Alternative to Chromecast Audio

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Stu1

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#296247 1-Jun-2022 17:09

Looking for an alternative to chromecast or an audio streamer with wifi , the only options I have seen is either music cast, Sonos amp, Yamaha-WXC-50 or Harman Kardon Citation Amp which I can’t see is available in NZ. I am wanting to connect to some outdoor speakers . I have the Fosi amp and chrome cast audio which is awsum. I want to set something similar with a remote. What would be the best option ? .Would need to work with AirPlay 2 , Spotify and Apple Music .I would like another chromecast audio but too hard to get these days

Dunnersfella

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#2921535 1-Jun-2022 18:27

Airplay 2 and a remote control... interesting.

You can get a streamer like a WXC50, but it only offers Airplay Gen1... but it does have a remote control.

Sonos does not offer a remote in the box, but maybe 3rd party remotes can control it, I genuinely don't know.

Maybe a BluOS device from the likes of NAD? But I'm not sure if they offer an IR / Bluetooth / RF remote control?

Obviously Chromecast Audio's don't have a remote control... how much is this required and how much is on the wishlist?

Stu1

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#2921545 1-Jun-2022 19:08

Dunnersfella:

Airplay 2 and a remote control... interesting.

You can get a streamer like a WXC50, but it only offers Airplay Gen1... but it does have a remote control.

Sonos does not offer a remote in the box, but maybe 3rd party remotes can control it, I genuinely don't know.

Maybe a BluOS device from the likes of NAD? But I'm not sure if they offer an IR / Bluetooth / RF remote control?

Obviously Chromecast Audio's don't have a remote control... how much is this required and how much is on the wishlist?

Can drop the remote, there is not many wifi cast options out there. Must requirement would be wifi and cast capability.

hhan

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#2921549 1-Jun-2022 19:22

I am currently using a amazon echo dot as a wifi streamer for spotify. It has a 3.5mm jack output.

Stu1

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#2921553 1-Jun-2022 19:29

hhan:

I am currently using a amazon echo dot as a wifi streamer for spotify. It has a 3.5mm jack output.

Awsum thank you didn’t realise it had an output

davidcole

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#2921757 2-Jun-2022 11:58

Raspberry PI with volumio? You can get native spotify on it, but I find spotify connect better. And has airplay out of the box. Unsure if v2 though.

A few different options for how to connect it to something. I've done :

with an amp daughter board (direct to passive speakers)
With a usb sound card to an amplifer via 3.5mm > 2xrca
With a Toslink/Digital Coax daughter board to an amp via optical.

The last one, worked ok, but my amp couldn't downmix the PCM signal to stereo so it wouldn;t go out a line out feed to outdoor speakers. But that was probably more my issue.

Another option I can't take advatange of, it that a raspberry pi has hdmi, which a decent receiver could probably utillise.,

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tieke

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#2921857 2-Jun-2022 15:20

If you're willing to try Amazon's system, I'm sure I've still got a couple of new echo inputs lying around that I had bought as a chromecast audio backup - basically an echo with a microphone but without a speaker. I can sell you one for $20 if you're interested.

hhan

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#2921862 2-Jun-2022 15:28

tieke:

If you're willing to try Amazon's system, I'm sure I've still got a couple of new echo inputs lying around that I had bought as a chromecast audio backup - basically an echo with a microphone but without a speaker. I can sell you one for $20 if you're interested.

I am interested. PM'd.

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Handle9

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#2922006 2-Jun-2022 17:24

davidcole:

Raspberry PI with volumio? You can get native spotify on it, but I find spotify connect better. And has airplay out of the box. Unsure if v2 though.

A few different options for how to connect it to something. I've done :

with an amp daughter board (direct to passive speakers)
With a usb sound card to an amplifer via 3.5mm > 2xrca
With a Toslink/Digital Coax daughter board to an amp via optical.
The last one, worked ok, but my amp couldn't downmix the PCM signal to stereo so it wouldn;t go out a line out feed to outdoor speakers. But that was probably more my issue.

Another option I can't take advatange of, it that a raspberry pi has hdmi, which a decent receiver could probably utillise.,

Pi with shairport-sync can do Airplay 2. It's a faf around to get working but solid once installed. It's what I use to drive my outdoor speakers. It's driving a cheap class D amp so I just used the onboard headphone jack.

davidcole

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#2922007 2-Jun-2022 17:26

Yeah volumio uses sharesync just bundled it all into an is so makes it easier to set and forget