Google Chromecast Audio/2Qute

Posted by: Bob the Builder on 19 October 2017

Set up the GCC Audio this evening and I have to say I'm very pleasantly surprised. Connected via Toslink Optical to my Chord 2Qute streaming Tidal it sounds a lot better than the Raspberry Pi I was using before and is so much easier to use.  

I have made other changes to my system since I had the ND5XS and I'm relying on memory but the GCC Audio sounds better listening to Linn Jazz radio and Radio Paradise via the Tunein app which were two of my go to stations on the Naim app I'm pretty amazed as to why a £30 renderer can sound better than a £2000 one.

I'm powering the CC with a Belkin power bank rather than the wall wart supplied wether this makes any difference I have no idea or the fact that the output from the CC is much lower (does it have it's own volume?) because I can now turn the volume up on my 282 to 10 or 12 o'clock whereas before it was too loud at 8.  

I have not tried any CD rips to compare those yet and I believe the CC cannot play anything past 24/92 but for anyone who only wants to stream Qubuz, Tidal, Spotify and iRadio and who owns a fairly decent dac then I can highly recommend this little device .

 

Posted on: 19 October 2017 by hungryhalibut

Are you using the CCA with a wired Ethernet connection? I ask because when I tried one once to stream Qobuz it sounded pretty awful. I used an optical lead into the Naim, but the CCA was working wirelessly, which is which is why I thought the results might have been so poor. At the time it wasn’t possible to run an Ethernet cable to it, and if I had I may have been as pleased with it as you are with yours. It’s similar tech to what Naim are using for the Googlecast in the new Uniti range presumably. 

Posted on: 20 October 2017 by Huge

Yes the CCA does have it's own volume control in the digital domain and this does affect the S/Pdif output.  The user interface is rather buried somewhere in the Google Home app though.

The CCA can play 24/192, IF the connection is stable enough at this bitrate.

In terms of a better renderer, well it's more likely that the optical S/Pdif from the CCA just happens to be more suitable for the 2Qute than the electrical S/Pdif from the ND5, rather than any inherent difference in quality.

Posted on: 20 October 2017 by Bob the Builder

No wired connection,  just listening to Grant Green - Idle Moments via Tidal and am very pleased with my £30 upgrade.