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tieke
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  #2515039 30-Jun-2020 13:37
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Pleased I picked up a couple of backup chromecast audios while you could still get them (as well as half a dozen of the Amazon Echo Input equivalent when they were $10 each), but this looks like a good option if that all goes to pot.

 

Obviously Amazon and Google's sales disagreed, but I would have thought there were enough people who wanted to enable streaming on their already good audio systems not to have discontinued the audio-output-only devices, and I had then hoped that Google would at least put an output jack on their later Home iterations.

 

I set my system up at the end of 2015 when the chromecast audios were released, and the seamless multi-room audio and interactivity I get from my multiple chromecast-connected "dumb" amplifiers and speakers throughout the house is something that I'm still impressed with even after all these years.




mentalinc
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  #2515109 30-Jun-2020 14:14
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Does anyone have a link to the exact project you ordered.

 

 

 

But ditto glad I grabbed one last year for $30 or so tucked in a drawer for when it will be needed.





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lagbort
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  #2515113 30-Jun-2020 14:18
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mentalinc:

 

Does anyone have a link to the exact project you ordered.

 

 

 

But ditto glad I grabbed one last year for $30 or so tucked in a drawer for when it will be needed.

 

 

 

 

This is the one I ordered.




Jaxson
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  #2515151 30-Jun-2020 15:26
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I think the move today is towards smart speakers with google assistant/alexa built in.


elpenguino

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  #2515154 30-Jun-2020 15:31
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Jaxson:

 

I think the move today is towards smart speakers with google assistant/alexa built in.

 

 

Smart speakers are not a good option for me. I don't want the extra functions and I want a form factor that will go well into a stack of stereo separates.

 

Preferably I'll build everything into the 19" case that already holds my raspberry pi (volumio) and DAC .





Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21


lagbort
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  #2515156 30-Jun-2020 15:32
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Jaxson:

 

I think the move today is towards smart speakers with google assistant/alexa built in.

 

 

 

 

I wish the Google Home Mini had an audio output, that would make it the perfect Chromecast Audio replacement.


mentalinc
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  #2515345 30-Jun-2020 21:05
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Concern with smart speakers is the always listening mic (yes understand a phone has a mic as well, but assistants are opt in there)... 





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Jaxson
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  #2515348 30-Jun-2020 21:18
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lagbort:

 

I wish the Google Home Mini had an audio output, that would make it the perfect Chromecast Audio replacement.

 

 

 

 

Amazon Alexa echo dot is the closest option.  Pretty similar really, in terms of you open Spotify on the phone and select that as your audio device, just like you would do with a chromecast audio.

I have a chromecast audio to give an analog feed to my older receiver, mostly so I can route that to my outdoor Zone 2 speakers.  (Some older receivers only do analogue source to zone 2.)

 

 

 

 

 

 


JimmyH
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  #2517186 4-Jul-2020 13:48
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mentalinc:

 

Concern with smart speakers is the always listening mic (yes understand a phone has a mic as well, but assistants are opt in there)... 

 

 

The Mini's have hardware switches to turn the mics off if that's all that's bothering you.

 

I have a couple of Chromecast audios, would like two more, and it's a nuisance that they aren't readily available anymore. But I would be happy if they put audio out on a new version of the Mini instead.


SEEN
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  #2517860 6-Jul-2020 10:28
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I have another option that may be a bit overkill but is still worth mentioning. I have Logitech Media Server running on my unRAID server, with a bunch of dirt cheap ($35 for 7x with power adapters) HP thinclients around the house as clients running Daphile (https://www.daphile.com/). Daphile has very good support for USB DACs too, for those that are fussy, and LMS supports Spotify etc with plugins.


lchiu7
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  #2517926 6-Jul-2020 13:46
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Jaxson:

 

lagbort:

 

I wish the Google Home Mini had an audio output, that would make it the perfect Chromecast Audio replacement.

 

 

 

 

Amazon Alexa echo dot is the closest option.  Pretty similar really, in terms of you open Spotify on the phone and select that as your audio device, just like you would do with a chromecast audio.

I have a chromecast audio to give an analog feed to my older receiver, mostly so I can route that to my outdoor Zone 2 speakers.  (Some older receivers only do analogue source to zone 2.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have my Chromecast Audio route its signal to my main AVR over Toslink. Not sure I can hear the difference between analogue audio or Toslink but it's tidier :-)





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tieke
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  #2517973 6-Jul-2020 14:18
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SEEN:

 

..I have Logitech Media Server running on my unRAID server, with a bunch of dirt cheap ($35 for 7x with power adapters) HP thinclients around the house..

 

 

What thinclients are you using?


SEEN
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  #2517989 6-Jul-2020 14:22
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tieke:

 

What thinclients are you using?

 

 

I am using a bunch of HP T510s but I've also used HP ones with 1.6GHz single core atom processors, and a couple of Dell Wyse ones with dual core AMD APUs. I am not sure how much power the T510 use at idle, but they're passively cooled and have been run for weeks to months without reboot without any issues at all.


elpenguino

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  #2518489 7-Jul-2020 13:57
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Thank you for the offer. I've decided to go another route now that I've discovered I can't cast the audio from a YT video to a chromecast audio.





Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21


xbmcnut
490 posts

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  #2543104 17-Aug-2020 17:01
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Finally did my review of the HDMI audio extractor that allows you to turn a standard Chromecast into a Chromecast Audio.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX-I22T0DcQ

 

 





RS820+, DS223, CoreELEC on Odroid N2+, 3 x Echo Dot & 7 x Google Homes connected to Home Assistant on Beelink SEi12.


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