The GCA as bit provider is markedly improved by the Wyred4Sound Remedy interceding between it and the Mytek Brooklyn DAC‘s digital inputs. The upshot? A S/PDIF re-clocker is required to take the GCA’s digital output up to – and beyond – an acceptable level of audible quality. Playing catch on an AirPlay stream, the 3rd Generation Apple TV sounds better. Despite the electrical isolation of a TOSLINK connection, the Google puck layers more glare upon its somewhat lifeless treble than does an unmodified Sonos Connect. As a digital deliverer into the Mytek’s DAC, the GCA sounds weak. I’m dramatising a little with the breakfast cereal analogy but consider this: the iPhone 6S Plus’ headphone socket sounds better. Tapping the 3.5mm socket’s analogue output with the Mytek Brooklyn DAC’s analogue input via an AudioQuest Golden Gate 3.5mm-RCA cable revealed a somewhat lacklustre handling of microdynamics and a porridge-smeared window on the music. How would the first “CD quality” streaming service to land on Google’s super affordable hardware platform fare as an audio source?Īs one might expect, the internal DAC isn’t much to write home about. I’ve been giving the GCA a run around the block with a selection of Tidal Hifi’s lossless streams from Prince, Objekt and Aphex Twin. This week’s update to the Tidal iOS/Android app adds Google Cast support and thus provides a timely opportunity for a more in-depth look. Were it not for the GCA’s 3.5mm socket doubling as a mini-TOSLINK output, audiophiles like me (and you) might have let Google’s new device drift through to the ‘keeper. With the GCA dongle tucked away out of sight, any Cast-compatible app’s audio stream can be handed off to the GCA leaving the phone or tablet to function as a glorified remote control. Wot no Tidal? (no Qobuz, no Deezer either). At product launch, Cast-supported apps included Spotify, Google Play Music, YouTube and Pandora. The final piece of the puzzle comes from the streaming app itself, which must be Google Cast enabled. Hook-up is as simple as 1-2-3: connect the GCA to an amplifier or pair of powered loudspeakers (a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm fly lead is supplied) join the GCA’s microUSB port to the mains with the supplied SMPS download the Google Cast app to an iPhone or tablet and run the one-time setup procedure that joins the GCA to your wireless network (there’s no Ethernet here). Got the Bluetooth blues? Google’s Chromecast Audio (GCA) is not much bigger than a Checker’s piece but brings streaming service integration to any device with an analogue input, all for just US$35.
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