 
Even with a Berry DAC+, there should not be a crackly static noise. I would suggest persevering with your RPi over the CCA.

To try and identify the source of your static, I'd try removing your DAC, and using the RPi 3.5mm jack. If the static disappears, then the problem is with the DAC. IIRC, there may be some issues with some of the HiFiBerry drivers, so may be worth experimenting.

If your RPI proves to be static free, I'd suggest an Allo Boss 1.2, as this is a relatively cheap upgrade, compared to the Digione. I'd expect an RPi/Boss combination to be noticeably better than the CCA, unless there is something unusual downstream (preamp, amp etc)
 
Last edited:
If the CCA is connected to a DAC, won't that define the quality?

Not completely:
1. CCA jitter worsens as resolution goes up, and gets quite ugly at 96/24
2. Optical connection is compromised vs. USB or I2S

IME, the RPI 3 B+ sounds better into the same DAC (iFi Audio nano iOne), as long as you don't power the DAC from the RPI USB port.
The considerably more expensive sms-200 sounds much better than CCA, both streaming into my Audiolab 8200CD.
 
Member
Joined 2008
Paid Member
Is is possible that playing from CCA optical out to a Denon Mini receiver sounds much less detailed than playing from a laptop soundcard into the analog input of the same receiver? On the laptop, it is Chrome Browser casting from Google Music, the CCA is playing the same song directly from Google Music, controlled from my phone. It feels kind of dull and rounded from the CCA - from the laptop, it is sharper and more precise. E.g. rim hits when playing solo drums are very hard to hear from CCA, but can be heard easily from the laptop. Also, when saxophone plays with some background "hammonds", I cannot hear the hammonds separately from CCA, but I can distinguish them on the laptop. I would say that there is something like different codec or bitrate. Line out from the phone is also better - and that is a cheap Android phone.

I have noticed this just recently as I have upgraded my loudspeakers. I am using it from the first setup for more than three years without any fw update, could that be the cause?
 
Does anyone who's still using this unit get digital noise when using it with their system. I'm not going to jump through hoops on it but did you find any simple fix? I love how simple of a device this thing is, and for the price the sound can't be beat but the noise is just too much and I'm not sure if it's my unit or a problem with the device in general.
 
Turns out it was the power supply I was using for my USB power. I wasn't getting noise with it with anything else but when I tried a different one it become almost non-existent.

Such a cool little piece, I'm surprise more people didn't play with them. It's a shame they stopped making them and the new Chromecast and Chromecast Audio don't have stereo out without an additional device.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.